Another Self Portrait - The Deluxe Edition

Obviously times have changed since there are so few music stores around.  Years ago there was the excitement of scraping up my allowance money and going to Alexanders record department to buy the new release.  Back in 1970 when I was a student at CCNY I actually worked at Alexanders and likely bought the original Self Portrait using my employee discount.

It was different from other Dylan albums since it had no songs written by Bob.  It was bashed by the critics including the esteemed Greil Marcus who commented "What is this shit."  Some months later Dylan released New Morning which was infinitely better.  IMHO New Morning was one of Dylan's most underrated album.

Let's turn the clock ahead to 2013 as Another Self Portrait was released yesterday.  I pre-ordered it from Amazon.com and it arrived yesterday while nobody was at home to accept it from the post man.  Not a major problem, since Karen picked it up at the Post office.  There was a regular version with just two CDs, but I had to get the deluxe version with 4 CDs and two books with photos of Bob c.1970.

Disk 1 - Another Self Portrait Part 1
Disk 2 - Another Self Portrait Part 2
Disk 3 - The 1969 Isle of Wight Concert with the Band
Disk 4 - The Original Self-Portrait

Since there is only so much time in a day I just heard disk 1 today.  I have to save time to listen to Cousin Brucie and watch the Mets and Yankees.  Another Self-Portrait is alternative versions from the 1970 release and outtakes.  On some of the cuts the overdubs were taken out.  So far, it was very folky.

The package included inset saying that Bob Dylan, The Complete Album collection will be coming in Fall 2013.  It will include all 41 official albums including 14 newly remastered titles.  It will also include Side Tracks, a 2 CD compilation of previously released songs not included on the original albums.  I assume that this includes George Jackson, Positively Fourth Street, and Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window.

I have many Dylan albums on vinyl and cassette tape.  It certainly doesn't make sense to pay big bucks to buy music I already own.  Hopefully, they will sell the Side Track separately.