Bootleg Series, Vol. 7: No Direction Home – The Soundtrack

The soundtrack to Martin Scorcese's two-part PBS documentary on Bob Dylan, NO DIRECTION HOME is a two-disc affair consisting almost entirely of previously unreleased material. One couldn't start any further towards the beginning of Dylan's career than this collection's first track, "When I Got Troubles," a modest, folkish tune caught on tape by a high school friend and presumed to be the first original Dylan song ever recorded. From there, we follow the breakneck trajectory of Dylan's early career, as he develops at an unprecedented rate, from young Woody Guthrie acolyte (a rare version of Guthrie's signature tune "This Land is Your Land") to his own protest songs (Town Hall, NYC performances of "Masters of War" and "Blowin' in the Wind").
It's Disc Two where things really kick into overdrive; having made the leap from folk balladry to surreal word paintings, we hear Dylan developing musically by leaping into electric rock & roll. It's an undeniable thrill to hear the sacred texts of HIGHWAY 61 REVISITED and BLONDE ON BLONDE anew via the alternate takes included here, with modified lyrics and rhythmic inflections. NO DIRECTION HOME manages to provide hardcore Dylan fans with fresh meat while simultaneously chronicling the high points and songwriting milestones of this visionary artist's first several years of work.