Almost every album released by Bob Dylan after Blonde on Blonde can be, in some way, considered underrated. Bar Blood on the Tracks and Desire, the perception of albums like Planet Waves and Street-Legal is that they are for the deep cut fans. This could not be further from the truth. It only takes a listen to The Man in Me from New Morning or Slow Train Coming from the album of the same name to know these depths are just as skilful, but different from the norm. New Morning: Alternate Versions is an excellent way to tap into those grooves of a lesser-known variety. These versions will floor you. No doubt about it. This is the style of music which connects Dylan back with his folk roots, the swaying emotional variety found in these alternative performances is nothing short of perfect. From a string-backed If Not for You to a horn-heavy title track, it’s a masterclass of a bootleg.
That opening piece, If Not for You, would fit with the tone Dylan has taken on Rough and Rowdy Ways. Stripped-back instrumentals which barely crackle through, but when they do have that swell, it is hard to counter their brilliance. A song like Day of the Locusts, an already incredible song, is magnificent here. Literal chirping and a bit more focus on the lighter instrumentals, compared to the finished version, is what fans will want to pick up this version for. Many of these songs are wildly different to the final studio versions in their style and instrumentation. Dylan is figuring out where to head after his popular period. It’d be borderline impossible to improve Winterlude, because no amount of overhaul can fix it. But here, it sounds a little sweeter. That swaying tone which Wigwam had on Self Portrait is recaptured on this New Morning alternate. No saving If Dogs Run Free, but that song is an oddity, and as such, of interest.
No alternative for The Man in Me, a perfect song which needed little change, but a homemade bootleg which removes the brass and boom of the released effort. It’s a nice touch from the brains behind the New Morning: Alternate Version, a chance to hear the bootlegging community flex their artistic muscles beyond compiling forgotten efforts. It’s a sweet, stripped-back version which matches the rest of the album, and you could ask for little more than that. But the brilliance of New Morning: Alternate Version doesn’t stop there. Extras which would feature on Greatest Hits compilations, like When I Paint My Masterpiece, are covered too. New Morning remains a brilliant album, somewhat underrated because of what it would be viewed as releasing so soon after Self Portrait. It was not Dylan making up for a messy album, but a chance to hear the songwriter work out where to take his sound next.
Not quite a masterclass but thoroughly worth a listen, that’s what New Morning is. For those who were hoping for more from Dylan, particularly in the latter half of the album, New Morning: Alternate Version, is a thoroughly interesting listen. A new perspective on the album is what this bootleg serves up, and it’s a wonderful accompaniment to the official release. Until we get a New Morning bootleg, this will have to do. It covers all the points of interest and with renditions in here that are wildly different to the finalised studio versions, there’s no reason not to listen in. Even Three Angels sounds strong here, a seemingly impossible feat brought on by reducing the instrumental tone and softening Dylan’s vocals. It’s the usual change heard through New Morning, and these instrumentals would make a bigger impact a decade later.
