Bob Dylan: The Bootleg Series Volumes 1-3

Ah, Ben, I think you played me much of this box set in about 1986, about five years before it was released. You raved about the great songs on this bootleg tape you'd got hold of — I remember you going on about Blind Willie McTell being the best song from the Infidels sessions — and you weren't wrong.

Last Thoughts on Woody Guthrie was one of the tracks that stuck in my mind from that first listening, particularly the lines at the end, and I didn't take much persuading to buy this as soon as it came it out. Then everyone in the office wanted a copy.

How civilised it was just to sit down with a friend and listen, really listen, to music together.

And another thing… how much better to have all these songs collected together, rather than scattered across multiple CDs as 'extras' on re-issues. The people who have overseen the Bob Dylan bootleg series have been pretty clever, and canny, in their tactics.

I've ripped Angelina and Blind Willie McTell onto iTunes for more listening.

MusicBrainz entry for Disc 1 Disc 2 Disc 3