There's still more Dylan tunes out there?

Well, Happy October and L'shana tova to everyone. The leaves are dropping, my bike riding time slot is becoming quite slim and will soon be filled with snow and skis. October is here with yet another release from Bob Dylan. It's hard to imagine an artist has enough material the he can release eight bootleg albums full of material that didn't make the cut onto his main, "released" albums. I was hesitant to post on Dylan at first in fear of displaying some of his songs that were under lock and key. But, low-and-behold his record label has now released the CD to the "public" enough that many of the songs are already available if you know where to look. That being said, I still encourage you to purchase this entire collection of tracks from Dylan that are either unreleased, live or alternate versions of songs that did make his major album releases.

Dylan's Tell Tale Signs: the Bootleg Series Vol. 8 is out on October 7 from Columbia Records. I tend to enjoy these "raw" albums from Dylan's vault more than many of his released albums due to their jagged edges that make for more of a living-room-performance feel to many of them. One great example is on this album with Dylan's alternate version of his recent single, "Someday Baby."

Bob Dylan - Someday Baby (from Modern Times, 2006)
Bob Dylan - Someday Baby (alt. version from Bootleg Series Volume 8)

The entire double-disc album is full of these gems as well as songs stripped from all the luster, backing instrumentation and production that accompanies most any released album. The 8th Bootleg Series opens up with Dylan's "Mississippi" which is unreleased from Time Out of Mind. On this gorgeous down-tempo blues tune, everything seems to be revealed as Dylan's graveled voice and strumming is only backed by Daniel Lanois' simple riffs on electric guitar.

Bob Dylan - Mississippi (unreleased)

Long Black Veil: 101

Here's a song we all know and whether it was sung by David Gray, Dave Matthews, Bruce Springsteen or the hoards of others in the recent years...it actually goes further back than the 90s, 80s and yes, even the 70s.

Even before the song was covered by the likes of Joan Baez (1963), Bill Monroe (1970) and Mick Jagger with the Chieftains (1995), the song has a bit more to it than even they contributed. Most music followers that dig through that song, come to find out that the version made famous by Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash in 1965 was actually a spin-off of Cash's earlier version taken from Folsom Prison Blues. I even thought Cash was the original. Recently, I found out that the song was recorded in Nashville back in 1959, six years before Cash's version, by country singer Lefty Frizell who took the song to #6 on the charts.

"Long Black Veil" was written by Danny Dill with Marijohn Wilkin who claim three sources for the inspiration to the song (thanks Wiki):
1. A legend of a mysterious veiled woman who visited the grave of Italian silent film actor, sex symbol and icon of the 1920's, Rudolph Valentino, who died at an abnormally early age.
2. An unsolved murder of a local priest around the time the song was penned.
3. A recording of "God Walks These Hills With Me" by Red Foley

So...three for 3. Here are three versions of "Long Black Veil" as heard through the decades. If any of you have the Frizell version, I'd be much obliged.

Cash & Co.

Jagger & Co.

Dave & Co.

And now you know.

Old Crow Medicine Show - Coming to you soon

They're back! Yes, Nickel Creek, Yonder Mountain and a few smaller bands are up on my list. But, Old Crow Medicine Show easily claim my top bluegrass spot. There shows are among the loudest you'll ever go to. The dancing and uproar they cause have not been matched in my book and the amount of sweaty shirts in an audience after an Old Crow dance session can rival that of the skankiest of night clubs in the city around closing time. Here is a small example of their pickin', stompin' and roaring scene

Okay, one more...my favorite OCMS song

Members of OCMS met in New York, eventually trekked down south where they were discovered by a grandfather of bluegrass and now call Nashville their home. Supposedly (and I've heard many versions of this story) Old Crow were busking on the streets of North Carolina when a young gal warned them it'd be worth their to play just a bit longer. The young gal brought her father over to listen. The father ended up being Doc Watson, a folk-country legend, who immediately signed the band to play the upcoming MerleFest. The band is most known for their biggest single to date, "Wagon Wheel." Not too many know that the song was originally written by Bob Dylan for a soundtrack that was never released. Old Crow received permission to bluegrasserize Dylan's version (yes, they cover the Rolling Stones and Guthrie too!) which, in combination with their infectious tempos and energy, led to performances at Bonnaroo, the Grand Ole Opry, Telluride Bluegrass, New Orleans Jazz and more. Not only are they talented in bluegrass and have all the bluegrass legends on their side, but their individual names couldn't be more perfect with members like Ketch Secor (vocals, fiddle, harmonica), Willy Watson (vocals, guitar) and Critter Fuqua...I'm serious.

OCMS is gearing to release their new album, Tennessee Pusher, from Nettwerk Records which can be pre-ordered now from their site. In support of the new album, OCMS are also on tour and tickets for the lucky Colorado folk go on sale at 10am today for their show at the Boulder Theater on November 20th! The rumored single from the new album is "Caroline" - enjoy!

Old Crow Medicine Show - Caroline