Tag Archives: Another Self Portrait

Video/ Audio: One Year Ago Bob Dylan Released A Masterpiece, ‘Another Self Portrait’

A year ago, on August 26 in Europe, and on August 27 in the U.S., a masterpiece comprised of recordings Bob Dylan made in 1969, 1970 and 1971 was released.

It was such a joy to hear the songs on Another Self Portrait, (1969-1971) – The Bootleg Series Vol. 10, which included an amazing version of the old folk song, “Pretty Saro,” wonderful demos of “I Went To See The Gypsy” and “When I Paint My Masterpiece,” and so many more.

While I always liked the original Self Portrait, Another Self Portrait is the better album. Of the songs that appeared on Self Portrait, for Another Self Portrait the Nashville overdubs were removed. Overall, what we get are much more intimate versions of those songs, plus many songs that Dylan chose not to release on Self Portrait. Plus a previously unreleased (officially, anyway) ‘Basement Tapes’ gem, “Minstrel Boy.”

But really, we don’t have to choose between those albums, as they both now exist.

I wrote a lengthy review of Another Self Portrait which you can read here.

For me, “Pretty Saro” remains the standout track because of both how Dylan’s voice sounds, and the way he sings the song.

“Pretty Saro”:

Below is a very cool 11 minute mini-documentary on the making of Another Self Portrait. If you haven’t yet seen it, now is the time.

Bob Dylan – Another Self Portrait Documentary Short from Columbia Records on Vimeo.

Here’s a Spotify sampling from Another Self Portrait:

Or listen to the entire deluxe version of the album including the Isle of Wight live tracks here.

And here’s the original Self Portrait:

[I just published my rock ‘n’ roll novel, True Love Scars.” I’ve got a Goodreads. book giveaway going right now. Click here and enter.]

— A Days Of The Crazy-Wild blog post —

Video: 11 Minute Making of ‘Another Self Portrait’ Mini-Documentary Plus ‘When I Paint My Masterpiece,’ ‘Pretty Saro’ & All The Rest

Forty-four years ago, on June 8, 1970, Bob Dylan’s most controversial album, Self Portrait, was released.

At the time the album was almost universally disliked by rock critics.

The album found Dylan covering an eclectic group of songs. Most were covers. A few were live versions of older songs. And there were three new songs — surprisingly Dylan didn’t even sing on one of them.

I was 17 when I got the album. I loved it. This was Dylan doing something new and different.

My mind was open. Dylan was going through changes and this two-record set was how he chose to express himself.

I published a rock magazine, Hard Road, that summer of 1970, and I wrote a review of Self Portrait.

It began like this:

“All the tired horses in the sun, how am I supposed to get any writing done?”

That may well be the theme for the new Dylan album. An album of few new Dylan compositions but many new surprises anyway. Self Portrait is a cumulation of nine years of recording. From the simple structure of the first Dylan album through the complexities of Blonde On Blonde, and back to the country melodies of Nashville Skyline. It’s all documented here for your listening pleasure. It’s an album abut Bob Dlan, poet, folk singer, folk-rock originator and rock and roll star.

Last year saw the release of Another Self Portrait.

That album, which includes alternative takes and unreleased songs from Nashville Skyline, Self Portrait, and New Morning plus a few others, is a completely different album than Self Portrait. An even better album.

Below is a very cool 11 minute mini-documentary on the making of Another Self Portrait. If you haven’t yet seen it, now is the time.

Bob Dylan – Another Self Portrait Documentary Short from Columbia Records on Vimeo.

Here’s a Spotify sampling from Another Self Portrait:

Or listen to the entire deluxe version of the album including the Isle of Wight live tracks here.

And here’s the original Self Portrait:

By the way you might want to check out the “True Love Scars” soundtrack playlist here. It’s the music that goes with the first two chapters of my novel.

–- A Days of the Crazy-Wild blog post: sounds, visuals and/or news –

Watch: Official Video For Bob Dylan/George Harrison “Time Passes Slowly”

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Not sure how long this has been online but in any case it’s cool. Some footage and still photos, some random, some spot on. All in all a nice collage of images that play well against this great alternative version of “Time Passes Slowly” with George Harrison on lead guitar and some vocals. This version is, of course, on Another Self Portrait.

— A Days of the Crazy-Wild blog post —

Bob Dylan App For iPhone, iPad Released And It’s Free

dylan-bootleg-app

The Bob Dylan Bootleg app for iPhone and iPad has been released. If you’ve got Dylan’s Another Self Portrait on your ios device, the app provides video interviews about the songs, biographical info about artists who Dylan influenced or who influenced Dylan, lyric and track info and more.

More info about it here.

For now it only works with Another Self Portrait but according to the app, soon info will be available for all of the Bootleg series albums.

Download for free here.

Stream All Of ‘Another Self Portrait,’ Including Isle Of Wight Concert

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One of the cool things about Bob Dylan’s website, bobdylan.com, is that you can stream all of the songs on Another Self Portrait, including all of the Isle of Wight album. So even if you don’t want to pay $100 for the four-CD set that includes the Isle of Wight show, or buy the individual MP3s, you at least listen to the songs, Not bad.

Check them all out here.

And if you haven’t read my column about Another Self Portrait, check it out at Addicted To Noise.

Much More Than Just ‘Another’ Self Portrait

 

Back when Dylan could really sing.
Back when Dylan could really sing.

Bob Dylan (re)paints a masterpiece for the 10th edition of his Bootleg Series

By Michael Goldberg

I misheard Bob Dylan back in 1970 as I lay back on the single bed in my room at my folks suburban home in Marin County and listened again and again to Dylan’s then-new and controversial album, Self Portrait, as it played on my shit Zenith portable stereo. There were no lyrics included with the album; no liner notes. Just a very long list of musicians who had played on it. Dylan sure wasn’t offering any help in figuring out what he was up to, but then had he ever?

Self Portrait seemed confusing at first, a two-record set dominated by covers of other people’s songs. Other people’s songs? What the goddamn was the man who had intellectualized rock songwriting doing singing “Blue Moon” and ‘The Boxer’ for God’s sake?

It’s fitting that I start this column with the word “I,” and that I’m telling you about myexperience, the experience of one middle class 17-year-old boy who was ignorant of the history behind many of the songs Dylan covered on Self Portrait.

I didn’t know B. Bryant, the writer of “Take Me As I Am (Or Let Me Go),” nor F. Bryant, who along with B. Bryant wrote “Take A Message To Mary,” (both songs included on Self Portrait) were famous Nashville songwriters Felice and Boudleaux Bryant, who wrote hits for the Everly Brothers, Roy Orbison, George Jones and many others. Or that “Little Sadie,” which Dylan claimed to have written, had been recorded almost 40 years earlier by Clarence Ashley. Hell, I’d not yet heard of Clarence Ashley. And who were the Lomax’s, who along with F. Warner, were credited with writing the gold rush ballad “Days of 49”?

I was 17. What the bejesus did I know?

Read the rest of this post at addictedtonoise.com