This Bob Dylan rarity finally got its moment in the spotlight in True Detective.

      Bob Dylan consistently manages to astonish us. The new Bootleg Series box set, ‘Through The Open Window,’ is filled with treasures in a multi-disc compilation that chronicles his beginnings as a songwriter and performer. It starts with recordings from his high school band, transitions to his days in Greenwich Village folk clubs, and concludes with his rise as a significant cultural and commercial force.

      What stood out to CLASH while examining the box set was the sense of rapid artistic development at play—ideas emerge, are recorded, and then Dylan moves on, often leaving behind some unexpected gems on the cutting room floor.

      Take ‘Rocks And Gravel (Solid Road).’ This acoustic track, inspired by Dylan’s strong affinity for the blues, seems to have been written and recorded quickly, going through three takes where he experimented with the arrangement, altering keys and adding or removing a harmonica solo.

      When he brought it into the studio, ‘Rocks And Gravel (Solid Road)’ was among the songs recorded for Bob Dylan’s second album, ‘The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan,’ which would serve as his breakthrough.

      Unfortunately, the song itself was set aside and went unreleased in an official capacity for five decades.

      Remarkably, when ‘Rocks And Gravel (Solid Road)’ was finally released, it wasn’t part of the Bootleg Series or even a live version, but rather appeared in the official soundtrack for the TV series True Detective.

      Indeed, a version of the song features in Season One—without much fanfare, yet it leaves a significant impression.

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      One notable aspect of this version is the full-band arrangement, a style Dylan would not revisit until his single ‘Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window.’ Additionally, some lyrics here—as noted by other observers—reappear in Dylan’s electric period masterpiece ‘It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry.’

      The rendition included in the new box set, ‘Through The Open Window,’ is solo and aligns more closely with the style seen in ‘The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan’—it's bare and showcases the fundamental essence of the song, alongside a notably powerful performance.

      A daring piece of songwriting, ‘Rocks And Gravel (Solid Road)’ highlights the speed with which Bob Dylan wielded his pen and the many sources of inspiration he was tapping into during the 60s.