The Bootleg Series No 9 – The Witmark Demos: 1962- 1964 Columbia ****

Aside from, possibly, the back catalogue of The Beatles, the songs of Bob Dylan have been squinted at and analysed more intensively than any others in pop music. It is testament to their enduring eloquence, wit and insight that much of Dylan’s early-late 1960s material remains such a puzzle – he really was a young buck adept at mastering all manner of traditional songwriting idioms, reflexively adding new words that dazzled as much as confused the listener. This addition in the Bootleg series takes a pile of Dylan’s demo recordings, which are often rudimentary, in-progress versions of what would later be heard on various albums. While many well-known songs here contain more than a germ of genius, it’s the lesser-known material that makes you feel you’re in the presence of someone who ripped up the rule book and threw it away. See bobdylan.com

Download tracks: Tomorrow Is a Long Time, Only a Hobo, I'll Keep It With Mine