Bob Dylan's "More Blood, More Tracks The Bootleg Series Vol. 14" Review + Exclusive Interview With Co-Producer Steve Berkowitz

1974's Blood on the Tracks (Columbia PC 33235) was for many at the time a "Bob Dylan's back" album. He was back on Columbia Records after leaving for David Geffen's Asylum for a pair of not particularly well-received at the time albums backed by The Band. But more importantly Dylan was back in the more familiar role as folk-poet and story teller—though spinning more deeply felt tales from various points of view that many observers wrongly thought were personal chronicles.

Armed with a trove of new songs, on September 16th 1974 Dylan entered Phil Ramone's A&R studios—a former Columbia Records venue with which Dylan was well familiar—and began recording the well-rehearsed, fully realized stripped-down performances that did not become the final familiar album.

During the four days at A&R Dylan repeatedly played the songs solo as he'd done in November of 1961 for his very first Columbia album, adding then subtracting a bass player (Tony Brown) and a small backing band until he'd gotten the desired results—but all was recorded "live" and without overdubs. Dylan didn't even wear headphones.

Columbia Records began what turned out to be premature promotion, which included a limited edition pre-release LP sent to writers and radio stations. Those records became and probably still are highly sought after pricey collectibles.

That December, while in Minnesota visiting family, Dylan had second thoughts. On December 27th, 1974 he entered a local studio (Sound 80 Studio), hired a back up band and re-recorded much of the album. Back in New York Dylan and Ramone (who passed away March 30th, 2013, age 79, and whose real name was Philip Rabinowitz) combined performances from the New York and Minneapolis sessions to produce the finished album that included the common-at-the time speeding up of some songs by as much as 2 and 3% and adding Ramone's personalized sonic polish.

The 12 song More Blood, More Tracks.... available on a single CD and double vinyl LP, is another version of the classic album—one that may be even more appealing than the original, while the deluxe box 6 CD box set presents in chronological order the New York and available Minnesota recording sessions in their entirety with multiple takes, breakdowns and studio chatter.

Co-producers Jeff Rosen and Steve Berkowitz have remixed all of the available tracks to produce an intimate "live in the studio" experience that eschews the original's commerce-oriented reverb, compression, pitch changes and vocal effects, giving you a more transparent window onto the original performances.

The 11 song Blood on the Tracks re-telling, which reprises the original track order, all sourced from New York recordings, begins with "Take 3, Remake 3" of "Tangled Up in Blue" with Dylan backed by bassist Tony Brown. It was the final take on the final day of recording in New York, by which time the two were in full musical communication.

The chosen version of "You're a Big Girl Now" (Track 6) is the first song recorded on the first day at A&R. Though the take was quickly discarded and replaced on the final album with another, as you listen all these years later to this solo performance you may wonder why—at least until you re-visit the one on the original LP, at which point you'll be glad to have both! The 9/19/74 performance of "Idiot Wind" with bass is the same one used in 1991 on the very first "The Bootleg Series", though here minus Paul Griffin's organ overdub heard there.

In the audiophile world, listeners often long for the transparent, magical "straight shot" into the studio, minus the post production and mastering tricks often added to increase a recording's commercial appeal. If ever a recording demanded that kind of treatment it would be these Blood on the Tracks sessions carefully re-mixed on vintage gear to create the ultimate "you are there" in the studio with Bob Dylan experience. Six tracks are with bass accompaniment and five are solo. The sound here is as "you're in the studio" as it can possibly be. Ryan K. Smith (un-credited but scribe marks on lead out groove area) cut lacquers from the 96/24 files and MPO pressed perfectly flat, quiet records. You'll love Geoff Gans' art direction—especially the record labels. My only complaint is the flimsy jacket.

Completists will want the deluxe edition, with every available recorded scrap that includes some takes thought to have been erased but found on a running mono monitoring tape, but for many this version will more than suffice. As you'll hear in the interview, only the Minneapolis songs used on the original album were in the vault on multi-track tape. The whereabouts of the others is not currently known—if they still exist.

Please listen to and enjoy the interview with co-producer Steve Berkowitz.

Steve Berkowitz

Music Direct Buy It Now

COMMENTS
kdl6769's picture

11 songs on 2 LPs? Would have been nice to have this on a single record.

Michael Fremer's picture
Spread out....and 65 minutes long! You want that on one record?
kdl6769's picture

Perhaps from the perspective of sound quality, but it's the age-old question about whether that incremental benefit outweighs the hassle and psychic interruption of having to flip every three tracks.

Chemguy's picture

It’s all about the sound quality! Well, to me at least. I wish every record I own was a 45 rpm!

Lazer's picture

Me too!!!!

hans altena's picture

They could have put it on three sides, but this time I am perfectly Well with this edition, although the mistakes in the identification of the takes are staggering, and the presentation of the artwork kinda cheap, flimsy jacket indeed. Idiot Wind is not the one we have on Bootleg Series 1-3, where by the way no organ can be heard! It is, and that is stated correctly, take 4, without overdub. This last choice is deliberate, because the whole album jgets its unity out of the fact that the songs are stripped to their bare Essentials. Shelter from the Storm with organ and steelguitar, as on the Testpressing is maybe more beautiful than the one chosen here, but that also would have hurt the atmosphere now created, where he sounds as naked as can be. Also, by placing Shelter from the Storm in the middle, its melody becomes, together with Tangled at the beginning and Up to Me (where else?) at the end a soort of leitmotiv. Just as the westernballad in its acoustic form now shows itself as the frame where all the other songs could have been born in. Together with her brother Blood on the Tracks, this album becomes the Total abstract story and masterpiece about the universal aspects of love. I am very impressed with the vinyl version, which indeed is pressed very well and sounds gorgeous.

hans altena's picture

They could have put it on three sides, but this time I am perfectly Well with this edition, although the mistakes in the identification of the takes are staggering, and the presentation of the artwork kinda cheap, flimsy jacket indeed. Idiot Wind is not the one we have on Bootleg Series 1-3, where by the way no organ can be heard! It is, and that is stated correctly, take 4, without overdub. This last choice is deliberate, because the whole album jgets its unity out of the fact that the songs are stripped to their bare Essentials. Shelter from the Storm with organ and steelguitar, as on the Testpressing is maybe more beautiful than the one chosen here, but that also would have hurt the atmosphere now created, where he sounds as naked as can be. Also, by placing Shelter from the Storm in the middle, its melody becomes, together with Tangled at the beginning and Up to Me (where else?) at the end a soort of leitmotiv. Just as the westernballad in its acoustic form now shows itself as the frame where all the other songs could have been born in. Together with her brother Blood on the Tracks, this album becomes the Total abstract story and masterpiece about the universal aspects of love. I am very impressed with the vinyl version, which indeed is pressed very well and sounds gorgeous.

Rashers's picture

Its a pity that Columbia didn’t release a 3LP version contains the Minnesota recordings as well. A 2 CD version would have been nice also.

Anton D's picture

I grabbed the vinyl, the big set, and the single disc reimagining.

Gonna wallow in all those versions of Tangled Up In Blue!!!

“She was married when we first met...”

Idiots Win's picture

For any real Dylan fan the decision not to include the test pressing version of Idiot Wind is deeply disappointing and almost unfathomable. Long considered to be one of the greatest unreleased versions we have the original bootleg series and now a 6 CD box set that for some odd reason chooses not to include this take. Checking the usual forums you can gage how dissapointed fans are. I sincerely hope that this error is remedied by the release of a RSD test press vinyl.
This is not to say that I don't appreciate the release of new unreleased Blood sessions it's just beyond belief that this version was left off. Ok rant over !

maynardGkeynes's picture

Amen to getting the full CORRECT release of the NY test pressing as issued. The exclusion of the CORRECT organ version of Idiot Wind from a $114 set is unfathomable.

hi-fivinyljunkie's picture

Putting aside the moans about content this LP sounds great. Also an excellent pressing from MPO. Shows they can get quality right when they try.

Chemguy's picture

...and I’m absolutely delighted with the sound, the pressing and the presentation. This is perfection, all. Don’t hesitate in getting this!

JohnG's picture

...that "Blood on the Tracks" is Dylan's best album.

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