Yes, this, the complete Basement tapes, has been analyzed long and hard by Dylan scholars and folk scholars and maybe even an occasional Beatle scholar. But the set is six and a half hours long and who has that much time to devote to anything really?
I decided to take it track back track, album by album, and see if these sessions from 1966 by Bob Dylan, Levon Helm (who came n late), Rick Danko, Garth Hudson and Richard Manuel makes any sense. In roughly chronological order, the first thing you might notice is 16 of these songs are covers. The second is it is footed in country much more than folk. Third? It is awesome.
1. Edge of the Ocean – A calypso number replete with tambourine and banging on tables – B
2. My Bucket’s Got a Hole in It (written by Clarence Williams) – This is something the band does very well, takes traditional songs and gives them the integrity of the original performance. A ,masterful blues takes with Dylan screaming at the break and the band coming on like the Jordanaires – A
3. Roll on Train – sounds like berry’s “You can’t catch Me” – B+
4. Mr. Blue (written by Dewayne Blackwell) – Pointing straight to self Portrait, lovely straight up version, maybe a little minimalist – A-
5. Belshazzar (written by Johnny Cash) – the original sounds like Western, Dylan sounds like some sort of country Gospel – A
6. I Forgot to Remember to Forget (written by Charlie A Feathers and Stanley A Kesler) – Presley played it like a 50s pop idol classic, Dylan slows it down (who is playing the guitar? Robbie?) so it sounds like Jim reeves – A
7. You Win Again (written by Hank Williams) – A tough song to cover, this is a rare miss though I do like his phrasing, the way he bunches up the words on the verses – B
8. Still in Town (written by Hank Cochran and Harlan Howard) – sounds like Dylan practising for the country he would turn to on Nashville Skyline – A-
9. Waltzing with Sin (written by Sonny Burns and Red Hayes) – Yes, a country waltz and a beautiful version. It is this sort of thing that makes the Basement Tapes such a treasure chest – A
10. Big River (Take 1) (written by Johnny Cash) – Just the opening riff and the first verse and then it cuts off – A
11. Big River (Take 2) (written by Johnny Cash)- I prefer the first take, he sings this bluesy and it doesn’t work as well – B
12. Folsom Prison Blues (written by Johnny Cash) – It sounds “It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry”, maybe Dylan was playing connect the dots – A-
13. Bells of Rhymney (written by Idris Davies and Peter Seeger) – FOLK SONG!!!! – A
14. Spanish is the Loving Tongue – Classic folk song, great lyric, lovely take – A
15. Under Control – Blues riff, not really complete – B+
16. Ol’ Roison the Beau (Traditional, arranged by Bob Dylan) – Dylan unleashes his harp for the first time – A-
17. I’m Guilty of Loving You – Cuts off way early – B
18. Cool Water (written by Bob Nolan) – Never liked this song – C+
19. The Auld Triangle (written by Brendan Francis Behan)- Excellent version, slow and stately, maybe the best song on this album – A
20. Po’ Lazarus (Traditional, arranged by Bob Dylan) – Only a minute but a good one – B+
21. I’m a Fool for You (Take 1)- heavy on the organ – B+
22. I’m a Fool for You (Take 2) – still working his way through it, Dylan calls out the changes, this woulda been major major major if he ever finished – A
Grade: A
