New Volume of the Bootleg Series

http://www.amazon.com/The-Cutting-Edge-1965-1966-Bootleg/dp/tracks/B015JXIA2W/re...

Just saw this. Due November. looks pretty tasty.

Yikes! and I just realized that the above is 2 cds of this material boiled down from 6 cds worth on the deluxe edition...

Received the deluxe 6-disc edition last Friday. I've listened to the first five discs, and most of disc 6. Should be able to finish the first listen this evening. It is interesting (as a Dylan nut) to hear the evolution of these classic songs, with Dylan trying various different tempos and arrangements, and often revising the lyrics over the course of several takes. However, during this period Dylan was an excellent judge of the quality of his material, and for the most part, the best takes were released on the original albums. The alternate takes are often interesting, but I'm not sure how much of it will stand up to repeated listens even for serious fans. The 6-disc version is definitely not for the casual fan, and I'll probably need another few listens before I'm ready to give a more complete opinion.

I'm enough of a Dylan addict to have been tempted by the 18-disc behemoth available directly from the official Bob Dylan website, but the $600 price tag has restrained me so far.

Oy! I didn't know abt that 18 disc version!

As yet I've only ordered the 2-disc version, fearing (as you have concluded) that so many false starts, alt takes etc wd make for rough repeated listening. I do however have the 6 disc version in my wish-list, waiting for a cheap copy to surface. I am that hardcore.

I did get the max version of the Basement Tapes and am glad I did.

I think after I have listened through a few more times I will cull my 30-40 favorite tracks onto a personal "best of" set for future listening. I especially like the October 1965 sessions with the members of The Hawks/The Band, as well as the three takes of "(Sooner or Later) One of Us Must Know" from January 1966.

My wife and I listened to the first album in this set last night. Stunning. Lyrics of one song that wound up in different songs than the final cut. Riffs that show up in different places. Songs I'd never heard before. Why, it's almost like having a whole new Dylan album from his greatest period.

At the following site, under the jam session tab, you can create your own custom mix of "Like a Rolling Stone" from the four individual tracks. Dial down the vocals to hear just the instrumental backing, isolate the vocal track or the piano/bass, or try various combinations of the four tracks. It was a fun way to waste a half-hour.

http://thecuttingedge.bobdylan.com/