Bob Dylan Announces Next Instalment of 'Bootleg Series'

BY Gregory AdamsPublished Sep 24, 2015

Another instalment of Bob Dylan's annals-exploring Bootleg Series will be released by the end of the year, with this latest round of rarities putting the focus on the beloved folk rock icon's transitional mid-'60s period.

Though it has yet to be confirmed on Dylan's end, Ultimate Classic Rock reports that The Cutting Edge 1965-1966: The Bootleg Series Vol. 12 will hit stores November 6 via Columbia/Legacy. The box set will land in three different versions: a standard two-disc set, an expanded six-disc edition, and a deluxe package that comprises 18 discs worth of rare Dylan material.

UPDATE (9/24, 10:50 a.m.): Dylan has now confirmed the release, and you can see the full tracklist and further details here

The Cutting Edge will apparently feature demos, alternate versions and various outtakes recorded during the same period as the songsmith's landmark Bringing It All Back Home, Highway 61 Revisited, and Blonde on Blonde LPs. It will allegedly include an early, electrified take on "Mr. Tambourine Man," a version of "Visions of Johanna" with alternate lyrics, and a comprehensive look at the recording sessions behind "Like a Rolling Stone."

The set is also said to feature alternate takes of material later found on Blonde on Blonde, but recorded with the Band. The album versions had been tracked with a group of Nashville sessions musicians.

Last year's The Bootleg Series Vol. 11: The Basement Tapes also featured collaborations between Dylan and the Band.

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