For many years, the releases in Bob Dylan's Bootleg Series have combed through the man's back pages, pulling together tons of previously unreleased material that went into the making of his many classic records. In 2023, the 17th installment of the Bootleg Series focused on the recording of his 1997 comeback album Time Out Of Town. Now. Dylan has announced the next collection, and this one will focus on his origin-story years. The upcoming Dylan collection Through The Open Window, 1956-1963 includes a ton of unreleased music that he first made when he emerged from Minnesota and showed up on the Greenwich Village folk scene -- the time when he would've been just another of those guys from Inside Llewyn Davis.
The eight-disc collection Bootleg Series Volume 18: Through The Open Window, 1956-1963 arrives next month, and it includes 139 tracks, 48 of which are previously unreleased. (You can also find two-CD and four-LP highlight editions.) The set encompasses outtakes, nightclub performances, and informal jam sessions, as well as a complete recording of Dylan's performance at Carnegie Hall on October 26, 1963. In there, you'll find early versions of classic songs like "Blowin' In The Wind" and "The Times They Are A-Changin'." The set also includes a book with a 125-page Sean Wilentz essay and rare photos. Along with the announcement, Dylan has shared his recording "Rocks And Gravel (Solid Road)," which was once slated to appear on The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan and which appeared in the first True Detective season. Check out that song and the box set's tracklist below.
TRACKLIST:
Disc 1:
01 "Let The Good Times Roll" (December 24, 1956 - Terlinde Music Shop, St. Paul, MN)
02 "I Got A New Girl" (May 1959 - Home of Ric Kangas, Hibbing, MN)
03 "San Francisco Bay Blues"
04 "Jesus Christ" (September 1960 - Home of Bob Dylan, Minneapolis, MN)
05 "East Virginia Blues"
06 "K.C. Moan"
07 "Hard Travelin’" (Late 1960 - Madison, WI)
08 "Pastures Of Plenty"
09 "Remember Me" (February 1961 - Home of Bob and Sid Gleason, East Orange, NJ)
10 "Song To Woody"
11 "Talkin’ Bear Mountain Picnic Massacre Blues" (September 6, 1961 - The Gaslight Cafe, NYC)
12 "Ain’t No Grave" (Summer 1961 - Home of Mell and Lillian Bailey, NYC)
13 "I Ain’t Got No Home" (May 13, 1961 - Coffman Theater, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN)
14 "Death Don’t Have No Mercy"
15 "Devilish Mary" (May 1961 - Minneapolis, MN)
16 "Introduction: Riverside Church"
17 "Handsome Molly (July 29, 1961 - Saturday of Folk Music (WRVR-FM), Riverside Church, NYC)
18 "Introduction: See That My Grave Is Kept Clean"
19 "See That My Grave Is Kept Clean"
20 "The Girl I Left Behind"
21 "Introduction: Pretty Boy Floyd"
22 "Pretty Boy Floyd"
23 "Railroading On The Great Divide" (October 1, 1961 - Gerdes Folk City, NYC)
24 "Introduction: Fixin’ To Die"
25 "Fixin’ To Die" (1961 - Folklore Center, NYC)
26 "I’ll Fly Away (Take 1, Alternate Take, September 29, 1961 - Carolyn Hester sessions, Studio A, Columbia Recording Studios, NYC) *
Disc 2:
01 "Introduction: In The Pines"
02 "In The Pines"
03 "Gospel Plow"
04 "Introduction: Young But Daily Growing"
05 "Young But Daily Growing"
06 "Man On The Street"
07 "This Land Is Your Land" *
08 "Pretty Polly" (November 4, 1961 - Carnegie Chapter Hall, NYC)
09 "Man Of Constant Sorrow" (Rehearsal, Alternate Take, Nov 20, 1961)
10 "House Carpenter" (Take 1, Outtake, Nov 22, 1961) *
11 "You're No Good" (Take 2 with Take 6 Insert, Alternate Take, Nov 20, 1961)
12 "He Was A Friend Of Mine" (Take 2, Outtake, Nov 20, 1961) *
13 "Ramblin' Round" (Take 2, Outtake, Nov 22, 1961) *
Bob Dylan sessions Studio A, Columbia Recording Studios, NYC:
14 "Story: East Orange, New Jersey"
15 "Stealin’"
16 "Po’ Lazarus"
17 "Dink’s Song" *
18 "I Was Young When I Left Home" *
19 "In The Evening"
20 "Baby, Let Me Follow You Down"
21 "Cocaine" (December 22, 1961 - Home of Bonnie Beecher, Minneapolis, MN)
Disc 3:
01 "The Death Of Emmett Till"
02 "Conversation: Folksinger’s Choice, 1"
03 "Roll On, John" *
04 "Conversation: Folksinger’s Choice, 2"
05 "Hard Times In New York Town" (Broadcast March 11, 1962 - Folksinger’s Choice, WBAI-FM Studios, NYC)
06 "Talkin’ John Birch Paranoid Blues" (March 1962 - Home of Mell and Lillian Bailey, NYC)
07 "Ballad Of Donald White" (September 20, 1962 - Home of Mac and Eve McKenzie, NYC)
08 "Midnight Special - Rehearsals"
09 "Midnight Special" (Take 17, Alternate Take)
February 2, 1962 – The Midnight Special sessions, Webster Hall, NYC"
10 "Wichita (Album Version)"
11 "It’s Dangerous (Album Version)"
March 2, 1962 – Three Kings and the Queen and Kings and the Queen, Volume Two sessions, Cue Recording Studios, NYC:
12 "Honey, Just Allow Me One More Chance"
13 "Talkin’ New York"
14 "Corrina, Corrina" *
15 "Deep Ellum Blues"
16 "Introduction: Blowin’ In The Wind"
17 "Blowin’ In The Wind" (April 16, 1962 - Gerdes Folk City, NYC) *
18 "Rambling, Gambling Willie" (Take 3, Outtake)
19 "(I Heard That) Lonesome Whistle" (Take 2, Outtake, April 24, 1962 - Freewheelin’ sessions, Studio A, Columbia Recording Studios, NYC)
20 "Rocks And Gravel" (Take 3, Outtake, April 25, 1962 - Freewheelin’ sessions, Studio A, Columbia Recording Studios, NYC)
21 "Paths Of Victory"
22 "Train A-Travelin’ (Album Version)" (October-December 1962 0 Broadside Office, NYC)
23 "Hiram Hubbard"
24 "Quit Your Low Down Ways"
25 "Let Me Die In My Footsteps"
26 "Ramblin’ On My Mind"
27 "Blue Yodel No. 8 (Mule Skinner Blues)" (July 2, 1962 - The Finjan, Montreal, Canada)
Disc 4
02 "Baby, Please Don’t Go" (Take 3, Outtake, April 25, 1962 - Freewheelin’ sessions, Studio A, Columbia Recording Studios, NYC)
02 "Worried Blues" (Take 1, Outtake)
03 "Baby, I’m In The Mood For You" (Take 4, Outtake)
04 "Bob Dylan’s Blues" (Take 2, Outtake, July 9, 1962 - Freewheelin’ sessions, Studio A, Columbia Recording Studios, NYC)
05 "Introduction: Tomorrow Is A Long Time"
06 "Tomorrow Is A Long Time"
07 "This Land Is Your Land - The Last Verses"
08 "Long Time Gone" (August 11, 1962 - Home of Dave Whitaker, Minneapolis, MN)
09 "A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall" *
10 "Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right" *
11 "Barbara Allen" *
12 "The Cuckoo" (October 1962 - The Gaslight Cafe, NYC) *
13 "That’s All Right" (Take 5, Outtake, October 26, 1962 - Freewheelin’ sessions, Studio A, Columbia Recording Studios, NYC)
14 "Mixed-Up Confusion" (Take 10, Single Alternate Take, November 1, 1962 - Freewheelin’ sessions, Studio A, Columbia Recording Studios, NYC)
15 "Ballad Of Hollis Brown" (Take 2, Outtake)"
16 "Kingsport Town" (Take 2, Outtake, November 14, 1962 - Freewheelin’ sessions, Studio A, Columbia Recording Studios, NYC) *
17 "Whatcha Gonna Do?" (Remake, Take 1, Outtake)
18 "Hero Blues" (Take 4, Outtake)
19 "I Shall Be Free" (Take 3, Alternate Take, December 6, 1962 - Freewheelin’ sessions, Studio A, Columbia Recording Studios, NYC)
Disc 5:
01 "The Ballad Of The Gliding Swan" (Broadcast January 13, 1963 - “Madhouse oOn Castle Street,” BBC-TV Studios, London, England)
02 "Only A Hobo" (Album Version)
03 "John Brown" (Album Version, February 1963 - Broadside Ballads, Vol. 1 sessions, Folkways Studio, NYC)
04 "All Over You" (February 8, 1963 - NYC)
05 "Oxford Town" (Demo, March 1963 - Witmark Studio, NYC) *
06 "Bob Dylan’s Dream" *
07 "Introduction: Walls Of Red Wing"
08 "Walls Of Red Wing"
09 "Introduction: Tomorrow Is A Long Time"
10 "Tomorrow Is A Long Time" *
11 "Dusty Old Fairgrounds"
12 "Introduction: Pretty Peggy-O"
13 "Pretty Peggy-O"
14 "Who Killed Davey Moore?"
15 "Last Thoughts On Woody Guthrie" (April 12, 1963 - Town Hall, NYC) *
16 "James Alley Blues" (April 18, 1963 - Home of Mac and Eve McKenzie, NYC)
17 "I Rode Out One Morning" (April 19, 1963 - Home of Mac and Eve McKenzie, NYC)
18 "House Of The Rising Sun" (April 18, 1963 - Home of Mac and Eve McKenzie, NYC)
19 "Talkin’ World War III Blues" (April 21, 1963 - Club 47, Cambridge, MA)
20 "Masters Of War" (Take 6, Alternate Take)
21 "Girl From The North Country" (Take 4, Alternate Take, April 24, 1963 - Freewheelin’ sessions, Studio A, Columbia Recording Studios, NYC)
Disc 6:
01 "Introduction by Cordell Reagon"
02 "Only A Pawn In Their Game"
03 "Blowin’ In The Wind" (July 6, 1963 - SNCC Voter Registration Rally, Greenwood, MS)
04 "Eternal Circle"
05 "Liverpool Gal"
06 "West Memphis" (July 17, 1963 - Home of Tony Glover, Minneapolis, MN)
07 "North Country Blues" *
08 "With God On Our Side" (July 27, 1963 - Newport Folk Festival, Newport, RI) *
09 "Playboys And Playgirls" (July 28, 1963 - Newport Folk Festival, Newport, RI) *
10 "Blowin’ in the Wind" (July 26, 1963 – Newport Folk Festival, Newport, RI) *
11 "Slate: Boots Of Spanish Leather"
12 "Boots Of Spanish Leather" (Take 1, Alternate Take)
13 "Seven Curses" (Take 3, Outtake) *
14 "Farewell" (Take 5, Outtake) * (August 6, 1963 - The Times They Are A-Changin’ sessions, Studio A, Columbia Recording Studios, NYC)
15 "Bob Dylan’s New Orleans Rag" (Remake, Take 3, Outtake, August 7, 1963 - The Times They Are A-Changin’ sessions, Studio A, Columbia Recording Studios, NYC)
16 "Moonshiner" (Remake, Take 1, Outtake, August 12, 1963 - The Times They Are A-Changin’ sessions, Studio A, Columbia Recording Studios, NYC) *
17 "Introduction By Joan Baez" (August 17, 1963 - Forest Hills Tennis Stadium, NYC)
18 "Troubled And I Don’t Know Why" *
19 "Introduction By Ossie Davis" (August 28, 1963 - March on Washington, Washington, D.C.)
20 "When The Ship Comes In"
21 "The Lonesome Death Of Hattie Carroll" (September 1963, Home of Ben Shapiro, Los Angeles)
22 "The Times They Are A-Changin’" (September 1963 - California)
23 "One Too Many Mornings" (Take 1, Alternate Take, October 24, 1963 - The Times They Are A-Changin’ sessions, Studio A, Columbia Recording Studios, NYC)
24 "Key To The Highway" (Take 1, Outtake, October 23, 1963 - The Times They Are A-Changin’ sessions, Studio A, Columbia Recording Studios, NYC)
Disc 7 (October 26, 1963 - Carnegie Hall, NYC):
01 "The Times They Are A-Changin’" *
02 "Ballad of Hollis Brown" *
03 "Introduction: Who Killed Davey Moore?"
04 "Who Killed Davey Moore?" *
05 "Boots Of Spanish Leather" *
06 "Talkin’ John Birch Paranoid Blues" *
07 "Lay Down Your Weary Tune" *
08 "Introduction: Blowin’ In The Wind"
09 "Blowin’ in the Wind"
10 "Introduction: Percy’s Song"
11 "Percy’s Song"
12 "Seven Curses"
13 "Walls Of Red Wing"
14 "Introduction: North Country Blues"
15 "North Country Blues" *
16 "A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall" *
Disc 8 (October 26, 1963 - Carnegie Hall, NYC):
01 "Talkin’ World War III Blues"
02 "Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right"
03 "Story: Hootenanny Hoot"
04 "With God on Our Side" *
05 "Only A Pawn In Their Game"
06 "Introduction: Masters Of War"
07 "Masters Of War" *
08 "Introduction: The Lonesome Death Of Hattie Carroll"
09 "The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll"*
10 "Introduction: When The Ship Comes In"
11 "When The Ship Comes In" *
* previously unreleased
Bootleg Series Volume 18: Through The Open Window, 1956-1963 is out 10/31 on Legacy. Pre-order it here.
