Historical documents such as the down-to-earth bootleg are passed over in favour of streaming these days. Why listen to Historical Archives Vol. 1 when you can go to the source of both the Finjan Club and Live at the Gaslight instead? Because of the smooth and painless route of streaming, the cubehead’s way of listening, is not, ultimately, satisfying. What is the difference between those modern-day YouTube playlists compiling Bob Dylan efforts and a record rip of a bootleg which did the same? Sincerity. Historical Archives Vol. 1 was, for a time, the only way to get your hands on these recordings. In a way, it still is, because it offers a rip of the quality which listeners had during the sought-after days. That much cannot be replicated, it cannot be repeated by streaming and its glossy remastering.
What you get here, aside from the static of a Bluetooth connection and email notifications, is a clean waltz into the past. These are solid performances, too, just forget you can listen to them elsewhere, and Historical Archives Vol. 1 remains a must-listen experience. What this release offers now is a thin strain of nostalgia for those who may have owned or spotted in the wild, a copy of Historical Archives Vol. 1. A niche, to say the least. Do not knock the bootleg, though, it served its purpose and may now rest easy thanks to anniversaries and official, archival releases. There is much to love about either tape, the Gaslight Café versions of He Was a Friend of Mine and Pretty Polly highlight the early years thrill Dylan had. That deeper voice, the sincerity to his performance, which developed so rapidly on stage, all of it features and it remains influential. Historical Archives Vol. 1, presumably, has not paired these two tapes in a grand gesture of art.
More than likely, this is a structuring of two releases which were slightly unavailable, yet printable, at the time. European labels did that, A Rare Batch of Little White Wonder being the most obvious example. Despite the ease of access now, those who do not wish to be day trippers through history can endure the static-laden recordings featured on Historical Archives Vol. 1. It remains a neat way to experience the songs, albeit a novel layer in modern times. Keep your ear open for Dave Van Ronk on Car Car, another early song which does not appear to have cropped up in much conversation, beyond the shock of it being performed only three times, all of which came before the release of his debut album. Surprising not because of the record deal but because the Woody Guthrie song here sounds delightful, with Ronk and Dylan an admirable pairing.
Flickers of his original material can be heard here too, with Song to Woody and Talkin’ Bear Mountain Picnic Massacre Blues featuring both sides of Dylan. He could write with conviction on topics of real struggle and yet blur his pen into the humorous. An accidental contrast is created on the Historical Archives Vol. 1 release, which is of benefit to nobody but those who wish to revel in the past through dated modes of emotional transport. Bootlegs are still an honest way of listening, one of the best parts of the weekend is sinking into the endless backlog of readaptations, remastered recordings and hidden studio gems which are out there. Bootlegs are more important than ever, though in the modern context, collecting officially released songs amounts, now, to fan-made playlists.
So worthy! So gone, and not, now. Behold, the hobo seer won the big Nobel. The reason is clear. We thrill at hIs artistic enterprise come year after year! God is (not) dead, though there be pain, sorrow and tears. Fear, friends, but steer: we may find our way outta the woods. .