Bob Dylan – Let Me Die in My Footsteps Review

Proof here that historic bootlegs still hold sincere importance. Where else can you hear Bob Dylan cover Folsom Prison Blues by Johnny Cash? On The Basement Tapes bootleg, but that is beside the point. That is not the same version as featured on Let Me Die in My Footsteps. A Nashville Skyline-era performance where Dylan leans into the softer, lush vocal style is what some were hoping for. They can get it here. Let Me Die in My Footsteps collects a decade of performances, some still tricky to track down on official releases. We can still learn plenty from these unofficial bootleg tapes, especially this release from 1971, which compiled the efforts of Dylan throughout the 1960s. Many of the tapes included are pieces which are overlooked or otherwise forgotten. A fair helping of true deep cuts. That is what Let Me Die in My Footsteps has.  

Covers appear most of all on this compilation. From tributes to Johnny Cash and Jesse Fuller, to reimaginings of what these songs can offer a contemporary audience. Dylan has often incorporated that into his live works. He spent eight years covering the Great American Songbook, after all. There are some fantastic moments throughout this collection of songs, most of which are unavailable from those usual spots we listeners take to. Spotify is not keen to host Pastures of Plenty, the calming folk song which hears Dylan displaying his brilliant harmonica and guitar skills. One of the many Woody Guthrie covers out there, but Dylan’s close understanding of the legendary songwriter is on a level beyond most of his contemporaries. It adds a lived-in, earthy atmosphere to some of the all-time greatest folk offerings. Where some of these performances are a self-serving moment for Dylan to work through some of his favourite songs, they still explore the deeper range of his discography.  

Take that Folsom Prison Blues performance as an example. A moment where Dylan can both give a nod to a great performer which has influenced his style, and a chance to hear his take on a great. Let Me Die in My Footsteps is track after track of that, and for the deep cut listener, the fan of the weird and wild moments in the studio and on stage, this is a brilliant listen. A double bill of Cash covers, Folsom Prison Blues and Ring of Fire is the lead reason to listen in to Let Me Die in My Footsteps. That Ring of Fire performance is outstanding. Moody blues-like takes on the country classics of the time. But the efforts to follow are the same exceptional quality.  

Both Walkin’ Down the Line and Train-a-Travelin’ capture Dylan as a trailblazer, a man of the road which is what he still is today. Always touring, ever-present on the less-travelled road, that is where the best inspirations, the finest parts of Dylan during this period, comes. That subconscious firing away as he takes to the quieter avenues. Let Me Die in My Footsteps is an exceptional compilation which still serves a major purpose. These are songs which are hard to track down, harder still to hear in any official form. The tape quality may be a horrific experience at times, enough to blister and break your eardrums, though this is temporary. Those who have listened to Dylan bootlegs before, your ears may have hardened, numb to the pitch these instrumental overlaps may make. Prepare yourself accordingly, and Let Me Die in My Footsteps is a great experience.