BoB’s Minnesota Tapes

In 1959, Robert Zimmerman left Hibbing and enrolled at the University of Minnesota . In 1961, Bob Dylan left Minnesota and traveled to New York City to visit his ailing idol, Woody Guthrie. In 1962, Bob Dylan was released. It was an unremarkable album by a remarkable singer-songwriter. Dylan began performing and recording his own songs, and soon his genius and lyrical prowess were known the world over. And the rest, as they say, is history—rock ‘n roll historyHowever, there is more to the story of Bob Dylan’s early years than that. With Bob Dylan, there is always more to the story. Before the first album, after meeting his ailing idol, Bob Dylan found himself back in Minnesota . While there, he recorded many folk and blues standards in home recording sessions. Some may consider what came from those sessions unremarkable. Other people, besides the original performers, had done these songs and were doing these songs in the cafes in New York City and beyond. And some would argue (especially those who were performing them) that some people were doing them better than this Midwestern boy who idolized Woody Guthrie. Yet these recordings are remarkable. They show a young man’s amazing ability to take material not his own and give it a distinct interpretation all his own. Whether it be the humorous How Did O or Car Car or the emotive takes on This Land is Your Land and Pastures of Plenty, this young singer from the country they call the Midwest demonstrated quite unconsciously and effortlessly the raw talent inherent within him. It wouldn’t be long after these songs were recorded that the world would know of the genius of Bob Dylan. If you need further proof of that talent, these early recordings serve as further evidence. If you are convinced of Bob Dylan’s genius, they serve as a great glimpse into his early days. Either way, listen and enjoy. You could always do a lot worse than listen to a Bob Dylan recording. But you can rarely do much better. That’s my opinion. I may be right or wrong.