Don't Fly Unless It's Safe (Outtake)
Don't Fall Apart On Me Tonight (Outtake)
Man Of Peace (Live - Offenbach, 1984)
Sweetheart Like You #1 (Outtake)
Jokerman (David Letterman Show, 1984)
Dirty Lie (Unreleased)
I & I (Outtake)
Don't Start Me Talkin' (David Letterman Show, 1984)
To Each His Own (Unreleased)
Treat Her Right (Letterman Rehearsal)
This Was My Love #2 (Outtake)
Enough Is Enough(Live - Barcelona, 1984)
Someone's Got A Hold Of My Heart (Outtake)
Julius And Ethel (Outtake)
Tell Me (Outtake)
Almost Done #2 (Unreleased)
Union Sundown (Outtake)
Blind Willie McTell (Outtake)
License To Kill (David Letterman Show, 1984)
Dark Groove (Outtake)
Welcome back,
Thank you for sticking with the blog during my October hiatus. There will be plenty more great unreleased recordings being posted here in the months ahead, beginning with this week's exploration of Bob Dylan's unreleased Infidels-era recordings.
The songs here fall primarily into four categories: outtakes from Infidels, live performances from the 1984 Tour of Europe, rehearsals for that tour, and songs from Dylan's appearance with The Plugz on David Letterman's television program.
The outtakes are among the most treasured unreleased songs that you'll hear on this website. This is largely because they are generally considered to equal or surpass the final release of the record. In some cases, the difference between this and the final release is the mix. Mark Knopfler had apparently created an entirely unique mix of the record before it was fully remixed prior to release; "I & I" is one such song. Most of the outtakes here, however, are very different from the tracks released on the album, or have not been released in any form; "Julius and Ethel" and "This Was My Love" are two that remain fully in the vaults. Even the songs that were eventually released on The Bootleg Series, Volumes 1-3, "Someone's Got A Hold Of My Heart," "Tell Me," and the legendary "Blind Willie McTell," are radically different on this compilation.
The live songs and rehearsals are the slimmest selections found on Faithful. Though "Tangled Up In Blue" received an extensive rewrite for the year, you can find it and many other reworkings of old classics on the official release Real Live, a link to which is found below. Instead, I have presented only contemporary songs. "Man Of Peace" benefits tremendously from the energy of a live airing, and "Enough Is Enough" was never recorded in a studio. "Dirty Lie" and "Almost Done" are two songs which could have become extraordinary additions to Dylan's catalog, but are not known to have been played again after these sessions; they remain deeply compelling sketches.
The true gems of this release, in my opinion, are the tracks from the David Letterman Show. This is one of the most passionate, fierce performances that Bob Dylan delivered in the '80s, or at any other time. Each of the tracks has something to say, from the aggressive cover of "Don't Start Me Talkin'," to the wildly impressionist debut of "Jokerman," to the sincere indictment of man's pride in "License To Kill." We are lucky to have this moment preserved in such a high quality recording.
If you enjoy these recordings, please purchase the following official releases from Columbia Records (The Bootleg Series is a particular treat, containing two of the finest outtakes from the Infidels sessions, "Foot of Pride" and an acoustic "Blind Willie McTell"):
Infidels
Real Live
The Bootleg Series, Volumes 1-3
I would like to thank you for your patience during the month of October. Devoting the extra time to my wedding was a smart move, and I enjoyed both the wedding and honeymoon tremendously; clearly I married the right person, as they encourage this rather time-consuming hobby!
Next week, we will move on to the next stage in Dylan's 1980s development, with the best outtakes and live tracks surrounding the release of Empire Burlesque. Until then, keep yourself healthy and listen to some good tunes.
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