Customer Reviews

The Bootleg Series, Vols. 1-3 : Rare And Unreleased, 1961-1991

5 star:		(82)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Perhaps the most substantial reason to buy this album is to hear what you did not know you were missing in the 80's. There are some unbelievably brilliant performances here that were left off of various 80's albums, like Blind Willie McTell, Series of Dreams, and Foot of Pride.

Then there are some sizzling 70's performances, like the live Seven Days or Catfish, an outtake from 1975's wonderful "Desire" album. Also, the original verson of "If Not for You," with none other than George Harrison on guitar, is ten million times better than the version featured on the actual studio album, "New Morning." The "unplugged" verisons of some "Blood on the Tracks" songs are powerfully raw.

Then, of course, his songwriting brilliance of the 60's shines on the tear jerking "Moonshiner," which is, arguably, his best vocal performance EVER. "Seven Curses," 'Eternal Circle," 'Farewell, Angelina" are as good as anything on his early to mid 60's albums. Yes...really.

This collecton got me scratching my head, frustrated, wondering why Dylan never released these songs. It is anyone's guess as to why the 60's material was never released, but in the 80's, he seemed to be more interested in angering his record label than anything else. That may be why "Blind Willie Mctell" and 'Foot of Pride" were both left off of 1983's "Infidels," which is brilliant in its own right, but would have truly been one of Dylan's best albums ever with the addition of those songs. Oh well. He never did release them. And now we have it all here, on this 3CD package. Any Dylan fan who does not buy it should be criminally prosecuted. And anyone who is curious about Dylan's career should begin with 'Biograph" and this collection. It is truly an outstanding gem that puts this genius's 40-year career into some perspective.

The saddest thing about this collection in my mind comes from the fact this is something the casual find might not think to look at first. This is the type of release that is usually aimed at the already established fan base of a particular artist, but in this case this is as valid a first buy as his albums are.

Dylan does not falter at all on this collection, and it shows the depth of his songwriting, making this (to my mind) as essential in his catalogue as anything else people recommend for newcommers to Dylan. The only thing added by knowing Dylan's albums before this is the amount of frustration the listener feels that he didn't put these tracks on the prospective albums they belong too. The majority of them could have been MUCH longer, with INFIDELS being a double album even, and SHOT OF LOVE would have greately benefited, making it rated higher than it is and give Dylan a critical boost when he really needed it. Dylan, for all his skills, has proven one thing with this release: the method he uses to assemble albums could stand up to some fine-tuning and work, because most of these are good enough to be released. The songs are absolutely wonderful, all of them (with maybe the single exception of Talking Negeliah Blues, which is just a 50 second guitar doodle and Suze -- not because of the song itself which is an instermentual but because the track breaks down, as does "She's Your Lover Now" which is the single most exasperating song on this record for that exact reason.) The real meat of this set is its unreleased stuff, and while some of the alternate takes are interesting just downright terrible (only one of these is REAL bad, and that's "It Takes A Lot to Laugh", while techinically good ruin the gorgeous song by playing it way to fast).

Some one said they wished this had been like The Beatles' Anthology series. I simply could not disagree more. The sad thing about The Beatles came from the fact they simply did not have that much in the vaults in terms of unreleased original compositions. Instead they had to go with all the outtakes of their songs. (A side note: 1 is average, interesting just for historians, 2 is pretty good maybe 3 & 1/2 stars, and 3 is very good.) But with Dylan, besides having a much longer career (and the fact that The Beatles were incredibely prolific, releasing two albums of material per year with singles and what not and their quality never faltered) also has so much unreleased stuff its simply amazing and these songs have priorites of outtakes of the classics. Indeed, one of the essential frustrations with Dylan (and in a much smaller sense The Beatles as well) is, as amazing as his discography is, there are songs here that simply should have been on the album (the greatest victom of this phenomena is INFIDELS which had the outtakes on this and the ones still unrealesed been included it would hold its head up high next to anything else he released).

Volume I is the true folk album of this lot. In that sense this has the most artistic cohesion because of the period of compsoition (just over 2 years) is very close chronologically and the general sound remains the same. There are some real gems here, including Hard Times, Bear Mountain, Let Me Die, Walls of Red Wing, Who Killed Davy Moor, and others. Although artisticially this is straight on, for my personal tastes there are some of these tracks that are just servicable instead of overwhelming. But that's just taste -- musically you can't touch Dylan on this one.

Volume II: There isn't quite feel of cohesion on this one as the first volume because of the amount of stylistic changes it has to cover, going from folk to folk rock to rock to Basement Tape outtakes as well as the music of New Morning and Planet Waves (that sound) and then ends with outtakes from BLOOD ON THE TRACKS. Individually all the tracks stand out, though the easily must frustrating is "She's Your Lover Now" which is an almost perfect take but breaks down after six minutes resulting in a lost verse. It should have been redone and put on BLONDE ON BLONDE. My least favorite track here is the up-tempo version of "It Takes a Lot to Laugh" off Highway 61, which simply does not have the appeal of the original. "I'll Keep It With Mine" is a particular favorite, although this is a rehearsal and it shows.

Volume III: In terms of style this is the most consistent of the three volumes, and I would argue if you cut the first three tracks which belong to the mid seventies (and so should have been on those albums) and released this as an individual album it would be hailed as a comeback for Dylan, who had a notoriusly dry and inconsitent spell during the 1980s. They would compare it to Oh Mercy! and it may have even had a better critical reputations. The cuts I would make it this if it were released as a real album would be "Every Grain", "Someone's Got a Hold", "Lord", and "When the Night" or call them bonus tracks. Not a big fan of Tell Me. "Julius and Ethel" (an Infidels outtake) would have been nice to be on here too. Oh well, I suppose. And to those who say the EMPIRE BURLESQUE version sounds like disco, go suck off. It's a good song.

All in all, one of the single most impressive collections assembled, especially since this is ALL outtake material. A lot of this would have been the major material in other people's catalogues. As Mark Prindle said, that's pretty impressive Weezer (talking about the band). There's still a lot more in his vaults, and I want more of this stuff released. Also, I'd like a full release of THE BASEMENT TAPES, with ALL known material released. There's still a large amount of the TAPES in the vault. "I'm Not There", one of my favorite Dylan compositions, is still unreleased. Get the ball rolling, release some more!

Bottom line: Get this release. If you're new, it's just as good, as valid a first buy as any of the others often cited. This should be on your top five list to buy.

It was known that Dylan had a great deal of unreleased material, but nobody was prepared for the unbelievable range and quality of this set when it came out in 1991. The first disc is a treasure trove of old songs and early compositions, given Dylan's inimitable spin, and a great history of his development as a songwriter. The second disc contains some interesting alternative versions, plus a few new gems like "Seven Curses", "She's Your Lover Now", and "Wallflower".

But it is the third disc that is the stunner. Several very great songs that would have been the crown jewels for any other artist appear for the first time here (Angelina, Foot of Pride, Blind Willie McTell, Series of Dreams). In addition, the alternate versions of "If You See Her, Say Hello", "Every Grain of Sand", and "When the Night Comes Falling From the sky" are in my opinion even better than the original released versions, and the other new songs are of very high quality. This third disc all by itself would make a list of Dylan's top 5 records.

The liner notes and pictures are great too -- arguably the best study around of the first 30 years of Dylan's career.

I recently became turned-on to Bob's Dylan's Bootleg Series. I find it odd that I have come so late to these historical compilations of previously unreleased studio outtakes, as I am a major Dylan fan & have been since the release of "Freewheelin' Bob Dylan," just about 40 years ago - Yoiks!! Dylan has always been incredibly prolific, only releasing a fraction of what he records. My understanding is that a limit was imposed on him as to how many tracks he could release per year. This policy made him a prime target for bootleggers. It has been said/written that Dylan is one of the most bootlegged of 20th Century performers. The music here was recorded between 1961 and 1989, spanning almost 3 decades.

Dylan approved this three disc release in 1991, delving deep into past archives for the material. The CDs are comprised of 58 tracks, unreleased and rare, alternate versions of classics, demos, a few live tracks, and some of his discarded songs, like "She's Your Lover Now," "Blind Willie McTell," and "Series of Dreams" - all absolute gems!

Disc 1 opens with Dylan in his original new-Woody Guthrie style with the defiant "Hard Times in New York Town." In 1960, Dylan dropped out of college and moved to New York, where legendary folk singer Woody Guthrie was hospitalized with a rare disease of the nervous system. Dylan visited with his idol regularly in the hospital. "He Was a Friend of Mine" and "Man on the Street," are poignant hobo laments. Two relatively obscure protest songs are included here, "Paths of Victory" and "Who Killed Davy Moore?" Davy Moore is about the death of a young featherweight boxer who, after losing a title bout to Sugar Ramos in 1963, fell into a coma and died. The incident sparked public debate about whether boxing should be banned in the United States. Interesting to note, the song was written and performed within 3 weeks of Davy's death. "Farewell, Angelina" was written by Bob for Joan Baez who made it popular. This is a rare version of Bob singing it. Unusual versions of "House Carpenter," "When The Ship Comes In," "Talkin' John Birch Paranoid Blues," (banned on the Ed Sullivan Show), and, of course, the anti-establishment anthem of the 1960's, "The Times They Are A-Changing," are included as well as 10 cuts from "Freewheelin' Bob Dylan." "Last Thoughts on Woody Guthrie" is a poem recited at Town Hall.

Disc 2 features alternative versions of "Highway 61" material, the incomplete "She's Your Lover Now," along with "Like a Rolling Stone," (Dylan played the song solo to assembled studio musicians. Later that same day, they recorded it again - an unbelievable 2nd version!), an acoustic reading of "Subterranean Homesick Blues," and "If Not For You" with George Harrison's guitar and Dylan's vocals from a recording session they did together in 1970. Recast tunes from the superb "Blood on the Tracks" album are also featured on this CD.

Disc 3 Wows (!) with 4 tracks from the original unreleased "Blood on the Tracks" sessions, and a remarkable version of "Blind Willie McTell," recorded in 1983. The Band can be heard playing with Dylan on five tracks in this boxed set, recorded in 1966, 1967 and 1973. Includes two previously unreleased 65/66 studio tracks with the Band.

Bob Dylan's "The Bootleg Series, Vols. 1-3 : Rare And Unreleased, 1961-1991" provides more than 3 hours of sublime music, many of the bootlegged songs rivaling and even surpassing the official versions. This collection also serves as a wonderful career overview. Included is a 69-page booklet that lists tracks along with the venues, dates, and wonderful vintage photos.

Outstanding!
JANA

In case anyone was still harboring any doubts that Bob Dylan is not only the songwriter of the century, but also one of the most prolific, then this set has surely erased them. Featuring previously unreleased gems, alternate takes, demos, live offerings, and the ilk, this album is an absolute goldmine for the Bob Dylan enthusiast. Here we have previously unreleased songs that are, in fact, on par with (and, in many cases, surpassing) Dylan's officially released work. Some absolutely extraordinary songs that are released here for the first time include Let Me Die In My Footsteps (which was previously issued as a single), Who Killed Davey Moore?, Mamma, You Been On My Mind (an oft-covered song, here in Dylan's own solo version), If You Gotta Go, Go Now, and I'll Keep It With Mine. The third disc is just crammed with previously-unissued greatness. Dylan's 80's output is routinely panned by critics and fans alike, but this third disc proves that he was still writing great songs during that period. Why he chose not to release them is anyone's guess, but songs like Ye Shall Be Changed, Someon's Gotten A Hold Of My Heart, Foot of Pride, Blind Willie McTell, and Series of Dreams are bar-none, excellent songs that stand as high points in Dylan's catalog. Two other tracks that deserve special mention are Last Thoughts On Woodie Guthrie and She's Your Lover Now. The former is a live reading of Dylan's poem of the same name (the only time he has ever done so), and it is an absolutely extraordinary piece of work. Perhaps the single most astonishing thing he has ever written, this long poem enscapulates seemingly life itself, while also paying homage to Dylan's idol. Amazing. Genius. The latter is a gem of an unreleased Dylan track... the lyrics are great and complex, almost a mini-play; a drama featuring three characters. It is given a spirited performance as well. Unfortunately, it breaks down during the last verse, and part of the song is lost. This is very, very unfortunate... if this song was ever finished, it would surely be regarded as one of Dylan's classic tracks. Also worth mentioning are the alternate takes and demos here. The versions here of The Times They Are A-Changin', Like A Rolling Stone, and (especially) Subeterranian Homesick Blues show a peak into the creative process and how the songs came about. The first two are piano-driven demos, and the latter is an acoustic version of the famously electric song (though it still retains the same meter and beat.) These demos sound like they were recorded, perhaps, as guides for the band, but they are fascinating, intimate peeks into how the songs came about. As for the alternate takes, most Dylan-ophiles would gladly pay full price for this album for the Blood On The Tracks songs alone. This set provides us with versions of Tangled Up In Blue and Idiot Wind (two of Dylan's greatest songs), that are different from the released versions, but just as good in their own way. Featuring sparse backing, these songs are very intimate and striking. They also have lyrical changes (especially Idiot Wind), and vary in their delivery. Tangled Up switches back and forth between third and first-person narraration, further enchancing the song's legendary impressionistic image. Idiot Wind is simply Dylan on acoustic guitar, and it is positively haunting. Whereas the released version was bitter and angry, this one is sad and resigned. The tracks alone make the album worth purchasing. As heavy and imposing a reputation as Bob Dylan had before, it must surely be added to in the wake of this album's release. We have here mere outtakes that Dylan didn't even consider good enough to release that would be the crowning jewel in most artist's catalogs. Most bands would kill to have written even one of these songs. It's not Dylan's alternate history, it merely enriches the already incredibly accomplished one that he already had. This is by no means the spare parts of Bob Dylan. It is not the "best of the rest", it is the "rest of the best."

This box set of The Bootleg Series volumes 1-3 is the cornerstone, heart, and soul of my personal Bob Dylan collection. The 58 tracks on these CDs were, are, and always will be a Dylan fan's dream come true; prior to 1991, fans were forced to go deep underground in wild efforts to come up with bootlegged copies of this type of never-released Dylan material (and there is a lot of it). The tracks in this box set cover Dylan's first thirty years as a performer, stretching from 1961 to 1991. The variety of material here is incredibly diverse in style as well as format. Among these rare and previously unreleased songs can be found folk music, satirical protest songs, rock & roll as Dylan defined it, blues, a tinge of country, and more; there are demos, early live coffeehouse performances, concert performances, home recordings, rehearsal tapes, outtakes, and alternate takes, and concert performances. Some of the songs are incomplete: Suze (The Cough Song) ends after Dylan starts coughing, another song ends when Dylan stops and says his voice is gone, and a few seem to end in midstream for no obviously discernible reason. In one track, you hear a dog barking in the background intermittently. One is not a song at all; Last Thoughts on Woody Guthrie is a poem Dylan wrote in honor of Guthrie, giving us seven minutes of spoken words from this normally reticent musical legend.

Among the most amazing things about these recordings is the knowledge that Dylan rejected many of these songs for his albums. These are songs the vast majority of singers can only hope to match once in their lives, yet Dylan often held songs back because he didn't feel they were quite right or performed the way they needed to be performed. The list of such outtakes is too long to list here, but several of them are, to me, some of the best songs Dylan ever wrote and recorded: Farewell, Angelina; She's Your Lover Now; Nobody `Cept You; You Changed My Life; Need a Woman; Foot of Pride; Blind Willie McTell; and Series of Dreams (which did find its way on to the Greatest Hits Volume 3 collection). Without a doubt, though, the most amazing and most mysterious song of Dylan's career is Angelina, a breathtaking work of art unlike anything else Dylan has written or performed. Some of the alternate takes here are fascinating as they differ significantly from the released versions, especially If Not For You and When the Night Comes Falling From the Sky. I could write a paragraph about every one of these 58 tracks, but luckily John Bauldie has already taken care of this for me in the booklet that accompanies the CDs. This booklet features not only a number of fascinating pictures and a list of the musicians playing on each song; it includes a fairly definitive description of the history of every single track. The back of the box is itself a treasure trove of information, listing the recording date of each track and identifying its source (and, if it is an outtake, it lists the album it was cut from).

As great a songwriter and musician as Bob Dylan is, this collection gives you insight into the man that cannot be found in his studio recordings and concert performances. Bob Dylan has dropped and forgotten more amazing songs than most performers will ever even look at. I really can't say enough about this collection and how truly amazing it is. I've owned this box set for twelve years now, and the music is just as fascinating and awe-inspiring today as it was back in 1991. These are recordings no Dylan fan can do without.

...l you'll ever encounter. Take the Pet Sounds Sessions - the "alternate versions" often were nothing more than identical to the original except for someone else singing one verse. Only of interest to the most die-hard fans. But this Bob Dylan set is uncanny - collectively it contains more merit than many official Dylan albums. The tracks span his entire career, from some great original lyrics set to traditional folk tunes he was playing in coffee houses when he first arrived in New York, through to the dozens of fully-realised and produced bonus tracks which were going to be included on each of his albums through '61 to '91.

It contains a great booklet that has a passage on every track telling you why its rare, what album it was going to be on, special circumstances behind it, etc, and if you read as you listen it makes for a very satisfying experience.

There are alternate versions on this set which feature a completely rewritten arrangement from the original, and genuinely outclass the original - like "Every Grain of Sand". And the number of great songs which did not get included on each of Dylan's albums is astonishing.

If you've heard and loved the major Dylan albums, you'll get the most value out of this set, especially when it comes to alternate versions. But also because if you know Dylan's albums, then hearing the tracks which didn't get included on them (sometimes in favour of lesser songs, strangely).

If you're a Dylan fan, this is a genuine treasure-trove. Repeat, a gold mine. There are things you'll hear here that you'll like better than what got included on the albums!

When first listening to this excellent collection of previously unreleased Bob Dylan songs, the question that first popped into my mind was "Why didn't I buy this a whole lot sooner?". So I'm going to go ahead and say that if you are a Bob Dylan fan in any way and you already have the five essential albums (Freewheelin', Bringing It All Back Home, Highway 61 Revisited, Blonde on Blonde and Blood on the Tracks) then you should buy this as soon as possible.

These three discs have so much excellent music that nearly any Bob Dylan fan whether novice or veteran will find something of interest. The first disc covers 1961 to 1963. That's one-third of the entire collection from only three years. Well, there was a lot of excellent music during Dylan's early years that didn't see the light of day, for any number of reasons. For example, Talkin' Bear Mountain Picnic Massacre Blues, an excellent talking blues number from 1961 similar to Talkin' World War III Blues from The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan. Also standing out are the excellent Only A Hobo, Walls of Red Wing, and Let Me Die In My Footsteps, which would certainly have been a classic had it been released on an album back in '62 or '63. The early demo of When The Ship Comes In is stunning as well. One thing particularly that makes this set a must-own is the last track on disc one, Last Thoughts on Woody Guthrie. It's a spoken word poem, recorded in April 1963, containing no musical accompaniment yet its one of the most riveting Bob Dylan tracks I've ever heard. It is one of the true highlights of this set.

Disc two covers 1963 - 1975, and yes there are several periods of Dylan's career that get little or no representation. But then again, it's only a three-disc set. Highlights of disc two are Mama You Been On My Mind, an early version of Subterranean Homesick Blues, the up-tempo hard rocking version of It Takes A Lot To Laugh, the country tune Wallflower, an earlier take of Tangled Up In Blue and a significantly more mellow, subdued version of Idiot Wind. There is an early version of Like A Rolling Stone as well, but disappointingly, it's only the first verse or so. One of my favorite tracks on this disc is the electric version of If You Got To Go, Go Now (Or Else You Got To Stay All Night) recorded in January 1965. I really think this song would have been a huge pop hit had it been released. It's one of the catchiest, most pop-oriented songs Dylan has probably ever recorded. It was later recorded by Manfred Mann, and was a big hit in England, but Dylan's version as heard here could easily have topped the charts as well.

Disc three covers '75 to '89, picking up with an early version of If You See Her, Say Hello which is good, but inferior to the album version. More interesting are Golden Loom and Catfish, two excellent outtakes from the Desire album. There are some good religious-period outtakes too such as a couple of good tracks that were left off of Shot of Love. However, the real highlight of the disc, and perhaps the entire collection, are the outtakes from the 1983 Infidels album. These are the tracks that would have turned a good album into a great album. Tell Me, Lord Protect My Child, Foot of Pride and Blind Willie McTell. Anyone who is a fan of Bob Dylan, needs to have a copy of Blind Willie McTell in their collection. It is a true Dylan classic. I'm tempted to say that disc three is almost worth the price of the whole box set alone. But there is so much great stuff on the other two discs that purchasing this should not be an issue for anyone who loves Bob Dylan.

Sure, there aren't nearly enough Highway 61 Revisited and Blonde on Blonde era tracks, and I would liked some outtakes from John Wesley Harding and Nashville Skyline (an era which is completely skipped over). I would also liked to have heard the original version of Hurricane with Emmylou Harris on backing vocals. Also, Dignity from the Oh Mercy sessions is missing, though it was later released on Greatest Hits, Volume 3. Hopefully another volume of rare and unreleased tracks will be released in the future to correct these oversights. Even with those slight criticisms this is still an excellent package that any Bob Dylan fan NEEDS.

if you're a dylan fan, this isn't a set that you probably want to get; this is a set that you need. no one could have imagined how many BRILLIANT songs dylan had recorded that didn't make his albums. the highlights are too numerous, but i'll try to cover some of them.

disc 1:

'let me die in my footsteps' as much as any of dylan's pre-electric songs shows us why he is a great poet. it would have been a famous anthem if it were released on THE FREEWHEELIN' BOB DYLAN.
'talkin' john birch paranoid blues [live]' is hilarious before the song even starts - "and there ain't nothing wrong with this song". it's in the same vein as 'talkin' ww3 blues' & 'i shall be free no. 10'. i don't know if i'd say it's better than the other two, but i'd say it's equal to them. also, it's great to hear the crowd reaction.
'moonshiner' was not written by bob dylan. it's a traditional folk song [irish - believe - could be wrong]. one of dylan's best vocal and harmonica performances - of his entire career. it's difficult to praise this performance enough.
'last thoughts on woodie guthrie' is the only poem that dylan's ever read in public [to my knowledge]. very good poem, and i'd assume that the positive reaction it recieved led dylan to start putting his poetry in the liner notes of his albums [starting w/ ANOTHER SIDE OF BOB DYLAN]. the recording is priceless.

disc 2:

not surprisingly, his is the best disc of the set. i'll try to only highlight the very best [there's so much to highlight].

'farewell angelina' was of course given to joan baez. dylan's version is special - it's also one of his very first songs that uses surreal imagery. it's obviously nowhere near as accomplished as 'tombstone blues', 'desolation row', or 'stuck inside of mobile . . .', but it's great to see where dylan was w/ his writing.
'i shall be released' is so pained. dylan sounds like he's crying the words. i prefer this version to the more famous version or any other version that's been recorded.
'sante-fe' is beautiful.
'if not for you' features george harrison. i usually prefer the NEW MORNING version, but it's just great to have a dylan song w/ george playing, extremely well, on it.
'nobody 'cept you' is one of my 1 or 2 favorite songs in this entire collection. it would have been the best song on PLANET WAVES if dylan decided to keep it. it's completely different from any other dylan song you've ever heard.
'call letter blues' was left off of BLOOD ON THE TRACKS. it's similar to 'meet me in the morning'.
'idiot wind' is a great alternate version. more sorrowful than the album version - less angry.

disc 3:

'angelina' is completely tripped out. the writing would fit on BLONDE ON BLONDE. the music wouldn't, but, hey, it's still a good song.
'blind willie mctell' is probably the best song in the collection. it's easily dylan's best song since the 70's. it's probably the best song by anyone since the 70's.
'series of dreams' was recorded for OH MERCY! and it, not surprisingly, has that wonderful OH MERCY! sound to it.

those are SOME of the highlights. get this.

As if everybody didn't already know just how prolific Bob Dylan was, this triple-disc collection comes along not just as a supplement to Dylan's music but as an essential item in his catolog. The songs featured in this collection, some outtakes and some alternate versions, are all immensely important for any fan of Dylan's, or fan of rock music for that matter. The songs which were mere outtakes from his work throughout the sixties are all fully brilliant, and the alternate takes and demos of previously released material often are more urgent and allow the listener to not only hear the evolution of the songs, but to experience a raw Dylan amidst the creation of masterpieces. The emotions are lucid and the words flawless. Listening to the first version of "Like a Rolling Stone" (in the time of a Waltz no less!) sent chills down my spine as I could hear the man spitting out his first run through of "didn't you" and "kidding you". His acoustic reading of "Subterranean Homesick Blues" (which, just for the record, sent rock music in an entirely new direction) should be mandatory listening for everybody, Dylan-obsessed or not. The sound quality on this album is excellent, and I felt a closeness to the music and the musician that I had never experienced previously. The first two discs are absolutely amazing, culled from a period of brilliance unmatched by an artist ever, and the third disc rocked me back on my heels. I was caught completely offguard by the quality of the songs dating from 1978-1989. This was clearly not an era of great Dylan music, but the songs on the third disc are all gems. Even the selections from his (egad!) Christian phase find new life and appreciation within this collection. It is worth the price of the set for this disc alone, because these songs are necessary to own, but now you don't have to wade through much of the muck that was '80's Bob Dylan. You will not hear most of these songs anywhere else, but they need to be heard. Whether he is writing talking blues, political cries, introspective poetry, bitter love songs, words of loss and remorse or religious odes, this compilation proves that nobody has matched Dylan in any of his many genres. Buy it. Enjoy it.