Bob Dylan fans call one Bootleg Series song a ‘mystery’ as his voice sounds very different

Fans of The Bootleg Series are saying a Bob Dylan recording featured on Tell Tale Signs remains a “mystery” to them.

The song in question, an alternative version of Can’t Wait, features on the compilation of rare and unreleased recordings from 1989 to 2006. A post to the r/BobDylan subreddit reads: “This recording is such a mystery to me. Suddenly, in the mid-90s, Bob’s voice sounds exactly like his 1970s Rolling Thunder Revue one on this particular recording.” Fans have since suggested Dylan’s singing voice during the Time Out of Mind recording was a choice, rather than a limitation of age and a change to his singing style. One fan wrote: “Bob’s like that sometimes, which only furthers my opinion that, at least in part, how he sings is a choice.

“Sure, he got some grit and gravel going along the way, but I think he emphasizes it when he wants to. Other great vocal performances that hit you from left field: Spanish is the Loving Tongue, Water is Wide (TOoM Outtake), When the Deal Goes Down, and Tempest (probably his “roughest” gravely sound) followed by three crooner albums…”

Another user has suggested the vocal performance heard on the Can’t Wait take is “oddly smooth” compared to other recordings from the time. One wrote: “Yeah I always thought his voice sounded oddly smooth on this recording as well. I think it was recorded a little earlier than the rest of the sessions, so some time between sessions might be the best answer we get.”

This recording is such a mystery to me
byu/RagatangaDespacito inbobdylan

Another added: “I think he leans into the gravelly stuff a lot, and can clean it up sometimes. Also might have just had a nice cup of tea and honey before this one. He sounds pretty great on Shadow Kingdom. Part of that is continued improvement from quitting smoking, but also he might just be trying harder to sing clearly.”

A third has suggested Time Out of Mind is a mysterious recording that has “another version” of almost every song. They wrote: “Time Out of Mind is a mystery, while it’s one of my favorite Bob albums, almost every song has another version I prefer.

“I saw Dylan in clubs in ’97, and every live Time Out of Mind song he did, smoked the studio version. (Apparently, Bob agrees, because some of the performances I was at turned up on the “Love Sick” maxi-singles, even though they’re sourced from audience tapes).”