3 Great Bootleg Classic Rock Albums that Originally Were Unreleased

In the world of classic rock music, there are many great studio albums from the likes of The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Janis Joplin, and others. But throughout the course of music history there have been some albums that for a while were only available in the underground between bootleg traders and those with fuzzy copies.

Here below, we wanted to explore three such albums. A trio of records from big-name artists that almost didn’t see the light of day. But that thanks to technology, they are now readily available for all classic rock fans. Indeed, these are three great bootleg classic rock albums that originally were unreleased.

[RELATED: No Skips: 4 Classic Rock Albums You’ll Never Have to Fast-Forward]

The Complete Basement Tapes by Bob Dylan (2014)

Recorded in 1967, this collection was released in 1975 as a double record. But in 2014, every song recorded from the sessions was released and Dylan fans dove in headfirst. Featuring outtakes, covers, originals, and performances by The Band, the 2014 offering features well over 100 songs and can keep you entertained and exposed to Dylan’s genius (and silliness) for hours on end. Here below, you can check out the opening track from that spanning collection, “Edge of the Ocean.”

Live at Berkeley by The Jimi Hendrix Experience (2003)

This live album from Jimi Hendrix and his band was recorded at the Berkeley Community Theatre on May 30, 1970. However, it wasn’t formally released for more than 30 years after that. The set includes 12 tracks like “Stone Free,” “Hey Joe,” “Purple Haze,” and “Voodoo Child (Slight Return).” Billy Cox plays bass, Mitch Mitchell plays drums, and the band is on point for the show, which took place less than four months before Hendrix died on September 18, 1970. Check out the introduction from Hendrix for the show here below.

Live Nassau Coliseum ’76 by David Bowie (2010)

This 1976 live show from the British-born David Bowie took place at the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, New York. But it wasn’t released until 34 years later when it appeared on the deluxe edition of his 1976 album Station to Station, which itself was released in 2010. Later, the concert was reissued again as a standalone work in 2017. It features all-time classics from Bowie, including “Fame,” “Suffragette City,” “Changes,” and “Rebel Rebel.” Check out the opener, “Station to Station,” here below.

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