TOO GOOD TO BE FORGOTTEN
October 20, 2009 – 4:08 amWhen Dylan kicked out the original tracklist for Infidels, even his sidemen looked quizzically.
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BOB DYLAN
Outfidel Intakes: Power & Greed & Corruptible Seed [WWBD - 005, 2CD]
A reassemble of Dylan’s 1983 album, Infidels, recorded in May, 1983 at the Power Station, New York. Excellent soundboard.
The original version of Infidels was supposed to be laid out like this:
Side 1
Jokerman, Licence To Kill, Man Of Peace, Neighbourhood Bully
Side 2
Don’t Fall Apart On Me Tonight, Blind Willie McTell, Sweetheart Like You, I And I, Foot Of Pride.
But in June, Dylan went back to the studio to record a new track, Union Sundown, that he insisted must be on the album. The new tracklist was now like this:
Side 1
Jokerman, Sweetheart Like You, Neighbourhood Bully, Licence To Kill
Side 2
Man Of Peace, Union Sundown, I And I, Don’t Fall Apart On Me Tonight.
Dropped were Blind Willie McTell and Foot Of Pride.
On board for the sessions were two Englishmen, Mark Knopfler and Mick Taylor, giving this album a rock guitar feel. Knopfler apparently had mixed some tracks the way he liked it and kept tapes with almost all the songs recorded. Outfidel Intakes is that proposition.
The first bootlegs to emerge of the Power Station sessions suggested what the original version of Infidels would be. One of the earliest was the vinyl bootleg Down In The Flood in 1984 that followed the original order of Infidels. Later as more of the sessions turned up, collectors could pour over bootlegs like “Complete Infidel Sessions”, a massive 7CD set with three CDs’ worth of Knopfler’s tapes, and pick out the best for another round of Infidels compilations.
These were distilled into a more handy 2CD set. The best was the Rough Cuts 2CD set from the Italian label, The Gold Standard.
Outfidel Intakes is a remaster of the best from Rough Cuts and Outfidels, which was the CD reissue of Down In The Flood. It is the best sounding bootleg of the Infidels sessions to date. It is “speed corrected and equalised” for a listening experience close to an official release. Best of all, Outfidel Intakes is a fan release.
The general consensus among fans was Dylan’s original idea was superior to the official release. Also the many songs left off the album proved to be too good to be left off. Five would quickly be released when Dylan started his Bootleg Series. Listen for yourself CD1 of Outfidel Intakes, if this had been the official release. CD2 collects the best of the rest of the sessions, again in great quality.
The most recognisable change from the official release is Dylan’s vocals. They sound more urgent when he first recorded the songs in May. In June, Dylan went back to redo his vocals and the edge was smoothed. He has said he didn’t want to sound predictable. That may have been preferred to “watered down”.
Sometimes spontaneity captures all the right emotions and ideas better than when too much consideration and craft is put into play. Just be grateful Knopfler made a copy of the sessions.
- Professor Red 
Note: Click on the highlighted tracks to download the MP3s (these are high quality MP3s - sample rate of 192 kbps). As far as we can ascertain, these tracks have never been officially released on CD.
Due to the size of some of the files, please be very patient when downloading the tracks. It could be that the server was very busy. Please try again later. Kindly email us at mybigo@bigozine.com if you encounter persistent problems downloading the files.
Disc 1: The Mark Knopfler mix.
Track 101. Sweetheart Like You [4:16m] (5.8MB)
Track 102. Someone’s Got A Hold Of My Heart [5:07m]* (7.0MB)
Track 103. Lord Protect My Child [4:49m]* (6.6MB)
Track 104. Angel Flying Too Close To The Ground [a different version released as b-side of Union Sundown] (5.6MB)
5. Foot Of Pride [6:04m - omitted*]
Track 106. Tell Me [4:39m]* (6.4MB)
Track 107. I And I [4:58m] (6.8MB)
Track 108. Union Sundown [5:08m] (7.0MB)
Track 109. Julius And Ethel [4:46m] (6.5MB)
Track 110. Jokerman [6:22m] (8.7MB)
Track 111. License To Kill [3:32m] (4.8MB)
Track 112. Man Of Peace [6:36m] (9.0MB)
Track 113. Don’t Fall Apart On Me Tonight [5:51m] (8.0MB)
* different versions except Foot Of Pride released on Bootleg Series Vol 1-3.
Disc 2: The Outtakes.
Track 201. Neighborhood Bully (6.3MB)
Track 202. Blind Willie McTell (electric) (6.4MB)
Track 203. This Was My Love (Jim Harbert) Take 1 (5.2MB)
Track 204. This Was My Love (Jim Harbert) Take 2 (5.7MB)
Track 205. Angel Flying Too Close To The Ground (6.3MB)
Track 206. Dark Groove (Instrumental) (3.8MB)
Track 207. Don’t Fly Unless It’s Safe (Instrumental) (4.5MB)
Track 208. Clean Cut Kid (9.3MB)
9. Death Is Not The End [omitted, released on Down In The Groove]
Track 210. Sweetheart Like You (5.7MB)
Track 211. Union Sundown Take 2 (9.3MB)
Track 212. Sweetheart Like You (Several rehearsals) (30.0MB - visit the html page to download the track)
Lineup:
Mick Taylor & Mark Knopfler - guitars
Alan Clark - piano and organ
Robbie Shakespeare - bass
Sly Dunbar - Drums
Bob Dylan - piano on tracks 6,10,11,12, & 15
Ron Wood - guitar on tracks 6 & 14
Clydie King - b.vocals on tracks 4, 8, & 9
Possibly the best album from Bob Dylan’s middle period is this 1983 recording, Infidels. Alas, Dylan left too many great tracks in the studio and instead released just eight. You can buy it here.
10 Responses to “TOO GOOD TO BE FORGOTTEN”
Blind Willie McTell was a great discovery when the Bootleg Series 1-3 came out, but I’ve never heard Julius & Ethel [Rosenberg] before today, and it’s excellent.
Any version of Infidels without ‘Union Sundown’ is an improvement, but it’s too bad that Dylan dropped the best songs on the record to get to the final version.
THANKS!
Props to Sly Dunbar & Robbie Shakespeare, thr rhythm section on this record.
By Eric on Oct 20, 2009
the Band did a version of blind willie mctell that really sends the tale…
By sluggo on Oct 20, 2009
Fantasic, just fantastic!
You guys are the best.
Many thanks and a big thumbs up from Oz.
Pops.
By Pops on Oct 20, 2009
just one of many great reasons to visit the big O zine on a daily basis.
By flecton big sky on Oct 21, 2009
Wonderful! Thanks very much.
By Kevin on Oct 21, 2009
Awesome. Rock on. Blind Willie McTell Electric Version FTW.
By Dibyo on Oct 21, 2009
Very nice share, Thank you
By Mal on Oct 21, 2009
There’s absolutely nothing wrong with Union Sundown… Great song, and (sadly) still timely. Neighborhood Bully, OTOH, is a wrongheaded song. That song could just as easily be told from the other side’s POV. It might even be more truthful that way.
Anyhow, thanks Big O for these awesome tracks!! The electric “Blind Willie” should be a highlight.
By Shaun on Oct 24, 2009
Thank You!
By Kathy on Oct 24, 2009