Bob Dylan: Biograph

(5 LPs)

A five-LP, three-CD retrospective of Dylan's first 20 years of recording, with an emphasis on presenting some of the mountain of unreleased songs that began leaking out unofficially in the late '60s. The only reason this massive, brilliantly executed album is not listed as an essential pick is its expense - in fact, it's not a bad place to start in trying to appreciate the whole of Dylan's achievement.
-- William Ruhlmann, All-Music Guide

On the original release of Biograph, The Hawks/Band appear on one 1965 studio track, and a live performance from 1966.

According to Record Collector November 1997, the first US pressings of the repackaged and reissued triple CD version of Biograph had the wrong version of "I Don't Believe You." The original 1985 release contained the version recorded live in Belfast on 5 June 1966. When the reissue was put together, it was inadvertently replaced with the heavily bootlegged Manchester Free Trade Hall version, May 17, 1966 (once thought to be recorded at the Royal Albert Hall). It's clear that Sony reassembled the whole thing from tape, searching for better quality masters. The Manchester version had been processed ready for the abandoned 1996 Bootleg Series 4 & 5 project (which can be heard on the bootleg Guitars Kissing and The Contemporary Fix). This is the very first officially released version of this performance.

Tracks

1. Lay Lady Lay
2. Baby Let Me Follow You Down
3. If Not For You
4. I'll Be Your Baby Tonight
5. I'll Keep it With Mine
6. Times They Are A-Changin'
7. Blowin' in the Wind
8. Masters of War
9. Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll
10. Percy's Song
11. Mixed-up Confusion
12. Tombstone Blues
13. Groom's Still Waiting at the Altar
14. Most Likely You Go Your Way
15. Like a Rolling Stone
16. Lay Down Your Weary Tune
17. Subterranean Homesick Blues
18. I Don't Believe You (She Acts Like We Never Met)
19. Visions of Johanna
20. Every Grain of Sand
21. Quinn the Eskimo
22. Mr. Tambourine Man
23. Dear Landlord
24. It Ain't Me, Babe
25. You Angel You
26. Million Dollar Bash
27. To Ramona
28. You're a Big Girl Now
29. Abandoned Love
30. Tangled up in Blue
31. It's All Over Now Baby Blue
32. Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window?
33. Positively 4th Street
34. Isis
35. Jet Pilot
36. Caribbean Wind
37. Up to Me
38. Baby, I'm in the Mood for You
39. I Wanna Be Your Lover
40. I Want You
41. Heart of Mine
42. On a Night Like This
43. Just Like a Woman
44. Romance in Durango
45. Senor (Tales of Yankee Power)
46. Gotta Serve Somebody
47. I Believe in You
48. Time Passes Slowly
49. I Shall Be Released
50. Knockin' on Heaven's Door
51. All Along the Watchtower
52. Solid Rock
53. Forever Young

Sidemen

• Rick Danko
• Garth Hudson
• Richard Manuel
• Robbie Robertson

Bob Dylan - Biograph - 214:50 - 1985 - Columbia C5X 38830
Boxed set with booklet.
Compact Disc: Sony 38830 (3 CDs)

AMG Rating: 9 (out of 9)