Bob Dylan and The Band - The Basement Tapes - Hybrid SACD

As part of its Bob Dylan catalog restoration series, Fidelity is thoroughly humbled to have the privilege of mastering the iconic LP from the original master tapes and making it available on Hybrid SACD.

The end result is the very finest, most transparent digital edition of The Basement Tapes ever produced. Inimitable, the particulars of The Basement Tapes — especially, the gather-‘round-in-a-huddle assembly of the instrumentalists, home-made character, domestic vibe, and low-volume nature of the recordings-come to fore here in a manner that takes the listener down the stairs at 2188 Stoll Road and brings the images of Dylan, Rick Danko, Robbie Robertson, and Co. to life.

Fresh off experiencing a motorcycle accident and the wrath of audiences hostile to his embrace of amplified music, Dylan elected to retreat to the comforts of rural and family life. He soon began collaborating with members of The Band in his house, ultimately moving the sessions to Big Pink. Informal, peaceful, relaxed, open-minded: The collaborations blanket country stomps, roots hootenannies, forgotten spirituals, earthy originals, chaotic marches, dreamscapes, dance tunes, folk laments and catch-as-you-can improvisations.

The Basement Tapes' capacity to remain so gloriously honest and timeless — performances that genuinely could've been made today, ten years from now, or back in the 1930s — helps account for their emotional resonance and unsurpassed reputation as a snapshot of how unencumbered American music, and art with deep historical roots and connective cultural tissues, is supposed to sound.

Mobile Fidelity's reissue squares away the late-night bleariness, jovial atmosphere, low-ceiling dimensions, and ensemble-based perspective of the sessions, allowing the listener to become Hamlet, the dog who slept nearby Dylan, Robertson, and Co. as it all went down. This is not to be missed. This Hybrid SACD plays in both CD and SACD players, as well as all SACD-compatible DVD players.