MattZ Posted October 13, 2008 Share Posted October 13, 2008 Cold Irons Bound from disc 3 rages with an intensity and fury reminiscent of Dylan from 42 years ago. Could have come right after Ballad of a Thin Man on disc 2 of Bootleg Series, Vol 4. Got me thinking about these songs from Oh Mercy onwards, and how these songs would sit with me if there was no such thing as Dylan pre-Oh Mercy. All these songs stand on their own, and with these outtakes and rarities as evidence, the songs and the emotion in them, outshine polished and released output from so many of today's artists. It's too hard for me to separate out the new Dylan from the old Dylan. Luckily, I don't have to -- I can enjoy both. But it's fun to consider. No one anywhere can write a song like Most of the Time, or Mississippi, or Cold Irons Bound. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mjpuczko Posted October 13, 2008 Share Posted October 13, 2008 i totally agree & was thinking the same thing this weekend. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sir Stewart Posted October 14, 2008 Share Posted October 14, 2008 Haven't heard 3 yet - is that Cold Irons Bound the one from the M&A soundtrack? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mjpuczko Posted October 14, 2008 Share Posted October 14, 2008 nope. sounds similar in style though. it's from a live 2000? show. very very good. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jesusetc84 Posted October 14, 2008 Share Posted October 14, 2008 I got this and it makes me want to give Oh, Mercy another shot. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
you ever seen a ghost? Posted October 14, 2008 Author Share Posted October 14, 2008 >I got this and it makes me want to give Oh, Mercy another shot half of Oh Mercy is fantastic: "Shooting Star," "Man In The Long Black Coat," "Ring Them Bells," "Most Of Time." stay away from "Political World," "Disease Of Conceit" and "Everything Is Broken" though. -justin Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mjpuczko Posted October 14, 2008 Share Posted October 14, 2008 gah! everything is broken is fantastic Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Analogman Posted October 14, 2008 Share Posted October 14, 2008 >I got this and it makes me want to give Oh, Mercy another shot half of Oh Mercy is fantastic: "Shooting Star," "Man In The Long Black Coat," "Ring Them Bells," "Most Of Time." stay away from "Political World," "Disease Of Conceit" and "Everything Is Broken" though. -justin I rather like those two songs. Political World and Everything is Broken, that is. 1. "Political World" Quote Link to post Share on other sites
you ever seen a ghost? Posted October 14, 2008 Author Share Posted October 14, 2008 to each his own. do you like the BS8 version of "Everything Is Broken" better? -justin Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MattZ Posted October 14, 2008 Share Posted October 14, 2008 to each his own. do you like the BS8 version of "Everything Is Broken" better? -justin I like the Oh Mercy version much better. But I think all of Oh Mercy is great. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MattZ Posted October 14, 2008 Share Posted October 14, 2008 FWIW, I do think the tunes on Tell Tale Signs are great, but more because they show the evolution of his creative process. Not because he made the wrong decisions on which versions to put on albums. Those versions of Mississippi and Most of the Time are great -- but I prefer the album versions. Someday Baby might be the only one that I think sounds better as the alternate version. And as much as I love Red River Shore, it isn't polished. He couldn't have just stuck that on an album. It definitely has the feel of an outtake. It's missing something and I think he knew it. It still has more in it then 99% of any other songwriter's output, of course. EDIT: And maybe some of the tunes on Under the Red Sky sound better here. I can't get over how good Born In Time is on here. I never realized how amazing that song is. Makes me think that the production is what f*cked it up on the album for me. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mjpuczko Posted October 14, 2008 Share Posted October 14, 2008 born in time has been a fave of mine for quite some time. i've had bootlegs with alternate versions of that song for some time. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MattZ Posted October 14, 2008 Share Posted October 14, 2008 born in time has been a fave of mine for quite some time. i've had bootlegs with alternate versions of that song for some time. I think of you in black and white. Man, the guy is just on a whole other level. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sir Stewart Posted October 14, 2008 Share Posted October 14, 2008 born in time has been a fave of mine for quite some time. i've had bootlegs with alternate versions of that song for some time.Me too - I love the live version from the Lovesick single. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MattZ Posted October 14, 2008 Share Posted October 14, 2008 Me too - I love the live version from the Lovesick single. I gotta check that out. Never knew it existed. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bigshoulders Posted October 14, 2008 Share Posted October 14, 2008 I like the Oh Mercy version much better. But I think all of Oh Mercy is great. I'm re-visiting "Oh Mercy" after hearing all of these great outtakes from TTS, and I question why I was so apathetic about this album for so long. "Self, what were you thinking?" There are some real gems on "Oh Mercy". That's the thing I think I'll always love about Dylan... one can always delve back into the back catalog and become obsessed all over again. Long may He run, long may He run. Kevin Quote Link to post Share on other sites
you ever seen a ghost? Posted October 14, 2008 Author Share Posted October 14, 2008 i particularly like the version of "Born In Time" on the first disc. i've listened to it at least 25 times. it's really nothing short of stunning. it's a spliced version of a take that has circulated on bootlegs for years and i always knew that the bootleg version from the Oh Mercy sessions was better, but hearing it in official context has done it for me. -justin Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Analogman Posted October 16, 2008 Share Posted October 16, 2008 Bob Dylan: Tell Tale Signs special - Part Eight! Jim Dickinson on Time Out of Mind The rest are listed in a column to the right. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sir Stewart Posted October 23, 2008 Share Posted October 23, 2008 "Tryin To Get To Heaven (live)" on disc 3. So good. Dylan the crooner. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mjpuczko Posted October 23, 2008 Share Posted October 23, 2008 oh man, i love that version! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
wilceaux Posted October 23, 2008 Share Posted October 23, 2008 The first CD, top to bottom, is just unbelievable.The other 2 CDs are kind of hit or miss for me. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
HungryHippo Posted October 24, 2008 Share Posted October 24, 2008 The first CD, top to bottom, is just unbelievable.The other 2 CDs are kind of hit or miss for me.I've been thinking the same thing! my new fav. song off the set is 'Most of the Time' off of disc 1. like someone else mentioned, I myself have totally looked right over "Oh Mercy" for years thinking it was overproduced, etc, but its actually pretty good! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Smokestack Joe Posted October 28, 2008 Share Posted October 28, 2008 i love the chapter in Chronicles about the No Mercy recordings. what a great book! loving the new Bootleg series. still taking it in but off the bat loved Most of the Time version and the Mississippi takes. and yes the live Cold Irons Bound is intense! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mjpuczko Posted October 28, 2008 Share Posted October 28, 2008 i love the chapter in Chronicles about the No Mercy recordings. what a great book! loving the new Bootleg series. still taking it in but off the bat loved Most of the Time version and the Mississippi takes. and yes the live Cold Irons Bound is intense! the cold irons bound is fuckin' amazing. and trying to get to heaven. i'm obsessed with both right now. the whole 3rd disc actually.i also love the live ring them bells off disc 1. gah, i didn't think my dylan obsession could go higher. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
imsjry Posted October 28, 2008 Share Posted October 28, 2008 the cold irons bound is fuckin' amazing. and trying to get to heaven. i'm obsessed with both right now. the whole 3rd disc actually.i also love the live ring them bells off disc 1. gah, i didn't think my dylan obsession could go higher. My only issue is that collecters have heard those live versions for many years now. I would have rather had alternate takes from the sessions. A minor quibble.... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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