Bootleg Series Vol 16

Rather than slowing down his schedule, the octogenarian Bob Dylan, also known as the greatest living songwriter, has seemingly picked up his need for creativity. Last week saw Dylan engage in his 1st ever live stream, performing a heap of tracks for the online audience that, when the singer began in 1962, would have seemed like pure science fiction.

Before that event, Dylan also proved that his songwriting skills hadn’t diminished one bit, providing one of the best albums of last year with his original "Rough And Rowdy Ways". Now, with the wind in his sails, Dylan has finally announced that the "Bootleg Series Vol 16" is set for release.

It’s been a long wait for this volume of Dylan’s famous series. Usually delivered as an annual reminder of Dylan’s unique talent, we’ve been waiting a little longer than usual for this edition. However, now we can be safe in the knowledge that "Vol 16" is on the way to our headphones.

Titled "Springtime In New York", the new series captures a unique period in Dylan’s life, from 1980 to 1985, and will provide a backdrop for some of the singer’s most troublesome years in the industry. The 80's weren’t particularly kind to Dylan commercially, but these tapes should provide us with all the solace we need that the freewheelin’ troubadour was always making great music.

The series, as ever, will not only provide seminal sessions and unique performance, but also alternate takes of your favourite Dylan numbers, unreleased efforts and rehearsal tapes.

The most notable inclusion on the release is perhaps Dylan’s extensive liner notes, which for this series, will be further embellished as he covers the release track by track. Those notes come complete with unseen photographs of the great man.

Available as a 2 LP set or a 2 CD set, or the more beautifully appointed 5 disc deluxe set, and will be released on September 17th, 2021.