When my doorbell rang at 5:45 PM last evening I knew it was the delivery man from Amazon.com with my special package.  As a serious Dylan collector, I have all the bootleg series with close to all of the legally released albums on vinyl, cassette, or CD.  I have the deluxe edition that includes 5 CDs and a book.  If my friend Roy is reading this it costs $116.20.  I must thank Amazon for being prompt in delivering the set on the day of release.

It is obviously aimed at serious Dylanolgist since it includes numerous outtakes and alternative versions of Dylan songs released from 1980-85 which most critics feel does not contain Dylan's best works.  I am sure the Dylan scholars will have a "field day" critiquing this set.  I expect to become aware of several podcasts within a few days.  Will I have time to listen to them?  As of 12 noon on Saturday the 18th I have only listened to CD #1.  Am I spending too much time with baseball and this blog?

I just don't understand the title Springtime in New York.  Were the sessions recorded in NYC during the spring?  I am sure that my scholarly friends will know the answer.

There is a review in The Telegraph, but a subscription is required.  The subtitle of the article states:

These bootleg sessions remind us that Dylan’s worst period is still more interesting than most artists’ purple patches

I do not consider the 80s to be Dylan's worst period.  To me, it is a toss-up between the born again Christian period and the adult standards he recorded earlier this century.

With advanced degrees in Chemistry and Library Science, I am not a Dylan scholar.