Exciting news, everybody:
As you've no doubt heard (assuming you're a Bob Dylan fan dedicated enough to have found this site!), Sony/Columbia is releasing The Bootleg Series 13: Trouble No More, 1979-1981 on November 3, 2017. This is very thrilling news for folks like me who are particularly interested in the musician's 'Gospel Period' during those years.
Unfortunately for fans of this site, more than a couple compilations are going to need to be removed from the Thousand Highways Collection in the coming month. In particular, at least the following will be impacted:
- Serve Somebody: Live, 1979 - 1980
- Still The Same Man (Volume 1): Live, Fall 1980
- Still The Same Man (Volume 2): Live, 1981
- Testament: Live, 1979 - 1981
- Every Grain of Sand: Live & Studio Performances, 1980 - 1981
I will need to double-check the tracklisting, but my One More Night and Another Night career retrospectives may also be affected. Never fear, because I have no doubt that the engineers at the record company will deliver significantly improved sound quality. In particular, I can't tell you how excited I am about finally getting to hear one of my favorite performances, 1980's "Caribbean Wind," in high quality.
So you have until October 31 to download these recordings. I don't think there will be much to fret about, since I'd imagine all of you will be picking up the new set. I'll even link it below for convenience.
I will also be working up new versions of the compilations, featuring live performances that remain unreleased - it was actually a startlingly kind gesture by Sony/Columbia to emphasize recordings that either do not circulate or circulate in poor quality. Shockingly, Avignon '81, New Orleans '81 and Houston '81 are almost entirely unrepresented on the upcoming release; some bemoaned this fact, but I appreciate that they've allowed the best-sounding bootlegs to remain effectively free in the public space while opening up a whole host of songs that we've never heard before in high quality recordings.
A quick bonus note: I haven't forgotten about the DIY playlists I mentioned earlier in the year, and you'll be getting those eventually. Time's gotten away from me, between increased civic engagement, work on a book, and significantly increased career responsibilities. It's been an exhausting year, but I'm not going to leave you great folks high and dry.
So Winter 2017/2018 and Spring 2018 has gotten much more interesting for A Thousand Highways, and I hope it'll be getting more interesting for you. Until next we meet, keep yourself healthy and listen to some good tunes.
- CS
UPDATE - November 5, 2017: Links have been removed for Serve Somebody, Testament, Every Grain of Sand, and Still The Same Man, Volumes 1 & 2. Once I get done listening to the amazing Bootleg Series 13, I'll publish a revised set of albums covering unreleased studio and live recordings from 1979 to 1981; these compilations will feature content from those discontinued Thousand Highways entries and a few new additions.
Link to The Bootleg Series Volume 13: Trouble No More, 1979 - 1981
