Expecting Rain

Columbia/Sony rarely let a year pass without releasing anything new. So far there has been nothing this year (I do not count the "Brandeis" disc, because it first appeared in Oktober 2010), not even any rumours. Often they release something in the fall, with an official announcement made two months prior and rumours spread even earlier. But right now things have gone surprisingly quiet.

The following sets have apparently been under consideration at one time or another, but nothing is confirmed:
- Supper Club 1993 CD/DVD/BR
- 1975/1976 documentary DVD/BR (a "sequel" to the "No Direction Home" DVD set)
- The Complete Blonde On Blonde Sessions 1966 multi-CD set
- in the liner notes to "BS 8 – TTS" Sloman hinted at a possible release of the 1992 Chicago Sessions

Then there is of course always the possibility of a new studio album (which I would prefer over any retrospective release).

But there is also the big anniversary of "50 years on Columbia Records (ignoring one year on Asylum Records)" coming up (Dylan signed with Columbia in October 1961). Maybe Columbia/Sony will release something really big and obviously marketable like "The Complete Blonde On Blonde Sessions" to commemorate the anniversary and in order to piggy-back the promotion of the whole catalog on that iconic release. Somehow this feels like the most Sony-like scenario.

Another interesting fact is that in 2012 Dylan's first album will fall into the public domain (having been released 50 years ago) and any cheapo label will be able to release it. The same thing is already happening with all of the classic early Rock 'n' Roll albums (not to mention the even older blues stuff) and all of the jazz classics from the 1950s. The market is being flooded with cheap knock-offs of those LPs on labels like Doxy and Jazz Wax.

Can we be sure there is no way to protect the album(s)?

Fret not, my lovelies, if the artist is still alive, it automatically extends to 70 years copyright.

But Doxy has released stuff by Little Richard, who is still very much alive. I think the 70 year protection does not apply in all countries. Once you venture into the field of "public domain" you are in a legal grey zone. I think many of the "out of copyright" releases come from Russia and get imported into Europe, where they are "legal". The US is a different story. I hope Sony are going to fight that trend with all they have.

As stated above, I don't think there is cause for concern. In 1976 the Copyright Law changed to be "for the life of the author plus 70 years". In the late 90s, there was an extension of an additional 20 years. Granted, if an early copyright had already expired, this didn't change that fact, but it was retroactive for those that did not expire. That's just a brief synopsis, there is far more legal detail if one wants to delve into it.

i guess the official 50th anniversary (first album came out in 1962) will be next year. looks like they are probably holding off until then.

-justin

I'm sure there will be a release of some kind, since Dylan has released something every year for the most of the last 20 years. A lot of people have speculated that Chronicles vol 2 might be on its way, which might be why there's been no news yet. That said, it's hard to keep a book that secret.

Legal protection for recordings is a different issue to the legal protection for author's copyrights. The authorship of a book or a song tends to last for 70 years after the author's death - this is certainly true in the US and Europe. In the UK, copyright in recordings lapses after 50 years irrespective of whether the original performers are alive or not. There was a lot of fuss in the British media a couple of years ago because people like Cliff Richard were fighting to have the law changed. They will probably succeed sooner or later.

In the US, the situation is stricter. I don't know anything about this, only what I've gleaned from the internet, but it seems that recordings made prior to 1972 are protected until 2067. So I guess I know what I'm getting for my 97th birthday ...

Things have gone awfully quiet on all those books, too. Wasn't there talk of five books? "Chronicles 2", a book based on the radio show and more? Does anyone have information if a deal was indeed signed?



That's what I was talking about. That's why you have unauthorized releases on labels like Doxy etc. that are "legal" in Europe.

I thought that book deal was fake?

And I sure hope something gets released this year. Blonde on Blonde sessions would make me very happy

I'm pretty sure there won't be any official release this year - maybe with the exception of some promo featuring live tracks as a give-way in British record stores during the fall tour - something like the 'buy two of Bob's original album and get a free promo' at HMV like in 2000 and 2005

^^ this

It is very odd that we haven't heard any rumors as of yet, though. I would say that they would release another entry of the Bootleg Series, but they haven't EVER released two entries in back-to-back years. 2005 we got entry seven, 2008 entry eight, 2010 entry nine. That's not the greatest pattern. I don't think there will be an album of new material this soon. Could the only Bob-related project currently in the works for this year be the Hank Williams thing?

They did a major "30 years on Columbia" campaign in 1991. So maybe, just maybe there will be something this year for the 50th anniversary. If they wait until the spring they'll miss out on the Christmas business. If something like "The Complete Blonde On Blonde Sessions" is indeed on the cards, they could be aiming for an October release with an announcement in August. But, man, I would love to hear a new studio album from Bob and the ironclad rhythm section of Tony and George with Donnie on steel guitar and Charlie, Stu, Mike Campbell or David Hidalgo (or Harvey Mandel) on guitar.

Has that release been officially announced?

I think there were some behind the scene discussions about who has the purchase option on the rights. The publishing house that made the announcement of the five-book-deal may have jumped the gun.

I think you are right. I have reason to believe that next year will see re-releases of the back catalog in a hi def digital format as with Neil Young's catalog.

Yup.

And Sony will expect all of us who bought the Mono Box to buy the same stuff in yet another format.

The 80s re-releases have a sticker saying "NEVER SOUNDED BETTER".

The truth is that the original releases sound like they were meant to sound.

I am legitimately excited about the mysterious new format or formats coming out. There has been little word on it, but if we end up with a digital lossless format, then everyone wins except suckers that decided to get on the vinyl bandwagon.

I don't expect anything from Dylan every year, but I expect that his office can release something from the thousands of vault tapes at least one time a year.

It seems like a good year for a new official release: Dylan turned 70 and seems to be in great shape, 50th anniversary, bunch of possibilities from the back catalogue, even rumours about the next Chronicles.
It's almost tóó good a moment to release something.. which is why I predict nothing will happen at all this year. You know, expect the unexpected..

(But i would love to be proven wrong!)

This year Dylan is making four tours , so he hasn't much time for writing new stuff, recording and planning records. Maybe the next year...

Has anyone heard about a project with the working title Good as Vai Been to You? Supposedly, Bob has always wanted to do an instrumental album showing off his electric guitar chops

There's still a few month window left for Sony to announce/promote a new release, be it old or new material. I'd take anything right now. And even if we don't get a cd or dvd, maybe that six book deal will lead to a year end Chronicles II.

Christmas In The Heart Vol III featuring more holiday songs in the Yuletide spirit.

Do you think he'd ever throw in the gratuitous Hannukah song?