Early works from Bob Dylan are in no short supply. Tapes from this house or that café can be hunted down with ease. What is of interest is what did not make the cut on his self-titled debut. An album filled with folk fundamentals and covers of songs made better by The Animals were on there. These were not. Unofficial bootleg, Introducing Bob Dylan, does well to compile some of the lesser-known covers Dylan was playing at the time. A welcome experience for those wanting a little more from a period that pales in comparison to what was to come just a few years later. Brace yourself for an explosion of harmonica tones, and feel that relief rush over when it turns out Introducing Bob Dylan has a crisp, studio quality to it. How thankful we must be in the face of this lighter break on our ears. That is quality bootlegging.
Five originals can be found in this compilation, though none of them of real brilliance. That much would come after he motioned for some scraps of paper and drifted, ever so slightly, from his folk heroes. He just needed to prove he could stand with them, that was all. Introducing Bob Dylan does exactly that. Songs which showcase Dylan as a folk hero in the making, but as someone who was bound to be bigger than that. Hard Times in New York Town opens this compilation well, a spritely and optimistic-sounding song of a life lived in the refreshing Big Apple. But that was to change the more war and violence raged on around Dylan, the softer core steely soon after the release of his self-titled debut. These additions slot right into place alongside that, an essential companion piece for those who enjoyed and endured the earliest works.
Man on the Street is just that. A darker tone of life in the city that never sleeps. Introducing Bob Dylan is a delightful compilation and it is because the context of listening to it changes. These are just addendums and extra footnotes for an album which, when unfairly compared to what was to come, fall to pieces. Little fragments of where Bonnie Beecher plays a part in Dylan’s life can be found in Introducing Bob Dylan. There is an argument to be made for it being better than the self-titled debut, more because of the modern-day context in place than anything else. Pieces like Black Cross may be known to some more dedicated listeners ripping through the mass of re-releases and playlists on the Dylan YouTube channel, but the quality of this compilation is far superior.
These are the extra parts to a blueprint album, the self-titled occasion was too much to rise to, but Dylan would provide hit after hit afterwards, a burning consistency of over a decade’s material. Introducing Bob Dylan does exactly as its title would suggest, provides a fresh experience with the man who would create some of the best songs out there. Covers galore here, too, which is something Dylan would make good on in the later years of his career through Triplicate and Shadows in the Night. A little bit of everything can be found on Introducing Bob Dylan, including some of his better, though limited, first attempts at songwriting. How massively they would improve on that second album is a genuine marvel, and hearing how it progressed is fascinating. Introducing Bob Dylan adds a few more slots of history.
