Bob Dylan’s “Bootleg Series Vol. 10” Answers Burning Question: “What is This Shit?”

The Bootleg Series is back.

Almost three years after the release of Bob Dylan’s The Bootleg Series Vol. 9 – The Witmark Demos 1962-1964, Columbia Records has announced a tenth volume in the acclaimed series dedicated to the unreleased recordings of The Bard of Hibbing.  On August 27, the label will deliver Vol.  10 – Another Self Portrait (1969-1971), drawing on the treasure trove of material mainly used to assemble the 1970 studio albums New Morning and Self Portrait.  This new, 35-song collection was previewed for April’s Record Store Day event via the limited edition 7-inch single of “Wigwam” and “Thirsty Boots.”  (For those who missed out, no fear.  Both songs are included on the new Bootleg volume.)  A special box set edition of The Bootleg Series Vol. 10 will also premiere a rare live concert from 1969 with Dylan and The Band.

Greil Marcus infamously asked, “What is this shit?” in his review of Dylan’s tenth album, Self Portrait.   A mix of frankly strange cover versions, instrumentals, live recordings and originals spread over 2 LPs, Dylan told young journalist Cameron Crowe that the intention was to put out “his own bootleg record” consisting of studio warm-ups “just to get things right, and then we’d go on and do what we were going to do.” Prior to the Crowe interview, the singer had asserted that the album was a pointed slap in the face to his own overzealous fans: “I said, ‘well, fuck it. I wish these people would just forget about me. I wanna do something they can’t possibly like, can’t possibly relate to. They’ll see it, and they’ll listen, and they’ll say, ‘Well, let’s get on to the next person. He ain’t sayin’ it no more.’”  Indeed, Dylan appeared anxious to shed his standing as a message-carrying prophet of song and get down to the simple business of making music.  Self Portrait still managed to go gold as listeners wanted to hear what the hell it was all about. Like many of Dylan’s albums, a number of outtakes were generated in the sessions held between April 1969 and March 1970; some might wonder about the quality of the songs left off such a maligned album!  But Another Self Portrait aims to place Dylan’s sessions of the era in context, allowing them to be viewed in a revelatory new light.

Hit the jump to explore the new Bootleg Series entry!

For Self Portrait, Dylan was joined by a small ensemble of musicians, primarily folk hero David Bromberg (guitar) and “Like a Rolling Stone” organist/all-around musical renaissance man Al Kooper (keyboards, guitar), with producer Bob Johnston later adding overdubs to the basic tracks in Nashville.  Another Self Portrait presents these original session masters for the first time without overdubs.  Following the odd hybrid Self Portrait, Dylan concentrated his own compositions to create his eleventh studio album, New Morning.

New Morning began to take shape on May 1, 1970 when Dylan was joined by George Harrison, Charlie Daniels and Russ Kunkel at Columbia’s Studio B in New York City. With Johnston, Dylan began recording an eclectic blend of material in rough-hewn versions.  These sessions yielded more cover versions, although the ultimate album sequence consisted entirely of original compositions including “If Not for You,” “Went to See the Gypsy” and “Time Passes Slowly.” The latter was originally written for a stage musical Dylan had been exploring with poet and playwright Archibald MacLeish (J.B.) based on The Devil and Daniel Webster. When the writing of the stage show stalled, “New Morning” and “Father of Night,” along with “Time Passes Slowly,” found a home on New Morning.  Previously unreleased alternates of “If Not for You,” “Went to See the Gypsy,” “New Morning” and “Time Passes Slowly” all appear on Another Self Portrait.

The Bootleg Series, Vol. 10 – Another Self Portrait (1969-1971) will be available in a standard two-disc edition as well as in a four-disc deluxe box set which will include, for the very first time, the complete performance by Bob Dylan and The Band from the Isle of Wight Festival on August 31, 1969.  Housed in a slipcase, the deluxe edition will also include a newly remastered version of the 1970 Self Portrait album, in its entirety with original sequencing, in addition to two hardcover books featuring liner notes penned by (who else?) Greil Marcus.  A vinyl version of The Bootleg Series, Vol. 10 – Another Self Portrait (1969-1971) will include the core 35 tracks on three LPs plus a 12″ x 12″ booklet.

To cap off this remarkable set, Bob Dylan has provided a new cover painting, as he did for the original Self Portrait.  If you’d like to read more about the Self Portrait/New Morning sessions, check out this Reissue Theory from 2011 in which this author imagined an expanded edition of New Morning.

The Bootleg Series, Vol. 10 – Another Self Portrait (1969-1971) will be available from Columbia Records on August 27.  It can be pre-ordered below!

The Bootleg Series Vol. 10: Another Self-Portrait (1969-1971) (Columbia, 2013)

2CD Standard Edition: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. (Link TBD)
3LP Standard Edition: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. (Link TBD)
4CD Deluxe Edition: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. (Link TBD)

Disc 1

1. Went to See the Gypsy (Demo)
2. In Search of Little Sadie (without overdubs, Self Portrait)
3. Pretty Saro (unreleased, Self Portrait)
4. Alberta #3 (Alternate Version, Self Portrait)
5. Spanish is the Loving Tongue (unreleased, Self Portrait)
6. Annie’s Going to Sing Her Song (unreleased, Self Portrait)
7. Time Passes Slowly #1 (Alternate Version, New Morning)
8. Only a Hobo (unreleased, Bob Dylan’s Greatest Hits Vol. II)
9. Minstrel Boy (unreleased, The Basement Tapes)
10. I Threw It All Away (Alternate Version, Nashville Skyline)
11. Railroad Bill (unreleased, Self Portrait)
12. Thirsty Boots (unreleased, Self Portrait) *
13. This Evening So Soon (unreleased, Self Portrait)
14. These Hands (unreleased, Self Portrait)
15. Little Sadie (without overdubs, Self Portrait)
16. House Carpenter (unreleased, Self Portrait)
17. All the Tired Horses (without overdubs, Self Portrait)

Disc 2

1. If Not for You (Alternate Version, New Morning)
2. Wallflower (Alternate Version, 1971)
3. Wigwam (Original Version without overdubs, Self Portrait) *
4. Days of ’49 (Original Version without overdubs, Self Portrait)
5. Working on a Guru (unreleased, New Morning)
6. Country Pie (Alternate Version, Nashville Skyline)
7. I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight (with The Band) (Live @ The Isle of Wight Festival – 8/31/1969)
8. Highway 61 Revisited (with The Band) (Live @ The Isle of Wight Festival – 8/31/1969)
9. Copper Kettle (without overdubs, Self Portrait)
10. Bring Me a Little Water (unreleased, New Morning)
11. Sign on the Window (with orchestral overdubs, New Morning)
12. Tattle O’Day (unreleased, Self Portrait)
13. If Dogs Run Free (Alternate Version, New Morning)
14. New Morning (with horn section overdubs, New Morning)
15. Went to See the Gypsy (Alternate Version, New Morning)
16. Belle Isle (without overdubs, Self Portrait)
17. Time Passes Slowly #2 (Alternate Version, New Morning)
18. When I Paint My Masterpiece (Demo)

All tracks previously unreleased except * released on Columbia single 88765 49235-7, 2013

Disc 3: Self Portrait (released as Columbia C2X 30050, 1970) **

1. All the Tired Horses
2. Alberta #1
3. I Forgot More Than You’ll Ever Know
4. Days of ’49
5. Early Mornin’ Rain
6. In Search of Little Sadie
7. Let It Be Me
8. Little Sadie
9. Woogie Boogie
10. Belle Isle
11. Living the Blues
12. Like a Rolling Stone (with The Band) (Live @ The Isle of Wight Festival – 8/31/1969)
13. Copper Kettle
14. Gotta Travel On
15. Blue Moon
16. The Boxer
17. The Mighty Quinn (Quinn the Eskimo) (with The Band) (Live @ The Isle of Wight Festival – 8/31/1969)
18. Take Me As I Am (or Let Me Go)
19. Take a Message to Mary
20. It Hurts Me Too
21. Minstrel Boy (with The Band) (Live @ The Isle of Wight Festival – 8/31/1969)
22. She Belongs to Me (with The Band) (Live @ The Isle of Wight Festival – 8/31/1969)
23. Wigwam
24. Alberta #2

Disc 4: Live At The Isle of Wight Festival – 8/31/1969 **

1. She Belongs to Me
2. I Threw It All Away
3. Maggie’s Farm
4. Wild Mountain Thyme
5. It Ain’t Me, Babe
6. To Ramona/Mr. Tambourine Man
7. I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine
8. Lay Lady Lay
9. Highway 61 Revisited
10. One Too Many Mornings
11. I Pity the Poor Immigrant
12. Like a Rolling Stone
13. I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight
14. Quinn the Eskimo (The Mighty Quinn)
15. Minstrel Boy
16. Rainy Day Women #12 & 35

** disc available in deluxe edition only