(1970) CBS label. Original UK release 2 LP set with original gatefold jacket.  The reviews of this album are horrible.  Skewering and savage trying to answer the question “What was Bob thinking when he released this?”  To me the answer is probably not that complicated:  many of these tracks are prior unreleased material.  Some are covers.  All of them reflect the total artist– hello? Self Portrait.  Critics want to pigeonhole artists, keep them this or that.  There is no way Dylan would make their jobs that easy.  Above that, Dylan is freewheeling– he has always been an artist that follows and does what he wants– without living up to expectations.  I think that’s it.

Side 1

1. All The Tired Horses  (3:12)
2. Alberta #1  (2:57)
3. I Forgot More Than You’ll Ever Know  (2:23)
4. Days of 49  (5:27)
5. Early Morning’ Rain  (3:34)
6. In Search Of Little Sadie  (2:27)

Side 2

1. Let It Be Me  (3:00)
2. Little Sadie  (2:00)
3. Boogie Woogie  (2:06)
4. Belle Isle  (2:30)
5. Living The Blues  (2:42)
6. Like A Rolling Stone  (5:18)

Side 3

1. Copper Kettle (3:34)
2. Gotta Travel On  (3:08)
3. Blue Moon  (2:29)
4. The Boxer  (2:48)
5. The Mighty Quinn ( Quinn The Eskimo)  (2:48)
6. Take Me As I Am  (3:08)

Side 4

1. Take A Message To Mary  (2:46)
2. It Hurts Me Too  (3:15)
3. Minstrel Boy  (3:32)
4. She Belongs To Me  (2:43)
5. Wigwam  (3:09)
6. Alberta #2  (3:12)

I can’t conclude my Dylan posts without mentioning I saw Bob Dylan in concert in 1988 for the Never Ending Tour.  This was my first encounter with Dylanphiles.  These are the folks that would make it very hard for me to be famous.  Their fanaticism was so rabid.  I really just kept staring around me bug eyed.  I had never seen anything like it– especially since the show itself was terrible.  The sound mix was awful and Dylan’s stage presence was a big flip of the bird to the audience.  Never talked between numbers, didn’t acknowledge we were even out there– many times singing with his back to us.  And the Dylanphiles just ate it up.