The Bootleg Series Vol. 11: The Basement Tapes Raw, is a two-disc version of highlights from the new 6CD Complete deluxe edition, and has been compiled from meticulously restored original tapes – many found only recently – this is the definitive chronicle of Bob Dylan's legendary 1967 recording sessions with members of his touring ensemble who would later achieve their own fame as The Band.
Among Bob Dylan's many cultural milestones, the legendary Basement Tapes have long fascinated and enticed successive generations of musicians, fans and cultural critics alike. Having transformed music and culture during the early 1960s, Dylan reached unparalleled heights across 1965 and 1966 through the release of three historic albums, the groundbreaking watershed single "Like A Rolling Stone," a controversial and legendary 'electric' performance at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival and wildly polarizing tours of the United States, Europe and the United Kingdom. Dylan's mercurial rise and prodigious outpouring of work during that decade came to an abrupt halt in July 1966 when he was reported to have been in a serious motorcycle accident in upstate New York.
Over the years, the songs on The Basement Tapes have haunted and perplexed fans, with the recordings themselves representing a Holy Grail for Dylanologists.