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The Official Bob Dylan Thread


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Speaking of books, noticed that my library has the below - probably will get around to read it at some point - heard decent things about it.

 

 
Dylan Goes Electric!: Newport, Seeger, Dylan, and the Night That Split the Sixties
by Elijah Wald (Author)

 

 

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The below was the 1st book I think I read on Dylan - it was a long while ago, but I remember it being pretty decent.

 

 

 

 

Thanks!  I'll definitely check that out.  Will probably re-read Chronicles too.  That book reads like one long Dylan song.

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The Robert Shelton book is great and I will often go back to it to read up on a particular era or album. His analysis of the 1965-66 output is particularly in depth from memory.

 

I also really enjoyed this when I read it some years ago:

 

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A great snapshot of his upward trajectory in the early years of the 60s when he was quite young and how intertwined he was with the Baez circle. The book is just as much about Baez and her sister Mimi Farina, and her husband Richard Farina, as it is about Dylan himself.

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@Fritz

 

Thanks for the recommendation.

 

Incidentally, I've been getting some boots over at this site called Tangled Up In Torrents.  I'm sure some of you have heard.  Been listening to stuff from the last 10 years.  His band is so damn good!!

 

http://tangledupintorrents.com/index.php

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Re:CDs

Vinyl wears every time you play it. Now vinyl usually costs 2-3x's as much as the CD version, especially if the album exceeds what can fit on one LP.

 

Digital - Computers/hard drives die. I'm sure everyone has lost some music from an older computer. Will all the streaming services catalog all their music for years and years?

 

I'm not sure if CDs have a time limit in regards to the information degrading over time. Seems like I have heard home burned CDs may have a limited shelf life, but I don't know.

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My understanding is CDs will eventually just naturally degrade over time, but LPs will last if they're left unplayed (and in a good environment obviously). 

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My understanding is CDs will eventually just naturally degrade over time, but LPs will last if they're left unplayed (and in a good environment obviously). 

 

It has been my experience that some home burned CDs do have a limited life.

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If I did go vinyl, I would only buy older stuff.  Even that stuff is not so cheap.  I'm not a fan of 3 side vinyl for an album that was obviously formatted for the CD.

 

I've wasted a lot of time dicking around with the various formats over the last few years.  I've come to the point that if I really like the song/album, the format becomes moot.  I get lost in the song.  Now, having a pic and some liner notes definitely helps when getting into a new album.

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If I did go vinyl, I would only buy older stuff.  Even that stuff is not so cheap.  I'm not a fan of 3 side vinyl for an album that was obviously formatted for the CD.

 

I've wasted a lot of time dicking around with the various formats over the last few years.  I've come to the point that if I really like the song/album, the format becomes moot.  I get lost in the song.  Now, having a pic and some liner notes definitely helps when getting into a new album.

 

A good sound notwithstanding, liner notes and information will always be a selling point for me. I loves me a well written essay, some unseen photographs, and knowing who played bass on track 3.

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 I've come to the point that if I really like the song/album, the format becomes moot.  I get lost in the song.

Years ago, at the start of the digital age (or maybe the rise of MP3) someone asked Keith Richards what he thought of it all and his quote was something like, "I don't care if it's delivered on a frozen pea! The important thing is for people to be listening to music". Or something like that.

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A good sound notwithstanding, liner notes and information will always be a selling point for me. I loves me a well written essay, some unseen photographs, and knowing who played bass on track 3.

 

That is one of the nice things about these Dylan vault releases. They don't cheap out. 

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I still think it would be great if full size gatefolds were sold with CDs or download card. And, of course, dynamically mastered tracks.

 

I also think outages and such would be much more appropriate in some sort of public archive...at least for streaming and research. I'd love to hear all these outtakes, but I don't need to own them.

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  • 4 weeks later...

http://www.npr.org/2015/10/30/451169307/first-listen-bob-dylan-the-cutting-edge-1965-1966-the-bootleg-series-vol-12

 

The best of the Best Of 2 CD set is up and streaming at NPR. Maybe it's just me, but the 1st take of 'Pledging My Time' sounds more appealing than the version that made the final cut. And the piano take of 'Desolation Row' is quite nice...

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Still waiting for my LP set to arrive, hopefully Monday or Tuesday. Spotify has a 15 track sampler, which I think is all from the 2CD/3LP set, and it's fantastic. 

In the meanwhile, Salon.com has a great writeup detailing the entire 18 disc set. I wish there was a way I could stream or pay for a (cheaper than physical) digital download, it sounds interesting. Just not $600 interesting, especially on CD. 

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A friend of mine ordered the 18 disc version. With shipping to Australia he paid just over AUD $1000.

I just stumbled across a 320k MP3 version of the 18-disc set online, so determined pirates can get it at a substantially reduced price. ;)

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Last night, I bought and listened to the 2 disc "The Cutting Edge 1965-1966: The Bootleg Series Vol. 12" - obviously great stuff and per usual the liner notes are great. It's pretty cool that Bill Flanagan handles the Bringing Home and HWY 61 stuff, then he throws it to Sean Wilentz for the Blonde on Blonde material.

 

Definitely wish I could have fork out the dough for the 18 cd set ----but for $14.99 at Best Buy -  the 2 CD set is a steal.

 

Wish they would do a 2 CD set of just stuff from the Blonde on Blonde sessions or hell they could do a 2 CD set from each of three album sessions. (each costing $14.99).

 

It is amazing all the great, great stuff Dylan cramped in between Jan. 65 through Feb. 66 --- the tours, writings, and recording sessions. Amazing.

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