Travelin’ thru Nashville with Bob Dylan

“Travelin’ Thru, 1967 – 1969: The Bootleg Series Vol. 15” is Columbia Records’ latest dive into the vast back catalogue of Bob Dylan’s epic career. This chapter focuses on the impactful musical adventures in Nashville, Tenn. on which Dylan embarked between 1967 and 1969. Uncovered from the vaults are previously unheard recordings made by Dylan and Johnny Cash, as well as unreleased tracks from the “John Wesley Harding,” “Nashville Skyline” and “Self Portrait” album sessions.

It’s hard to imagine a musician as iconic as Dylan ever having to play second string to someone else, but this latest offering from Columbia shows us just that. The recording sessions that Dylan and Cash spent together consist mostly of cuts from the latter’s catalogue, with Dylan falling into line with Cash’s backing band. The band sounds so tight and well-rehearsed that you can really feel Dylan’s effort to perform at his best. I mean, you would too if you were playing alongside Johnny Cash. Between songs, the two joke around and chat, and eventually begin trading verses on songs. The Bard and The Man in Black riff and bounce off of each other to perfection. The contrasting vocals pair particularly well on renditions of “I Walk The Line”and “I Still Miss Someone,” showcasing perhaps some of Dylan’s finest vocal performances.

An amusing highlight of the compilation is a mash-up of Dylan’s “Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright”and Cash’s “Understand Your Man,” as they sing each other’s lyrics over the same chord progression. As the song concludes, you can hear Cash speaking to those in the studio that both he and Dylan stole the chords from, to which they all begin to laugh. 

Yet again, The Bootleg Series continues to shed light on Dylan’s illustrious career. But what is particularly special about this latest installment is the way it portrays Dylan, Cash and their relationship as artists. Both were icons in their own right, affecting the contemporary scene in such a way that elevated them into myth and legend, yet on “Travelin’ Thru”, we get an intimate glimpse of how they work together on their craft. Stripped of all the pomp and circumstance that surrounds their careers, we are left to see that really, they are just two friends jamming together and having fun. 

“Travelin’ Thru, 1967 –1969: The Bootleg Series Vol. 15” is available now from www.bobdylan.com