In early August, when Bob Dylan performed AmericanaramA at the USANA Amphitheatre, he gave a larger-than-life performance. He rocked the show as the concert’s star, hitting the stage after set lists from big indie names such as My Morning Jacket and Wilco. With a backup band and a selection of songs from his 2012 album “Tempest,” younger audience members learned why Dylan is a rock n’ roll legend.
Looking back on Dylan’s long career, you may ask yourself, ‘Why is Bob Dylan a music legend?’ With a voice that wouldn’t make it through the first round of “American Idol,” it is no wonder such a thought would arise. Nonetheless, Dylan is memorialized as one of the biggest influences in music, and the album “Another Self Portrait (1969-1971): the Bootleg Series Vol. 10” reminds us of that.
Strip away the flock of instruments and stadium shows like AmericanaramA, and you see the simplicity and lyricism that is Bob Dylan. “Another Self Portrait” displays how poetic Dylan can be.
The album sculpts a playlist of unreleased recordings from Dylan’s “Self Portrait” and “My Morning.” It also tosses around tunes written before and after the ostracized records. This clever mix of tracks allows listeners to reminisce over a forgotten period in Dylan’s life.
Written when Dylan was working to break his image and testing different styles, “Self Portrait” was a not standout album. The record broke from Dylan’s musical personality, and his admirers found it difficult to appreciate the experimentation. However, with the release of never-heard tracks, Dylan is able to speak to a new generation — a generation unacquainted with the Dylan stereotype.
People always notice Dylan’s song lyrics, whether they hail from Generation Y or from the Baby Boom. “I Went to See the Gypsy,” the first song on “Another Self Portrait,” is a proclamation to the poetry of his song writing. With lyrics like “Outside the lights were shining / On the river of tears / I watched them from the distance / With music in my ears,” new listeners of Dylan can not help but recognize his mastery of language.
While Dylan’s vocals are the core of the album, each track on the record introduces a buildup of instrumental tones. From the prevalent use of the harmonica in “Only a Hobo” to the stroking of violin strings on the alternate version of “Not for You,” “Another Self Portrait” transforms into a sound-heavy playlist.
From his vocals to his talent mixing instruments, Dylan adds more to “Another Self Portrait” by collaborating with other musicians. In “Working on a Guru,” he plays with the Beatles’ George Harrison. Other notable musicians on the album include Happy Traum, David Bromberg and Al Kooper.
By highlighting Dylan’s poetry, musical talent and ability to incorporate the talent of other artists, “Another Self Portrait” proves him a legend. Unlike other musicians, Dylan does not need heavy synthesizers or the latest electric guitar to speak to a younger age group — he gets by on raw talent.