Dylan 'revisits' classic albums

Bob Dylan experienced a flurry of creative energy from 1965-66, producing three acclaimed albums, and the rock legend is now sharing outtakes that trace his evolution.

Dylan on Thursday announced the latest installment of his back catalog, which will cover the period in which he released "Bringing It All Back Home," "Highway 61 Revisited" and "Blonde on Blonde," a trilogy of albums all considered rock classics.

The six-CD box-set, entitled "The Cutting Edge 1965-1966: The Bootleg Series Volume 12," will come out on November 6.

The release coincides with the 50th anniversaries of the albums as well as Dylan's revolutionary 1965 performance at the Newport Folk Festival Newport where the acoustic-guitar icon went electric.

The box-set includes previously unreleased songs, rehearsal takes and alternate versions of the tracks that made the albums.

The collection is unlikely to target the casual listener, with one CD consisting entirely of 20 versions of "Like a Rolling Stone," one of Dylan's most recognizable songs.

Other tracks on the box-set include recordings made in hotel rooms including the Savoy Hotel in London.

The box-set offers "a rare exploration into Dylan's creative process in the studio, allowing fans to experience another side of Bob Dylan through the evolution of his songs and recordings from this truly groundbreaking period," his label said in a statement.

"Bringing It All Back Home," the first album in the trilogy, had flip sides in rock and acoustic styles, marking Dylan's transition away from his folk roots.

"Like a Rolling Stone" -- which appeared on "Highway 61 Revisited" -- is often considered one of popular music's most influential songs. Its final version ran over six minutes long, initially annoying radio stations, and took on a raw, direct approach that foreshadowed much of later rock.

The song appeared on "Highway 61 Revisited," named after the road that connected Dylan's boyhood home state of Minnesota to famed Southern music cities such as New Orleans.

At 74, Dylan maintains an active touring schedule and earlier this year released his 36th studio album, "Shadows in the Night," which interpreted Sinatra standards.
Source: AFP