I get it now. It’s only taken 12 volumes of bootleg recordings, but I finally get it. Bob Dylan has spent most of his post-pubescent life in a recording studio, with the tape rolling for every minute of it.
Don’t get me wrong, I am a Bob Dylan fan, but The Cutting Edge 1965-1966 could test the patience of even for the most extreme Dylan aficionado. It’s a 36-track, two-disc set, with many songs that appear multiple times as rehearsals and alternate takes. So sitting through the entire thing becomes hard work.
Half sung, half laughed opening verses are quickly stopped and Dylan chats with the engineer in the booth. While it’s a great behind the scenes look into some of his most loved songs, these outtakes could easily have been added to the end of any number of his records instead of pushing this collection as its own record.
If you’re after the polished version of Mr. Tambourine Man or Like a Rolling Stone, look elsewhere. If you want a raw, in your face portrait of Dylan’s revered mid-‘60s period, this is your album. Chances are you didn’t get into his stuff for the musicality anyway. His albums could justifiably be stored under the spoken word section of the record store.
Despite its popularity, the ongoing Bootleg Series probably wasn’t Dylan’s idea. I’m guessing some record company executive thought, “Well, we’re not selling any new music, how about we put out a collection of stuff we already know people like, and stuff the CD so full of tracks that nobody can complain about value for money?”
However, sadly not one song stands out on The Cutting Edge. Each track is genuine mid-‘60s Bob, and after 36 of them even an afternoon joint couldn’t regenerate my enthusiasm.
BY JOHN KENDALL
