La raccolta di Bob Dylan The Basement Tapes: The Bootleg Series Vol. 11 uscirà domani

Restaurato per la prima volta dal ritrovamento dei nastri originali, il cofanetto di 6 cd racconta le leggendarie sessioni del 1967 di Bob Dylan and The Band

Tra le molte pietre miliari culturali di Bob Dylan, i leggendari Basement Tapes hanno a lungo affascinato e sedotto generazioni di musicisti, appassionati e critici musicali. Dopo aver trasformato la musica e la cultura all’inizio degli anni 1960, Dylan raggiunse vette ineguagliabili tra il 1965 e il 1966 con la pubblicazione di tre album storici, l’innovativo singolo che ha fatto la storia “Like A Rolling Stone“, una performance controversa e leggendaria al Newport Folk Festival del 1965 e i tour che toccarono gli Stati Uniti, l’Europa e il Regno Unito.

L’ascesa di Dylan e la prodigiosa produzione dell’inizio di quel decennio registrarono un brusco arresto nel luglio del 1966, quando giunse la notizia di un suo grave incidente di moto avvenuto nello stato di New York.

Durante la convalescenza, lontano dagli occhi del pubblico per la prima volta dopo anni, Dylan si stabilì, insieme a Robbie Robertson, Rick Danko, Richard Manuel, Garth Hudson e, più tardi, Levon Helm, nel seminterrato di una piccola casa, soprannominato “Big Pink” dal gruppo, a West Saugerties, New York. Questa formazione, successivamente passata alla storia come Bob Dylan e The Band, registrò più di un centinaio di canzoni nel corso dei mesi, tra cui cover, stornelli ironici e divertenti e, soprattutto, decine di nuove canzoni di Bob Dylan, tra cui i classici “I Shall Be Released,” “The Mighty Quinn,” “This Wheel’s On Fire” e “You Ain’t Going Nowhere.”

Quando le voci di alcune di queste registrazioni cominciarono a circolare, si venne a creare una forte curiosità che creava qualcosa di completamente nuovo del mondo della musica: il bootleg. Nel 1969, un album misteriosamente intitolato Great White Wonder iniziò a essere distribuito nei negozi di dischi in tutto il paese, e la musica di Dylan a partire dall’estate del 1967 iniziò a infiltrarsi nel tessuto della cultura popolare. Col passare degli anni, sempre più appassionati cercarono questo raro contrabbando, curiosi di sentire questa nuova musica del leggendario Bob Dylan.

Le registrazioni effettive, tuttavia, rimasero commercialmente disponibili fino al 1975, quando la Columbia Records ne pubblicò 16 sull’album Basement Tapes (che includeva anche otto nuove canzoni di The Band, senza Dylan).

Un successo di critica e di pubblico, The Basement Tapes finirono nella Top 10 negli Stati Uniti e nel Regno Unito, con John Rockwell del The New York Times, che lo definiva “uno dei più grandi album della storia della musica popolare americana,” Paul Nelson, Rolling Stone, lodava le tracce come “le canzoni più dure, più dolci, più tristi, più divertenti più sagge che conosco” ‘e il Washington Post sottolineava che “… Dylan si è affermato come il più grande artista che la moderna musica pop americana abbia mai prodotto.” Robert Christgau diede all’album un rating A + sul Village Voice, dove arrivò in cima alla Pazz & Jop Poll annuale.

Nel corso degli anni, le canzoni di The Basement Tapes hanno ossessionato e lasciato perplessi gli appassionati, le registrazioni stesse rappresentano un Santo Graal per i Dylaniani. Cosa c’era sul resto di quei nastri?

The Basement Tapes Complete riunisce, per la prima volta in assoluto, ogni registrazione salvabile dai nastri comprese le prime gemme scoperte di recente registrate nella “Sala Rossa” della casa di Dylan nello stato di New York. Garth Hudson ha lavorato a stretto contatto con l’archivista musicale canadese e produttore Jan Haust per ripristinare il suono incontaminato dei nastri in deterioramento, e molta di questa musica è stata trasferita e conservata in digitale per la prima volta.

La decisione è stata presa per presentare The Basement Tapes Complete più intatta possibile. Inoltre, a differenza della pubblicazione ufficiale del 1975, queste performance sono presentate nella versione più fedele possibile al modo in cui sono state originariamente registrate e suonate di nuovo nell’estate del 1967. I brani sono in ordine per lo più cronologico basato sul sistema di numerazione di Garth Hudson.

Bob Dylan – The Basement Tapes Complete: The Bootleg Series Vol. 11

CD 1

1. Edge of the Ocean

2. My Bucket’s Got a Hole in It (written by Clarence Williams)

3. Roll on Train

4. Mr. Blue (written by Dewayne Blackwell)

5. Belshazzar (written by Johnny Cash)

6. I Forgot to Remember to Forget (written by Charlie A Feathers and Stanley A Kesler)

7. You Win Again (written by Hank Williams)

8. Still in Town (written by Hank Cochran and Harlan Howard)

9. Waltzing with Sin (written by Sonny Burns and Red Hayes)

10. Big River (Take 1) (written by Johnny Cash)

11. Big River (Take 2) (written by Johnny Cash)

12. Folsom Prison Blues (written by Johnny Cash)

13. Bells of Rhymney (written by Idris Davies and Peter Seeger)

14. Spanish is the Loving Tongue

15. Under Control

16. Ol’ Roison the Beau (Traditional, arranged by Bob Dylan)

17. I’m Guilty of Loving You

18. Cool Water (written by Bob Nolan)

19. The Auld Triangle (written by Brendan Francis Behan)

20. Po’ Lazarus (Traditional, arranged by Bob Dylan)

21. I’m a Fool for You (Take 1)

22. I’m a Fool for You (Take 2)

CD 2

1. Johnny Todd (Traditional, arranged by Bob Dylan)

2. Tupelo (written by John Lee Hooker)

3. Kickin’ My Dog Around (Traditional, arranged by Bob Dylan)

4. See You Later Allen Ginsberg (Take 1)

5. See You Later Allen Ginsberg (Take 2)

6. Tiny Montgomery

7. Big Dog

8. I’m Your Teenage Prayer

9. Four Strong Winds (written by Ian Tyson)

10. The French Girl (Take 1) (written by Ian Tyson and Sylvia Tyson)

11. The French Girl (Take 2) (written by Ian Tyson and Sylvia Tyson)

12. Joshua Gone Barbados (written by Eric Von Schmidt)

13. I’m in the Mood (written by Bernard Besman and John Lee Hooker)

14. Baby Ain’t That Fine (written by Dallas Frazier)

15. Rock, Salt and Nails (written by Bruce Phillips)

16. A Fool Such As I (written by William Marvin Trader)

17. Song for Canada (written by Pete Gzowski and Ian Tyson)

18. People Get Ready (written by Curtis L Mayfield)

19. I Don’t Hurt Anymore (written By Donald I Robertson and Walter E Rollins)

20. Be Careful of Stones That You Throw (written by Benjamin Lee Blankenship)

21. One Man’s Loss

22. Lock Your Door

23. Baby, Won’t You be My Baby

24. Try Me Little Girl

25. I Can’t Make it Alone

26. Don’t You Try Me Now

CD 3

1. Young but Daily Growing (Traditional, arranged by Bob Dylan)

2. Bonnie Ship the Diamond (Traditional, arranged by Bob Dylan)

3. The Hills of Mexico (Traditional, arranged by Bob Dylan)

4. Down on Me (Traditional, arranged by Bob Dylan)

5. One for the Road

6. I’m Alright

7. Million Dollar Bash (Take 1)

8. Million Dollar Bash (Take 2)

9. Yea! Heavy and a Bottle of Bread (Take 1)

10. Yea! Heavy and a Bottle of Bread (Take 2)

11. I’m Not There

12. Please Mrs. Henry

13. Crash on the Levee (Take 1)

14. Crash on the Levee (Take 2)

15. Lo and Behold! (Take 1)

16. Lo and Behold! (Take 2)

17. You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere (Take 1)

18. You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere (Take 2)

19. I Shall be Released (Take 1)

20. I Shall be Released (Take 2)

21. This Wheel’s on Fire (written by Bob Dylan and Rick Danko)

22. Too Much of Nothing (Take 1)

23. Too Much of Nothing (Take 2)

CD 4

1. Tears of Rage (Take 1) (written by Bob Dylan and Richard Manuel)

2. Tears of Rage (Take 2) (written by Bob Dylan and Richard Manuel)

3. Tears of Rage (Take 3) (written by Bob Dylan and Richard Manuel)

4. Quinn the Eskimo (Take 1)

5. Quinn the Eskimo (Take 2)

6. Open the Door Homer (Take 1)

7. Open the Door Homer (Take 2)

8. Open the Door Homer (Take 3)

9. Nothing Was Delivered (Take 1)

10. Nothing Was Delivered (Take 2)

11. Nothing Was Delivered (Take 3)

12. All American Boy (written by Bobby Bare)

13. Sign on the Cross

14. Odds and Ends (Take 1)

15. Odds and Ends (Take 2)

16. Get Your Rocks Off

17. Clothes Line Saga

18. Apple Suckling Tree (Take 1)

19. Apple Suckling Tree (Take 2)

20. Don’t Ya Tell Henry

21. Bourbon Street

CD 5

1. Blowin’ in the Wind

2. One Too Many Mornings

3. A Satisfied Mind (written by Joe Hayes and Jack Rhodes)

4. It Ain’t Me, Babe

5. Ain’t No More Cane (Take 1) (Traditional, arranged by Bob Dylan)

6. Ain’t No More Cane (Take 2) (Traditional, arranged by Bob Dylan)

7. My Woman She’s A-Leavin’

8. Santa-Fe

9. Mary Lou, I Love You Too

10. Dress it up, Better Have it All

11. Minstrel Boy

12. Silent Weekend

13. What’s it Gonna be When it Comes Up

14. 900 Miles from My Home (Traditional, arranged by Bob Dylan)

15. Wildwood Flower (written by A.P. Carter)

16. One Kind Favor (Traditional, arranged by Bob Dylan)

17. She’ll be Coming Round the Mountain (Traditional, arranged by Bob Dylan)

18. It’s the Flight of the Bumblebee

19. Wild Wolf

20. Goin’ to Acapulco

21. Gonna Get You Now

22. If I Were A Carpenter (written by James Timothy Hardin)

23. Confidential (written by Dorina Morgan)

24. All You Have to do is Dream (Take 1)

25. All You Have to do is Dream (Take 2)

CD 6

1. 2 Dollars and 99 Cents

2. Jelly Bean

3. Any Time

4. Down by the Station

5. Hallelujah, I’ve Just Been Moved (Traditional, arranged by Bob Dylan)

6. That’s the Breaks

7. Pretty Mary

8. Will the Circle be Unbroken (written by A.P. Carter)

9. King of France

10. She’s on My Mind Again

11. Goin’ Down the Road Feeling Bad (Traditional, arranged by Bob Dylan)

12. On a Rainy Afternoon

13. I Can’t Come in with a Broken Heart

14. Next Time on the Highway

15. Northern Claim

16. Love is Only Mine

17. Silhouettes (written by Bob Crewe and Frank C Slay Jr.)

18. Bring it on Home

19. Come All Ye Fair and Tender Ladies (Traditional, arranged by Bob Dylan)

20. The Spanish Song (Take 1)

21. The Spanish Song (Take 2)

BOB DYLAN-  THE BASEMENT TAPES RAW:

THE BOOTLEG SERIES VOL. 11

 (all songs written by Bob Dylan unless otherwise noted)

CD 1

1. Open the Door, Homer (Restored version)

2. Odds and Ends (Alternate version)

3. Million Dollar Bash (Alternate version)

4. One Too Many Mornings (Unreleased)

5. I Don’t Hurt Anymore (Unreleased) (written by Donald I Robertson and Walter E Rollins)

6. Ain’t No More Cane (Alternate version) (Traditional, arranged by Bob Dylan)

7. Crash on the Levee (Restored version)

8. Tears of Rage (Without overdubs) (written by Bob Dylan and Richard Manuel)

9. Dress it up, Better Have it All (Unreleased)

10. I’m Not There (Previously released)

11. Johnny Todd (Unreleased) (Traditional, arranged by Bob Dylan)

12. Too Much of Nothing (Alternate version)

13. Quinn the Eskimo (Restored version)

14. Get Your Rocks Off (Unreleased)

15. Santa-Fe (Previously released)

16. Silent Weekend (Unreleased)

17. Clothes Line Saga (Restored version)

18. Please, Mrs. Henry (Restored version)

19. I Shall be Released (Restored version)

CD 2

1. You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere (Alternate version)

2. Lo and Behold! (Alternate version)

3. Minstrel Boy (Previously released)

4. Tiny Montgomery (Without overdubs)

5. All You Have to do is Dream (Unreleased)

6. Goin’ to Acapulco (Without overdubs)

7. 900 Miles from My Home (Unreleased) (Traditional, arranged by Bob Dylan)

8. One for the Road (Unreleased)

9. I’m Alright (Unreleased)

10. Blowin’ in the Wind (Unreleased)

11. Apple Suckling Tree (Restored version)

12. Nothing Was Delivered (Restored version)

13. Folsom Prison Blues (Unreleased) (written by Johnny Cash)

14. This Wheel’s on Fire (Without overdubs) (written by Bob Dylan and Rick Danko)

15. Yea! Heavy and a Bottle of Bread (Restored version)

16. Don’t Ya Tell Henry (Alternate version)

17. Baby, Won’t You be My Baby (Unreleased)

18. Sign on the Cross (Unreleased)

19. You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere (Without overdubs)

Musicians:

Bob Dylan

Robbie Robertson

Rick Danko

Richard Manuel

Garth Hudson

Levon Helm