Well, it was difficult to track down in Perth, but Rhona managed to order it online. I didn't have it on my birthday, but that just added nicely to the anticip...ation! The beautiful box came to our door last Monday and I've been very slowly working my way through it.
I already have several Dylan albums, but I have lots of gaps. I'm pretty familiar with his output in the sixties, and anything post Time Out Of Mind (1997). I'm looking forward to listening to them in the order they were released, filling in the blind spots as I go. I'm three albums in and so far most of the songs have consisted of just Dylan's voice, guitar and occasional harmonica. There are only a few tracks that feature other musicians. The last of his first three albums, The Times They Are A-Changin', starts to close the door on his protest and folk period. By the time the album was released in January 1964, he'd already started to move on to ballads and more introspective work. It wouldn't be long until he went electric! And would play with a band!
I've wiped my iPod clean of nearly all Dylan, except for his Greatest Hits, Vol. II, which ain't going nowhere! As listen to each album (minimum of twice all the way through), I look through the replicated liner notes and scan through Wikipedia and Allmusic to get info and trivial tidbits. Then I add the album to my iPod...he he he, ready for the general population! I've gotten into a bad habit of ripping CDs and putting them on my iPod without listening to them. I just hope that the odd track will turn up in a shuffle or something. Pretty lazy really. No more! I need to make the effort to listen to albums in their entirety. I'll still shuffle-y it up, but all things in moderation, huh?
So far, here's where I'm at:
1. BOB DYLAN (1962) - 18/2
I'd not heard his debut before, except for Song To Woody, which was included on the wonderful 3CD compilation Masterpieces. I was quite struck by how growly and shouty he got on some tracks and also enjoyed his arrangements of traditional folk numbers like The House Of The Rising Sun, In My Time Of Dying and Man Of Constant Sorrow. Aside from Song To Woody, the only other Dylan original is Talkin' New York, which chronicles his first experiences in NYC. I hold that as one of the highlights.
2. THE FREEWHEELIN' BOB DYLAN (1963) - 19/2
I've owned this album for a few years now, and it's one of my favourites. It contains quite a few classic tracks including A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall, Girl From The North Country, Blowin' In The Wind, and Don't Think Twice, It's All Right. I really like his treatment of Corrina, Corrina (hey, a band!) and his update of Honey, Just Allow Me One More Chance is great as well. Unlike his debut, almost the entire album is made up of original material. Dylan was starting to have a major impact throughout the world with songs like Masters Of War echoing the protests of many. It was this album that earned him the title of the "spokesman of his generation". The cover artwork featuring Dylan walking down the street with his then-girlfriend Suze Rotolo is now quite iconic.
3. THE TIMES THEY ARE A-CHANGIN' (1964) - 24/2
Again, I've been familiar with this album for a while too, but I'm not as fond of as his sophomore. It has some excellent material, the title track still as relevant today as it ever was, but it's a fairly bleak affair. One music critic at the time referred to the record as Masters Of War turned into a concept album. The instrumentation is fairly basic again, but songs like With God On Our Side, When The Ship Comes In and One Too Many Mornings make for engaging listening. Even Boots Of Spanish Leather (which utilises the melody of Girl From The Northern Country almost exactly, which was itself also borrowed from an old folk tune) remains captivating too.
Okay, onto Another Side Of Bob Dylan, which was his first album to seriously veer away from social commentary.
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