Episodes
Monday Jun 25, 2018
Monday Jun 25, 2018
I'm Jake, and I love Dylan-
So much so in fact that I'm already weighing whether to purchase immediately the new, old, upcoming, affordable, is it essential or even worth it, previously released but where, Japan-only singles maybe, wait do I own some of these, I must, but no, not too many, disc 2 looks pretty choice, but disc 1 might be too larded with his earliest years, I mean anything from 65-66 is tasty, I think Columbia/Sony proved that with "The Cutting Edge" box, should I just listen to that instead, or right now, it's so good, or more relevantly any one of the shows from the massive "Live Recordings 1965-1966" box, will I like this new old one enough to throw it on while I'm making dinner some nights, and what caliber dinner might that be, am I grilling (and need a jam) or just pressure-cooking soup (and just need to pass the time), and wait, what was I talking about again?
Right, attempting to preview "Live 1962-1966: Rare Performances from the Copyright Collections".
We here at Bowie vs. Dylan have made it clear that we are enthusiasts and not experts, and as such we both have holes in our respective nerd-doms, although you might not guess it by the quality and thoroughness of Charlie's box set post from earlier. You can go ahead and guess it for me, because this Dylan release is exactly the sort of thing that vexes my particular fandom. Is it necessary to release this collection separately from the absolute mountain of Bootleg Series and various live shows that Sony has been dumping (albeit wonderfully in most cases) upon Dylan fans for years now and well into the future? And if it is in fact necessary, is it necessary for me to purchase on my otherwise limited music budget? Here's what I'm trying to get at, at least in this walk of life: what's in it for me, BOB?
But first, what exactly are copyright collections?
Short answer: I don't know, exactly. I did a cursory internet/Wikipedia search and came up with only queries for copyright law, which is boring and impenetrable, except again, to Charlie, who knows things.
Long answer: My assumption is that Sony/Columbia/whatever other corporate monolith owns the rights to these particular live recordings (and many, many others), and has at some point had to release them to the paying public in some form in order to "keep" the copyright from turning into a public use situation, like how you can record or use "Amazing Grace" in any way you see fit. My belief is that copyright can be transferred after 50 years, though the numbers and years may have shifted since I made this assumption, which for me has been long-standing (not quite 50 years). The perfect example for this was 2016's release of ALL of Dylan's 1965-1966 European tour dates in their "entirety", air quotes added to denote that most were soundboard recordings that emphasized Bob's perfect nasal whine that was so wildly identifiable to be instantly parodied the second it left his mouth. Also, a good percentage of tracks are incomplete for whatever reason, some of the shows were recorded by shady men with huge 4-track recorders hidden under their creepy trenchcoats (and are unlistenable), and the setlists are very static; however, it is satisfying and fascinating to own them all in one box, if you're into that sort of thing, which I clearly am. Sony/Columbia owned all these recordings of various quality, and wanted not to transfer them to another organization or the public, so for lack of another imaginative solution, they stuffed 36 CD's into one handome package and got me and others to pay for them.
From what I am gathering from internet chatter, this new collection is a few things: 95% previously released in some form or the other, whether it B-sides or Japan-only, or what have you; a "best of" situation, as there are some extremely famous songs from extremely famous shows; a preference for high-quality recordings and I'm assuming some re-mastering, though with Bob reissues, you just never know; a live travelogue through Bob's most famous, restless, and innovative career arc.
Dylan is represented as a young up-and-comer in 1962 at Gerde's Folk City; as the belle of the ball at the March on Washington in 1963 (I'll forever be surprised and awed that he stood next to Martin Luther King, Jr on the same day that he delivered the "I Have a Dream" speech); as the increasingly inscrutable, musically transitioning, but ultimately virile and beloved figure in 1965, at least among the English; and finally as the messy and controversial harbinger of electric rock n' roll on his last tour of the 60's.
A well-worn tale amongst Dylanologists, to be sure, if not the classic rock community at large. But seemingly, one that has yet to grow stale, which is why I'll be spending my hard-earned money on this release. Whether I dig up 13 bucks at the end of July, or I wait until Christmas to grab it along with whatever Bootleg Series gets dropped (and the plethora of releases I don't yet have a hard-copy of, like "Biograph" and the deluxed edition of "Another Self-Portrait", and "Greatest Hits Volume 3", I'm sorry but come at me, Dylan-heads) is another story altogether.
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