We received The Basement Tapes and were stunned by its dedication to sounding off on the back-and-forth between The Band and Bob Dylan. Sharper ears may have noticed the sleekness of their sound back then, and for good reason. You cannot shift a six-disc record, a striking achievement even for The Bootleg Tapes to do. Does it warrant its length? For the possessive and obsessive fans, absolutely, but those of us who make do with the tighter, two-disc release do not miss out on much. Unreleased tracks, deep cuts and pieces which sound better from the booth than they do live should be no surprise to the dedicated Dylan fans, and The Bootleg Series Vol. 11: The Basement Tapes – Raw, is as much a mouthful as it is a massive collection of a hugely successful collaboration.
What a period it was and for The Basement Tapes – Raw to dive deep into these mid-1970s recording efforts is a real treat. Restorative work to Open the Door, Homer starts strong for this streamlined package. Lingering on are the many comfortable deep cuts of Dylan, notably a restored Quinn the Eskimo and exceptional technical work from The Band on Silent Weekend. These are the deep slices to revel in and enjoy. Elements of tragi-comedy filter through Please Mrs. Henry as they did on the earliest works of Dylan, pockets of which can be heard on previous Bootleg Series entrant Philharmonic Hall. For those hoping for plenty of unreleased material though, this is the place to head. The likes of All You Have to Do Is Dream is fuel to an ever-growing fire of Dylan tracks too good to keep away from listeners yet, somehow, deemed not strong enough for proper releases.
Such is the frustrating yet enjoyable life of Dylan advocates. Hearing the refined qualities of his Bootleg Series, uncovering the fine features of the past which were deemed too trivial or out-of-step for whatever it was he hoped to achieve at this period often results in gasps. How was this song or that instrumental kept hidden away for so long? The Basement Tapes – Raw is likely one of the best compilations of such material, particularly toward the second side of its disc. It wanes a bit in its full, six-disc summary, another reason to retreat to the two-disc spectacle here. Sleek work on I’m Alright is another frustratingly buried piece – but here they are now, the longer-term impact lost to time and choices far beyond our reach.
Sometimes it is better to bundle yourself into the office, drag out the deep cuts and just let it coast over your head after a long day. Tiny Montgomery is one of the varied examples of a song catching you at the right moment. All these tracks arguably have this momentum behind them, many of which are filled with the sincerity and joy of being in the studio with good people. Hearing this and the slowed versions of Blowin’ in the Wind indicates just how grand an impact The Band had on Dylan. What a prolific time, and a sizeable chunk of this was understandably tucked away for a rainy day. Slower doo-wop ballads like Nothing Was Delivered blow a hole in the heart, and make for such delightful sections of a Bootleg Series entry which feels bloated, but has some fine pieces tucked away.
