Bob Dylan fans were in an uproar in 1970 over his double-LP, Self Portrait, an album largely of covers, and were only slightly mollified four months later with the release of New Morning, a batch of country-rock-oriented originals. They were disappointed because they saw Dylan as “the voice of our generation,” a role he never wanted. He was hounded by expectations for which he refused to submit.
Several years later when I finally heard Self Portrait, my reaction was that Dylan had a sense of humor. Nasally Dylan harmonizing with himself on “The Boxer” as if he was Simon & Garfunkel? I laughed. And I think Dylan was laughing too. Later on, the enigmatic songwriter made several comments about Self Portrait that verified my opinion. He was, as they say in Britain, taking the piss out of people who were trying to pigeonhole him.
The latest deep plunge into Dylan’s vaults, 1970, includes three-and-a-half hours of outtakes recorded during the making of Self Portrait and New Morning. Essentially, it covers a marathon recording session that began in early March 1970 and ended mid-August of that year. The three-CD set (including an informational booklet) offers as much of that session as anyone could absorb.
Although the package’s front cover notes “with Special Guest George Harrison,” there are no spectacular “My Guitar Gently Weeps” solos. Instead, Harrison sits in the background, quietly accompaniying Dylan on guitar and harmonies. His role is like the session as a whole—loose-limbed as a rehearsal, which it pretty much was, built on many days around the spry playing of bassist Charlie Daniels (a few years shy of country stardom) and session drummer Russ Kunkel. David Bromberg fills on guitar and dobro and Al Kooper on organ and piano.
Mostly, Dylan sounds like he’s having fun with pop tunes (“Da Doo Ron Ron”), getting back in touch with older repertoire (“Gates of Eden”) and having a blast jamming with an accomplished set of players. None of the tracks on 1970 are revelatory but taken as a whole, they uncover Dylan’s methods and thoughts during a time of transition.
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