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Dylan's Time Out of Mind remix is Stunning

"Time Out of Mind" was always a powerful record, despite the murky original mix.

Now, with most of the sonic muck that producer Daniel Lanois smeared onto the music scraped off and rinsed away, it's full glory is revealed. Abetted by terrific SQ, its impact is stunning.

The old mantra "original mixes are always better" is blown out of the water by this. 

For my tastes, this is one of the best releases in the Bootleg Series-- a dream come true for Dylan lovers-- and one of the best Dylan releases since "Blood on the the Tracks". 

Lyric fragments keep cycling in my head. . . 

"People on the platforms

waiting for trains

I can hear their hearts a beatin'

like pendulums swingin' on chains"  

 

stuartk
bdp24's avatar
bdp24
10,188 posts
 

@hartf36:

Yeah, I read about that recording of the harmonica too. But that was just a single, isolated incident. The TOOM recording sessions became very tension-filled, Dylan and Lanois butting heads throughout the making of the album. And Dylan has long let it be known he didn’t like the sound of the album.

You may note that Dylan didn’t want or ask for any of the previous Bootleg Series albums to be remixed. It was HE who instigated the remixes of the studio recordings in Volume 17, to create the sound he long wished the album had possessed (George Harrison did the same with his All Things Must Pass album, the sound of which he came to seriously dislike. I completely agree. Maybe it’s just the case of a musician’s view of recordings versus a fan/listener?). If Dylan liked the original, he would have left it as it was.

You should also note that since TOOM, Dylan has done all his own producing. "To Hell with ’em all. I’ll do it myself." ;-) I REALLY wish he’d have Buddy Miller produce him (Buddy has long served as Emmylou Harris' guitarist, harmony singer, and bandleader). For great production, listen to Buddy’s albums. And the album he produced for the duo with the unlikely name of War & Treaty. Absolutely fantastic!

asctim
517 posts
 

This thread got me interested so I listened to older and newer mixes last night. For me the remix is at best a step sideways. Pretty good, not bad, I can't complain. But actually..

stuartk OP
3,334 posts
 

@hartf36 

"So one could say the original production is closer to what Dylan heard in his head, and so...........is what HE really wanted us to hear."

Yes-- the operative word being wanted --- past tense.

At the time, that's what he wanted... or at least, thought he wanted.

Clearly, he's changed his mind and presumably, it's the new mix that's more in line with what he "hears in his head".

I don't have a "pony" in this "race". I frankly don't care which mix Dylan prefers.

In this case, on my system, to my ears, I find the new mix conveys a much more palpable sense of being in the studio with the musicians, now that the "ambience" has been largely cleared away.  

This is subjective-- there will be a divergence of opinion. But if you are pre-judging the relative merits of the two mixes without having actually heard both-- if you are unwilling to let your ears be the judge-- that, I do not understand. 

 

 

stuartk OP
3,334 posts
 

@asctim 

Everyone hears differently and listens on different systems... all you can do is listen and see how it strikes you. Each to his/her own. 

asctim
517 posts
 

@stuartk 

 

I totally agree. I think it's good they do these remixes. For one it allows them to re-monetize older material with a fresh presentation. It also gives end users more choices. For myself I can't think of any re-mixes that I whole heartedly prefer over older mixes. But I do enjoy hearing old content re-mixed just because it's interesting and fun.

Either way it's a great album.

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