Bob Dylan - Acetates on the Tracks Volume 1 & 2 (1962 - 1974) (1998)

A jam packed 80 minute disc offering various studio outtakes of the 60s. While this is a great quality set, I prefer to have a full set from a particular session, rather than hop scotching on highlights. That said, there are some real gems here. While appearing on several other boot releases, the fan of top quality studio outtakes will enjoy this. This is the first installment of a series that was intended (as the title implies) to chronicle acetate recordings of studio outtakes. However, it loses momentum after the first two releases. The covers are generic scenes of roadways. While captivating, they have no Dylan tie-in.

A superb follow-up to Vol.1 with tracks covering Highway 61 / Blonde on Blonde plus several sundry studio tracks from 1970 & 1973. Once again, quality is top notch and equivalent to the best previous CDs have had to offer - that's right, it seems to me that everything on here has been previously available. The upside is that many of the disks that offer these tracks are long out of print and near impossible to find. Anyway, included on here is the devastating solo piano version of "She's Your Lover Now," which is worth the price of admission alone. I always joke that this is the one song you must cue up for your friends who don't like Dylan - it will just reinforce their aversion to him because they just won't get it, particularly the opening (I can't really say I get it either -even if I thought I did I would'nt say so :-) ). Anyway, I feel compelled to be a little anal here and point out that 0:21 into this song, Dylan provides us with the most wondrous 3-4 seconds of humming I've ever heard - truly inspiring and tuneful and words can't describe it ("Come on, xyx, it's 3 seconds of humming, quit bullshitting and looking for some deep meaning in there." OK, sorry). Suffice it to say this track is a killer - the singing, the piano, the words - if you have'nt heard it, do yourself a favor and at least cop a tape of it. Then decide which one you prefer - this or the GBS 1-3 version w/the Band.

I've wasted enough of your time already but I would be remiss not to mention the other legendary unreleased cut included here - the "boiled guts of birds...nightingale's code" version of "Desolation Row." Many lyric variations and different musically to the H61 version. A must to hear this one also if you've never had the pleasure. Last detailed mention will go to the 2 cuts of "Visions of Johanna" (both sound similar to me), also completely different than the version on BonB. This one is also a necessity.

A wonderful collection of tracks and if someone can provide the source linkage it would be much appreciated . For instance, are these all from acetates? Maybe someone can print the full listing of Grogan and Gelston acetates. I'm also wondering about the sources of the last 4 tracks, as the only one where surface noise is evident is "Nobody 'Cept You." In any case, this one will certainly not disappoint.