7 Years of Bad Luck

From: CSMSAXS@MVS.OAC.UCLA.EDU (CSMSAXS (Arnie Stodolsky))
Subject: CD review - 7 Years of Bad Luck
Date: Tue, 09 Nov 1993 10:38

Bob Dylan  -  7 Years of Bad Luck
Spank Records  -  SP 102
Matrix# SP102
=============
 1. Hero Blues - take 1 - Freewheelin' outtake
 2. Whatcha Gonna Do - take 1 - Freewheelin' outtake
 3. Oxford Town - Freewheelin' unedited master
 4. I Shall Be Free - take 1 - Freewheelin' aternate
 5. I Shall Be Free - take 2 - Freewheelin' unedited master
 6. I Shall Be Free - take 3 - Freewheelin' alternate
 7. I Shall Be Free - takes 4 & 5 - Freewheelin' alternate
 8. Hero Blues - version 2 - Freewheelin' outtake
 9. You've Been Hiding Too Long - Live at Town Hall                )
10. You Don't Have To Do That - Bringing It All Back Home outtake
11. Positively Van Gogh - version 1 - from a Denver hotel, 1966
12. Positively Van Gogh - version 2 - from a Denver hotel, 1966
13. Just Like a Woman - from a Denver hotel, 1966
14. Gates of Eden - studio outtake - May/June 1969
15. I Threw It All Away - studio outtake - May/June 1969
16. I Don't Believe You - studio outtake - May/June 1969
17. Telephone Wire - studio outtake - May/June 1969
18. Honey, Just Allow Me One More Chance - studio outtake - May/June '69

  1-8: Columbia Studios, NYC, December 6, 1962
    9: Town Hall, NYC, April 12, 1963
   10: Columbia Studios, NYC, January 13, 1965
11-13: Denver, Co., March 13, 1966
14-18: Columbia Studios, Nashville, May or June 1969

Another great compilation of studio outtakes, a live performance,
and a better sounding Denver hotel.  Add to that a terrific packaging
and you have an example of what could be Bootleg Series Volume 4.
The color cover has Dylan about to alight onto that famous Triumph;
the back has a color photo of him with acoustic guitar in front of a
mic (can't place this pic).  Inside has two black & white photos from
'62 & '69 sessions as bookends to the setlists with their notes
including the CO numbers (when available).  The CD itself it silk
screened with a picture of Dylan, thumbs hooked in pockets, striped
shirt, circa 1962.  Behind the CD is another color picture, Dylan
with sunglasses, guitar, harmonica holder and dangling cigarette.
Back cover, the track listings and an unusual message:
WARNING: Unauthorized reproduction of this recording is encouraged.

The sound quality, overall is excellent, which it should be given the
sources of studio outtakes.  The Denver hotel tracks are better than
the circulating tape that I have.  The five takes of I Shall Be Free,
(my favorite Dylan 'nonsense' song) kind of destroys the myth (IMHO)
of Dylan walking into a studio and doing an album of songs in a single
session with a single take of each song.  If he put that much effort
into a throw-away, one wonders about the other songs on Freewheelin'.
While the Freewheelin' tracks were known (see earlier posting to
r.m.d this year), the May/June 1969 Nashville studio session was
unknown (and uncirculating within my trading circle).  The same goes
for the Town Hall song which doesn't appear on any list that I have.

In summary, a lot of new and unknown material, not available on any
other source that I know of (with the exception of Whatcha Gonna Do,
which is on the Bob Dylan Freewheelin Outtakes CD), excellent sound
quality (Denver hotel is OK) and superior packaging.  The perfect
companion to the Bob Dylan Freewheelin Outtakes CD.

**** 1/2 star rating (deduct half star for Denver sound, but I'm being
picky).  I will be looking for future releases from SPANK Records.

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