Through the Open Window: The Bootleg Series Vol. 18 (Highlights)(2025)
Disc One
1. Let the Good Times Roll
2. I Got a New Girl
3. Jesus Christ
4. K.C. Moan
5. Remember Me
6. Railroading on the Great Divide
7. Man of Constant Sorrow
8. He Was a Friend of Mine
9. Ramblin' Round
10.Story: East Orange, New Jersey
11.Po' Lazarus
12.Dink's Song
13.I Was Young When I Left Home
14.Cocaine
15.Talkin' New York
16.Corinna, Corinna
17.(I Heard That) Lonesome Whistle
18.Rocks and Gravel
19.Let Me Die in My Footsteps
20.Tomorrow is a Long Time
21.Don't Think Twice, It's All Right
22.The cuckoo
23.The Ballad of the Gilding Swan
24.John Brown
25.Dusty Old Fairgrounds
Disc Two
1. House of the Rising Sun
2. Seven Curses
3. Masters of War
4. Girl from the North Country
5. Liverpool Gal
6. Boots of Spanish Leather
7. Moonshiner
8. The Lonesome death of Hattie Carroll
9. The Times They Are A-Changin'
10.Who Killed Davey Moore?
11.Lay Down Your Weary Tune
12.Blowin' in the Wind
13.North Country Blues
14.A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall
15.Talkin' World War III Blues
16.Only a Pawn in Their Game
17.When the Ship Comes in
At this point, one has to wonder exactly how many installments of Bob Dylan's seemingly endless Bootleg Series remain hidden in the vaults. Every time it appears that the cupboard must surely be running bare, another collection materializes featuring dozens of alternate takes, live recordings, demos, rehearsals, false starts, and assorted musical curiosities that somehow escaped release for the previous sixty years.
Of course, if any artist can sustain such a project, it's Dylan.
The reality is that most of these releases are not aimed at casual listeners. They never have been. The average music fan generally wants the finished product. They want the polished masterpiece, the hit single, or the definitive album. Dylan's archival releases cater to a different audience altogether. These are records for people who don't merely listen to music—they study it. They want to hear how songs evolved. They want to compare lyrics, arrangements, and performances. They enjoy hearing the creative process unfold in real time, even when that process occasionally resembles somebody fumbling around in the dark looking for a light switch.
After all, why would anyone voluntarily listen to a rough demo recorded under questionable conditions when a superior studio version already exists? Curiosity, mostly. The Beatles discovered the same phenomenon with their Anthology releases. Once fans become invested enough in an artist, they eventually want everything, regardless of whether "everything" is actually necessary.
This particular volume focuses on Dylan before he became a cultural institution, political spokesman, folk prophet, and all-around spokesman for an entire generation. The material originates from his earliest years and consists primarily of demos, alternate takes, live performances, and various odds and ends connected to his first few albums.
The music itself is consistently enjoyable. Even when the sound quality is less than ideal or the performances feel somewhat unfinished, there's an undeniable fascination in hearing Dylan develop into the artist he would eventually become. Many of the songs reveal small differences in phrasing, structure, or emphasis that serious fans will find endlessly fascinating.
There are also several snippets of stage banter and audience interaction scattered throughout the collection. Dylan launches into a few of his famously rambling stories, many of which seem to wander aimlessly toward destinations that never quite materialize. Under normal circumstances this might be irritating. Here, however, it's oddly charming. Knowing the historical context makes these moments feel less like interruptions and more like snapshots from another era.
Still, perspective is important.
As enjoyable as this collection may be, there are stronger entries in the series. If one is searching for the absolute cream of Dylan's archival material, Live 1964 remains difficult to top. That Halloween-night performance in New York City captures Dylan at a particularly fascinating moment in his career and offers a far more compelling listening experience than much of what appears here.
That isn't intended as criticism. Through the Open Window accomplishes precisely what it sets out to do. It opens another small window into Dylan's formative years and provides fans with additional pieces of a puzzle they have been assembling for decades.
The question, as always with these releases, is how often one will return to it.
For most listeners, probably not very often. The initial thrill of discovery is substantial. Hearing unfamiliar recordings from a legendary artist is always exciting. Once that excitement fades, however, the collection settles comfortably into its role as an archival document rather than an essential listening experience.
For the casual fan, this is probably optional. For the Dylan devotee who feels compelled to own, hear, and analyze every note the man ever recorded, it's another welcome treasure from the vaults. Whether we actually needed another one is an entirely different question.
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