The Bootleg Series, Vol. 17: Fragments - Time Out of Mind Sessions 1996-1997
by Bob Dylan
  • Record Label: Legacy
  • Release Date: Jan 27, 2023
User Score
8.8

Universal acclaim- based on 6 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 6
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 6
  3. Negative: 0 out of 6
Buy Now
Buy on

Review this album

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. Cinematekjunkee
    Feb 1, 2023
    10
    There is no other album in my musical journey that has had an impact deeply as Time Out of Mind did back in 2013 when I first listened to it. I was going through a very dark period in my life and the only form of joy was coming from listening to this sonically complex and lyrically raw album.

    Tracks such as Lovesick and Make you feel my love still ring in my head. I love this bootleg    There is no other album in my musical journey that has had an impact deeply as Time Out of Mind did back in 2013 when I first listened to it. I was going through a very dark period in my life and the only form of joy was coming from listening to this sonically complex and lyrically raw album.

    Tracks such as Lovesick and Make you feel my love still ring in my head. I love this bootleg series that invokes a feeling of joyful revision of a true masterpiece.    … Expand
  2. Outsideleft23
    Feb 18, 2023
    10
    Although it's impossible (and extremely foolish), to select one Dylan album as his definitive best, I'll settle for it just being my favourite. What 'Fragments' shows is that despite its protracted creation these songs were worth fighting over, they are the ones that mark a new chapter in Dylan's writing.

    If there was one criticism frequently levelled at ‘Time Out of Mind’ upon    Although it's impossible (and extremely foolish), to select one Dylan album as his definitive best, I'll settle for it just being my favourite. What 'Fragments' shows is that despite its protracted creation these songs were worth fighting over, they are the ones that mark a new chapter in Dylan's writing.

    If there was one criticism frequently levelled at ‘Time Out of Mind’ upon release it was that Daniel Lanois’ production was a little too smooth for a supposedly blues-inspired record. t appears that Dylan wasn’t that in awe of the finished product either (I won’t go into the accounts of how Lanois and Dylan fought during the creation of the record – you can read that elsewhere), and thus the first disc of ‘Fragments’ is not only a new remix of the entire album, but Lanois’ production credits have also been quietly removed. Those amends are subtle but effective, Dylan’s voice feels crisper, you can identify the individual instruments of the stellar ensemble of musicians. Although you may strain to hear some of the alterations, the clearness of the new mix of ‘Can’t Wait’ reveals a gritty and, yes, bluesy song it is. The new mix of the aforementioned ‘Not Dark Yet’ may be the most striking of all the new versions, although the de-hazed ‘Make You Feel My Love’ seems unfinished in its new state.

    Full review available at www.outsideleft.com    … Expand

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
87

Universal acclaim - based on 13 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 13
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 13
  3. Negative: 0 out of 13
  1. Under The Radar
    Mar 22, 2023
    90
    It showcases the entire process and in doing so furthers one’s appreciation of a work of art that is so consequential as it already is. Along with a book of essays and ephemera to further instruct and illuminate, Fragments is as essential to the Dylan catalog as Time Out of Mind itself.
    Read full review
  2. American Songwriter
    Feb 8, 2023
    90
    The Fragments box set offers enough weight and return to justify its weighty price tag. The remastered version of the original album is simply stunning, bringing clarity to the source material that wasn’t as evident before. So too, while repeated versions of certain songs may sometimes seem redundant, they are well in keeping with any Dylan devotee’s desire to peer well below the surface while gathering clues as to the germination of Dylan’s genius.
    Read full review
  3. Classic Rock Magazine
    Feb 1, 2023
    80
    Michael Brauer’s interpretation – same songs, different mix – alters the texture of familiar songs like Love Sick, the spectral Cold Irons Bound and Make You Feel My Love, now something of a standard thanks to Adele, Michael Bublé and, er, Nick Knowles. ... The live pieces are more informative, with songs performed between 1998 and 2001.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »