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Skipping Reels of Rhyme
Bob Dylan's Unreleased Tapes
Last update: November 29, 2005

This is an attempt to document all of the circulating tapes known to be in existence. I believe I have heard every one of these tapes, but there may be a reference to an occasional item here and there that I have yet to hear. The views expressed here are my own subjective opinions on the quality of these tapes and performances, and the work herein is intended to be an overview of all the material that's currently available and is certainly not definitive.

In addition to comments about sound and performance quailty, I also try to indicate on which CDs and LPs this material is available. More and more of this material is becoming available on CD, and when I originally started this project some years ago, there were relatively few CDs of this nature in existence and most of the unreleased material was available on vinyl, a sadly disappearing medium. Therefore, my information about CD releases is no doubt incomplete. This is an ongoing project. Many of the items listed below have not been completed yet. Those that are completed may have missing or incorrect information. In particular, I would like to know of any CDs or LPs that I haven't mentioned. If you have more information on any of these items, please drop me a line.

Please note that at this time I have only listed tapes up to 1975. There are two reasons for doing this. First, Dylan's life after 1975 became very hectic and he began to tour frequently, thus providing an overwhelming number of tapes. It is not my intention to discuss each and every concert tape individually, so I will just talk about each tour separately and describe in greater detail what I consider to be the highlights. Secondly, although I will continue to describe all studio and other non-tour tapes individually, I would like to wait until I've finished with the pre-1975 years first. So, for now, if you see items missing from the end of the list it's not because I don't know about them, it's just that I haven't gotten around to listing them yet!

Please note that I do not sell bootlegs, so please don't ask me where you can get these tapes, or the vinyl or CD boots mentioned in these pages. I will not answer any mail concerning these matters.

John Howells