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Track Listings
| Disc: 1 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Odds and Ends | |||
| 2. Orange Juice Blues (Blue For Breakfast) | |||
| 3. Million Dollar Bash | |||
| 4. Yazoo Street Scandal | |||
| 5. Goin' to Acapulco | |||
| 6. Katie's Been Gone | |||
| 7. Lo and Behold! | |||
| 8. Bessie Smith | |||
| 9. Clothes Line Saga | |||
| 10. Apple Sucking Tree | |||
See all 12 tracks on this disc
| |||
| Disc: 2 | |||
| 1. Too Much of Nothing | |||
| 2. Yea! Heavy and a Bottle of Bread | |||
| 3. Ain't No More Cane | |||
| 4. Crash On The Levee (Down In The Flood) | |||
| 5. Ruben Remus | |||
| 6. Tiny Montgomery | |||
| 7. You Ain't Goin' Nowhere | |||
| 8. Don't Ya Tell Henry | |||
| 9. Nothing Was Delivered | |||
| 10. Open the Door, Homer | |||
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See all 12 tracks on this disc
| |||
Product Description
Amazon.co.uk
The Basement Tapes can be heard as a manifesto for the 1990s underlying Americana agenda or as the greatest album never intended for commercial release. Homegrown 1967 recordings taped in the Band's fabled Big Pink hermitage in Saugerties, New York, many of the 24 songs resonated across American and English rock and folk long before their belated 1975 release, through studio interpretations by the Byrds, Fairport Convention, Manfred Mann, Peter, Paul & Mary, and numerous other acolytes, as well as through myriad unauthorised bootlegs. Good as the covers were, Dylan and the Band rolled their own with an extraordinary coherence that sounds only more authentic in these rough-hewn, intimate, always musical performances, which dovetail with Dylan's stark John Wesley Harding and the Band's stunning debut, Music from Big Pink as well as the presciently lo-fi The Band. At a time when most rock culture was entranced with its post-atomic origins, these songs sounded timeless, plunging into pre-industrial folk, turn of the (20th) century barrelhouse and blues, and crackling, vintage rock and roll excursions with offhand verve and a thrilling disregard for what was hip. Time has only reinforced their visionary power. --Sam Sutherland
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
38 of 39 people found the following review helpful
By Geoffrey Millar
TOP 1000 REVIEWER
Format:Audio CD
All Dylan fans know the history of The Basement Tapes, for me one of the cornerstones of Dylan's collected works. Why, when they're not even a proper album? Because they show him relaxed and playing some different styles of music with friends, away from the pressures of touring and the recording studio.
This `official' set has many of the best Basement songs, with some strange exceptions such as Quinn the Eskimo and I Shall Be Released, which came out many years later in The Bootleg Series. However, you're still left with some great, not so great, unusual, funny , low fi, risqué and silly songs which never seem to lose their appeal.
The vocal and instrumental interplay between Bob and The Band (at the time, probably not known as such) is delightful. Clothes Line Saga epitomises the attraction of the set: Dylan's deadpan but humorous narrative counter-pointed with some lovely guitar lines from Robertson. Or take Tears of Rage, with lovely high harmonies from the late Richard Manuel.
The general critical view is that the songs by The Band didn't belong in this collection, as they weren't recorded in the Basement and were probably demos for Music From Big Pink. True, they have much better sound than the Basement tracks, butI don't care because there are some real gems here: Orange Juice Blues, Bessie Smith, Ain't No More Cane to name a few.
This album is quite unlike any other Dylan music, with the possible exception of Love and Theft. It's rootsy, rocky, laid back and bluesy, but sounds nothing like its predecessor, Blonde on Blonde, or its successor, John Wesley Harding.
PS If you can track down the 'unofficial' Basement songs, it's worth it. The complete sessions have the qualities of this set, but in greater measure - especially the goofs and mucking about. For example, Get Your Rocks Off is a long lost classic which deserves official release and She's Not There is brilliant.
This `official' set has many of the best Basement songs, with some strange exceptions such as Quinn the Eskimo and I Shall Be Released, which came out many years later in The Bootleg Series. However, you're still left with some great, not so great, unusual, funny , low fi, risqué and silly songs which never seem to lose their appeal.
The vocal and instrumental interplay between Bob and The Band (at the time, probably not known as such) is delightful. Clothes Line Saga epitomises the attraction of the set: Dylan's deadpan but humorous narrative counter-pointed with some lovely guitar lines from Robertson. Or take Tears of Rage, with lovely high harmonies from the late Richard Manuel.
The general critical view is that the songs by The Band didn't belong in this collection, as they weren't recorded in the Basement and were probably demos for Music From Big Pink. True, they have much better sound than the Basement tracks, butI don't care because there are some real gems here: Orange Juice Blues, Bessie Smith, Ain't No More Cane to name a few.
This album is quite unlike any other Dylan music, with the possible exception of Love and Theft. It's rootsy, rocky, laid back and bluesy, but sounds nothing like its predecessor, Blonde on Blonde, or its successor, John Wesley Harding.
PS If you can track down the 'unofficial' Basement songs, it's worth it. The complete sessions have the qualities of this set, but in greater measure - especially the goofs and mucking about. For example, Get Your Rocks Off is a long lost classic which deserves official release and She's Not There is brilliant.
36 of 42 people found the following review helpful
By B. W. Thew
Format:Audio CD
While the music on this 2CD set is wonderful, it is only a small and not necessarily the best part of the story. If you have heard the 5cd complete Basement set you will know that a great deal of better music has been left off this, I'm Not There 1956 being a case in point. The rip off part, this 2cd set would fit easily on a single disc at a much lower price.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By Jackie P
Format:Audio CD
This 2009 Columbia/Sony edition of The Basement Tapes has been superbly remastered, now making it, without any doubt, the best sounding version (on CD or LP) that's ever been issued.
Musically this oozes a classy laid back charm, and is as essential as anything else in Bob Dylan & The Band's amazing back catalogue.
If you have not already heard this sonically upgraded version yet, you are in for a real treat!
Musically this oozes a classy laid back charm, and is as essential as anything else in Bob Dylan & The Band's amazing back catalogue.
If you have not already heard this sonically upgraded version yet, you are in for a real treat!
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4.3 out of 5 stars
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Long Lost Friend
I had this in cassette form back in the 80's and then lost it in the numerous moves I made across the globe. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Big A
5.0 out of 5 stars
A work of genius
At last I have got around to adding the CD to my collection: I've had the vinyl for decades! Dylan at his quirky best with great backing from the Band just before this group took... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Richard Condon à Bruxelles
5.0 out of 5 stars
Historical criteria murders this otherwise flawless album., September...
THE BASEMENT TAPES' central problem, and here I speak of the official, double disc 1975 album is presentation. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Mike London
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Basement Tapes: Bob Dylan and The Band - Odds and Ends provide one...
Released in 1975, this is the sixteenth album from the genius that is Bob Dylan. Recorded many years before its release, in the interregnum between `Blonde on Blonde' and `John... Read more
Published 9 months ago by Victor
5.0 out of 5 stars
A superb piece of music history
Buy it if you love Dylan or The Band. Together they made one of the most interesting and listenable albums. A slice of music history.
Published 10 months ago by John M
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Missing Link
This is not only the missing link between 'Blonde On Blonde' and 'John Wesley Harding' but shows us Dylan's and The Band's love for and knowledge of Americana and classic American... Read more
Published 13 months ago by Andy Ed
4.0 out of 5 stars
Buy for 'Goin' to Acapulco'. Enjoy the rest.
If I remember rightly this got mixed reviews when it came out in '75. Perhaps the tapes had been around in bootleg form for so long that it failed to surprise. Read more
Published 14 months ago by A. ADAM
4.0 out of 5 stars
Bob And The Band
Got this on CD as lost the vinyl in a fire. So know the songs well, many have the feel of guys that know their trade,remember The Band had been working together as The Hawks for a... Read more
Published 15 months ago by Steve
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best Album in a long time
loved this album - you can hear everyone taking part is having a really good time.
Would recommend it to anyone!!
Would recommend it to anyone!!
Published 21 months ago by Mrs. S. A. Snowden
3.0 out of 5 stars
No great improvement in sound quality
Five stars for the music, but if you have the previous remaster from 2000-ish you really don't need this latest one. It's louder, but there's not much increase in depth or detail. Read more
Published 23 months ago by m'artagnan
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