Bob Dylan/NY,USA 1962 & more

The most important and classic live recording of Bob Dylan’s 1962 was a recording of a gig held at a cafe called the Gaslight in October. This was during the production of Dylan’s masterpiece album “FREEWHEELIN’ BOB DYLAN”, which he produced during his folk era, and it is a recording that captured him in the midst of his great leap as an artist with the best soundboard recording, so it has an unshakable reputation as a classic now and in the past. In fact, the sound quality is extremely clear for a live recording that captures Dylan before his big break. Even though it is a soundboard recording, it is a live performance of a singer-songwriter in a cafe that does not have a large stage. The advantage of folk artists is that they can record good sound even with a simple setup of two microphones and a tape recorder in the early 1960s. Also, since it was not recorded with the premise of a live album, the opening song “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall” starts with a cut-in, and the final song “West Texas” is cut out, but the sound quality is so clear that you don’t notice it at all. In other words, since it was not recorded by Columbia, there were few adult circumstances involved, and yet the sound quality was very good, so it was released as a box set from the LP era, and it was also a Dylan early live recording that was blessed with many items. In the CD era, the two Gaslight items, the moderately equalized Rattlesnake version and the raw Scorpio version, became the two big things for enthusiasts, but in 2006, the official release finally came out… or so I thought, but it was only overseas, and only released at the cafe chain because it was a cafe live. The final blow was an incomplete version. The remaining songs were finally released in 2012, but this time, due to copyright measures, it is a format that is even more difficult to obtain than the 2006 version. Although each was recorded with the best sound quality that could sweep away the two big ones already released, it is treated as a standard sound source that is not easy to obtain. And yet, there have been no releases since then, and the impossible situation of the live recordings that were so standard have remained in limbo to this day. So this time, the release of Gaslight, which compiled them all, has finally been realized with the highest sound quality ever. The release of the definitive version of the standard recordings that are so representative of Dylan’s folk-era live performances has finally been realized. Not only is the sound quality extremely clear, but the content is also wonderful. From the opening, you can hear the fresh appearance of the new song “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall,” which had not even been recorded at the time, with the best sound quality. What is most moving is that the audience sang along in chorus in front of the greatness of the new song. This is the dazzlingly pure scene that is unique to Dylan in the folk era of 1962, recorded on the sound board. As for the following song “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right,” this is said to be the oldest live performance record, and in fact, the lyrics were not yet completed at this point, so it is innocent. The value of the soundboard recording of the two songs that will become Dylan’s signature songs before they are officially recorded is huge. The reason why Gaslight is considered an important source is that it plays “No More Auction Block,” which is said to be the original source of “Blowin’ In The Wind,” which is no exaggeration to say is one of the most famous songs of the 20th century. “Blowin’ In The Wind” had already been recorded at this point, but its release is still a long way off. It seems that Dylan also played the original instead of the new song on a whim because of this timing. Because of this valuable performance, only “No More Auction Block” was officially released in 1991, but the sound quality of this version is much clearer than the version heard there. However, the version released in 2012 had a higher pitch for some reason, so this time it has been adjusted properly. For this reason, “Blowin’ In The Wind” was not played on this day, and the earliest live take of the song performed at a cafe in Montreal in July was included as a bonus. This is also one of the very famous Dylan live recordings from 1962, and it is recorded in the best quality ever, and the fresh performance is very attractive. The cover songs played throughout the album are also wonderful, and surprisingly, Robert Johnson’s “Kindhearted Woman Blues” features a magnificent blues guitar performance. The following year, “FREEWHEELIN’ BOB DYLAN” was released, and he was promoted to a folk star in one fell swoop. This is the long-awaited definitive version of an important recording of Dylan in 1962, who still retains the innocence shown in the jacket, recorded on the best soundboard. Let’s start with Dylan’s live performance from the folk era! Gaslight Cafe, New York City, New York, USA 15th October 1962 SBD (74:24) 1. A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall 2. Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right 3. Black Cross 4. No More Auction Block 5. Rocks and Gravel 6. Barbara Allen 7. Moonshiner 8. Motherless Children 9. Handsome Molly 10. John Brown 11. Ballad of Hollis Brown 12. Kind Hearted Woman Blues 13. See That My Grave Is Kept Clean 14. Ain’t No More Cane 15. Cocaine 16. The Cuckoo 17. West Texas Bonus track Finjan Club, Montreal, Quebec, Canada 2nd July 1962 18. Blowin’ In The Wind SOUNDBOARD RECORDING