Amazon.co.uk Review
Subtitled "Rare and Unreleased 1989-2006",
Tell Tale Signs, the eighth of Dylan's long running Bootleg series of officially approved outtakes, comes in two formats. The two-disc version consists of 27 tracks, including alternate versions of songs from his last three studio sets:
Oh Mercy,
Time out of Mind and
Modern Times. Even non-obsessives will be seduced by the highlights here. A lovely sparse solo version of "Most of the Time", just Dylan strumming guitar and blowing a wheezy harmonica, outdoes the Daniel Lanois-produced original. The bleak, stately "Can't Escape from You", the sad and beautiful Civil War epic "Cross the Green Mountain", "The Lonesome River" a bluegrass standard with vocals from Ralph Stanley and a great, lo-fi live version of Reverend Gary Davis's influential "Cocaine Blues" are all standouts. Two versions of "Dignity"--a piano demo that reduces it to an oddly naked state and an unexpected rockabilly take--neatly capture the idea behind these volumes--to expose dedicated fans to the overlooked and underestimated parts of Dylan's constantly shifting oeuvre.
--Steve Jelbert
CD Description
This eighth volume in the folk-rock legend's ongoing "bootleg" series is another collection of rare outtakes, demos andlive versions, many previously unreleased. This time the tracks are largely taken from Dylan's latter period, encompassing the era that gave us 'Time Out Of Mind', 'Love And Theft', 'Modern Times' and 'Oh Mercy'. This treasure trove of unearthed gems is sure to delight Dylan's legions of hardcore aficionados.