1970’s Self Portrait goes down in history as Bob Dylan’s least understood album; but in truth there wasn’t much to understand: It was nothing more or less than a relaxed country/folk/blues set, complete with rough takes, instrumentals, relaxed goofs and at least one joke (the trashing of Simon & Garfunkel’s “The Boxer”). The big question at the time was why Dylan, barely out of his prophet phase, would want to make such a record.

The latest Bootleg Series answers that question by putting the Portrait outtakes together with those from Dylan’s previous album (Nashville Skyline) and his next one (New Morning). Taken together, these sessions become a phase that makes sense: Like it or not, Dylan was human and had gone as close to the edge as he was able to get. So for once he did what everybody else in the late ’60s was doing, known as “going back to the country to get your head together.”

Just as rambling as the original, this alternate Portrait offers raw takes of released tunes (note the gallows humor in “Little Sadie,” oft covered by the Radiators), a few that were lost to history (his version of Eric Anderson’s “Thirsty Boots” is as nice as “The Boxer” was nasty) and a few stray gems. Once again the oddest moments are the Isle of Wight tracks with The Band, who’ve turned into a shambling country outfit after practically inventing punk rock on the “Royal Albert Hall” recordings. Prime discovery here is “Working on a Guru”, a one-take blues (with George Harrison on guitar) laughing at the idea that gurus ever really come along. It’s the best explanation of this period you’re ever going to get.