Bob Dylan The Basement Tapes 6x CD set

[spzretent]

I love the original Basement Tapes. I have the remastered 2x CD as well as the Music On Vinyl double LP.
I have been reading glowing reviews of this new 6 CD box set mainly from serious Dylan fanatics of which I am not. I am interested because of The Band. However, for $120 or whatever, I am going to have to take a pass on this set. 6 CDs seems excessive with one being "of poor quality". I will have to make do with what I have which is enough.
It seems to have made long time Dylan fans very happy though.

[angelsighs]

totally agree. basically I have been priced out of this. £60 would be okay.,. £100 no thanks.
they just know that there are enough Dylan fanatics out there who would pay that.

I've checked the 2CD version and it still doesn't have all the tracks that I am interested in hearing.

shame because I love the Basement Tapes recordings I have thus far. there's just something about Dylan and the Band making music in that carefree way which is so enjoyable.

[TheWarmth]

There is a 3xLP vinyl box that is $70 on Amazon and contains 38 of the tracks. I'm looking at that instead of the cds because (a) it's cheaper, (b) I prefer vinyl and (c) My guess is that it contains the essential tracks (can one of our resident Dylan experts chime in on this???).

http://www.amazon.com/Basement-Tapes-Ra ... apes+vinyl

[The Dr]

My guess is that it contains the essential tracks (can one of our resident Dylan experts chime in on this???).

almost. tracks like teenage prayer where dylan channels the whole buddy hollyesque thing is truly a delight. i would say the collection is the 'most famous' tracks, not neccessarily the best, but a song like 'sign on the cross' which is on the records is, in my opinion, the best of the basement tapes and is one of his best gospel numbers (nothing beating every grain of sand'. i got the other bootleg another self portrait for £42 off amazon market place, so maybe if you wait, the prices will come down?

saying that, a tree with roots is still out there, although the quality is not great. the most attractive quality of this release is the quality, which is supposedly superior to existing boots

[spzretent]

I guess if I am going to drop that kind of cash it will be for somewthing I really really want. The second Neil Young LP box set is a Black Friday release here in a few weeks. Tonights The Night, Zuma, On The Beach & Time Fades Away remastered on 180 gram vinyl from analog tapes.
Sign me up! Well I already did. I have a local shop that will hold things if you are regular customer and have a track record of buying what you ask for. This is the only BF release i want thankfully.

[TheWarmth]

I get that, Alan. I love all of those N.Y. albums, too, but I already have them. The Dylan stuff will be brand new to me and, as such, is a bit more enticing.

[angelsighs]

I've actually changed my mind now, and looking at the tracklist will just go for the 2CD version. it has most of the key and most famous tracks. how good is 'I'm Not There (1956)'?
it's interesting how so many of the tracks came out bit by bit. For some inexplicable reason I Shall Be Released was not on the original collection and only crept out on the Bootleg series vol 1. I'm Not There was on the movie soundtrack, Minstrel Boy strangely was included on Another Self Portrait (which makes no sense in terms of chronology). now they have finally found the motherlode and put it all in one place.
I would love to have the whole kit and caboodle including the first disc of mainly rootsy covers, and that little section where they tackle some of Dylan's older songs (luckily One Too Many Mornings has made the 2CD version though, which makes me happy- a personal fave and love what The Band do with it)... but, Sony are just charging silly money because they can. almost don't wanna pay it out of principle.

I read in a fairly official place (can't remember where) that a Blood on The Tracks bootleg series was meant to be next, until they found all the tapes for this one.

PS should we perhaps merge this thread with the all purpose 'Dylan Thread'? just a thought.

[The Dr]

uncut has a good article by Clinton Heylin author of Behind the Shades

[spzretent]

I get that, Alan. I love all of those N.Y. albums, too, but I already have them. The Dylan stuff will be brand new to me and, as such, is a bit more enticing.

I have 2 versions already and am not that huge a Dylan fan. The Basement Tapes being on of my favorite Dylan releases as well as Blood On The Track, Infidels(I know) and Time Out Of Mind. Just not sure 6 Cds will ever get played. I made that mistake with the Stooges Funhouse box set. It looks cool but never gets played.
Neil Young on the other hand, if I have have an apporunity to upgrade those 4 Lps I am going for it. I have them all too. His attention to detail on resissued vinyl or vinyl in general is amazing. Pricey yes. Also amazing.
I can always sell off $150 worth of vinyl to justify this purchase. That is a sickness of mine .

[semisynthetic]

When I read this thread & your Posts, I picked up the phone and ordered the "sampler" set, but not the Fanatic Box Set. The vinyl set was my personal favorite.

[spzretent]

There is a 3xLP vinyl box that is $70 on Amazon and contains 38 of the tracks. I'm looking at that instead of the cds because (a) it's cheaper, (b) I prefer vinyl and (c) My guess is that it contains the essential tracks (can one of our resident Dylan experts chime in on this???).

http://www.amazon.com/Basement-Tapes-Ra ... apes+vinyl

I found this used and snatched it up. It is superb. I also have a d/l of the 6 CD version which is still too much for me. The vinyl sounds fantastic. Again, I was mainly interested in The Band stuff but it all sounds so good and loose.

[jack white]

The greatest American songbook??


It's a wicked life but what the hell.. An everybody's got to eat..

[jack white]

I've actually changed my mind now, and looking at the tracklist will just go for the 2CD version. it has most of the key and most famous tracks. how good is 'I'm Not There (1956)'?
it's interesting how so many of the tracks came out bit by bit. For some inexplicable reason I Shall Be Released was not on the original collection and only crept out on the Bootleg series vol 1. I'm Not There was on the movie soundtrack,

Still astonishingly, ethereally brilliant after all these years.

They sound like they're the last 3 or 4 guys left on earth. A swirling vortex of grief & belief. A masterwork of the blues. Like a white man writing dark was the night, cold was the ground.

[The Dr]

Still astonishingly, ethereally brilliant after all these years.

They sound like they're the last 3 or 4 guys left on earth. A swirling vortex of grief & belief. A masterwork of the blues. Like a white man writing dark was the night, cold was the ground.

maybe but it is the old sign on the cross that worries me