“Insanity is smashin’ up against my soul
You could say I was on anything but a roll”
Throughout the course of Bob Dylan’s long, storied career, there have been many turning points. Going electric at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965, the motorcycle accident, the divorce from Sara, etc. The list goes on and on. But the most recent turning point, and possibly the most consequential, is the subject of the newest installment in his ongoing Bootleg Series.
Fragments – Time Out of Mind Sessions (1996-1997): The Bootleg Series, Vol. 17 covers the making of Time Out of Mind. Time Out of Mind’s place in Bob’s canon cannot be overstated. After not releasing any new original music for seven years, and critics and fans alike believing he was washed up, he stunned the world by releasing what was considered by many to be his best album since 1975’s Blood on the Tracks. Fans who heard it at the time of release have gone as far as to call it a “miracle,” and it’s a miracle that has sustained to this day, with his career being at a consistent high point since Time Out of Mind’s release 1997.
“The sun is beginnin’ to shine on me
But it’s not like the sun that used to be”
The miracle that is Time Out of Mind has never sounded better than it does on disc one of this set, which houses a brand new mix of the album done by Michael H. Brauer. Daniel Lanois’ production on the original album has always been divisive. While personally, I like it and think it’s probably the best production value in Bob’s whole discography, this new mix breathes new life into the album.
Whereas the original mix is very atmospheric and moody, this new mix strips back the reverbs and compressions, and lets the individual instruments shine through with a lot more space to breathe. Also, Bob’s vocal tracks are much more natural. The original mix had the vocals controversially funneled through effects, but all of that has been stripped away this new mix, giving the album a more personal touch altogether. The highlight from this disc is definitely “Can’t Wait,” which now lets the drums take center stage.
“I’m driving, straddling, struggling, striving
For perfection”
Disc two and three feature the titular Time Out of Mind sessions. Like many collections of Dylan outtakes and sessions, you don’t necessarily see the songs taking shape, rather you see the shape the songs could have taken. Bob is notorious for not wanting to do a song the same way twice. This is actually a positive from a consumer and fan standpoint, because it makes these types of sets a lot more interesting to listen to.
There are many moments from these two discs that Dylan fans have to hear. The session discs open with a beautiful rendition of “The Water is Wide,” an old traditional folk song which Bob would perform as a duet with Joan Baez way back during the Rolling Thunder Revue. Another highlight is “Not Dark Yet (Version 1),” which is a way more optimistic take than the very dark track that made it onto the album. “Dirt Road Blues (Version 1)” is a surprising gem, because the song is probably the low point on the album. But you wonder if this version, with its extended lyrics and more traditional song structure, would have been a classic.
“Oh, the winds in Chicago have torn me to shreds
Reality has always had too many heads”
I think that most Dylan fans will revisit disc four the most. Disc four contains recordings of live performances of songs from Time Out of Mind (and “Mississippi”) dating from 1997 to 2001. Now, as any hardcore Dylan fan knows, 1997 to 2001 weren’t just any ordinary years when it comes to Dylan tours. No. That was the golden age of the so-called Never Ending Tour. You get to hear twelve recordings of Bob with probably the greatest live band he’s ever assembled, and it is magical.
I’ve seen some complaints that most of the recordings are actually audience recordings instead of soundboard recordings, but I disagree. If an audience recording is done right, it’s actually better than a soundboard recording because it captures the natural ambiance and reverb of the performance and venue better than a soundboard recording can. However, the sound quality of the “Cold Irons Bound” recording does leave a lot to be desired. But Dylan’s team says they sourced the recordings from the best possible sources, and I believe them. The highlight is Bob attempting to make it through the 16 minute juggernaut “Highlands.” Yes, he flubs up the lyrics a little, but the groove the band has going more than makes up for it.
“I would be crazy if I took you back
It would go up against every rule”
Disc five is kind of a let down, because it’s just the Time Out of Mind related stuff from a previous Bootleg Series installment. I say kind of a let down, because it is nice to have all of the Time Out of Mind stuff housed in one set, but I wish they would have done it more seamlessly. Like, distribute the previously released recordings throughout the set, rather than putting it all on one disc at the end. It just kind of feels like they tacked it on. However, it does feature a recording of “Cold Irons Bound” from Bonnaroo 2004 to make up for the poor quality recording on the previous disc.
“But I’m already there in my mind And that’s good enough for now”
Despite a couple of flaws towards the end of the set, Bootleg Series, Vol. 17 is a must own for all Dylan fans, and probably the best installment in the series since Vol. 14. There are some amazing moments sprinkled throughout, and the new mix of Time Out of Mind is a great reimagining of a classic record.
