Description

Columbia Studio A, 799 Seventh Avenue, New York October – November 1965 & January 1966
Columbia Music Row Studios, Nashville, Tennessee February – March 1966

　With the release of the remix version of Bob Dylan’s rare masterpiece “HIGHWAY 61 REMIXED”, many enthusiasts must have been hoping for the release of a remix version of his next album “BLONDE ON BLONDE”. This is also possible, as a new mix was made for the release of the 2015 session collection collector’s edition. In the first place, “BLONDE ON BLONDE” is said to be his greatest masterpiece, and it is a long-selling album that is in a class of its own among Dylan’s albums. Because of this, the album master released in 1966 quickly became outdated. It is also an unusual album in that the mix was remade from time to time. In the first place, new mixes were made as early as the LP era, and several remix versions were made on CD as well.

　However, all previous mixes were made with the aim of reproducing the original mix from 1966, and the stereo image is not significantly different. On the other hand, even in the CD era, old-fashioned stereo mixes with extreme separation reminiscent of the 1960s were still being made. Even the current mix, made in 2003 to be used with SACD, followed that image. In

　that respect, the new stereo mix made for the 2015 session collection box set has a bold difference in the stereo image and the finish of the mix itself. The difference can be understood immediately in the representative song of the album, “I Want You.” In the previous mix, each instrument was extremely separated on the left and right, and the drums’ pattering sound was prominent. However, in the 2015 mix, the separation of the instruments was suddenly weakened, and the balance was rearranged to focus on Dylan’s singing voice. And yet, the overall sound quality is heavy, so the impression is completely different from the previous mix. Another valuable feature of this release is that it uses the version of the song before the lead guitar was overdubbed, which was previously only available in the massive Collector’s Edition.

　As the song tells us, the 2015 mix has a completely different feel to the previous mixes, with a heavy overall texture, but with Dylan’s voice at the forefront. For example, “Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat,” which was one of the thinnest and least-sounding tracks on the album, has been transformed into a heavy mix. As was the case with “HIGHWAY 61 REMIXED,” the 2015 mix is great for its sense of using the latest technology to create an analog feel rather than a digital feel.

　Another song in which the performance image itself has changed drastically is “Obviously Five Believers.” Since it was originally a song with a growling guitar riff, the balance was more or less to highlight the guitar in the previous mix, but in the 2015 version, the keyboard sounds are more prominent, which is interesting. And “Most Likely You Go Your Way (And I’ll Go Mine)” is included in the version before the intro was edited. This is also a rare thing that could only be heard in the collector’s edition. As a finishing touch, the official stereo mix includes the single “Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window?”, which was first released in the 2015 version, as a bonus.

　But that’s not all. This time, the release is on two press CDs, following the format of the original album, which was a two-disc set. Taking advantage of this volume, alternate takes and sessions have been compiled on the second disc. Thanks to this edit, an alternate album has been realized in which you can listen to alternate takes of all the songs on the album in the same order as the songs on the album. Of course, the compilation included carefully selected rare alternate takes that were not included in the currently available two- or six-disc sets and that can only be heard in the Collector’s Edition. Naturally, the finale is an alternate take of “Sad-Eyed Lady of the Lowlands” (take 3).

For example, “One of Us Must Know (Sooner or Later)” is performed in a different tempo arrangement in Take 15, “Temporary Like Achilles” in Take 1, and “Absolutely Sweet Marie” in rehearsals in different keys. And yet, for the classics “I Want You” and “Just Like A Woman,” two different takes are used, each with a different Dylan singing style and arrangement. The editing was thorough, so that you can enjoy the different takes that you can understand at a glance. The same goes for the early take of “Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat,” which was recorded with sound effects but was shelved. And these are also rare sound sources that can only be heard in the Collector’s Edition.

After the alternate album, which thoroughly compiles the alternate takes of the album tracks, the album also covers sessions of unreleased songs from the same period. Among them, “She’s Your Lover Now” is a ballad arrangement session scene that is completely different from the previous take, and is also excerpted from a rare take that is only available in the Collector’s Edition. Thus, the content is much more substantial than the previous “HIGHWAY 61 REMIXED”. First, you can hear the remix version on the first disc, and on the second disc, the album’s song order is the same as the previous album, with an amazing lineup of alternate takes. Of course, the sound quality is not bad. And the recording data and details of the participating members for each take are also included, and the jacket photo uses a photo of the alternate take of the album. This is the ultimate alternate version of Dylan’s masterpiece album that can be enjoyed without complaint by beginners and enthusiasts alike!

Disc 1 (77:52)
REMIXES
1. Rainy Day Women #12 & 35 – Take 1 (10th March 1966)
2. Pledging My Time – Take 3 (8th March 1966)
3. Visions of Johanna – Take 4 (14th February 1966)
4. One of Us Must Know (Sooner or Later) – Take 24 (25th January 1966)
5. I Want You – Take 5 (10th March 1966) without guitar overdub
6. Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again – Take 15 (17th February 1966)
7. Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat – Take 1 (10th March 1966)
8. Just Like a Woman – Take 18 (8th March 1966)
9. Most Likely You Go Your Way (And I’ll Go Mine) – Take 6 (9th March 1966) with unedited intro
10. Temporary Like Achilles – Take 4 (9th March 1966)
11. Absolutely Sweet Marie – Take 3 (7th March 1966) with unedited ending
12. Fourth Time Around – Take 19 #2 (14th February 1966)
13. Obviously Five Believers – Take 4 (10th March 1966)
14. Sad-Eyed Lady of the Lowlands – Take 4 (16th February 1966)

BONUS TRACK
15. Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window? – Take 10 (30th November 1965)

Disc 2 (77:57)
SESSIONS
1. Rainy Day Women #12 & 35 (10th March 1966) Rehearsal
2. Pledging My Time (8th March 1966) Rehearsal
3. Visions of Johanna – Take 2 (14th February 1966) Breakdown
4. One of Us Must Know (Sooner or Later) – Take 15 (25th January 1966) Complete
5. I Want You – Take 1 (10th March 1966) Complete
6. I Want You – Take 2 (10th March 1966) Breakdown
7. Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again – Take 13 (17th February 1966) Breakdown
8. Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat – Take 13 (14th February 1966) Complete
9. Just Like a Woman – Take 3 (8th March 1966) Complete
10. Just Like a Woman – Take 16 (8th March 1966) Complete
11. Most Likely You Go Your Way (And I’ll Go Mine) – Take 3 (3/09/1966) Rehearsal
12. Temporary Like Achilles – Take 1 (9th March 1966) Complete
13. Absolutely Sweet Marie – (7th March 1966) Rehearsal
14. Fourth Time Around – Take 5 (14th February 1966) Complete
15. Obviously Five Believers – Take 2 (10th March 1966) Breakdown
16. Sad-Eyed Lady of the Lowlands – Take 3 (16th February 1966) Complete

BONUS OUTTAKES
17. Medicine Sunday – Take 2 (5th October 1965) Incomplete
18. I Wanna Be Your Lover – Take 3 (5th October 1965) Complete
19. Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window? – Take 8 (30th November 1965) Complete
20. She’s Your Lover Now – Take 3 (21st January 1966) Breakdown
21. She’s Your Lover Now – Take 4 (21st January 1966) Incomplete
22. I’ll Keep It with Mine (instrumental) – Take 5 (15th February 1966) Rehearsal