So here we have the tenth installment of the Bootleg Series, comprising mostly demos and outtakes from 1970’s controversial Self Portrait. At the time the album prompted scholarly, cerebral critic Greil Marcus to pen the infamous opening review line: ‘What Is This Shit?’ History has been kinder in its re-evaluation.
Self Portait followed John Wesley Harding and Nashville Skyline and comprised mostly covers and instrumentals. It also features the unconventional country vocal style adopted on its predecessor.
In addition to material from the Self Portrait sessions, this collection is bolstered with alternate versions from follow-up New Morning, two numbers from Dylan’s historic performance with The Band at the Isle Of Wight Festival and some previously unheard workings of Nashville Skyline’s ‘I Threw It All Away’ and ‘Country Pie’. Particularly noteworthy is a spookily sparse cut of Basement Tape rarity ‘Minstrel Boy’.
Opening with the eerily compelling ‘Went To See The Gypsy’, the 35-track proposition is a multifarious miscellany, veering from obscure rustic fare to hearty melodious stock. Meandering from the exquisite aching beauty of ‘Pretty Saro’ through the ebullient Americana that is ‘This Evening So Soon’ to the shimmering piano ballad ‘Sign On The Window’ it’s a sonic journey with blissful qualities.
Elsewhere, Isle Of Wight tracks ‘I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight’ and ‘Highway 61 Revisited’ make trading a kidney for a time machine a tempting prospect: Dylan’s collaborations with The Band surely rank amongst the most fruitful and influential in music history. And as a grand finale Mr. Zimmerman offers a stripped-down ‘When I Paint My Masterpiece’, which is stark, fragile, flawed and majestic.
These unpolished cuts and reworkings are a delightful collection of songs that offer different perspectives on the originals. As with the best Dylan archive material it also offers a valuable insight into the enigmatic force that is their elusive creator.

Key Track: Minstrel Boy