From prolific to unpredictable, the post-Blonde on Blonde album releases from Bob Dylan are tinged with a sense of isolationism. Here is one of the great songwriters asking not for further praise but to be left alone, to be allowed some peace and experimental edge. His revision of the electric sound and step away from recording through these years is a fascinating period, and though it may have been documented well on The Basement Tapes, unofficial bootlegs like I Ain’t Got No Home are wonderful reminders of how prolific Dylan remained. Even at a time perceived as a lapse in creative interest, in a period where he stepped back into folk and acoustic arrangements, a full-circle moment capping the decade with Nashville Skyline, there was still a hope of finding a route through. A satisfying and interesting attempt from Dylan is heard on this compilation.
His transition from subconscious creative to active thinker is charted well on I Ain’t Got No Home. The well did not dry up for Dylan; no, he just had to throw a little deeper. The results are mixed, certainly, but in lifting himself from letting his mind do the talking and the pen do the work, he finds a sophisticated collection of ideas, either personal or based in his influences, that often prove more interesting than those folk balladeer days. Where some of these songs, like Living the Blues and Take Me as I Am (Or Let Me Go) found their way onto official releases, the compilation-like feel of both Self Portrait and Dylan have them feeling a tad aimless. One of the beauties of compilation work, when done right (and so little is done right with official releases from the Dylan camp), informs the listener that little bit more, gives the song that extra edge.
It occurs here, a true strength of I Ain’t Got No Home is the fresh understanding. Wild Mountain Thyme hears Dylan on his lonesome, stripped of the Joan Baez collaboration which defined the song in the past. Where these may be covers, they provide an interest in finding a route through the instrumental sounds of a popular late-1960s period. The Rolling Stones-like guitar and swinging style of the title track are telling signs. Rare appearances given at a concert celebrating the life of Woody Guthrie are where they come from, and they provide a live outing for Dylan, who was likely reeling from the death of his hero. Paying tribute through the search for new sounds is an emotionally tender time.
There are not just live performances and covers within, though. Where The Isle of Wight and a Tribute to Woody Guthrie are main parts of this compilation, a piece co-written with George Harrison, I’d Have You Anytime, serves as the compilation’s highlight. A beautiful song which would go on to be a classic Harrison solo work, but you can hear what Dylan adds to the song. The same goes for Mountain Dew, a collaboration with Johnny Cash. Where Dylan may have struggled creatively for a few years, he was still implementing a fine craft, an understanding of the ever-changing genre tones and tropes. He was still hungry for a future in music, but sounds stunned by his transition from subconscious folk hero to an artist whose heart and mind are achingly present in the songs.
