This page is part of Lonesome Sparrow's Web Site.
Contents of this page taken from the EDLIS site and Usenet.
Oh Mercy Outtakes
Subject: best boot of Oh Mercy outtakes?
From: Jeff (DrJibe@MSN.COM)
Date: 1996/01/10
[John Howells wrote:]
>> Could somebody tell what the best CD is of the Oh Mercy outtakes?
>> I've got "Have Mercy", and that's not very good.
>>
>> I hope there's a really good one out there!
>>
>
>I would go for "Deeds of Mercy". Excellent sound.
"Oh Mercy Outtakes" on Wanted Man Music is harsh sounding at the beginning and then later on.
From comparing track lists in Heylin:
"Oh Mercy Outtakes" has 2 takes of Ring the Bells while "Deeds of Mercy" has
1 take.
"Oh Mercy Outtakes" has 2 takes of Series of Dreams while "Deeds of Mercy" has only 3 takes. (one of these takes is on the Bootleg Series)
Subject: best boot of Oh Mercy outtakes?
From: Ben Taylor (bptaylor@laguna.demon.co.uk)
Date: 1996/01/10
In article <30F2F9E7.167E@sgi.com> howells@sgi.com "John Howells" writes:
> > Could somebody tell what the best CD is of the Oh Mercy outtakes?
> > I've got "Have Mercy", and that's not very good.
> >
> > I hope there's a really good one out there!
>
> I would go for "Deeds of Mercy". Excellent sound.
Worth noting that an upgrade on the source for Deeds Of Mercy is
circulating. I don't have it myself but what little I've heard
suggests that the improvement is not dramatic enough to render
the CD worthless. (I reserve the right to change my mind :-)
Someone commented that the Wanted Man version of the outtakes CD
has two of one take whereas Deeds of Mercy has just the one. Both CDs
present the *same* recording but treat the long gap during the
middle of the song in different ways. Wanted Man chose to present
it as two different versions. Corrections?
Deeds of Mercy is the best Oh Mercy outtakes bootleg CD available.
Ben Taylor
From: Ben Taylor (bptaylor@laguna.demon.co.uk)
Subject: Oh Mercy outtakes CDs comparison
Date: Sat, 28 Sep 1996 22:58:20 +0100
I am temporarily in possession of both "Oh Mercy" outtakes CDs, "Deeds
of Mercy" (Razors Edge label) and "Ring Them Bells" (Moonlight label)
and so I've decided to compare them in detail.
Incidentally, my understanding is that the other two outtakes CDs are
inferior and therefore not worth considering (plus I don't have
them :-). Maybe someone could confirm this? I believe the titles are "Oh
Mercy Outtakes" (Wanted Man label?) and "They Don't Deserve It" (?) but
I'm probably very wrong.
"Deeds of Mercy" (Deeds) was released some time in 1994 and represented
a significant improvement on the previously circulating copy of the "Oh
Mercy" outtakes. The superseded tape ran too fast and appeared to have
been very unsuccessfully 'improved' using a cheap graphic equalizer.
This year yet another bootleg disc appeared, "Ring Them Bells" (Bells).
This in turn appears to be an improvement on all that has gone before,
most notably Deeds. There is much reduced hiss, thereby making the
listening experience more pleasurable.
However, both Deeds and Bells have different track listings which makes
it difficult to say categorically, "if you have Deeds throw it away and
buy the new one". This article attempts to compare and contrast the
discs.
Notes:
Where the identical recording appears on both discs, as asterisk will be
used to denote the better quality copy.
The songs are presented in the same order as they appear on Oh Mercy,
with the extra songs listed at the end.
The track numbering (eg. Political World #1) has been arbitrarily
assigned by myself.
--
Deeds Bells
Political World #1 8
Political World #2 7 9*
All identical performances, identical mixes. Less hiss on Bells.
PW#1: faded out too early, omitting the last verse ("Everything's
her's or his").
PW#2: Quality marginally better than PW#1, and the last verse is
present. Bells has less hiss.
PW#1 must have been included in error because it is an inferior
(incomplete) duplicate of PW#2 and therefore a complete waste of
space, time, money, etc.
--
Deeds Bells
Everything is Broken 6 7*
Stereo channels are switched (reverb guitar is on the left
channel on Deeds and on the right channel on Bells). Less
hiss on Bells.
--
Deeds Bells
Ring them Bells #1 12 1*
Ring them Bells #2 14
Ring them Bells #3 16
RtB#1: rough mix of released version, without the reverb
electric guitar and no echo on the vocal. Contains a cut,
omitting the lines:
For the chosen few
Who would judge the many
When the game is through
Ring them bells
For the time that flies
For the child that cries
When innocence dies
The cut is more of a very brief gap on Deeds, but Bells have closed the
gap to make it a splice. The latter works better.
Deeds has much more hiss than Bells, and does something very naughty
indeed: repeats a verse that was not repeated on the original recording.
The last verse ("Ring them bells Saint Catherine...") is replayed on
Deeds, spliced so that it's easy not to notice. Note this is not Dylan
choosing to sing it again because the piano playing and the singing are
identical. I guess this was done because the cut had made the song much
shorter but in reality it is pretty pointless.
RtB#2: Same performance as RtB#1 (no reverb guitar) but the vocal has
echo applied to it. Starts at the beginning of the song but is cut after
the line, "Ring them bells so the world will know that God is one".
RtB#3: Identical to RtB#2 but cuts even earlier, on the line, "For it's
rush hour now, on the wheel and the plow".
I see no reason why RtB#3 has been included, since it appears merely to
be an incomplete copy of RtB#2.
--
Deeds Bells
Most of the Time #1 5 6*
Most of the Time #2 13 15*
MotT#1: different vocal to the released version. Contains some alternate
lyrics, for example, "Most of the time, I'm cool underneath/ Most of the
time I can keep it between my teeth". Bells has much less hiss. Stereo
channels are probably switched.
MotT#2: identical to the released version. Might be a rough mix, I can't
tell. Bells has significantly less hiss than Deeds.
--
Deeds Bells Commentary
What Good Am I? 4 5* Slightly less hiss on Bells.
Right and left channels switched: on Deeds the acoustic guitar is
on the left, on Bells it's on the right.
--
Deeds Bells
Disease of Conceit 11 13*
Appear to be identical performances. Deeds omits the count in
("two, three") and Bells has less hiss.
--
Deeds Bells
What Was it You Wanted? 14
This is a different performance to that on "Oh Mercy". Some
telling lyric differences confirm this. For example:
Oh Mercy: Deeds of Mercy:
You got my attention, I'm payin' attention
Go ahead, speak. Go ahead, you can speak
(If Bells had omitted the surplus duplicate "Political World #1"
it would have had room for this extra take.)
--
Deeds Bells Commentary
Shooting Star #1 1 2* Sings half of first line off mic
Shooting Star #2 10 12* Forgets words
SS#1: Bells has slightly less hiss. Deeds has an abbreviated
beginning, missing the count in ("two, three, go") and therefore
just clips the start of the song.
SS#2: Deeds omits the count in ("two, three"). Bells has less hiss.
Stereo channels switched.
-
Deeds Bells Commentary
God Knows #1 2 3*
God Knows #2 3 4* Echoey vocals, harmonica solo
(Both contain different lyrics to the "Under The Red Sky" version.)
-
Deeds Bells
Born in Time 8 10*
Stereo channels switched, and less hiss on Bells. (Different lyrics
to "Under The Red Sky" version)
--
Deeds Bells
Dignity 9 11*
Bells is in significantly better quality than Deeds due to reduced hiss.
(This vocal track later used for the officially released single, 1995).
--
Deeds Bells Commentary
Series of Dreams #1 15
Series of Dreams #2 16
Series of Dreams #3 17 CD promo version
SoD#1: Split second sound drop out just before the fade out. Quite a
bassy recording. Some lyric differences to the officially released
version.
SoD#2: Vocals clearer than SoD#1. Bass is lower in the mix and overall
sound is better. Lyric change: "In one numbers were burnin'".
SoD#3: CD promo version.
--
SUMMARY:
If one were to compile a 'best of' tape (or, indeed, a new bootleg
disc) using Deeds and Bells as the only sources, avoiding duplication,
the best track listing would be:
Deeds Bells
1. Political World 9
2. Everything is Broken 7
3. Ring them Bells #1 1
4. Ring them Bells #2 14
5. Most of the Time #1 6
6. Most of the Time #2 15
7. What Good Am I? 5
8. Disease of Conceit 13
9. What Was it You Wanted? 14
10. Shooting Star #1 2
11. Shooting Star #2 12
12. God Knows #1 3
13. God Knows #2 4
14. Born in Time 10
15. Dignity 11
16. Series of Dreams #1 15
17. Series of Dreams #2 16
18. Series of Dreams #3 17
Bells has less hiss and is therefore in better quality. Note that the
hiss has not been reduced artificially. The source tape for Bells
appears to be closer to the master tape than Deeds. The stereo channels
are switched, possibly for all songs, I don't know which channel set up
'correct'.
Clearly therefore, "Ring Them Bells" is the better disc.
Ben Taylor
--
Leeds, England
bptaylor@laguna.demon.co.uk
From: Jeff (DrJibe@MSN.COM)
Subject: Oh Mercy outtakes CDs comparison
Date: Mon, 30 Sep 1996 06:33:32 UT
>Date: Sat, 28 Sep 1996 22:58:20 +0100
>From: Ben Taylor
>Subject: Oh Mercy outtakes CDs comparison
>
>I am temporarily in possession of both "Oh Mercy" outtakes CDs, "Deeds
>of Mercy" (Razors Edge label) and "Ring Them Bells" (Moonlight label)
>and so I've decided to compare them in detail.
>
>Incidentally, my understanding is that the other two outtakes CDs are
>inferior and therefore not worth considering (plus I don't have
>them :-). Maybe someone could confirm this? I believe the titles are "Oh
>Mercy Outtakes" (Wanted Man label?) and "They Don't Deserve It" (?) but
>I'm probably very wrong.
"Oh Mercy Outtakes" on label Wanted Man Music does not have the exact same
track listing as "Ring Them Bells". "Oh Mercy Outtakes" has some harsh tracks and can be difficult to listen to depending on your equipment, which track, and individual tolerance. "Ring Them Bells" fortunately has much clearer sound and is significantly more enjoyable to listen to.
EDLIS Boot Advisory Agent
From: Ben Taylor (bptaylor@laguna.demon.co.uk)
Subject: Oh Mercy outtakes CDs comparison
Date: Sun, 29 Sep 1996 15:46:08 +0100
Some extra notes based on Phill Townsend's review of "Ring Them Bells"
in the current issue of Isis magazine:
> Deeds Bells
>
>Ring them Bells #1 12 1*
>Ring them Bells #2 14
>Ring them Bells #3 16
Phill reaches the same conclusion that these consist of "one complete
recording and two incomplete recordings of the same take" but adds "the
three tracks run at slightly different speeds".
He also makes a general comment that "...it seems a digital filter has
been employed to remove extraneous analogue tape hiss". Not having
access to the original circulating tapes it's difficult to verify this.
What is clear, however, is that "Ring Them Bells" used better
generational source than "Deeds of Mercy".
Thank you and goodnight.
Ben Taylor
From: Matthew Zuckerman (zook@GOL.COM)
Subject: Oh Mercy outtakes CDs comparison
Date: Tue, 1 Oct 1996 01:36:23 +0900
>"Deeds of Mercy" (Deeds) was released some time in 1994 and represented
>a significant improvement on the previously circulating copy of the "Oh
>Mercy" outtakes. The superseded tape ran too fast and appeared to have
>been very unsuccessfully 'improved' using a cheap graphic equalizer.
>
>This year yet another bootleg disc appeared, "Ring Them Bells" (Bells).
>This in turn appears to be an improvement on all that has gone before,
>most notably Deeds. There is much reduced hiss, thereby making the
>listening experience more pleasurable.
A matter of opinion. I had both, and gave them a careful listen -- Deeds of
Mercy definitely came out on top for me. Ring Them Bells definitely sounds
to have gone through the digital mill to take out the hiss and brighten the
sound, but the true presence of the music has been forfeited to a degree.
It's not at all bad, but I'd advise any analog fan to stick with Deeds.
Phill Townsend was of the same opinion, as was my wife -- and she has an
enviably good ear. Bob's voice in particular suffers on Bells, where the
metallic edge -- slight as it may be -- makes listening to more than a few
songs just a bit tiring.
As for the odd cut on the song Ring Them Bells, I think it's that the
original circulating tape have two incomplete takes of Bells, both of which
are assumed to be from the same performance. "Oh Mercy Outtakes" has them
listed as Take One and Take Two, Deeds of Mercy runs the two together as
they are on the tape, and Bells edits it neatly to make one complete song.
Only the Wanted Man disc seems wanting in this regard.
Matthew
Newsgroups: rec.music.dylan
Date: Sun, 30 Nov 1997 13:32:36 -0500
From: Paul Bullen
Subject: RING THEM BELLS 1CD classic, excellent sound Oh Mercy outtakes
From an (as of this point unanswered) inquiry I sent to the person I bought
this disc from: Perhaps someone else is familiar with it. Thanks.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>1989:
>RING THEM BELLS 1CD classic, excellent sound Oh Mercy outtakes [$]21
"The copy I bought from you opens with terrible quality: the sound is
slowed down and warbly. All the cuts of 'Ring them Bells' (the song) are
quite bad. Is this the way this disc normally is? Are there other boots of
this material which are not like this?"
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
--Paul B.
From: Ian Marshall
Newsgroups: rec.music.dylan
Subject: Re: RING THEM BELLS 1CD classic, excellent sound Oh Mercy outtakes
Date: 1 Dec 1997 11:05:32 GMT
Paul Bullen wrote:
>From an (as of this point unanswered) inquiry I sent to the person I bought
>this disc from: Perhaps someone else is familiar with it. Thanks.
>----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>1989:
>>RING THEM BELLS 1CD classic, excellent sound Oh Mercy outtakes
I wouldn't hesitate in describing this as excellent sound quality. I
think a comparison of the disks of Oh Mercy outtakes was posted
sometime back and rated cuts from this CD as the best quality, though
other discs feature Series of Dreams (which this does not).
ian
Newsgroups: rec.music.dylan
Date: Mon, 1 Dec 1997 20:58:10 -0500
From: Exiled on Main Street
Subject: RING THEM BELLS 1CD
From an (as of this point unanswered) inquiry I sent to the person I bought
this disc from: Perhaps someone else is familiar with it. Thanks.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>1989:
>RING THEM BELLS 1CD classic, excellent sound Oh Mercy outtakes [$]21
"The copy I bought from you opens with terrible quality: the sound is
slowed down and warbly. All the cuts of 'Ring them Bells' (the song) are
quite bad. Is this the way this disc normally is? Are there other boots of
this material which are not like this?"
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Unfortunately, pianos seem to bring out even the slightest hint of wow and
flutter in an analog deck, which is why it is more pronounced in the
recordings of Ring Them Bells than on the other tracks. Personally though,
it really doesnt bother me.While it is noticable, it isnt overpowering to
me and well, hey... it is a bootleg you know. :) I cant really tell you if
there are better sources of this material out there or not. While I have
not heard 'Deeds of Mercy', the general sentiment seems to be that RTB is a
couple of generations better quality-wase than DOM, but that both CDs
contain slightly different material.
-Tim
Newsgroups: rec.music.dylan
Date: Thu, 4 Dec 1997 10:41:44 -0500
From: Paul Bullen
Subject: RING THEM BELLS 1CD classic, excellent sound Oh Mercy outtakes
>Paul Bullen wrote:
>>From an (as of this point unanswered) inquiry I sent to the person I bought
>>this disc from: Perhaps someone else is familiar with it. Thanks.
>>----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>>1989:
>>>RING THEM BELLS 1CD classic, excellent sound Oh Mercy outtakes
>
>I wouldn't hesitate in describing this as excellent sound quality. I
>think a comparison of the disks of Oh Mercy outtakes was posted
>sometime back and rated cuts from this CD as the best quality, though
>other discs feature Series of Dreams (which this does not).
>ian [Ian Marshall ]
If you are right (and I hope you are) there seems to be a number of
pressings which have become corrupted somehow. The opening cut of "Ring
Them Bells" has possibly the worst quality of any Dylan recording I have,
with the exception of parts of Genuine Basement Tapes, vol. 5. The speed is
not even correct: it is noticably slow. The sound is warbly and not all
there. It would be possible to disagree as to whether the sound is -4 or
-5, but it would not be possible to mistake the sound for 'excellent'. The
person who sold me the disc checked two other copies he has and agree that
they are pretty bad too. So, it seems that it was not just my copy. From
what you say, it sounds as though there do exist good-sounding copies of
this same title, making getting a refund (exchange, actually) seem like a
better idea. If the quality on my disc is simply the best that is available
then I would happily keep it. Thanks for the feedback.
(I should mention, lest there be any doubt caused by the way I worded my
original inquiry, that there has never been any question about the honesty
of the person I bought the CD from, or his willingness to make an exchange
or refund.)
--Paul