Dylan, Bob / Travelin' Thru, 1967 - 1969: The Bootleg Series, Vol. 15 (Sampler)

A-File Activity
Add Date: 2019-12-04 Pull Date: 2020-02-05
Week Ending: Feb 2 Jan 26 Jan 19 Jan 12 Jan 5 Dec 29 Dec 15 Dec 8
Airplays: 1 3 2 1 2 1 2 1

Recent Airplay
1. Sep 30, 2022: Traditions
Country Pie (Take 2)
4. Jan 25, 2020: Emergency Crew for Iron Skillet (edit reaired 9-28-20)
I Pity The Poor Immigrant (Take 4), Matchbox (Take 1)
2. Sep 28, 2020: Best Of Everything (Edited from 1-25-20)
I Pity The Poor Immigrant (Take 4), Matchbox (Take 1)
5. Jan 25, 2020: Music Casserole
Girl From The North Country (Rehearsal)
3. Jan 29, 2020: grapevine
Lay, Lady, Lay (Take 2)
6. Jan 24, 2020: Traditions
I Am A Lonesome Hobo (Take 4), I Pity The Poor Immigrant (Take 4)

Album Review
Trish McBee
Reviewed 2019-12-04
Bob Dylan
The Bootleg Series, Vol. 15: Travelin' Thru, 1967 – 1969

Trish McBee
Reviewed 11/23/2019
FCCs: None
IYL: Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, early Elvis Presley, Jimmy Rodgers, Earl Scruggs

An authorized sampling of Dylan and Cash’s joint sessions of Feb. 17-18, 1969.
Dylan came to Nashville and recorded 2 albums. This signaled a new direction for him and for popular music around the world. It was the first cross-pollination of country, folk, and rock. Dylan and Cash were big fans of each other but had never met. When Johnny heard Dylan was gonna record in the Nashville studios, he showed up and joined him on some of the recordings. Nashville record labels refused to release the recordings because they had talking in them. They wanted to release them without the talking and Cash and Dylan said no. So these are bootleg recordings that have never been released until now.

My favorite tracks: 13, 15, 11, 10, 8. Honestly, all tracks are good!

1.I Pity the Poor Immigrant, Take 4 (2:35). Simple acoustic guitar and harmonica with steady drum and bass guitar. Up-tempo rendition with a totally different melody at times.

2.The Intermission (1:53). Slow, haunting piano at the beginning moves into a slow and steady beat. Then he adds strings. Very pretty song. No vocals.

**3.I am a Lonesome Hobo (2:57). Upbeat and bright. Great harmonies with Johnny Cash. Bluesy shuffle.

4.The Interim (1:17). Slow piano, strings, very pretty; a bit haunting. No vocals

5.To Be Alone With You (2:27). R&B , upbeat, keyboards, classic Dylan.

6.The Break 3 (1:30). No vocals

***7.Lay Lady Lay (3:25). Different jam on this song with acoustic and electric keyboard in the background. Features Dylan’s warm, smooth, and deep voicing.

**8.Tell Me That Isn’t True (2:08). Upbeat, country-rockish. Great acoustic guitar picking and solo.

9. Country Pie (2:08). Upbeat groove, pickin guitar solos, twangy guitar, keyboards, bull band. Great guitar jam at the end.

**10. I Still Miss Someone (3:36). Duet with Johnny Cash. Country-ish. Classic Johnny voice. Sounds like a signature Johnny Cash song. Dylan adds his clear voicing rather than the raspy voice of later years.

**11.Matchbox (3:06). Johnny Cash duet. Great rocker. Guitar solo by Carl Perkins. Awesome!

12. Big River (2:04). Country, twangy duet with Johnny Cash.

***13. Girl from North Country (3:05). Great dialogue between Dylan and Johnny Cash at the beginning. Very informal dialogue throughout the song.

14. Guess Things Happen That Way (1:46). Duet with Johnny Cash. Nashville Country music sound with Carl Perkins on guitar.

***15.Wanted Man (3:34). Starts with Johnny talking to June. Song is pretty funny as Johnny can’t remember the words so just makes them up as he goes, laughing along with Dylan.

16. Ring of Fire (2:30). Bluesy version without Johnny Cash. Backing vocals, warm and smooth Dylan vocals.

17. East Virginia Blues (2:35). Starts out with Johnny talking to Dylan. Banjo, Nashville Country sound, Great lead guitar, backing vocals. Johnny does not sing on this song. Maybe he’s playing guitar?

18. All Along the Watchtower (2:33). Stripped down version, heavy on vocals, harmonica. Dylan solo.

Track Listing
1. I Pity The Poor Immigrant (Take 4)   8. Matchbox (Take 1)
2. I Am A Lonesome Hobo (Take 4)   9. Big River (Take 1)
3. To Be Alone With You (Take 1)   10. Girl From The North Country (Rehearsal)
4. Lay, Lady, Lay (Take 2)   11. Guess Things Happen That Way (Take 3)
5. Tell Me That It Isn't True (Take 2)   12. Wanted Man (Take 1)
6. Country Pie (Take 2)   13. Ring Of Fire (Outtake)
7. I Still Miss Someone (Take 5)   14. East Virginia Blues (With Earl Scruggs) [Mono]
  15. All Along The Watchtower (Take 3)