Another Self Portrait

[Lonely Summer]

Spotify has a highlights disc up for listening. This is one I just may have to 'dig down deep' and spring for the deluxe version.

[Loaf]

Another Self Portrait...i cannot understate how impressed i am with this. A poster further upthread described it as too good to be real, and that's exactly it. How have these tracks remained unreleased for so long?

So fresh, so alive. I didn't get on with Self Portrait, but I love New Morning, which is strange seeing as they were recorded almost simultaneously, and listening to this set there is less of a difference between them. The road diverged and the songs on each jeff went their separate ways.

Bob is singing on This Evening So Soon!? Actually singing, not his false Nashville croon, but stretching out his voice and hitting high (for Bob) notes.

So, even if you have Self Portrait, and New Morning, get this. It sounds quite different.

It is odd that Minstrel Boy was included, should really have been saved for that Bootleg Series 14: Complete Basement Tapes that i'm begging for. I think it came from Garth Hudson's personal stash, so maybe it's a way to help him out financially.

[Outtasight!]

This evening so soon is phenomenal. So much good stuff on there that i've not yet managed to absorb it all.

[Marcella]

I wish the full slate of songs was available on Spotify. I have only a 15-song sample and I have been too immersed with MiC to check out the samples. These comments are encouraging me  to do so.

[Vegetable Man]

What a great album! Not a clunker in the bunch. I have to say, the overdubbed New Morning songs sound fantastic. Some of those songs don't even sound the same (that's a good thing BTW). On the other end of the overdub spectrum, some of those naked Self Portrait tunes are lovely, especially Wigwam and All The Tired Horses. The alternate If Not For You is beautiful, as is Spanish is The Loving Tongue and the demo for When I Paint My Masterpiece. Oh and the Isle of Wight stuff is awesome. Once again, this is a great album.

[hypehat]

I love this set so much. Really wonderful performances. Gives a bit of credence to Dylan's admission that he just released a tonne of the crappest stuff with ridiculous overdubs on it to piss off his audience, though. The basic tracks just rule, why send them off to Nashville to get string overdubs?

I will stand by Copper Kettle's overdubs though, if only because I kinda love Bob giving a ridic impassioned performance of how to properly build a fire over soaring strings. And All The Tired Horses, because it's All The Tired Horses. Dylan's 'Our Prayer'.

The Isle Of Wight gig is wonderful too - I'd never heard it before in full, some really great stuff from Bob, like John Wesley Harding tracks. The version of It Ain't Me, Babe features possibly his best vocals ever laid down on tape, Bob Dylan could sing, goddammit.

[buddhahat]

Damn this set is great! I cannot get over how good some of these versions are, and how much this feels like a genuine album. I don't mind Self Portrait at all and play it from time to time but this has totally trumped it. It seems more intitmate and more sincere somehow.

That live version of Highway 61 absolutely smashes it. Man, Levon Helm was talented as f**k

The stripped down Wigwam may be my fave thing on there.

Other highlights:

Went To See the Gypsy #1
House Carpenter
Pretty Saro
Railroad Bill
Thirsty Boots
Working On A Guru

Just placed an order with my girlfriend for the vinyl version for my birthday. What Records have it discounted for anybody interested.

[Heysaboda]

Damn this set is great! I cannot get over how good some of these versions are, and how much this feels like a genuine album. I don't mind Self Portrait at all and play it from time to time but this has totally trumped it. It seems more intitmate and more sincere somehow.

That live version of Highway 61 absolutely smashes it. Man, Levon Helm was talented as f**k

The stripped down Wigwam may be my fave thing on there.

Other highlights:

Went To See the Gypsy #1
House Carpenter
Pretty Saro
Railroad Bill
Thirsty Boots
Working On A Guru

Just placed an order with my girlfriend for the vinyl version for my birthday. What Records have it discounted for anybody interested.

My fave tracks so far is Spanish Is the Loving Tongue.  GEEZ who knew this set would be so effing BRILLIANT?

and, so JOYFUL?

[donald]

I didn't like the original self portrait but I am thoroughly enjoying the new release.  Better sound quality, alternate versions.   Thats what I love about the Dylan bootleg series........his alternate takes are often, to these ears, better than the originals. 

[Ian]

I agree-it's great.  And if you read about Bob-it isn't a surprise.  He has frequently made some poor choices over what takes to use or what to put out.....The artist of course has the right to decide when the art is finished and how it should sound, but I am glad we can form our own opinion thanks to these kind of releases by Dylan (and the Beach Boys too!!)

[Lonely Summer]

Just loving this more and more each time I put it on. I never got the talk about "Dylan can't sing" - no, not today, he wrecked his voice through years of overuse, and constant smoking, but back in the day, he was one of the most expressive singers out there. That's what I enjoy about hearing him interpret other people's songs. The focus with his own songs, for most people anyway, was always the words, the words, the words.... in spite of him having some of the best musicians in the biz - Michael Bloomfield, Al Kooper, The Band, etc. But listen to him singing these old folk and country songs on Another Self Portrait, he just takes these songs and makes them his own.

[Gabo]

Just loving this more and more each time I put it on. I never got the talk about "Dylan can't sing" - no, not today, he wrecked his voice through years of overuse, and constant smoking, but back in the day, he was one of the most expressive singers out there. That's what I enjoy about hearing him interpret other people's songs. The focus with his own songs, for most people anyway, was always the words, the words, the words.... in spite of him having some of the best musicians in the biz - Michael Bloomfield, Al Kooper, The Band, etc. But listen to him singing these old folk and country songs on Another Self Portrait, he just takes these songs and makes them his own.

Some of my favorite Dylan songs are some of his simplest: songs like Tonight I'll Be Staying Here With You and Life Is Hard just hit the spot for me.

[Lonely Summer]

Yeah, we tend to think of him as writing lyrically complex stuff, but some of his best songs are very basic. Every bar band in the world can play Knockin' on Heaven's Door, and it's only got two verses and a chorus. I never get tired of the Nashville Skyline stuff, especially Tonight I'll Be Staying Here With You. Rick Nelson did a version of it that's very similar to Bob's, but with the addition of three part harmony from the Stone Canyon Band.