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Springtime in New York: The Bootleg Series, Vol. 16, 1980-1985 Image
Metascore
86

Universal acclaim - based on 10 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
8.6

Universal acclaim- based on 5 Ratings

  • Summary: The five-disc 16th release from from the singer-songwriter's Bootleg series features 54 previously unreleased tracks recorded between 1980 and 1985.
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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 10
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 10
  3. Negative: 0 out of 10
  1. 100
    Naturally, Dylan aficionados will likely view this once again as part of a holy grail, but even the casual collector may see the need to add this to their collection. Springtime In New York could be considered one of the richest seasons of all.
  2. Sep 22, 2021
    93
    Valuable as it is to be getting near-soundalike versions of so many of these tracks that strip away the ‘80s gloss, that’s only the smaller part of why “Springtime in New York” is a treasure trove.
  3. Sep 16, 2021
    90
    With Springtime in New York, Dylan and his archive custodians take on his most written-off period and re-write it, capturing its lost glory.
  4. Sep 16, 2021
    80
    The overwhelming amount of material — 54 unreleased songs total — proves that even at Dylan’s lowest point, he was still capable of writing great music, even if the best songs often didn’t wind up on his albums.
  5. Sep 16, 2021
    80
    What Volume 16 really demonstrates is that Dylan has a certain rock and folk comfort zone, and it was a mistake to ever push himself out of it. The most surprising treat is the sound of Dylan in fine voice warming up with cover versions of old favourites, including a soulful take of The Temptations’ I Wish It Would Rain, a steamy run through Elvis Presley’s Mystery Train with Ringo Starr on drums, and a slowed-down and heartfelt version of Neil Diamond’s Sweet Caroline.
  6. Sep 17, 2021
    80
    Whether Shot of Love warrants deeper appreciation now is debatable, but this box set wonderfully showcases Dylan's lengthy, complex creative journey that only got rockier as the decade wore on.
  7. Sep 17, 2021
    80
    Yet even as Volume 16 turns enervating from certain vantage points, the distinctive quality of the content ultimately renders omissions moot. ... The formatting and the content of Springtime in New York 1980-1985 thus mirrors Bob Dylan’s discography at large, especially in recent years. Accordingly, both fans and dilettantes will find it rewarding, though perhaps in ways neither demographic might expect.

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