A brief Public Service Message for long-time Bob Dylan collectors:
DON’T GET RID OF YOUR BOOTLEG ALBUMS!
Travelin’ Thru is the 15th volume in Columbia Records’ Bootleg Series of previously unreleased recordings by Bob Dylan. There are two separate draws here: Star power (in addition to Bob) and a number of recordings that even Dylan collectors did not own. The latter are studio outtakes taken primarily from recording sessions for Nashville Skyline and John Wesley Harding, and warrant their own review.
The star power comes from Johnny Cash, who collaborated with Dylan briefly during the early months of 1969 — first in the studio and then on Cash’s ABC television show. Banjo virtuoso Earl Scruggs also makes a quick appearance at the end of this three-disc set, but it’s the Johnny Cash material that is of greatest interest.
The accompanying booklet to Travelin’ Thru: The Bootleg Series, Vol. 15 explains that, because of their similarity, not every take of each song is included in the new release. This makes sense. I think Columbia may have learned its lesson about completeness with the expanded Cutting Edge box, an 18-CD set that became an exercise in tolerance for even Bob Dylan’s biggest fans.
Travelin’ Thru is programmed so there’s no need to skip over multiple takes of one song. While providing an enjoyable listening experience, this is also smart business move. By not including every existing version, Columbia will be able to periodically release their unissued alternate takes of this material as enticements on future Dylan releases. Naturally, I will get them all.
These recordings of Cash and Dylan together in the studio are worth hearing, and I was fortunate to have that opportunity some time ago. In the mid-1970s I bought a bootleg album called The Dylan Cash Session. This unauthorized record lists neither a record label nor an album number. It does have a grainy cover photo of the performers and some relevant quotes on the back. It also follows a pattern of early bootleg sloppiness by offering an inaccurate and incomplete list of the songs found on the album.
Knowing that Columbia’s new Travelin’ Thru: The Bootleg Series, Vol. 15 does not claim to include all known recordings from these dates, I decided to compare its music with my old bootleg. Here is what I found:
The Dylan Cash Session album has six takes that differ from those on the new set. Of these, “Big River,” “Guess Things Happen That Way,” “One Too Many Mornings,” and “I Still Miss Someone” are very similar to the recordings on Travelin’ Thru. However, the versions on The Dylan Cash Session of “Ring of Fire” and “Matchbox” are quite different from those on Travelin’ Thru.
The new album includes the first take of “Ring of Fire.” This version begins with an acoustic guitar accompaniment. At the end of the recording, Cash can be heard giving Dylan spoken suggestions on how to divide the song’s lyrics between them. The version of “Ring of Fire” on The Dylan Cash Session album opens with an electric guitar. It is unknown what take number this is, but some major reworking has clearly taken place.
The Travelin’ Thru: The Bootleg Series, Vol. 15 recording of “Matchbox” is the duo’s first take of the song. The Dylan Cash Session version is taken at a slightly slower tempo. The singers are trading vocal lines here, but one would not call the arrangement “polished.” Surprisingly, the first take of “Matchbox” sounds more confident than the later version on The Dylan Cash Session album.
Other things are worth noting: Prior to the performance of “Just a Closer Walk with Thee” on The Dylan Cash Session album, one can hear Dylan ask if they might try this gospel number. Bob’s voice is soft, but distinct. Cash seems surprised by the suggestion, but begins this song without hesitation. The spoken introductory matter has been edited from Travelin’ Thru. Other interactions remain intact: We hear June Carter Cash ask her husband if Bob would sing “Wanted Man.” She wants Johnny to hear the melody, so he can later perform the song accurately. Bob complies. It’s a rare instance of Bob Dylan taking a song request.
Travelin’ Thru: The Bootleg Series, Vol. 15 is a worthy entry in Columbia’s ongoing Bootleg Series. It dives into a deep corner of the Dylan universe — that of Bob’s work with a music peer. I’m glad Columbia Records continues to mine their own vaults for this series. Even so, it’s worth remembering that these important releases are not the final word on the recordings.
Tom Wilmeth is the author of ‘Sound Bites: A Lifetime of Listening,’ which has earned raves from the likes of Gary Burton and Hal Holbrook. It’s available now from Muleshoe Press via Amazon
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