How Bob Dylan’s Brother Saved Blood on the Tracks From ‘Sounding Too Same’

Bob Dylan’s brother was instrumental in the remake of Blood on the tracksand it sounds like he saved the album.

Dylan’s 1975 masterpiece celebrated its 50th anniversary yesterday (January 20), and fans are celebrating earlier versions of his work, recorded in New York. These earlier tapes are stripped back and rely on the acoustic works Dylan found his footing in a decade earlier. But his brother, David Zimmerman, asked Dylan to re-record them and the rest is history. Fans of the album are now sharing New York Sessions and compare it with the finished product Blood on the tracks project.

While most say they preferred the finished piece, many were quick to credit Zimmerman for having Dylan re-record the album with some instrumental variations, rather than the austere acoustic tones heard throughout. A Reddit user took to the Bob Dylan subreddit and wrote, “The New York Sessions of Blood on the Tracks presents a more emotional, simple, acoustic and intimate counterpart to the official release.

“The stripped down instrumentation lets a greater spotlight shine on Dylan’s evocative writing. The raw quality of the production adds a layer of relatability and authenticity to the recording. Overall, this bootleg captures Dylan at his most personal, regretful, melancholic and vulnerable, and provides a fascinating alternative perspective on what I consider to be Dylan’s opus. While the sound quality of the official release is much more polished, the emotional depth and raw authenticity more than compensate for any technical imperfections.”

Those who listened to the acoustic renditions agreed that Dylan’s brother was right to step in and rescue the album from its stripped-back appeal, but some argued that New York Sessions was far superior to the finished version released in 1975.

Thoughts on the New York sessions of Blood on the Tracks?
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One user wrote: “I think Dylan’s brother was right about them being too sad and slow. If you’re dealing with a breakup, they’re even better than Blood on the tracks.” Another added: “Love the acoustic Bob but can see why his brother would want him to re-record some tracks from sounding too similar.”

But others found the similarities in tone electrifying, even when using only acoustic instruments. One user wrote: “The compositions themselves are better, but Blood on the tracks wouldn’t be the masterpiece it is without the Minnesota tracks. Without them, you have ten songs all in the same key, all in the same open E tuning for almost an hour. Individually they are great, as a working group they don’t have much stamina.”

Another added: “I prefer this version. I especially love the melancholic and rawer feel of these tracks Idiot Wind. I can understand why he chose to re-record many of these songs. This version is not as immediate and probably would not have been as big a hit.”