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The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan

1963

Buy At Rough Trade
The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan
Album Summary

The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released on May 27, 1963 by Columbia Records. Whereas his self-titled debut album Bob Dylan had contained only two original songs, this album represented the beginning of Dylan's writing contemporary words to traditional melodies. Eleven of the thirteen songs on the album are Dylan's original compositions. It opens with "Blowin' in the Wind", which became an anthem of the 1960s, and an international hit for folk trio Peter, Paul and Mary soon after the release of the album. The album featured several other songs which came to be regarded as among Dylan's best compositions and classics of the 1960s folk scene: "Girl from the North Country", "Masters of War", "A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall" and "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right". Dylan's lyrics embraced news stories drawn from headlines about the Civil Rights Movement and he articulated anxieties about the fear of nuclear warfare. Balancing this political material were love songs, sometimes bitter and accusatory, and material that features surreal humor. Freewheelin' showcased Dylan's songwriting talent for the first time, propelling him to national and international fame. The success of the album and Dylan's subsequent recognition led to his being named as "Spokesman of a Generation", a label Dylan repudiated. The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan reached number 22 in the US (eventually going platinum), and became a number-one album in the UK in 1965. In 2003, the album was ranked number 97 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. In 2002, Freewheelin' was one of the first 50 recordings chosen by the Library of Congress to be added to the National Recording Registry.

Wikipedia

Rating

3.62

Votes

12149
Genres
Rock
Folk
Singer Songwriter

Reviews

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Fri Nov 26 2021
2

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

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Fri May 19 2023
2

[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, not it’s not. Seven. The answer, my friend, is seven.

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Mon Jan 03 2022
2

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

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Wed Jan 19 2022
1

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.

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Wed Jan 27 2021
5

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.

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Mon Mar 08 2021
5

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.

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Wed Sep 23 2020
4

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.

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Mon Apr 19 2021
5

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

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Thu Oct 05 2023
2

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

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Tue Jun 29 2021
5

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.

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Mon Nov 08 2021
5

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

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Fri Nov 12 2021
2

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

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Thu Jan 20 2022
2

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.

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Thu Mar 10 2022
2

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.

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Tue Nov 23 2021
5

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.

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Wed Nov 24 2021
5

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"

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Tue Jan 04 2022
5

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.

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Mon Apr 25 2022
5

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

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Tue Dec 19 2023
4

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

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Mon Jan 08 2024
4

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.

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Thu Feb 22 2024
3

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.

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Fri Jan 29 2021
2

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

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Wed Jan 13 2021
5

Great vibes, maybe good driving, good background, great sound quality, 87%

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Thu Jan 14 2021
5

Only got to half. But enjoyed it. Felt like maybe I was the wrong generation though.

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Wed Jan 13 2021
5

Heard before incredibly decent and fine

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Thu Feb 25 2021
5

Dylan's a great storyteller and now I wanna buy a harmonica, this Aussie gives it five Kanos from Mortal Kombat out of five.

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Wed Jan 13 2021
5

Classic album, I’ve heard most of it before. Girl from the north country w cash is better.

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Sat Jan 16 2021
5

Either the second or third song with the long harmonica

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Fri Jan 29 2021
5

All-time favourite. Everybody must listen to The Freewheelin'.

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Thu May 20 2021
5

Que disco tan agradable, lleno de canciones clásicas y de contenido poderoso. Cuando todavía no se le atoraba la nariz y todavía cantaba sin maullidos tan pronunciados; eso de entrada ayuda mucho. Las canciones perfectos ejemplos del rock folk más puro y bien hecho, melodías extraídas perfectamente del Mississippi, Pantanos y los Montes Apalaches con letras totalmente modernas para su tiempo, hablando desde mujeres, protesta, humor, derechos civiles, discursos políticos y hasta letras que a veces son demasiado perdidas en su propio mensaje y solo dejan confundido. Un álbum que no solo tiene la importancia de haber iniciado todo un movimiento y la carrera de quien (queriendo o no) fue un portavoz de una generación, sino que también ha envejecido con muchísima gracia y se sigue escuchando tremendamente bien. La amplitud de temas en las canciones, los cambios al cantar entre amores perdidos a sentimientos de verdadera devastación por la sociedad de su tiempo reflejan muy bien los tiempos tan difíciles y cambiantes que había. Tendría un detalle en que ciertas canciones se sienten de creación improvisada en su letra (p. ej. Bob Dylan's Blues) al punto en que no solo son difíciles de seguir, sino que a veces me dejan con una gran interrogación flotando arriba de la cabeza sobre qué trataban. Decir que es un disco excelente e importante se queda corto. Creo que sin duda es un disco que debería estar calificado al menos dentro de los 50 (si no es que 20) mejores discos de la historia. Sin banda, solo con una guitarra y una armónica es una postal perfecta de cómo era el mundo en ese momento y cómo estaba por cambiarse mucho en la manera de pensar y la trayectoria tanto de la música como de la sociedad.

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Fri Jan 22 2021
5

Poesía musicada. Espectacular

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Tue Feb 09 2021
5

Not my favourite album but it's classic Bob Dylan ffs 5/5

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Tue Feb 09 2021
5

Five all day long. Can understand those who don't like his voice but to write songs of the lyrical power of Masters of War; Hard Rain; BITW at what must have been 21/22 is mind-blowing. Impressive and depressing in equal measure.

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Sat Jun 26 2021
5

Can't say much about this one. Beautiful music

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Wed Mar 03 2021
5

My favourite Bob Dylan album, with my favourite track: Masters of War.

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Wed Mar 24 2021
5

Amazing album; Hard rains a comin, girl from the north country, and Bob Dylans blues among my favorites.

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Sat Apr 03 2021
5

Premium groß - vor allem hard rain

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Sat Mar 20 2021
5

Every song goes hard. One of my favourite albums.

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Sun Apr 04 2021
5

Possibly Bob Dylan's best album before he went electric and a personal favorite of mine. 9.4/10 Best Tracks: "Blowin' in the Wind" "Girl from the North Country" "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall" "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right" "Bob Dylan's Dream"

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Thu May 06 2021
5

Took a song or two to get used to his style, but once I did I love it.

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Wed Jun 09 2021
5

4th favorite Dylan album which still is a no-brainer 5 star choice. Even if the 2nd side is quite a bit weaker than side 1...that side 1; WOW

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Mon Aug 30 2021
5

27th August 2021 Was supposed to listen on Friday but had bad side effects from Covid jab the day before. Listened on Saturday morning while getting the house cleaned up before Gareth came round and watched Liverpool Chelsea. Dylan before the cycism set in. Beautiful, passionate and intelligent.

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Sat Sep 18 2021
5

Folk masterpiece. One of Dylan's best from the 60s. Some of the second half tracks are very... Dylan-y, perhaps too Dylan-y. 9/10 1. A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall 2. Don't Think Twice, It's All Right 3. Bob Dylan's Dream

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Fri Oct 01 2021
5

It is a 5, however there are some notes -we all know there is an inferior cover -is masters of war THAT good a song -don’t think twice and hard rain gonna fall are AMAZINg songs

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Sun Oct 03 2021
5

Classic. To carry 95 of the album with just a guitar is incredible. Everything is right; lyrics, melody, balance of ‘heavy’ to ‘light.’

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Wed Oct 06 2021
5

Quel Album incroyable. On dirait un album qui pourrait changer le monde ou du moins amener un peu de paix. C'est un classique des classique. Il n'y a pas de mauvais moment pour écouter cela . 5/5

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Sun Oct 10 2021
5

What artist fills this album? What poetry? Blowing in the Wind is a standard for the ages; Masters of War takes its place in the ranks of angry, powerful protest songs; Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right is a charming, elegant song; Corrina, Corrina a

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Tue Nov 09 2021
5

Love this album, really good early raw Dylan with a lot of classics, just him and his guitar

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Thu Nov 11 2021
5

This is one of the best albums ever made. His voice was really peak and the songs are of a cleverness and creative quality few artists match

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Mon Dec 13 2021
5

A masterpiece from, perhaps, the greatest song writer.

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Fri Dec 31 2021
5

Don't Think Twice, It's All Right remains a favorite for me

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Fri Jan 07 2022
5

Blues, folk and protest rock combine on this iconic album.

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Fri Jan 14 2022
5

Really good Dylan. Can't believe he was in his early 20s. 9/10

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Fri Jan 14 2022
5

9/10. I think this might be my favorite Bob Dylan album so far. It's nice to not have any ridiculously songs, and a lot of the songwriting here felt less rambley than many of his songs, though that's hard to quantify.

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Mon Jan 31 2022
5

Superb. Listened to it twice!

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Tue Feb 01 2022
5

So much warm and breadth from a voice and a guitar. His words are an orchestra.

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Wed Feb 02 2022
5

I don’t really have anything to say about this album that hasn’t been said by many people. It’s in the National Recording Registry in the Library of Congress, for Pete’s sake. There are better Dylan albums, but this is a better album than most artists will ever dream of making. It’s an important marker of the era in which it was made, but also a timeless work of art. Fave Songs (All songs from most to least favorite): Don't Think Twice, It's All Right; Girl from the North Country; Blowin' in the Wind; A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall; Masters of War; Corrina, Corrina; Bob Dylan's Dream, Talkin' World War III Blues, Honey, Just Allow Me One More Chance; Oxford Town, Down the Highway; I Shall Be Free

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Thu Feb 17 2022
5

The messages in the protest songs remain as strong as they did when the album was released.

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Mon Feb 21 2022
5

What an album! Banger after banger. I love Bob Dylan but this is especially fantastic

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Mon Feb 21 2022
5

Another album I already own on Vinyl, one of my favourites!

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Mon Feb 21 2022
5

What an album! Knew a Bob Dylan offering wouldn't disappoint .

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Thu Mar 03 2022
5

And so it did happen like it could have been foreseen The timeless explosion of fantasy's dream At the peak of the night, the king and the queen Tumbled all down into pieces - Ballad in Plain D (the other side of Bob Dylan)

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Tue Mar 29 2022
5

This Dylan album gives everyone something to love. Rock, folk, politics, swagger. All encompassed in incredible music sensibilities and outstanding lyrics. Just wow.

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Tue Apr 05 2022
5

This is obviously a landmark album. It’s not necessarily Dylan’s most enjoyable but the significance is undeniable.

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Mon Apr 11 2022
5

A great record! It's got two stellar break-up songs, "Blowin' in the Wind" is one of Dylan's most iconic songs, "Bob Dylan's Dream" is great but heartbreaking, and "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall" is epic, despite the limited instrumentation. At 50 minutes, it could have been a little shorter, but I personally don't think it overstays its welcome, even if I don't really like "Down the Highway" or "Bob Dylan's Blues" all that much.

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Sat Apr 23 2022
5

I'm not the greatest fan of Dylan and I'm not alone in thinking I should like him but don't. I appreciate how hugely influential he was at the time but he grates after a while and gets a bit samey and again I'm not alone in this. Maybe the issue lies with me being spoilt by 58 years of ever more technically advanced and innovative music since this and I'm comparing it on the same level? I mean it's like listening to a recording of Robert Johnson and saying "He can't sing and his guitar goes right through me". Some things deserve respect.

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Tue May 03 2022
5

This is where the mythologizing of Bob Dylan begins. In only fifty minutes, he conveys the spirit of an upcoming tidal wave of deep seated unrest, rebellion and questioning of authority figures and anointed deities. This album is just one of the cracks in the facade that was the conceived aura of the then-present, Bob's voice being the thundering sensation that roused the generation that venerated him. Essential listening.

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Thu May 12 2022
5

[Heard Before] (+) Girl From The North Country Masters of War Down the Highway Bob Dylan’s Blues A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right Bob Dylan’s Dream Talkin’ World War III Blues Corrina, Corrina (-)

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Fri May 13 2022
5

A poet and musician. Amazing album by one of the greats.

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Fri May 13 2022
5

Stone cold classic! As good today as it ever was.

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Sun May 29 2022
5

This is Bob at the height of his poetic social justice power. And it’s only his second album! He comes out swinging with Blowin’ In The Wind. The songs are beautiful and moving, the music is an emotional and endearing accompaniment. It’s flawless, an impactful listen every time.

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Sun Jun 05 2022
5

Couldn't really work out what to rate this. Obviously not his best album, but as his debut into songwriting this a very strong start. Immediate classics. Songs that helped define a mood that was brewing in the 60s. Pure folk, but with something special.

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Tue Jun 07 2022
5

A classic. My second five star album.

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Sat Jun 18 2022
5

Poesía musicada. Espectacular

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Tue Jul 05 2022
5

Moaning and droning to perfection.

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Mon Jul 11 2022
5

The master. So many great songs.

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Thu Jul 14 2022
5

Folk Dylan is the best Dylan. And where does a kid get song writing skills like that at so young? Outstanding record.

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