Bob Dylan: Masterpieces

(3 LP set / 2 CD set / 3CD set)

This set used to be an expensive way of getting hold of one or two rarities, including Dylan tracks like "George Jackson" (Big Band Version) and the Desire era B-side"Rita May." However, by 1997 import sets from Australia had dropped to around £21, which began to make more sense. However, the sleeve notes don?t let you know what you're getting at all. If you were buying it as a Dylan hits collection you'd be very disappointed to find the Isle of Wight "Like A Rolling Stone!" The Band appear on four tracks: "Like A Rolling Stone"(the Self Portrait version, live at the Isle of Wight), "The Mighty Quinn" (the Self Portrait version live at the Isle of Wight), "Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window?" (the 1965 single, only obtainable otherwise on Biograph,) and "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues." The latter was issued as the B side of the "I Want You" single, recorded live on May 14th 1966 at the Odeon Theatre Liverpool. This is unavailable elsewhere as an official release, though the same performance appears on bootlegs (e.g. Bob Dylan & The Hawks Play Fucking Loud). On early bootlegs it often appeared taken straight off the vinyl single. This clean version is stunningly good. Unlike bootlegs, you can clearly hear Richard in the mix and Garth was on wondrous form.
-- Peter Viney, The Band guestbook, August 1998

Masterpieces was originally released as a 3-album set in March 1978 in Japan and later that year in Australia and New Zealand, in conjuction with Dylan's 1978 Far East Tour. In 1987 a 2-CD version was released in Australia which omitted four songs ("Idiot Wind", "I Want You", "Song To Woody" and" Love Minus Zero/No Limit"). Then in 1991 a 3-CD version was released by Sony Music Australia which restored the dropped songs.

Tracks

Disc 1

1. Knockin' On Heavens's Door
2. Tambourine Man
3. Just Like A Woman
4. I Shall Be Released
5. Tears Of Rage
6. All Along The Watchtower
7. One More Cup Of Coffee
8. Like A Rolling Stone
9. Quinn The Eskimo (The Mighty Quinn)
10. Tomorrow Is A Long Time
11. Lay, Lady, Lay
12. Idiot Wind

Disc 2

1. Mixed Up Confusion
2. Positively 4th Street
3. Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window?
4. Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues
5. Spanish Is The Loving Tongue
6. George Jackson (Big Band Version)
7. Rita May
8. Blowin' In The Wind
9. Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall
10. The Times They Are A-Changin
11. Masters of War
12. Hurricane

Disc 3

1. Maggie's Farm
2. Subterranean Homesick Blues
3. Ballad Of A Thin Man
4. Mozambique
5. This Wheel's On Fire
6. I Want You
7. Rainy Day Women No. 12 & 35
8. Don't Think Twice, It's All Right
9. Song To Woody
10. It Ain't Me Babe
11. Love Minus Zero/No Limit
12. I'll Be Your Baby Tonight
13. If Not For You
14. If You See Her, Say Hello
15. Sara

Sidemen

• Rick Danko
• Levon Helm
• Garth Hudson
• Richard Manuel
• Robbie Robertson

Bob Dylan - Masterpieces - 1978 - 3 LP set CBS/Sony 57 AP 875-7
2 CD set: Sony Music Australia 462448 2 (1987)
3 CD set: Sony Music Australia 462448 9 (1991)