Some Thoughts On The Forthcoming "Time Out Of Mind" Box Set (And How I Ended Up Contributing To It)

This is a great entry in Bob Dylan's Bootleg Series but I have no critical distance on this one ...

On January 27, Columbia Records will release Fragments — Time Out Of Mind Sessions (1996-1997): The Bootleg Series Vol. 17. This deluxe five-disc set (or 10 LPs) — I’ll just quote the press release now — “unveils [the] Time Out of Mind 2022 Remix + previously unreleased recordings including studio outtakes, alternate versions and live performances (1997-2001) of songs penned by Dylan for 1998's Grammy-Winning Album of the Year.” Oh, and it includes liner notes written by … me? Yes, me! Whoa!

Most of the people who listen to Fragments will stream it. If they actually buy this thing, they probably won’t read the liner notes. And if they do read the liner notes, they won’t care who wrote them. I understand all of this. All of this does not matter to me. To say I was honored to be asked to contribute in a small way to The Bootleg Series — which I have been collecting for about 25 years now, investing many dollars and hours of my life along the way — is a massive understatement. I can declare without reservation that there is nothing I’ve done in my career that’s made me feel prouder. Some things are tied with this, but nothing tops having some of my words tucked inside of a Bob freaking Dylan album. And not just any album, either. I would have happily written notes for a deluxe box set honoring the anniversary of Christmas In The Heart. But having the opportunity to write about Time Out Of Mind — an absolutely critical landmark in my life as a Dylan head, and my life as a listener in general — was an opportunity I frankly could not believe was presented to me. I hope I did the album, and the project, the justice it deserves.

I don’t want to say too much about the box set in advance, but I will share a few things: First, as a lover of Time Out Of Mind, I think Jeff Rosen and his team did a really great job with this box set. Because, like all Dylan fans, I am greedy for as much Bob as I can get, I would have loved to have gotten more live material. (I did play the obnoxious fan card at one point and begged for a future Neverending Tour box set.) But there is always the potential for more with Bob. It’s perhaps better to appreciate what was actually delivered. On that count, I can confirm there is a lot of treasure to be found amid the outtakes.

A quick word on the new mix: I think it should be stressed that the new mix is not intended to “replace” the old Time Out Of Mind. It was clear from my conversations with his camp that this new mix is supposed to simply provide a different view of a classic record. Personally, I adore Daniel Lanois’ maximalist production of the original record. But I know not everybody likes to go with “the full Lanois,” so to speak. For those people, this mix should provide an appealing alternative that is more direct, organic, and live-sounding. In my mind it’s what Time Out Of Mind would have sounded like if it had been produced by Jack Frost.

As for the essay I wrote, I think the reason I was approached is that I am a relatively “young” Dylan fan. Now, I am a 45-year-old dude, so relatively “young” in this context really only means “not a boomer.” But I was actually young when Time Out Of Mind came out. I had just turned 20, and I had only recently become a Bob fanatic, buying up arm loads of Dylan albums from the local used CD store every time I got a new paycheck from my summer job. When Time Of Of Mind dropped, it was the first “event” Dylan record of my life. And it ended up affecting me in a big way. Not just in terms of Bob Dylan, but also for what I wanted out of other records that attempted to sift through the mud and blood of the past while peering into a foreboding future.

Anyway, I write a lot more about this in the notes. And since I want people to purchase this thing — mainly for the benefit of Mr. Rosen, who was very nice to me! — I should probably stop now. But I’ll just say again that I am really happy to be a part of this. My heart’s truly in the highlands.