Tangled Up In Something
Bob Dylan: Bootleg Series Volume 8: Tell Tale Signs
(Release Date: 06/10/08)
I should be happy about this, I have all seven previous volumes of The Bootleg Series and jolly good they are too, the imminent release of Volume Eight should have me dancing around the garden but frankly it’s not.. here, check this out.
Lets have a look at the pricing (taken from Amazon UK - 27/09/08)
- Single Disc Version @ £8.99
- Double Disc Version @ £12.99
- Triple Disc + Book + 7″ Single @ £89.99
- Eight Disc Vinyl Version (Same Tracks As Three Disc CD Version) @ £69.99
Now, neither myself nor many other people are likely to buy the single disc version, so, aside from the fact it’s not bad, in fact fairly standard for an album of previously unreleased material price-wise let’s just forget about it.
Double Disc.. again not bad, nice collection of material, fairly standard price, should make a lot of people happy, in fact I would be happy to listen to it and have it in my collection, these are after all previously unreleased tracks.
Hold on.. now here is my big beef.
Triple disc version.. awesome, another disc full of live tracks and bits and pieces including a live cut of “Cold Irons Bound” which is in my mind one of latter day Bob’s finest moments. THIS is the version I want to get, but wait a minute.. it’s ninety, yes ninety quid!
What I would get for that is a an interesting looking book featuring the artwork of various “foreign” single releases and a seven inch vinyl single of “Dreaming of You” b/w “Ring Them Bells”.
What I really want is the triple compact disc set, in a box that sits with all seven previous volumes and brings my collection up to date, not that I would complain if I were given ninety quids worth of collectors edition but I’m just not rushing out to buy that. No way.
There doesn’t appear to be any plans to release a “standard” three disc set either.
Personally I think this is a bit of a kick in the nuts for Dylan fans.. to get what could be considered the “complete” Volume Eight we/they are forced to purchase the staggeringly priced collectors box. It’s really just not on.