If there were ever a clearer limitation of official tapes and clearance rights, here you are. The Bootleg Series is a masterstroke from Bob Dylan and his team because it means these long-sought snippets of his work are available to a listener. Part of the problem, though, is in what gets released, when it is put out there, and why it has been chosen. The more intensely interested listener may find themselves relying on expansions from bootleggers. Those greats who dedicate their time to following this flow of archive material back to the source, picking up the pieces which were either discarded or not confirmed for release. The Bootleg Series 0: Rare and Unreleased 1959 – 2010 Vol. 1 is an unofficial compilation of extras which are of historical significance. Should we allow strangers to make the call on what is and is not worth our time? We already do with Dylan’s camp, so why not the bootlegging community?Â
What listeners have here is a neat expansion of the fundamentals of The Bootleg Series. Share studio and live versions of songs in the highest possible quality they can be found. It’s not always the case for The Bootleg Series 0, but liberties are taken to provide a historic overview of Dylan from the start of his career, all the way through to just a few years after Modern Times. I Got a New Girl is one of the earliest recorded moments in Dylan’s decades-long career. That alone is reason enough to listen. As a document of historical significance, it is hard to argue against it. But the quality is, naturally, a little worse than the rest of the compilation. Those who cannot get enough of a fix for the Dylan archives are served well here.
Early moments which provide a striking image of Dylan as an early folk singer, contrast with the rock and roll sounds of the ‘60s to the ‘90s, and then a soft revision of his sound on stage. Remember Me is another incredible folk offering from Dylan, seemingly forgotten by most. Beyond Song to Woody and Tomorrow is a Long Time, there is very little in the way of recognisable songs. It makes The Bootleg Series 0 an essential listen for those wanting a grasp at the early days, especially now the Dylan YouTube channel is pumping out the same selection of debut album studio leftovers. A stunning version of She’s Your Lover Now can be found on this compilation, a drifting, borderline spoken word offering where the acoustic guitar is dropped to the back. Dylan’s strengths as a vocalist are highlighted here. There are some outstanding efforts found here, most of them acoustic-driven, early years material.
Telephone Line, for instance, has a bluesy twang to it, which only adds to Dylan’s instrumental layers. Driving percussion, a drifting voice, and a guitar which cuts through the noise with a clarity beyond Dylan’s years at this point. It’s a monumental moment in a volume filled with surprises. A must-listen experience for those interested in how Dylan would pull from his influences in those early years. Later songs like Goodbye Holly and Abandoned Love highlight the later years, the latter song a live rip from 1975. It’s a moment which showcases the fundamental qualities of Dylan’s work and how they, truly, have not changed all that much. He still pulls from those places of folk qualities, from the fundamentals of early rock and roll, but most of all from the blues and country tone. It adds a layer of quality to his work and his writing, which has remained even in the lowest points of his career. The Bootleg Series 0 highlights that.
