Which came first, the quality bootleg recording or the slop official release? There are plenty of examples of how the Bob Dylan discography has been adapted in modern times, but this is the clearest contrast. I Ain’t Got No Home is the name of this, a ten-year-old compilation of early years efforts, but also a striking compilation from the Albums That Should Exist team detailing the at-home efforts from 1968 and 1969. One is not more relevant than the other when it comes to an era of work, but of the releases themselves, only one offers a worthwhile listening experience. It’s not this YouTube compilation, for those in doubt. As the internet gets tougher and more annoying to use, its users and music lovers must dig further into the archives to find something of worth. I Ain’t Got No Home is of no use to anyone.
It is not an ideal way to listen to a few helpings of the debut album, an inevitability of most of these compilations, but also an awful way to engage with the work as a whole. These songs, once more scrubbed of their origins through faceless publication from over a decade ago, are only going to be amplified the more they are released. A decade worth of those efforts is a worrying reality, and I Ain’t Got No Home is the same as the others. Interchangeable with the likes of Fixin’ to Die and It Could Even Be a Myth. Even the value of that latter compilation is lost because the recordings of interest are hard to find elsewhere. It’s the cruel reality of the world we live in now, and the dissemination of worthwhile information is only going to be trickier. Engaging with these YouTube compilations, on the official channel, no doubt, is merely to remind, once more, that bootlegs are the way to go.
It’s a reminder that the interest of the artist and the interest of those making money from the work at hand are not always one vision. Dylan and Neil Young may oppose the release of bootlegs at one point in their careers, but it is up to the artist to give a reason not to bootleg. Dylan does a strong job of this with The Bootleg Series, while Young offers constant remasters, extras, and tapes from his archives because he has recorded almost every show he performed. This is the detail that the more dedicated listener will always want, no matter the performer. Artists must at least lay the groundwork for what a company or label should do with their works. There are bootleg releases not authorised by Dylan’s team that are far superior to the official releases, let alone the dreck of I Ain’t Got No Home.
Within this, you can find the expected songs of the early years. Fixin’ to Die, Still a Fool and Let Me Die in My Footsteps all feature. The quality of the recordings is not the problem here, it is their use and new context. Listeners would be better off if the label had pointed to the source of these recordings and released that as a package, rather than plastering some cover art together in Microsoft Paint and shuffling the order of songs. Where these come from, their impact, is lost. At least The Bootleg Series can offer that much information to a listener. It’s a sore spot for Dylan listeners because, for those not in the know, these releases can be a damaging experience. Diluting the strength of compilation work has no benefit for anyone, and I Ain’t Got No Home is another weakening of the mix.
