Bob Dylan fans believe one release in The Bootleg Series is “completely unnecessary” thanks to previous albums.
Through the Open Window marked the eighteenth entry into The Bootleg Series, compiling recordings from 1956 to 1963. Featured in The Bootleg Series also are studio cuttings from Self Portrait, collaborations with Johnny Cash, and live shows from the early 1980s. Through all of this, fans believe they have found what is the most “unnecessary” release in the series. A post to the r/BobDylan subreddit saw fans discuss which of the releases was not necessary. One fan asked: “What has been Bob Dylan‘s most unnecessary bootleg release so far?” The fan posing the question suggested that the most recent volume, Through the Open Window, was not as interesting as previous releases.
But other fans believe a very early release in The Bootleg Series is now without purpose, though at the time of release was vital. One listener wrote: “Maybe this one. The companion to No Direction Home seemed unnecessary. My favourites: Tell Tale Signs and Another Self Portrait.”
Another agreed, adding: “Good call – hasn’t most of the No Direction Home soundtrack ended up on other Bootleg Series volumes? It serves a purpose I suppose (companion release to the documentary-meets-highlights of the Bootleg Series), but dunno if it offers much that’s unique to itself.”
A third suggested: “Yeah, and in hindsight maybe it didn’t need to be billed as a volume in the series (given that future volumes would cover that more thoroughly), but it would’ve taken a massive amount of foresight to take into account a future archive release that’s a decade later, right?”
Others believe Fragments is the worst of the Bootleg Series, with only a handful of the live recordings being of interest to some listeners. One person wrote: “Maybe Fragments? Some of the live recordings are cool, and the other version of Time Out of Mind is okay but it’s not one I really go back to.”
Another user disagreed, suggesting it’s the best of the series. They wrote: “Hard disagree there champ, this is my favourite one. That being said, if all Bob ever recorded was his work between 1997-2007, he’d still be my favourite artist, so I’m kinda biased in that regard.”
A third added: “This is the one for me. I like when a release recontextualises his music or gives us unreleased songs, but this one felt like a bunch of just slightly different versions of already-released songs without shining much new light on Time Out of Mind.”
A handful of listeners also suggested Travelin’ Thru could have been covered by Another Self-Portrait, rather than a standalone release. One person wrote: “Travelin Thru. I like the John Wesley Harding and Nashville Skyline alternate takes, but they are all very close to the originals. The duets with Johnny Cash are very sloppy, cheesy and unrehearsed. It feels like the least essential Bootleg Series to me.”
Another agreed, adding: “Either this one (which features so many previously released songs) or Travelin’ Thru, which could have been covered in Another Self Portrait. The only really interesting songs off Travelin’ Thru is the stuff off of John Wesley Harding. That version of As I Went Out One Morning on there is masterful. The Cash stuff is fun, but not essential.”
