The Original Mono Recordings are comprised of these albums painstakingly reproduced from their first generation monaural mixes as the artist intended them to be heard: One channel of powerful sound, both direct and immediate. While stereo recordings had been available as early as the mid-1950s, mono was still the predominant – and often preferred – mode of recording and mixing by the top artists of the 1960s. As a result, artists like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan devoted their attention to the mono mixes, leaving the stereo mixing process to studio engineers.
The Original Mono Recordings are accompanied by a deluxe booklet, featuring vintage photographs of Bob Dylan and an expansive essay from renowned author and critic – and longtime Dylan aficionado – Greil Marcus. Each disc in the set comes in its own individual jacket which faithfully replicates the original album artwork, complete with labels and stickers that were found on the original 1960s releases.
Also includes a limited edition 18″ x 24″ Bob Dylan poster.
The eight albums in The Original Mono Recordings are as follows:
Bob Dylan – 1962
The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan – 1963
The Times They Are A-Changin’ – 1964
Another Side Of Bob Dylan – 1964
Bringing It All Back Home – 1965
Highway 61 Revisited – 1965
Blonde on Blonde – 1966
John Wesley Harding – 1967
The Witmark Demos are seeing their first commercial release on 2 CD and 4 LP 180-gram vinyl in nearly five decades after they were first recorded. Listening to these 47 original recordings, one can trace Dylan’s dramatic growth as a songwriter from early traditionally-styled songs like “Man On The Street” and “Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Willie” through the social commentary of “Blowin’ In The Wind, “The Times They Are A Changin’” and “Masters Of War,” and the groundbreaking lyrical genius of “Mr. Tambourine Man.” All of these songs, and all the others on The Witmark Demos, were written – and their subsequent demos recorded – before Bob Dylan turned 24 years old.
Among the many gems found on The Witmark Demos are 15 previously unreleased Bob Dylan songs which include the plaintive “Ballad For A Friend,” the civil rights era-inspired “Long Ago, Far Away” and “The Death Of Emmett Till,” and the poignant “Guess I’m Doing Fine.”
The Witmark Demos also features a deluxe booklet featuring in-depth liner notes by noted music historian Colin Escott, as well as rare photographs of Bob Dylan captured during the same period as these early recordings.
The complete track listing of The Bootleg Series Volume 9 – The Witmark Demos is as follows:
Disc 1:
01.Man On The Street (Fragment)
02.Hard Times In New York Town
03.Poor Boy Blues
04.Ballad For A Friend
05.Rambling, Gambling Willie
06.Talking Bear Mountain Picnic Massacre Blues
07.Standing On The Highway
08.Man On The Street
09.Blowin’ In The Wind
10.Long Ago, Far Away
11.A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall
12.Tomorrow Is A Long Time
13.The Death of Emmett Till
14.Let Me Die In My Footsteps
15.Ballad Of Hollis Brown
16.Quit Your Low Down Ways
17.Baby, I’m In The Mood For You
18.Bound To Lose, Bound To Win
19.All Over You
20.I’d Hate To Be You On That Dreadful Day
21.Long Time Gone
22.Talkin’ John Birch Paranoid Blues
23.Masters Of War
24.Oxford Town
25.Farewell
Disc 2
01.Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right
02.Walkin’ Down The Line
03.I Shall Be Free
04.Bob Dylan’s Blues
05.Bob Dylan’s Dream
06.Boots Of Spanish Leather
07.Walls of Red Wing
08.Girl From The North Country
09.Seven Curses
10.Hero Blues
11.Whatcha Gonna Do?
12.Gypsy Lou
13.Ain’t Gonna Grieve
14.John Brown
15.Only A Hobo
16.When The Ship Comes In
17.The Times They Are A-Changin’
18.Paths Of Victory
19.Guess I’m Doing Fine
20.Baby Let Me Follow You Down
21.Mama, You Been On My Mind
22.Mr. Tambourine Man
23.I’ll Keep It With Mine
Source: bobdylan.com
Follow YourWayToMusic