Bob Dylan Bootleg Series Vol. 18: Through The Open Window, 1956-1963

Critic's Take

Melis writes with that attentive, contextual eye we expect, singling out the best songs on Through the Open Window — notably "Boots of Spanish Leather" and the Carnegie Hall renditions — as the moments that most vividly prove Dylan becoming Dylan. He frames "Boots of Spanish Leather" as an alternate take that stands out among the very best, and he savors Carnegie Hall performances like "A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall" and the debut of "Lay Down Your Weary Tune" for their immediacy and command. The critic’s tone is admiring and precise: these are the best tracks on Bootleg Series Vol. 18 because they crystallize emotional honesty, political urgency and a performer learning his craft in real time. The narrative keeps the record’s arc in view, arguing that these standout songs both illuminate Dylan’s growth and justify the set’s revelatory purpose.

Key Points

• “Boots of Spanish Leather” (alternate take) is best because it personalizes Dylan’s songwriting and stands out as deeply poignant.
• The album’s core strengths are documenting Dylan’s artistic development and capturing urgent live performances that reveal his emerging command.

Themes

Critic's Take

Collette frames the best songs on Bootleg Series Vol. 18: Through The Open Window, 1956-1963 as revealing moments of a young Dylan finding his voice—hear it in “Who Killed Davey Moore” and the startling “Lay Down Your Weary Tune.” The collection’s highlights—particularly the Carnegie Hall culls and intimate readings like “He Was A Friend of Mine”—make clear why fans search for the best tracks on Through The Open Window: they show Dylan absorbing tradition and then transcending it. His humor in “Talkin’ New York” and the harmonica-inflected phrasing on “Ramblin’ Round” underscore how these best songs on the album map a rapid creative ascent. The review reads as both a guide to standout tracks and a case for the set’s broader historical and musical importance.

Key Points

• “Who Killed Davey Moore” best demonstrates the set’s contemporary relevance and closing Carnegie Hall impact.
• The album’s core strengths are its documentation of Dylan’s artistic evolution and the vivid archival context that frames his early mastery of folk tradition.

Themes

Critic's Take

Robin Murray revels in the detective work of Bootleg Series Vol. 18: Through The Open Window, 1956-1963, singling out early gems like “K.C. Moan” and the coy studio “Blowin' In The Wind” as moments where Dylan’s nascent personality and craft flash into view. The box’s narrative thrust — from clumsy high-school sketches to the hunger of Carnegie Hall — makes the best tracks on Through The Open Window feel like milestones, particularly the gut-wrenching “K.C. Moan” and the revealing take of “Tomorrow Is A Long Time.” Murray’s textured, anecdotal praise treats these songs not as isolated curios but as evidence of a creative apprenticeship unfolding day by day.

Key Points

• “K.C. Moan” is the standout for its gut-wrenching intensity and sense of substance beyond youth.
• The box’s strengths are its narrative curation, evocative live atmosphere and the revelation of Dylan’s formative development.

Themes

Critic's Take

Khanna presents Through the Open Window as an evidence-based origin story, singling out early triumphs like "Blowin' in the Wind" and rarer gems such as "Only a Pawn in Their Game" as the best songs on Bootleg Series Vol. 18: Through The Open Window, 1956-1963. He writes with scholarly gusto, noting how these tracks reveal Dylan's rapid ascension and moral imagination. The review frames the best tracks as archaeological finds—revelatory, formative performances that explain why these songs became touchstones. Read together, the set's highlights make a persuasive case for which tracks emerge as the collection's centerpiece and most essential listening.

Key Points

• "Only a Pawn in Their Game" stands out for its intricate, socially conscious songwriting that surpasses some canonized tracks.
• The album's core strengths are its forensic documentation of Dylan's formative influences and the revelatory early performances captured across varied fidelity.

Themes

Critic's Take

Browne zeroes in on the best songs on Through the Open Window by privileging moments that reveal Dylan’s rapid growth — the first-ever live performance of “Blowin’ in the Wind” and the evolving “Tomorrow Is a Long Time” emerge as top tracks. He treats the Carnegie Hall sequence and that somber version of “The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll” as centerpiece moments, arguing these are among the best songs on Bootleg Series Vol. 18 because they show Dylan fully in command. The reviewer’s tone is admiring and granular, highlighting rare takes and live rarities as the best tracks for understanding Dylan’s metamorphosis.

Key Points

• The first live “Blowin’ in the Wind” stands out as the best track because it’s presented as fully formed from the start.
• The album’s strength is its granular archival detail showing Dylan’s rapid artistic development and performance evolution.

Themes