Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. Mississippi
2. Most Of The Time
3. Dignity
4. Someday Baby
5. Red River Shore
6. Tell Ol' Bill
7. Born In Time
8. Can't Wait
9. Everything Is Broken
10. Dreamin' Of You
11. Huck's Tune
12. Marchin' To The City
13. High Water (For Charley Patton)

Disc 2:

1. Mississippi (1)
2. 32 20 Blues
3. Series Of Dreams
4. God Knows
5. Can't Escape From You
6. Dignity (1)
7. Ring Them Bells
8. Cocaine Blues
9. Ain't Talkin'
10. Girl On The Greenbriar Shore
11. Lonesome Day Blues
12. Miss The Mississippi
13. Lonesome River - Dylan, Bob & Ralph Stanley
14. 'Cross The Green Mountain

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4592 in Music
• Released on: 2008-10-06
• Number of discs: 2
• Dimensions: .43 pounds

Amazon.co.uk Review
Subtitled "Rare and Unreleased 1989-2006", Tell Tale Signs, the eighth of Dylan's long running Bootleg series of officially approved outtakes, comes in two formats. The two-disc version consists of 27 tracks, including alternate versions of songs from his last three studio sets: Oh Mercy, Time out of Mind and Modern Times. Even non-obsessives will be seduced by the highlights here. A lovely sparse solo version of "Most of the Time", just Dylan strumming guitar and blowing a wheezy harmonica, outdoes the Daniel Lanois-produced original. The bleak, stately "Can't Escape from You", the sad and beautiful Civil War epic "Cross the Green Mountain", "The Lonesome River" a bluegrass standard with vocals from Ralph Stanley and a great, lo-fi live version of Reverend Gary Davis's influential "Cocaine Blues" are all standouts. Two versions of "Dignity"--a piano demo that reduces it to an oddly naked state and an unexpected rockabilly take--neatly capture the idea behind these volumes--to expose dedicated fans to the overlooked and underestimated parts of Dylan's constantly shifting oeuvre. --Steve Jelbert

CD Description
This eighth volume in the folk-rock legend's ongoing "bootleg" series is another collection of rare outtakes, demos andlive versions, many previously unreleased. This time the tracks are largely taken from Dylan's latter period, encompassing the era that gave us 'Time Out Of Mind', 'Love And Theft', 'Modern Times' and 'Oh Mercy'. This treasure trove of unearthed gems is sure to delight Dylan's legions of hardcore aficionados.

Customer Reviews

Another Classic Volume in Dylan's Bootleg Series
Once again, the Bob Dylan bootleg series has unearthed some great unreleased gems, demos, outtakes and live recordings this time ranging from the period of 'Oh Mercy' to 'Modern Times'. The stripped down songs such as 'Mississippi' are very different to the released versions and in many respects more poignant.'Red River Shore', an unreleased outtake from 'Time Out Of Mind' is the outstanding track in the collection, though its hard to fault any of the 27 songs. If you have any of the previous volumes in this series you will know what to expect and will not be disappointed. One of the best releases of 2008 and an essential buy.

More treasures retrieved from the Dylan vaults.
This double CD, the 8th volume in Dylan's Bootleg Series, contains 27 tracks(demos, alternative takes, unreleased songs and rarities) drawn from the period 1989-2006 which covers the albums from 'Oh Mercy' to 'Modern Times'. There are also 3 Dylan songs written for soundtracks and 6 live performances. The two alternative versions of 'Mississippi' from "Love and Theft" are radically different from each other and confirm Dylan's determination not to repeat himself. He once said that "a record is just a recording of what you were doing that day. You don't wanna live the same day over and over again, now. Do ya?"
Most tracks are fascinating but the highlight is probably 'Red River Shore' which was inexplicably left off 'Time Out Of Mind'.
'Tell Tale Signs' is another essential volume in the Bootleg Series and Dylan fans should plump for this 2-CD set and boycott the scandalously over-priced 3-CD version.

The wistful groaner slips another one into the net
Interestingly, America's public radio is streaming all the tracks as a substantial taster and there's more than a few gems amongst them. Not my favourite period of Mr D. but much of this is so accomplished, understated and yet haunting that it bears listening to more than once, and that's more than you can say about some of his records. Girl from the Red River Shore like some other songs here, has lines that make you wince, but then it falls into place as a scapbook of captured moments, overheard dialogue and a narrative stitched together with a thread of a tune. Here's 'cocaine blues' crisp as fresh sandpaper,and two versions of Mississippi, bright and acoustic. An odd selection, but after a while, it hangs together and is, I imagine, best played loud, driving in the dark.