The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan

Important? Sure. Historical? Yes. Fun to listen to? No.

[strums guitar gently, starts singing] “How many Bob Dylan albums must a man endure, before he’s free of this god forsaken list? The answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind.” [abruptly stops strumming] …wait, no it’s not. Seven. The answer, my friend, is seven.

No. No Bob Dylan. I can't stand the sound of his voice, I can't stand the fawning hero worship, I can't stand his terrible paintings. I flatly refuse to even entertain the suggestion of listening to this. No.

i don't care if i sound shallow but this is one of the best albums of all time sure his lyrics are dense and it's kinda pompous but u just gotta roll wit it

Not my favourite Dylan album, but holds a lot of magic. So self-assured and pure. Hard Rain has been a huge influence. Don't Think Twice is one of my favourite love songs ever.

Another Dylan master class for his second album more blues and less folk, less biblical and some really profound lyrics when everyone else was singing about taking girls to discos. For a point of reference 1963 was the same year Cliff Richard released “summer holiday”. This is why Bobby D was a groundbreaking artist, maybe not the most technically gifted musician but his lyrics are more like poetry and will go down in history as great feats of English literature. In my opinion this album goes beyond music.

I honestly don't get the big deal with Bob Dylan. Bored the balls off me.

Really up my alley, don't know why I hadn't jumped into Bob Dylan's discography. That guitar strumming, that lyricism. His voice is full of emotion and carries the words so well. BUT? He sounds nasally as FUCK. An acquired taste that I have not entirely acquired.

Not my favorite of Dylan’s early all acoustic stuff (that would be The Times They Are A-Changin’) and a tad inconsistent, but “Blowin In The Wind,” “Girl From The North Country,” “Masters Of War,” “A Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall,” and “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right” are among the greatest songs ever written.

This is where Dylan began to establish himself as a serious songwriter and accidentally ended up changing songwriting itself. Starts incredibly strongly with the first three songs being absolutely timeless pillars of music that will last through the ages. It's almost as if Dylan was a human version of the monolith from "2001: A Space Odyssey" and everyone who came into contact with his music began to evolve after listening to it. He's still in the shadow of Woody Guthrie here when he wants to be, but at this point I think it's more to temper the sheer power that is pouring out of him with something more down to earth.

Bob turns up proper on his second album. Finger pointing protesting love/hate songs. This album sounds like it's going to be friendly with the finger picking acoustic and down home folky couple on the front, but it picks you up by the ear and kicks you in the balls. After that, if you still don't like it it means you haven't been paying attention. Best Tracks: Girl From The North Country; Don't Think Twice It's All Right; Talkin' World War 3 Blues

Here it is, finally! I'm not sure if this is my favorite Dylan album, but I knew it was only a matter of time until we got one that is a five star for me. This is easily one of my favorites from Bobby boy. It's that early, folksy style that I love, even veering into blues territory. There's a few classic bangers on here like "Blowin in the Wind" and "Don't Think Twice It's Alright," but the depth is extremely rewarding. I love the story-telling Dylan over acoustic guitar and some harmonica here and there, long before he expired. Take "Down the Highway" for example, just a long blues progression with a story and that repeated, lilting vocal inflection is just so addictive to me. He sounds like he's a thousand years old, like the mysterious man singing "O Death" in O Brother Where Art Thou. As much as I rag on Bob Dylan for some of his later stuff (I've given one of his albums a one star already), he's really an incredible songwriter and musician, and this album is one I will always champion. One of the best. Favorite tracks: Don't Think Twice It's Alright, Corinna Corinna, Down the Highway, Girl from the North Country, Talking World War III Blues, I Shall Be Free. Album art: One of his must unassuming. Of course I've seen it a million times, but it doesn't leave much of an impression. I like that humility. Is that Corinna he's walking with? Is she from the north country? 5/5

I can respect him as an artist. I think that Bob Dylan was a trailblazer for folk music, but personally it is not for me.

Difficult to actually hear as I know the album so well, for so many years. Struck by the skillful way he uses his voice - variety of accents, young/old, the rhythm, the poetry.

What if... this screeching is not harmonica but some entity that Bob Dylan came in contact with like in Saya no Uta. That thing just talks like that and he's the only one who can understand it. Aww, it's so cute, this little Lovecraftian monster is trying to help with the song! On a serious note, I don't want to be serious. It's like I'm given the same album three times already. I just can't generate a different response That being said, I think I'm warming up to this music, it was slightly more bearable again. This or the fact that I'm literally getting older

His voice infuriates me in an indescribable way

I think I've come to the conclusion that I prefer Dylan songs when someone other than Bobby sings them. Most of the time anyway. This has some lovely songs on it, but I'd really rather listen to, say, Peter, Paul and Mary sing them. Or Joan Baez. Or John Martyn. I'll draw the line at Clapton obviously, but there are lots of nice versions of a number of these songs that I'm very happy to listen to multiple times. Fwiw, Blowin' in the Wind might be the time when Dylan's is the better version. So, it was nice to listen to this to say that I have, but I doubt I'll ever put it on again.

Oh yeah, this feels iconic - you can definitely see how Dylan captured the zeitgeist of the times. Most of these songs could be dropped into the soundtrack of a scene and instantly paint a picture of 60s cultural tumult... Fave track - toss up between "A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall" and "Masters of War"

Oh, fuck this. This wasn’t nearly as bad as I thought it would be. Blowin’ in the Wind and Don’t Think Twice are truly fantastic songs. I suppose there is something to be said about a dude, a guitar and a harmonica being enough for a song. I didn’t really notice the lyrics and the ones I did weren’t particularly insightful, probably because I’m listening to this nearly 60 years later. Overall, I found it to be boring background music until the damn harmonica came in and steamrolled everything in the most annoying way. Like, Honey, Just Allow Me One More Chance is kind of fun until the fucking harmonica just BLARES. No desire to listen to this again. This album is for boring softies.

This is my first time listening to Bored Dylan and will likely be the last. I'm sure he's great if you really like folk music though

This man cannot sing!!

This is my 2nd least favourite genre (folk) and it shows with this review. 1 star

boring, same thing all the time, meh

Stone cold masterpiece and the apex of Bob Dylan's early folk protest singer phase. Any record that has "Blowin' in the Wind", "Girl from the North Country", "Masters of War", "A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall", "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right", and "Corrina, Corrina" in its tracklisting MUST be included in a list like this, even if the rest was made out of absolute duds. Luckily, the rest is not made out of duds, so ignore the usual grumblers complaining about Bob's voice and dive in. The words and stories are fascinating. The music is subtle and far more sophisticated than it seems, with some terrific harmonic moments. And once you get that, Dylan's vocal performance becomes perfect as well. I don't have enough time today to elaborate, sadly. But in a way, I *refuse* to elaborate. There's a very clear reason Bob Dylan became a cult figure -- in spite of himself, at first. And this album is exhibit A. for it. A lot of people telling you that he is overrated end up changing their minds at some point. I did. It's just that I didn't know what I was talking about before. So dive in as well if you haven't yet. And for those who may have questions about how I ended up changing my mind... Well indeed, the answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind. But if you end up loving this LP, you'll manage to catch said answer before it's out of your grasp. It's all up to you, really. 4.5/5 for the purposes of this list of essential albums. 9.5/10 for more general purposes (5 + 4.5) (a quick note about that grading: no album in my list of 20 records released in 1963 reaches a perfect mark. *The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan* is the best album of that year for me, followed by releases by Charles Mingus, The Beach Boys and the first two Beatles LPs. Anything beyond isn't really essential as far as albums go. So you have to put your head back then to picture what a shock for the audience this sort of album could be. Which is another good reason to include it here...) Number of albums left to review: 58 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 407 (including this one) Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 234 Albums from the list I won't include in mine: 302

How did he sound so old so young? I can understand why he walked a little back from the political content, as it’s so powerful that I imagine he had a lot of people trying to commission him for more, and outrage never runs dry. I enjoyed this a lot, and was surprised by how stirring the raw acoustic delivery was for me, as I’d only gone through the electric albums previously. The non-sequiturs work for me- “good car to drive/after a war” - presented as afterthoughts

although i don't think this is necessarily bob dylan at the height of his powers, this is a terrific album and one that shows essentially where he started from. maybe the most pure folk album he ever released (outside of his debut) and there is some terrific stuff on here. this album really showcases him as a pure folk singer, which i think is very important in his history, but in his relation to the evolution of popular music in the 20th century. if i can nitpick, not all of the songs are 10 out of 10 bangers, but most of them are great and there are some all-timers on here. safe to say, it's one of my favorites of his and an overall great album.

Me - "Poor predictable Bob, always takes harmonica." Dylan - "Good old harmonica, nothing beats that!"

Το άκουσα στο αυτοκίνητο οπότε δεν καταλάβαινα στίχους. Η μουσική ήταν μονότονη.

Amazing lyricist that should've been born mute

Nope. I can't bear an entire album of all-acoustic Dylan. Blonde on Blonde and the Basement Tapes are hard enough, but just him with his guitar and a harmonica going on and on like some lunatic busker? I just can't.

As boring as it is iconic

Bob Dylan does nothing for me, actually that’s not quite true. Bob Dylan makes me bored. Is it important? Sure I guess, enough people say it is but, no thanks

The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan is a genuinely brilliant record and one of the most important albums in popular music. As Bob Dylan’s second album, it feels looser, more human, and more grounded than his debut—leaning further into blues influences while stripping back some of the overtly biblical imagery. What really stands out is the storytelling. The songs are simple in structure but immense in meaning: poetry delivered with minimal accompaniment, where every lyric matters. This is a groundbreaking album precisely because of its restraint. There’s no excess here—just voice, guitar, harmonica, and words that changed what songwriting could be. It feels timeless, intimate, and quietly revolutionary. This album is more than just music; it’s a statement of intent and a masterclass in lyrical expression. Favourite tracks: Blowin’ in the Wind – one of my all-time favourite Dylan songs. Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right and I Shall Be Free are also right up there. Honestly, it’s hard to single anything out. Least favourite track: None. Every song earns its place. Album artwork: An iconic Dylan cover—effortlessly cool and perfectly matched to the album’s spirit.

The first album does tend to get overlooked and I think it is partly due to this being so good. A fast learner, he finds his voice as a performer and a song writer. Hard Rain/Masters of War/Blowing in the Wind and probably his first classic in Don't Think Twice which is simply a masterpiece in song writing. The whole thing hangs together as an "album" should. This is indeed something to listen to before you shuffle off this mortal coil.

Harmonicas rule

It’s all been said before, but my main praise is the scope: it’s thought-provoking, tender, brutal, hilarious, heartbreaking and more, all before you even flip to side two. I’ve been listening to this for 30 years now and it keeps on giving. A very early high watermark.

I was dating this Dutch girl, who always tried to prove to me that she was hip and ‘knew’ America by playing Freewheeling over and over. We took a roadtrip to Nashville, so I put on Nashville Skyline. She was like ‘what is this shit?’ I said, ‘it’s Bob Dylan.’ She said, ‘shut up, that isn’t Bob Dylan,’ then she turned off Nashville Skyline and threw Freewheeling back on. Usually, I prefer Nashville Skyline, but on that trip, I felt like Bob on the Freewheeling album cover (we did start our roadtrip from Greenwich Village) and she was that smiling, cozy girl on my arm. Hell, I didn’t care what we were listening to. Blowing in the Wind is no longer a Bob Dylan song. It’s an American folk song. It was the rallying cry for the sixties, and without it, we’d have no Beatles Revolver. We’d have no future eras of Dylan as he tried to reinvent himself to stay relevant (he’s had so many eras that watching Taylor Swift’s Eras tour is like watching a woman change clothes twenty times and then sound kind of the same on the next song). If you don’t like this album, too bad. It’s not going anywhere. It’s in everything that you listen to already. Try listening to Freewheeling forty times on a roadtrip, and the lyrics will begin to set with you. Then, a decade on, you can play it again and it’ll feel like a lost part of you returning. Just an idea for a project if you’ve got the time and an encouraging Dutch girlfriend. Dylan’s debut was a great album, but Freewheeling is a GREAT album. It’s a legend. Although Dylan went on to possibly greater heights, he never caught the ineffable ‘something’ that exists in Freewheeling again. It’s a monument of a time, a vibe, and an attitude.

Dylan’s second album is the first time this prolific songwriter really flexed his lyrical muscles. Every time I listen to this album I’m reminded of what a vivid and dynamic songwriter Dylan was. His social protest songs always get the most attention but here he also shows his ability to write romantic, whimsical and even humorous songs that still hold up after all these years. This is my favorite album of his and upon hitting play I’m always transported to a time in my youth when anything was possible and fall weather felt electric. This is the power of Bob Dylan and this is why I give this album 5 stars.

A long time ago, when I was younger and almost cool, I walked through Greenwich Village in the snow, with my arm around my beautiful girlfriend. I remember thinking, "Hey, this is the cover of that Dylan album." That was pretty great, I tell you.

Don't know what the fuck to say about this album. This is an album that stands completely out of time, and if you're not ready for it yet, you just need to be at that exact place in life where it enters in your life. Music that works like water, filling a deep hole. Or those videos of "things that fit perfectly into other things." You know the ones? With the golf balls? Basically I'm saying it's for a breakup. Put this shit on!! I've been there. Lot of us have been there. "She was once a true love of mine..." 5/5

Great

Classic early Dylan. definitely a good listen - if not every-day.

Every male be acting like this album cover come autumn/early winter.

How can a 21yo write "It's A Hard Rain.."? And include 4-5 other all-time classics on one album? Even the longer/less tuneful ones are very entertaining. Just incredible [EDIT: Mark, I hope you appreciated "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right", the motherlode of the "pedagogic goodbye" style]

Of the many white men in the sixties who are seen as visionaries because they had access to high fidelity recording equipment and intellectual property lawyers, Bob Dylan is Lebron. It's Woody Guthrie with most of the rough edges sanded down. Folk music with a stylist. And it's nice to listen to, serious but with a sense of humor, well paced and dynamic.

Nice, easy listening music from the 60s. A classic. I seldom listen to music before the 80s, so this was a unique listen for me. I came into it expecting to not really like it, as I don't often enjoy country music/whatever genre this is, but it was nice to hear something so warm, authentic, and acoustic for once. Not the best music I've ever heard, probably would not voluntarily go out of my way to listen to it again, but its good, and it's what I needed to hear today. 4/5 stars. Favourite song: Girl from the North Country

In 4th grade chorus, we sang a mash up of Blowin' in the Wind and My Country Tis of Thee and it actually went so hard I still think about it. I think it made me woke as a 9 year old for sure

A handful of recognizable hits as well as a handful of songs that sound like the recognizable hits. He’s less of a singer than a poet soliloquizing his thoughts with a guitar and harmonica. I like when he laughs mid-speak/song.

No. 91/1001 Blowin' in the Wind 5/5 Girl from the North Country 4/5 Masters of War 3/5 Down the Highway 2/5 Bob Dylan's Blues 3/5 A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall 4/5 Don't Think Twice, It's All Right 5/5 Bob Dylan's Dream 4/5 Oxford Town 3/5 Talkin' World War III Blues 3/5 Corrina, Corrina 4/5 Honey, Just Allow Me One More Chance 4/5 I Shall Be Free 3/5 Average: 3,62 This album showcases all the things I find good and bad about Dylan. Love the lyrics and songwriting on some songs. On others it feels like him rambling along to music.

Still so accurate

I think I enjoyed it but not so much due to its soft nature , I guess I am in a different mood but Bob Dylan is a great musician and a legend , I do love some of his songs <3

"How many roads must a man walk down before you can call him a man?” "Seven!" "No, Dad. It's a rhetorical question." "Rhetorical, eh? Eight!” Dylan is a hard pass for me. I get he’s a fantastic song writer tackling the big issues of the day, but these songs would be better sung be anyone else. I’m sure they would have still let him play his harmonica, but someone should have taken that mic out of his hand. Still gets 2 ⭐️ for his prolific lyrics, but buddy needed to take some singing lessons.

dadrock at its finest, thats why I can't recommend this to anyone except boomers

Normalerweise bin ich in diesem old school, tramp on train Folk super gern zu Gast, esse Bohnen aus der Pfanne, trinke Maisschnaps ausm Zinnbecher und lege meine zerzausten Gedanken auf einem Büschel Stroh zur Ruh‘ Aber dass die Größe dieses einzelnen Bobs das monumentale Genre der uramerikanischen Geschichten Erzähler überragen soll, kann ich nicht erkennen

I didn't even listen to this. Bob Dylan is the devil reincarnated and someone should have cut his vocal chords when they had the chance. Well, he sounds like they were already cut. No way anyone finds this mans music listenable...

passei o dia com frio me encolhendo exatamente como o Bob

One of my faves that stuck with me most of my early and mid 20s. The heaviness and sophistication of masters of war, hard rains gonna fall and don’t think twice sticks with me, some sweetness from girl from the north country and Corina Corina, along with some of the silliness of honey just allow me one more chance and I shall be free makes this an all around classic

Masterpiece

🥰

I loved it! A lot of clever lyrics and great melodies. My favorite line comes at the end of World War III blues.

Perfect for a cozy day

I knew this album already. Actually it’s one of my favorites and I own it on vinyl. Some of the greatest lyrics ever written (Masters of War, A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall) with incredible cascading fingerpicking (Girl From North Country, Don’t Think Twice). His at times heartbreaking lyricism is juxtaposed with a young ingenue’s sense of absurd humor, which doesn’t get discussed enough when it comes to Dylan’s early work.

I hesitated over whether this was a 4 or a 5 star album. Realistically it's about an 8.5-9/10. All time classic folk, with some occassional skips depending on mood but enough iconic songs to make it a 5 star.

Das zweite Studioalbum des US‑amerikanischen Singer‑Songwriters Bob Dylan wurde im Columbia Studio A in New York aufgenommen. Die Sessions fanden verteilt zwischen 1962 und 1963 statt und zeigen Dylan überwiegend solo mit Akustikgitarre und Mundharmonika. Musikalisch ist das Album klar im Folk verwurzelt, mit deutlichen Bezügen zu traditionellem Blues und Balladenformen. Inhaltlich rückt Dylan hier erstmals konsequent eigene Texte in den Mittelpunkt. Gesellschaftliche Fragen, persönliche Beobachtungen und politische Haltung stehen nebeneinander, ohne dramatische Inszenierung. Zu den besonders bekannten und stilprägenden Songs zählen „Blowin’ in the Wind“, „Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right“, „A Hard Rain’s a‑Gonna Fall“, „Masters of War“ und „Girl from the North Country“. Diese Stücke begründeten Dylans Ruf als eigenständiger Songwriter innerhalb der Folk‑Szene der frühen 1960er Jahre. Insgesamt wirkt das Album konzentriert, textorientiert und bewusst reduziert. Es markiert einen klaren Entwicklungsschritt weg vom reinen Traditionalisten hin zu einer persönlichen, unverwechselbaren Handschrift. Knappe Bewertung: Ein ruhiges, konsequentes Folk‑Album, das Dylans künstlerische Identität nachhaltig festigt.

Prachtig! Ik hou ervan!

Thank you list! I know there's lots of Dylan albums on the list, but this one's definitely essential. Other than a couple of songs, I hadn't heard it before. It's basically a guy with an acoustic guitar, singing about the American experience, much of which is sadly relatable 60+ years later. Liked Songs Added: Blowin' In The Wind Masters Of War A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall Don't Think Twice, It's All Right

An impressive album.

Definitely worthy to be on this list

Easy 5 stars. Contains some of the greatest songs ever written. Masters of War is still sadly relevant and the imagery in Hard Rain is still harrowing. Some nice love songs and humour too!

Bob Dylan is a master storyteller. The songs are both free and grounded, with a socially conscious edge that remains relevant. Track Highlights: Blowin’ in the Wind, Masters of War, Oxford Town, Talkin’ World War III Blues, Honey Just Allow Me One More Chance

I see why people are fans of Bob Dylan now.

5 a classic.

I love this album so much Perfect for melancholy walk under a cold blue sky

This was cool. Reminded me Of the movie. Now I want to go rewatch it.

Interesting that I never was a big fan of Bob Dylan, until I sat down and listened to an album througout and now I think I get it

always on that damn harmonica (ily bob)

This is the one that shot Dylan into legendhood. And it’s a good one. Dylan needs a few albums. This is one of them. I don’t think it’s his best but a lot of people do. Having said that Girl from the noerth country and masters of war are two of his greatest songs, both being at either end of his emotional range. And don’t think twice is how you handle a breakup. 5

There are surprisingly few albums on this list that are genuine all-time-classic must-hear records, but The Freewheeling Bob Dylan is one of them. Half a dozen classic tunes on Bob's best acoustic record. I think enough has been written about this record that I don't need to rehash the virtues of this album. Want to hear a really great cover of Masters of War? Check out Mark Arm (from Mudhoney) from his solo single 'The Freewheeling Mark Arm'. https://youtu.be/XivdOB4B-l8?si=lMrTSiUxyRzO9g1-

Day718 - i love this album and all these amazing songs and lyrics but individually i like the cover versions of blowin the wind (joan baez), masters of war (pearl jam), girl from the north country (johnny cash), a hard rains gonna fall (edie brickell)

perfect album

I believe this album highlights a turning point in music history. Dylan slowly becomes Dylan here as he begins to showcase his own talents. While there are still many tributes to his folky past, “Freewheelin’” introduced the poetic side of Bob Dylan to the world. I Shall be Free and Down the Highway are two tracks hidden within the greatness that I’ve always enjoyed. Ultimately I’m left torn between a 4 and a 5. Four stars because I don’t want to just give the highest rating based on the albums acclaimed prestige. Five stars because…well…because of this albums acclaimed prestige….

Bob at his best.

Amazing

Its deeper tan it seems to be

I haven't listened to this gem in a long time. All the songs are genius. I was surprised to read that the original album was supposed to include a rock'n'roll tune (Mixed Up Confusion) and some group songs, but Albert Grossman wanted to present Dylan as a solo guitar playing folkie. So, those tunes were left off. Still a great album, but I wish non-musician producers and managers would stop trying to shape the artists' image.

Love it

Classic

Classoc

love you bob 🫡

good album

So simple and brilliant lyrics.

ONE MONTH AFTER LISTENING TO BOB DYALLLAAAANNNNN!!!!!!! *harmonica intensifies*

Makes me think of cooking dinner on Sunday evening as our local NPR affiliate always had a folk show at that time. I'm not the biggest Dylan fan overall, but this is a great folk album. His voice is expressive, and the harmonica is at least kept under control. The five "hits" are some of the best folk songs ever written, so this gets five stars from me.

I never need to hear Blowin' in the Wind again in my live, maybe not A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall either. They are staggering songs, and the idea that Dylan was 22 when these songs were recorded is impossible to fathom, but I've heard them more than enough in my life. Those songs alone would maybe be enough to give this album 5 stars, but then there's also Girl From The North Country and Don't Think Twice Its All Right. I'll never tire of these ones, no matter how many times I hear them. Then there's Masters of War and Corrina, Corrina. Its also very funny. Bob Dylan's Blues, Bob Dylan's Dream, Talkin' World War III Blues, and I Shall Be Free are hilarious. 5 stars.

Generational bangers & one of the best albums of all time. Possibly the ultimate singer-songwriter album... at least on the Mt Rushmore. Iconic music & songs that are just as relevant over 60+ years later. Listening after seeing "A Complete Unknown" movie about Bob Dylan helped understand more of the backstory. I'd give more stars if they had them : )

How have I not listened yet? Amazing and excited for more bob

five or six absolute all-timers (out of 13) is enough for a five-star rating, right? Or maybe it's this: if more than one song on the record can almost bring me to tears. FIVE STARS

Ahead of me there are two men named Bob. I approach the younger one. ~~{*}~~ I remember there was a time where I'd be excited to get a Bob Dylan album. Y'know, back when I started this project, and I was so fresh-faced and innocent, a Bob Dylan album would pop up and I'd go, "Wow!" Because why shouldn't I? It's Bobby D! Ol' Robert Zimmerman! He's one of the greatest artists of all time (so I'd been told, so I'd accepted)! So many of his albums had shown up on the Rolling Stone 500! Why would I've had any reason to assume I wouldn't love these albums? And maybe in the beginning I did. I'm not saying I was lying to myself to reinforce the legends I'd been told about Dylan — but at a point, I had to start admitting things to myself. To begin with, I couldn't even begin to understand the lyrics. It seemed to me as if Big Important Critics™ called them some of the greatest of all time because they were so meaninglessly obtuse that you could apply any meaning to them, if you squinted at them hard enough. And with my AuDHD, I couldn't even **begin** to squint. And if you're not into the lyrics, the music itself wasn't going to do anything for you. Before he went electric, it was a lot of acoustic strumming and harmonica honking — nothing particularly interesting. Even when he went electric the music was still only there to support the lyrics, without many hooks. For my kind of brain, it just didn't do it for me. Eventually I had to break and put it all in words, which I did in my babble about the "Royal Albert Hall" concert. It's not like I'd had much luck outside of Dylan, either. I mean, if I can handle Dylan, what made me think I was gonna be able to tolerate Joni Mitchell? Or Leonard Cohen? These 60's folk singer-songwriters — pretty soon they all sounded like poets who thought they could pretend to be musicians just because they could play a few chords. And I did not come to music very often for poetry. Just the kind of person I am. So when the Randomizer™ pulled up 'The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan', there was a part of me that kind of groaned. Another Bob Dylan album — another collection of songs I wouldn't even begin to be able to parse. Another album where my review where I'll say the same shit as I have for 'Court & Spark' or 'Songs Of Leonard Cohen', except with a side of tryna grapple with how I've bought into the legend of Dylan despite never clicking with his music. Here we go again. And yet ... the strangest thing happened. When I put this album on, and once I got past its biggest hit ("Blowin' In The Wind"), I ... kind of felt like I was getting it, actually? I listened to a song like "Girl From North Country" and I actually got what Dylan was saying. It's written somewhat poetically, as I expected, but I can parse it out! This is incredible! This is amazing! But, wait, wait. I had to recognize: "Girl From North Country" is a love song. Of course I could understand it; love songs are never too difficult to decipher. I was sure that once I hit one of Dylan's "finger pointin' songs," "Masters Of War", I'd be right back to square one not understanding. Much to my amazement, though: I **did** get it! I got what he was talking about! And it felt **relevant**! Relevant to shit that was still happening all the way here in 2025! I could nod along to his words and go, "Damn, you're right." And it kept going like that! Song after song, I was actually making heads and tails of them. And every time I did, the music underneath them kept getting better, even if it was just acoustic strumming and harmonica honking. Surprisingly, when you get the words, the music can actually support and elevate them, and vice versa. I had to wonder, what was even going on here? What was **this album** doing that all of the others didn't? It's real simple, sis: this is Bob Dylan's second album. This was his first album of largely original material; his self-titled debut only had **two** written by him. As this is so early in his career, he's yet to grow into those more "incomprehensible purple prose-listic" tendencies that would go on to define his body of work. So while he **is** writingly poetically on this songs, it's not to the one where you'd need an English degree and a few thesis to even begin to parse them out. I suppose it helps as well that this album **was** from Dylan's "finger pointin'" song days, which, by their nature **need** to be a little direct. I think the ones my group had gotten previously had all come from after he'd stopped doing those. And it really is something to be so engaged with Dylan's words. I can tell you for sure that if I wasn't, if I'd had the reaction to this album I'd assumed I would, I would not have even had time for shit like "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall" or "Talkin' World War III Blues". Long songs about whatever the hell he's goin' on about ... I wouldn't've been able to stand it! But since his writing's a bit more direct, I can appreciate what each song is going for. Y'know, "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall" is about how the narrator's seen, heard and met so much awful in the world, yet he's still gonna go singin' his songs, even before he knows them. It can come across as repetitive across seven minutes, but I appreciate its build. And then in "Talkin' World War III Blues", I was just really taken by this concept where everyone is dreaming about being the only one to survive World War III, and being the last person left alive and all alone. And, jus', the part at the end where Dylan says, essentially, "I'll be in your dream if you be in mine" ... in the whole context, it got me. I'unno. (I wanna shout out the end of "I Shall Be Free", too. Like, it's just funny that the entire album concludes on, essentially, "I'm gonna make love to Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton's gonna be **pissed** at me." Also, there was something about dinosaurs before that? Good stuff.) It's nice, too, to be able to consider what a good player Dylan is. Sure, I don't think anyone would say he's a top 10 guitarist (or even harmonica blower), but ... I mean, I've gotta realize that I always **did** kind of like this sparse guitar-and-harmonica arrangement stuff. It gets me thinking that maybe the reason why I liked the parody "Royal Jelly" from the film 'Walk Hard' so much is because it allowed me to enjoy this sound without having to worry about the words "meant." (And it's still a good parody either way, but still.) I know I've said that speaking in terms of Dylan parodies I'd always reach for Weird Al's "Bob" first ... but maybe I'm actually more equal on the two than I'd thought. And you know an album's good when it's getting me to reconsider my opinions this hard. Now, I don't know what my enjoyment of this album will mean for the rest of Dylan's discography. Maybe it'll mean I'd enjoy 'Bringing It All Back Home' more, or maybe I'd understand its words even less. Similar goes for artists like Joni Mitchell or Leonard Cohen. I can't tell you. Those answers are off blowin' in the wind. But for at least this moment, here and now, it just feels good to truly like a Bob Dylan album — and one of his early ones at that. Here this, Robert Zimmerman: this is the third time I've made this reference, and the first time I've truly liked one of your strummin' and honkin' records, no strings attached. And, I'unno — it just makes me happy.

Even from album No. 2, you can tell there's something special about Mr. Dylan's songwriting and how it just absolutely dug into the 60's zeitgeist. Solid 5 Stars.

Alright, fine. It’s a 5. Yeah, I’m just as surprised at myself at this point. When we got “Highway 61 Revisited” as the 68th album in this whole thing, I wrote down that “there’s just something about Bob Dylan’s music that’ll probably stop me from giving him a 5, maybe ever”, and yet, here I am, giving the guy his third 5 in a row. I guess I’ve learned to appreciate Bob Dylan, although I do think there’s a pretty clear reason I said that back then, and it’s a reason that this album thankfully doesn’t lean into very often. It’s not confusingly verbose purple prose half the time. Much like “Time Out of Mind”, I’d say a lot of these are surprisingly straightforward, just with a little more of a flowery language meant to evoke clearer imagery, as opposed to the more enigmatic riddles of “Highway 61 Revisited” or “Bringing It All Back Home”. I don’t wanna go track by track, but there’s a great blend of progressive social commentary mixed in with some genuinely witty / biting lines for the era, in a way that makes the whole “voice of a generation” thing feel a lot more earned. He was, what, 21 or 22 when he wrote most of this album? It’s not that he’s espousing anything new, he’s just putting it into words in a way that probably felt more contemporary for the era, especially with the conversational tone he takes on a lot of these tracks. There’s a lot of great verses here, and frankly, it’s too many to note. I think it’s all very digestible though, and certainly far more understandable on a first pass than whatever the fuck “Ballad of a Thin Man” & "Desolation Row" are supposed to be about. It also helps that Bob Dylan’s presence here really is stripped down to its bare essentials: you get him, his voice (which feels shockingly controlled, melodic & genuinely good on a strong number of tracks), his guitar, and his harmonica. He can rip some damn good harmonica solos. It makes me sort of understand why the shift to a more electric soundscape on his later albums was met with some level of backlash. The conciseness of these tracks, & how present Bob Dylan feels as a narrator in them, letting the music act as more of a backing soundtrack for his delivery, all adds up to create a super effective style that lets the lyricism breathe out more. Going electric took away some of the focus on that lyricism, and I’m sure some people would’ve preferred for Bob to stay as a folksy, singing narrator as opposed to… well, a singer. Again, I don’t really wanna go track-by-track here; I think the lyricism is what sells the album decently well (though the instrumentals are pretty damn good), so a lot of this album’s enjoyment will boil down to how much you can digest those lines / the humor in some of them, as well as dealing with Bob’s vocals, which are thankfully, nowhere near as nasally here as I thought they’d be. He still can’t really hold a note, though. It is a product of its time and there are definitely some dated references that will go over a less informed head (specifically for some actresses / name brands / other singers & whatnot), but I’m lucky enough to have a big trivia base in my head that I understood a good chunk of it. To my ears, I still don’t think it’s as good as “Time Out of Mind”; I think the last 3 tracks lose a little bit of steam, with 2/3rds being covers, and the last one being just a little too silly to close out what had been a mostly serious album to that point. They’re all good tracks, mind you, they just feel out of place in the track order. It is close to being in the conversation though, which I’m surprised by. All of that said, it’s a 5. A well-earned 5 too. Good job, Bob. P.S.: “Blowin’ in the Wind” really is THAT good of a track. No wonder this is the album that made him famous.