Bob Dylan – Reborn in Time Vol. 2: Unreleased Recordings Review

More shockwaves from the man reborn on the stage. Bob Dylan sounds as lucid and liberated from his older works as ever in this unofficial bootleg, Reborn in Time Vol 2. Given the removals Dylan made in his studio processes, particularly Infidels, it should be no surprise the strongest works of his pre-Time Out of Mind sessions are those left on the cutting room floor. Outtakes, alternates and a few MTV Unplugged pieces shot new life into his old words. This unofficial bootleg collects the acoustic beauties of his past and lingers on their impact. Those live sessions with the once-popular music site were monumental at the time and the revisionism of their impact is sore. Reborn in Time Vol. 2 goes a long way in relighting the fires of those live performances. What a collection it is.  

Absolutely Sweet Marie is an essential listen. Extract it at once and get it listened to. There is a stern nature to the guitar work, a loose feel which could slot into any of the performances Dylan gave to his best works at the time. It is this interchangeable feel that Dylan finally strikes out against. He lashes the sameness, the broad and accepted consistencies which filtered through. He was going through the motions and trying to break the ice of a burning heart. He does so with these outtakes. While it may not have made its way to the performances of the time, it would take just a few more years to hear the impact, it is an eye-opening experience to hear Dylan work through those harsh consistencies. He had found a familiar pace on the stage and the likes of Born in Time and Tonight, I’ll Be Staying Here with You, do well to roar against complacency.  

There are shocks littered throughout Reborn in Time which just cannot be found elsewhere. Money Honey is another of those wonderful covers Dylan could lend his voice to now it had matured. His croaky rattle, the cigarette-exposed range he delivered from this point on was a necessary change-up and one which has split his fans ever since. It works for covers of Elvis Presley and the slower burn of acoustic remnants; the post-electric folk turn of Dylan is quite the experience to behold. Sincere rarities can be found within. These are not just outtakes and remnants of MTV Unplugged. Ring Them Bells from The Great Music Experience is a marvellous work, one rare occasion where Dylan can be heard backed by an overwhelming variety of strings and orchestral flourishes. 

A certain selection of treats within, all of which offer new exposure to Dylan as an artist getting to grips with his new vocal range and his place in contemporary music. It was not all smooth sailing for the man who brought the world Blonde on Blonde. But where he was mostly consistent was the stage. When this started to flag and stutter, major changes were needed. Reborn in Time is a comfortable selection of such a rebirth. Sloppy Drunk is an exceptional addition. It will make you cry out for the release of the Bromberg Sessions. Seek them out. Seek all of this out. Reborn in Time is a landing pad for extraordinary extra pieces of an interesting period for Dylan. It was all shifting in his favour, the feeling of something bigger and better was certainly on the horizon. That much can be heard in the Oh Mercy outtakes. They, along with most of the songs collected here, are nothing short of incredible.