Excess material is no surprise, especially when considering just how much Bob Dylan and The Band recorded in the lull period for the Mr. Tambourine Man songwriter. Eight years away from the stage and plenty of work to show for it. He may have struggled to pull these songs into music halls and arenas, but it was not a period of stagnation following Blonde on Blonde. The Basement Tapes showcases just how energised and interested Dylan was in recording, though his changing structure, the writer’s voice being active rather than passive, is the clear change. More Basement Tapes – Non-Album Tracks offers more of those collaborations with The Band. What could be better than that? Some exceptional deep cuts alongside performances of songs which would later sneak their way onto best-of compilations. Nothing short of brilliant, an essential, unofficial bootleg supplement to the staggering worth of The Basement Tapes.
Use More Basement Tapes as an alternative to the extraordinary, but overwhelming, entry into The Bootleg Series. This is a far more accessible compilation of songs recorded by Dylan and The Band than The Basement Tapes Complete can offer. Albums That Should Exist offers one of the most thoughtful bootlegs around, sifting through hours of material to put together a piece which not only highlights fruitful recording sessions but also makes sense of them. You can hear the mood change as More Basement Tapes goes on. Ordered by recording date, the early excitement of I Don’t Hurt Anymore and One for the Road gives way to a feeling that Dylan is adapting to his changing style of writing. A few cover songs sprinkled throughout hear him continue the usual folk-like charms of his early years, but with the backing of The Band he has that electrified energy still flowing. Had he captured and released that at the time of recording, there is every chance he would have stayed well ahead of his peers.
I Shall Be Released and The Mighty Quinn are two of the more recognisable tracks featured here. Passing fans will know them, but these versions are magnificent. A slight variation on the popular, mainstream versions. Elsewhere in the set are some fantastic performances, deep cut pieces like Santa Fe and 900 Miles from My Home. These location-based features are a lighter treat, the world-weary sound a nice balance to the songs of surprising heartbreak, like obvious moments on My Woman She’s A-Leavin, but also in the aftermath of absence with Silent Weekend and I’m Not There. Whatever the case, finding a new narrative sense, a thoughtful and emotional range through spare pieces, is a massive achievement for this bootleg. It takes More Basement Tapes to a standard set by the artist on official releases.
Short pieces like Santa Fe and Under Control feel more like sliced-up jam sessions than they do full-blown tracks. But such is the point of these studio moments. The Band and Dylan seem to be in excellent form, the latter especially, taking a break from the stage and still kindling the fire of his creative interests. More Basement Tapes is an absolutely essential companion piece to The Basement Tapes. It is more than just a sampler for the staggering Bootleg Series release. Where that collection may be more for the hardcore listener, the compilation efforts from this bootleg are enough to provide the passing listener more of The Basement Tapes quality, without having to sift through the many performances now available.
