The Basement Tapes

Part fifteen of the DYLAN VINYL collection which is a brand-new collection of every single Bob Dylan album on high-quality 180-gram vinyl plus a collectors’ magazine

The Basement Tapes was recorded in the summer of 1967 with his backing band, The Band. The album was recorded in the basement of a house in Woodstock, New York, where Dylan was recovering from a motorcycle accident. The Basement Tapes are often considered to be a turning point in Dylan’s career as they marked a departure from his earlier, more political work and introduced a more personal, introspective style.

The album features a collection of original songs, covers, and traditional folk songs. The songs are raw, unpolished, and full of emotion. Dylan’s voice is scratchy and imperfect, adding to the overall authenticity of the album. The Basement Tapes were not officially released until 1975, eight years after they were recorded. However, bootleg copies of the album circulated among Dylan fans for years, adding to the album’s mystique. When the official release finally came, it was met with critical acclaim.

The album has been described as a snapshot of a moment in time. The songs capture the spirit of the late 60s, a time of social and political upheaval. The album is a testament to Dylan’s creative genius and his ability to capture the essence of a generation

Side 1
Odds and Ends
Orange Juice Blues (Blues for Breakfast)
Million Dollar Bash
Yazoo Street Scandal
Goin’ to Acapulco
Katie’s Been Gone

Side 2
Lo and Behold
Bessie Smith
Clothes Line Saga
Apple Suckling Tree
Please, Mr Henry
Tears of Rage

Side 3
Too Much of Nothing
Yeah! Heavy and a Bottle of Bread
Ain’t No More Cane
Crash on the Levee (Down in the Flood)
Ruben Remus
Tiny Montgomery

Side 4
You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere
Don’t Ya Tell Henry
Nothing Was Delivered
Open the Door, Homer
Long Distance Operator
This Wheel’s on Fire

My Top Three

1) Tears of Rage
A poignant and haunting ballad about the pain and anguish of a broken relationship. The opening lines set the tone, “We carried you in our arms on Independence Day, and now you’d throw us all aside and put us all away.” Dylan’s lyrics are evocative, painting a vivid picture of a love that has soured and left both parties feeling lost and alone. The chorus, “But your tears of rage, will turn into tears of grief” is a powerful reminder that the decisions we make in the heat of the moment can have long-lasting consequences.

2) This Wheel’s on Fire
Co-written with The Band’s Rick Danko and is a hauntingly poetic and surreal track. It features Dylan’s signature cryptic lyrics that are open to interpretation, with themes of chaos and destruction. The chorus repeats the line “This wheel’s on fire, rolling down the road,” which could be a metaphor for life’s unpredictability and inevitable turmoil.

3) I Shall Be Released
I Shall Be Released is a powerful and hopeful song written by Dylan in 1967. The lyrics describe the desire for freedom and release from emotional and physical imprisonment. It’s an anthem of hope and perseverance in times of struggle.