Bob Dylan – 50th Anniversary Collection 1973 Review

Welcome to the wonders of copyright expiry. As Mickey Mouse has his rat-like proportions catapulted into the world of free-reigning use, so too does Bob Dylan. Well, very nearly. 50th Anniversary Collection 1973 is a two-step tradition for Dylan. These deep cuts are not all that but here they are, nonetheless. A way of keeping the vault tidy, the people happy and the coffers well-stocked. There is not too much to this compilation of Pat Garrett and Billy the Kidd deep cuts but who are we to brush off the releases of a legend? There is space for more moments from the recording studio and the influence of cowboy legacies on the career of a man who, at this stage, was set for a real turn of fortune and focus.  

An elusive set nonetheless but acquired easily enough if the desire is there to do so. Or if there is a computer with a user whose willpower to find a winRAR file is strong enough. Fragments, instrumentals and little flickers of the creative process mark an interesting listen. An opening Billy trilogy marks nothing more than Dylan getting a feel for the song – but having this and then the alternative version to follow is a neat build. This first alternate, Billy, is marvellous. 50th Anniversary Collection 1973 has use after all. As filtered down as this album can be, the takes and instrumentals are often meant as build-ups rather than a piece on their own. Such a system can be heard in the instrumental section of Turkey, some jolly slices and quite the fun listen as Dylan finds a feel for the song.  

Dips in form on And He Killed Me Too sound as though Dylan is attempting an impression of Yoko Ono. Out of form, rising and falling – it is all over the place and the only jutting trouble found on this compilation. The likes of Knockin’ On Heavens Door do not sound so far off the eventually released work. April rehearsals filter in toward the end of the record but leave little to be desired. Some untitled acoustics and a bit of work on the grand Final Theme are the same as previous tracks. 50th Anniversary Collection 1973 is a spotty set of quick deep cuts to keep hold of the copyright. It feels like nothing more though the consistencies found within are a neat flourish, even if they are just spotty acoustics which come and go.  

Crackling but rewarding, longer pieces like Rock Me Mama round off this overhaul of Pat Garrett and Billy the Kidd sounds. Why 50th Anniversary Collection 1973 was thrown out without much fanfare is beyond us, but it is likely to just keep hold of copyright. Is there any chance or need for another Dylan record in a year which saw three? Two for The Bootleg Series and another which provided some of the best covers of his own work to date. Still, here it is, an official release to square up some legal rumblings. Either way, it is worth a listen – there is no harm in giving it a spin as it documents the deeper cuts. An officially unofficial part of The Bootleg Series. A tricky one to hunt down but get your hands on it and extract the cuts worth keeping.