The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan

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A masterpiece

A couple of years ago, I had to travel to California for work. Even though I was flying into San Francisco, I just HAD to stop off in New York. I’d never been before and had to rectify that. It's a city that's a backdrop to so many important cultural landmarks in movies, TV, literature and music. One of the biggest being Greenwich Village for The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan. It was July during a heatwave, so it was uncomfortably hot and humid. The air was too hot and sticky to use the subway. It was so sweaty that you had to wear towels under your armpits and carry a spare shirt. But it was worth the discomfort and loss of fluids, just to be able to wander around Greenwich Village in Zimmerman’s footsteps. Loitering outside Cafe Wha?, where Dylan played some of these songs back in ‘63. Strolling along the middle of the road on Jones Street, where that iconic album cover was shot with Dylan and Suze Rotolo, linked arm-in-arm in what looked like the definition of the word “Fall”. Everywhere I looked was the shadow of The Freewheelin’ Dylan. Beats, Bob, Battlestar Gallactica. He may not have liked being labeled by the media as the spokesman of a generation, but how could he not be? He's such an amazing songwriter, that his lyrics articulated and captured the thoughts and vibe of a place and time so perfectly, it was impossible for people not to connect with. Dylan brought an intellectualism to folk music on this album. He was essentially writing beats poetry set to reworked traditional folk melodies. His compositions were somehow both accessible and complex at the same time. He was confrontational, but also sardonically funny. “Blowin’ in the Wind” is an example of how structure, in its simplest question-and-answer form, can be so effective at delivering a message. “Masters of War” is still unfortunately just as relevant and powerful today in 2026, as it was sixty-three years ago when it was written. Lines like “you hide in your mansions as young people's blood flows out of their bodies and into the mud” hit hard. The verses in “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall” take as long as they need to, before they resolve with the refrain. People never talk about how good a guitarist Bob was. I'm yet to hear a single person (besides Dylan) play “Blowin' in the Wind” correctly. He managed to make his single acoustic guitar sound like a full band. The playing in “Girl From the North Country” and “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right” is fantastic. Finger-pickin’ good. The latter of those two is my favourite Dylan song, and one of my all-time favourite songs in general. “Down the Highway” is a criminally underrated tune. With a real folky blues feel, and a very weird tempo and structure, it had me fascinated when I first heard it. While his harmonica playing might be rough and ready, it works so well with the rough edges of his voice and guitar. It became an iconic sound that Dylan fully owned. Dylan's half spoken, half sung, politically-charged lyrics didn't come out of nowhere. He's possibly the greatest songwriter of all time, so that has a lot to do with it. But everything about this album feels fully interlinked with Greenwich Village and New York. The beat poetry, the art scene, the music, and the outspoken political views that were wafting through the air of the cafés and bars of this area shaped Dylan and his writing on this album. How many roads must a man walk down? Well, the subway was too hot to handle. So, it took many humid, hot roads for this sweaty man to walk down just to share the same space Bob Dylan did around the time he was writing these songs.

Probably my favourite album.

Some of the best songs ever written and also some songs where he imagines calling the president to tell him what European actresses he wants to fuck. Flawless.

Very good 👍

Caro is wrong! This is not the best Bob Dylan album. But Caro is also right though! This is the best Bob Dylan album. And I just BLEW your MIND. 21 year old Bob writing Blowin in the Wind might be proof of the divine. He has said himself in numerous interviews that he felt like something was "writing through him". Once I drove all the way to Cape May instead of Philadelphia (from NYC) bc I was trying to memorize the lyrics to A Hard Rain's Going to Fall. Cape May is not really near Philadelphia. The point this music consumes you if you have ears to hear. There's a reason people get REALLY into Dylan. The songs are so rich and resilient. I love political Bob, silly Bob, romantic Bob, bitter Bob, visionary Bob, song thief Bob. All are present here. The album that launched 1000 bands! The Beatles listened to this record obsessively. It'll never be my favorite Bob but it's definitely top 10 which is pretty high considering how many albums he has. All the stars.

The best Dylan album. I refuse to elaborate

Love it.

Beste Bob Dylan album vind ik… nog mooi gezongen 😅, super mooie teksten enzo… sober, maar super mooi

These are some of my favorite songs from one of my favorite artists. A true classic and re-listening to them in album form may have moved this up my internal ranking of Dylan albums.

al princio su voz me saturaba mucho, parecía un pendejo de mierda insoportable, ahora hasta adoptó su postura de invierno para caminar

music is love

Peak Bob Dylan

An album full of some great Dylan tunes. No reason not to give it full marks.

game changer for sure. not my favorite Dylan album, but hard to ignore how far he knocked it out of the park and laid the groundwork for so much music to follow.

What an album. It's so weird that this guy's a Nobel laureate. The nature of that award is for a writer's entire oeuvre, so even the minor songs become Nobel-winning works here. There's a story about "Blowin' in the Wind" where Dylan's performing it, and a soldier in the crowd asks, a little saltily, who is this guy butchering that Peter, Paul, and Mary song. The soldier is told that the guy up there is the one who wrote it, and the soldier shuts up and listens in awe. "Girl from the North Country" just comes straight out of the soil of the cold Midwest winter. While a lot of this album is preoccupied with a specific post-war moment, this song seems to be out of the previous century. The guitar and melody would be used again to equal effect for "Boots of Spanish Leather." "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall" and "Don't Think Twice, It's Alright" is an all-time one-two punch, and "Talking World War III Blues" is existentially funny. I was going back and forth between a 4 and 5, but it won me over at the last minute.

Timeless classic 10/10

Loved every song. Gives me memories of childhood camping trips and the long drive back home listening to my mum's CDs

Favorite dylan

Sheer, unqualified perfection. I think that if I was (and I concede this is unlikely) forced at gunpoint to say which is better out of this and Highway 61, I'd maybe plump for this. They're both perfect, of course, but I think that Freewheelin' is slightly more evocative of a period of Dylan where he's simply the coolest guy alive, and it has more of the Woody influence that really gets me going. By 65, he's still miles ahead of the competition, but he's arguably playing the same game. Anyway, enough! Comparison is the thief of joy, so let's just talk about this on its own merits. Blowing In The Wind is totally and utterly iconic, one of the handful of songs that will still be here and as essential in thousands of years, once the seas have risen up and overtaken us. For that to start side one, and still be outdone by Don't Think Twice, the opener to side two is quite something. Throughout the whole album, the vibe is immaculate, and the fact this is 63 years old doesn't dim its light at all.

Just as there is “the early Beatles” and “the later Beatles,” there is early and later Dylan. Early Dylan is his folk era, and Later Dylan begins when he famously “goes electric.” And like the Beatles, the progress occurs at such a fast clip. “Freewheelin’” is only Bob Dylan’s second album, released in 1963. By 1965 he would release “Bringing It All Back Home” and (greatest of all) “Highway 61 Revisited.” He was incredibly influential, and the 60s (Beatles included) would not be the same without Bob Dylan’s artistic, lyrical, and political guidance. 5/5 for the album that contains “Blown’ 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 some nice deep cuts.

For all of its spare musical production, over-the-top folk lyrics, and gravelly and raspy voice, you have the foundation for nearly all subsequent artists of merit in the 2nd half of the 20th century and beyond. It may not be many people's cup of tea, but the influence is undeniable. Brilliant and Bold, this album is amazing and a must listen for anyone who loves music.

Great album

I first heard this record in about 1990, having spotted it on a neighbour’s shelf together with Another Side of Bob Dylan. I borrowed both of them. I’d never really listened to Dylan. Of course I’d half-heard some of his famous songs but I always considered them a bit clunky. The Times They Are A-Changing really grated on me for example. I borrowed these albums as I wanted to understand why he was so revered. And suddenly, I really did! Listening to The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan right through as a single piece helped place it in context. You could tell he was referencing real issues, actual people, events of the moment. And he could be funny about it as well as incisive. I totally got why he caused such a sensation when this album (and the other early ones) was new and fresh. It’s also a kind of ‘required reading’ if you’re interested in music because you so often hear bits of it alluded to in other artists’ work.

Plenty of classics on here, and the deeper cuts are also great

Poetry.

oh hell yeah old dylan

I think this may be my favourite Bob Dylan album so far. His voice and the instrumentals all fit together very well. Typically, I don't find folk falls on my ears well, so there was times with this album where I didn't enjoy listening as much, but I very much enjoyed having this on overall.

Stone cold classic. Woke up a generation and pushed the Beatles lyrically. What more can one ask for from an album?

Nice

What can I say? This is an absolute classic of songwriting. Loved it throughout.

10/10 The first few notes of Blowin' in the Wind are all it takes to let out a comforting sigh and know you're in for 50 minutes of greatness. This is Dylan at his most essential: an artist whose lyrics and music carry everything in lieu of a traditional singing voice. And yet there's something about that voice that puts more feeling into words than most singers could dream of. The highlights here are towering. Masters of War pairs a relentless, unresolved guitar drone with some of the sharpest protest lyrics ever written. Girl from the North Country paints images so vivid you feel transported. A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall and Don't Think Twice, It's All Right are back-to-back proof that Dylan is at his absolute best when he feels passionately about what he's singing. This is an album that makes it impossible to have on in the background. You fixate. The lighter tracks provide welcome breathing room rather than filler. Bob Dylan's Blues is a fun satirical tonal shift, Oxford Town is punchy and deceptively casual in its protest, and Honey, Just Allow Me One More Chance radiates the joy of the recording session. Even the weaker moments (Down the Highway, Talkin' World War III Blues) are still good by any normal standard. The easiest possible 5/5. Best track: Blowin' in the Wind Will I revisit?: Obviously.

its just beautiful

good

Seems like a timeless album. With lyrics that ring true even today.

Muy bonito y sentido, un clásico

Day 241 I’m still too intimidated to even attempt his entire back catalogue but this list has made me realise how much I like Dylan, like Johnny Cash or the American version of the Office, take me ages to get through it all. Highlights Masters of War World war 3 Blues

Dylan poet and prophet, still as relevant today

If you are a Dylan fan like me this album is fantastic. So many classic songs

me gustó mucho. buen opening

Bob Dylan's music is usually so poetically phrased and articulately spoken to the point where I wonder, how a human can even write some of these lines?

Ah geez turns out I do love me some Dylan. Anti-war is uhhhh, shockingly relevant again now. Notables: - Blowin’ in the Wind - Masters of War - Down the Highway - Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right

An incredibly influential album filled with equally incredible songs. Dylan’s vocals, guitar, and harmonica are a joy to listen to. I especially like the moment in The Beatles Anthology when they discuss his impact on their work: Paul: “He was our idol.” Ringo: “Bob was our hero.” George: “Mmm, not an idol.”

One of the best albums of the century.

Magnificent

Love

My favourite Bob Dylan album, singing along whilst taking my afternoon walk - spot on🤩

Am a Dylan fan. Love his sound, just great music that travels through time as is good anytime you listen to him.

Immense influence pour moi.

The Bard!!! Enfin! Là où tout a commencé. Une oeuvre incroyable pour un garçon de 20-21 ans. Avec déjà ses célèbres phrases qui ont marqué la culture du 20 le siècle et feront de lui un prix Nobel 5 décennies plus tard ('I'm bound to get lucky, Lord I'm bound to die tryin' 'I'll let you be in my dream if I can be in yours') Je pourrais parler de Dylan des heures mais ce qui me marque ici, c'est son talent pour aller puiser dans le folklore en le réinventant (Scarborough Fair vs North Country Girl) et d'avoir accès à un Dylan pre-super-stardom. Mon idole en grande partie parce qu'il a su se préserver en partiellement de la mégalomanie en se créant un mythe et une persona qui a toujours su adroitement dévier les journalistes en riant cyniquement avec eux. Une paranoïa peut-être inculqué par son agent de l'époque (Grossman, avec qui il aura des disputes pécuniaires plus tard) l'a peut-être préservé.

ENFIN BOB! Non mais on l'attendais tu assez. Un 5 sur 5 naturellement. J'aime beaucoup sa voix mi chantée, mi parlée. L'instrumentation simplifiée avec principalement guitare et harmonica. Un classique et on comprend pourquoi. Cover 5/5 tellement Iconique. Bon le pichou avec une belle femme à son bras. Habillés avec un style idéniable et indémodé. La belle Westphalia en arrière! Wow.

Really enjoyed this, always any time I listen to it. I rarely listen to the entire thing front to back, so that was a nice change. Don't think twice its alright maybe be in my 10 favorite songs all time and I learned a new one this listen. Oxford Town.

Probably mijn favorite Dylan album, en daarmee een van mijn favoriete albums period

Ég er ekki svo mikill minimalisti að ég fíli þessar einföldu folk-útsetningar per se, en lögin eru mörg svo sterk að maður tekur ekkert eftir þeim. Og þrátt fyrir að Bryan Ferry eigi bestu útgáfuna af A hard rain's a-gonna fall þá er þessi plata fimma.

Iconic music, iconic cover,

One of the most important albums ever. Just look at that wikipedia page! Every song has an in depth description. I loved the album, even that loud ass harmonica

Æ e generelt positivt nøytral til det her albumet, men så e «Don't Think Twice, It's All Right» her, og den e ganske høyt oppe på lista over sanger æ elske, om enn ikke nødvendigvis i originalversjonen*, så det må jo nesten bli fem stjerner av sånt, all den tid en klassiker e en klassiker. __ * æ vet folk hate coverversjoner, men æ e ikke folk

Some of these songs are incredibly relevant today. Bob can't sing but he can sure write and get a message across.

Nearly perfect album - this is one of the greats. If you need to know if you'll like Dylan, test this one out with a spin.

Exceptional, one of his great albums. How quickly he got up to speed considering this was 1963! A classic.

Okay what an album to start with! One of my favorite artists of all time and one of my favorite projects of his. I’m excited to do a small track by track commentary, so let’s get started! Track 1: Blowin in the Wind A classic. Perfect song! So influential, so important, such a wonderful protest song. It remains so incredibly relevant. Simple yet so effective. Track 2: Girl from the North Country One of my favorite Dylan songs maybe. It feels so intimate and delicate. It’s one of my favorite harmonica performances of his also. Track 3: Masters of War Man he could write a protest anthem. “While the death count gets higher, you hide in your mansion, while the young peoples’ blood flows out of their bodies, and is buried in the mud” Once again, unfortunately incredibly relevant to America’s current hellish political landscape. Fuck war, fuck billionaires, and fuck Donald Trump. Track 4: Down the Highway This one I’ve always really enjoyed, so clearly wearing Woody Guthrie on his sleeve here. The guitar licks present each strum as so genuine, so tangible. I can picture his playing, which is what the tune calls for. Wonderful. Track 5: Bob Dylan’s Blues A fun one. Feels like I just hopped on a train car. “Tell the judge I said it was all right” is such a great line. Track 6: A Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall God, how does someone write something this good? It’s what I think about every time I hear this song. We’re getting into more poetic territories here. So many standout lines. The idea that each was seen as the starts of several different songs. “I’ve stepped in the middle of seven sad forests” “I heard ten-thousand whispering and nobody listening” “And I’ll tell it and speak it and think it and breathe it, and reflect from the mountain so all souls can see it, and I’ll stand on the ocean until I start sinking, but I’ll know my song well before I start singing.” It’s perfect. Track 7: Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right There’s not much I can really say about this one. I sound like a broken record, but it’s just perfect (although I will say I think I slightly prefer the Joan Baez version). Track 8: Bob Dylan’s Dream A sneakily very sad song. I can’t listen to the words too closely or I’ll cry. About the preciousness of friendship and the memories we cling to of moments we can never get back. A bit gut wrenching. Track 9: Oxford Town Song written about James Meredith, a black student accepted into the University’s of Mississippi in 1962, and the subsequent racist acts committed against him. Potent, necessary, and important. Track 10: Talkin World War III Blues Discusses the red scare and its absurdity in American culture through a Woody Guthrie-esque track that he clearly had a lot of fun making. Track 11: Corrina, Corrina Probably my least favorite off the album, but good nonetheless. It’s a sweet track. Track 12: Honey, Just Allow Me One More Chance His vocal performance in this one is just so fun. Hootin and holler-in a crazy amount. Really enjoy the instrumentation with this one also. Track 13: I Shall Be Free “She’s a man-eater, meat-grinder, bad loser” “She’s a humdinger, folk singer” My favorite moments of the song just because of his inflection. Rewrite of a Lead Belly song with some of Dylan’s funniest lines across his discography. Always a good time. So glad I was able to just sit back tonihht and listen to this whole thing for the thousandth time. It’s one of my favorites, and I’m so glad to start my 1001 albums journey with an album so special to me :)

Obviously a five

Is there a more compelling artist with just an acoustic guitar (and occasionally harmonica)? Still fixated on Blood on the Tracks but will have this in the rotation for a while.

Bob Dylan is obviously a great songwriter but I've noticed most of his best songs are just essentially calling some girl a bitch. Blowin in the wind definitely hits different when we're bombing Iran though. Timeless. Also loved I shall be free

I gotta be in the mood for Dylan - not always - but this is his best stuff.

The stripped back music, just voice, guitar and harmonica force you to focus on the lyrics and they still resonate hard decades later. An amazing album

top 3 - Masters of War, Down The Highway, Corrina, Corrina. Pretty good, have listened to it before. I will always love the harmonica!

“You fasten all the triggers For the others to fire Then you sit back and watch When the death count gets higher You hide in your mansion While the young people's blood Flows out of their bodies And is buried in the mud” Listening to 50 minutes of 60-year-old protest music in March 2026 amidst all that is going on in the world is somewhat surreal. We look back on songs such as “Blowin’ in the Wind” and “Masters of War” doe-eyed and remember them as important works of art that spoke truth to power. Then we open our phones and see that on the whim of one man a country has been flattened and thousands have been displaced, maimed, or killed. In that moment you realise that, whilst these songs are beautiful, you can speak truth to power all you want, but making it listen is another matter. Bob Dylan would go from strength to strength for the better part of two decades following this now iconic debut. He defined and reinvented Folk music more times than most people have even touched an instrument. You can easily hear how “Freewheelin’” was an exceptional platform for him to propel that legacy from. This is a collection of politically conscious Folk songs which is unrivalled outside Dylan’s own discography. I only wish that as a people we had learned more from the messaging.

Continuing my reckoning of why I don’t love this legend – starting off with Blowin in the Wind is inspired; what an incredible song that works on so many levels, easily at home at a protest march and a school assembly. I really like Masters of War and Hard Rains a- gonna Fall is my particular favourite. Perhaps it’s the harmonica? I’m blaming the harmonica. Giving it 5 STARS because it’s so magnificent, even if I don’t really care.

Album 6 3/6/26 My first Dylan of the project! I have previously listened to everything from the debut to Nashville Skyline, but only a few from the 70s on. I consider myself a Dylan fan, and a major fan of this album, even though as a generalization I prefer electric blues to acoustic folk. My question going into the listen was just how many 5s Bob Dylan created, and where exactly this album stands within his catalog. Another generalization about my listening is that for better or for worse I'm usually not focused on lyrics, especially on first time listens. But I know a lot of these songs well, and the stripped down nature of the album pushes the lyrical content to the front of my mind. Masters of War is the hardest hitting social commentary of any Dylan song for me, and the other top tracks are Blowin in the Wind and A Hard Rain's a Gonna Fall. I have a soft spot for I Shall be Free for it's humor, and also for Talking WWIII Blues especially the quotation at the end. A few years ago I may not have been ready to give a nearly completely acoustic album a 5, but I think this will go well on my album wall. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Absolute classic that rewrote the rules for writing music

I still think he’s a chode, but man this is great.

Que puedo decir de este álbum? Es transgresor, poético, definitivo para el folk… como vergas escribió todo esto Dylan a los 21 años? Amo todas las canciones en este álbum, pero mi favorita es Girl From The North Country. Por? Cualquiera que alguna vez haya amado o todavía ame a alguien y se pregunte por cómo está y si se preguntan por uno lo entenderá. Posdata: mi objetivo de vida amorosa es algún día recrear esa foto de portada (ya sea literal una foto nuestra o por también caminar abrazados en el frío) con esa persona especial

hay dos que tres rolas que me dan un poco igual, y aunque no sea mi favorito de dylan, pue que sea el que tenga más canciones que podrían estar en el top de sus clásicos más clásicos, como la mitad del disco es monumental. o igual es que oía mucho a peter paul y mary de peque con mi mamá jsjsjs ah, me han salido varios reels de gente quejándose así de que bob dylan pionero del harsh noise con su pinche armónica culera. y al chile voy a decir, skill issue banda, no le saben. el final de girl from the north country con esa nota tenida es de las cosas más bonitas y emotivas en que me han reventado el tímpano

Orgasmic harmonica, save me please, can you hear me???????

<333

Simply incredible This is one of of the few albums so far that really feels like a must listen.

Always love Bob

I don't spend much time listening to Bob, but this is a great album from the start to the finish. My only complaint is that he is so popular that many of the tracks have been overplayed. But hearing it as a single album does bring a bit of freshness to it. The major flaw on this album is the guitar distinctly to the right, the voice dead center and the harmonica way to the left. I flipped it to play mono and it was much better, although that created some artifacts. Anyway, great album.

Peak, perfect Dylan. All my favorites on one album. I listened all weekend

This one hit right this morning on my morning commute. Heard Bob around the house a lot as my mom was a huge fan. Gonna give it 4.5/5 which round up to 5.

Blowin’ In The Wind has got to be like a Top 10 All Time song easily for me. This whole album is really just great. I think if we had half stars this would be a 4.5, but I enjoy it so much it’s a 5 for me here.

NOBEL

Straight and sharp. I don't know what I'm supposed to add about Bob Dylan, but the writing is clear and cutting and engaging even with just a guitar and his nasally voice. His timing and delivery are unique, still fun to listen to and shows a range from serious and poetic to goofy. Don't think twice is probably the song I've played most on guitar Highlights: Girl from the North Country, A Hard Rain, Don't Think Twice It's Alright,

Álbum muito fixe não sei muito que dizer mas curti bué e certamente voltarei a ouvir

This was awesome, as always from Bob Dylan. So inventive, so fun to listen to, so much good simple, down-home-sounding music. I know artists like Woody Guthrie and Peter, Paul & Mary were around beforehand, but Bob Dylan really created so much of what is the folk sound and it's all over this album. I listened to it twice and loved every minute of it. Five stars.

Bob Dylan from someone who isnt a big fan but has seen the movie incoming. I have only heard two other bob dylan album. I think for this challenge too. This is a clear 5/5 when they base other media off of your album you’ve made it. This is full of spirit and life through its lyrics and guitar. The harmonica is so so so iconic in these tracks. Don’t think twice is my favorite I used to listen to a cover not knowing it was a cover and now I love the original

Bob Dylan's second album but it really is his first album to showcase his immense songwriting talents. Some of his greatest songs are on this album. The cover is a classic. In a coat he borrowed from James Dean. The greatest songwriter of the 20th century. And I love his voice. You don't have to sound like Barbra Streisand to convey feeling.

- some of you just don't understand what it is to make art; make something from yourself that IS yours. Nobody else did it. Of course one draws from our history, from others in our lives, from the masters but, it's yours and you know it. If you've not done this, of course you won't understand. I get it. and ..... you just want to be entertained .... but, this record is art. Bitching about how Bob's voice annoys you will never take that truth away from his output. It struck me how much closer to blues this record is. I liked that; he's clearly listening. It gets an undisputed 5 just on the merits of "Girl from the North Country", "Blowin' in the Wind" and "Don't Think Twice it's Alright".

Dylan has better but its nice

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Absolut klassiker. Ett framtungt album. Första hälften av spåren är den ena klassikern efter den andra. 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. Andra hälften är mer anonym och drar ner betyget till en 4a. Dock är det ett riktigt bra album. *Ändrade mig, andra hälften blir bättre med lite tid. Klart det ska ha en 5a

Paved the way for a generation of folk singers.

The classics are classic for a reason. No one puts metaphors and similes together like this dumdum. Really the Shakespeare of Folk Rock.

A better folk album the world has never knowed.

(100/100)

Favorite Song: Masters of War

4.5 rounded up. Lot of hits on here. Not much of a dip in quality on the other songs.

Apotheotic

I've loved this album since I was far too young to understand it. I remember stealing the LP from my dad's collection and listening to it through big 1980s headphones while staring at the cover photo, wondering about the people on the cover and the cityscape behind them, wishing I could be there. This album sounds like home to me, but also like the deep need to leave home behind. One of Dylan's finest.

One of those rare masterpiece albums

Album 281 and my third from Bob Dylan. The other two have gotten four star ratings as I have always liked and admired his work, but have never been a huge fan. This was my first of his early non-electric records, and I'm pretty certain I've never listened to it before. I am not one who generally loves folk music, but I was hoping with it being Bob Dylan this might be different. It started off great with Blowin' in the Wind. Of course it's a song everyone knows, and one we actually sang in elementary school chorus (I had a very cool music teacher who had us sing Dylan, The Beatles, Simon & Garfunkel to name a few). Other standouts were Masters of War, A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall, Don't Think Twice, Talkin' World War III Blues, and Corrina Corrina. There were no songs I didn't enjoy at least in part, and I really liked the dark humor in a lot of his lyrics. I felt confident I'd enjoy listening to this today, but I didn't expect to like it as much as I did.

One of Dylan's best albums. A timeless classic.

Beautiful ballads - deceptively simple. Wish I had this talent at his age!

Little did they know that he was going to get so much freakier... Highlights: "Girl from the North Country", "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall", "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right", "Oxford Town", "Corrina, Corrina"

Just love him, the poet and the craziness, Can’t help it!

My top 3: Girl from the north country A hard rain's a-gonna fall Cortina, corrina

You know. It's good. I like it.

Only the best

Vocals by Boomhower, but great lyrics

I love Bob Dylan, I love folk Dylan, I love electric Dylan, I love young Dylan, I love old Dylan. It's hard to be unbiased. If you don't believe the man is a deserving Nobel Prize winner, listen to Blowin' in the Wind and tell me he isn't a poet with a guitar. Sometimes there's a man. I won't say a hero, because, what's a hero? But sometimes, there's a man. And I'm talking about Bob Dylan here. Sometimes, there's a man, and well, he's the man for his time and place. He fits right in there. Girl from the North Country is such a beautiful song, and his duet with Johnny Cash on Nashville Skyline just goes to show how versatile his songs are. Maybe it's more of a commentary on how great songs transcend genre. This album is incredible, Masters of War is terrific. A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall is a beautiful song, I love it. It's in the running for the best Bob Dylan song and that's saying something. The quality of his lyrics is unparalleled, he's like a modern day Shakespeare. This album has so many great songs, and this is effectively the debut of him as a songwriter. Don't Think Twice, It's All Right is another historically great song. Corrina, Corrina is another great song. I've listened to this album so many times, but this is maybe the most I've thought about it while I was listening to it and it is blowing my mind. A great Bob Dylan album which puts it in the running for one of the greatest albums of all time.

Automatic 5 stars. Some of the best song writing ever

It’s amazing that he did something like this so young

Masterpiece.

Great album.

While the genre of music is not my cup of tea, it is impossible not to appreciate the craft that makes Dylan a legend.

Very good. There's nothing more to say, really. It's Bob Dylan.

Really soothing and has a great voice

Arguably The Big Bang.

Another Dylan album. What a surprise. More focused than later albums, but his whimsical word salad lists start creeping in. A couple of jokes. I am so tired of Dylan here.

Listening to this made me angry about A Complete Unknown all over again

Чудова музика, спокійна

Loved it, beautiful storytelling, melodies, comedy and song making.

One of my favourite albums. Yet I still forget it's got Blowin' the Wind, Don't Think Twice, Hard Rain and Girl from the North Country all on it. Such a young voice and such swag. Listen to Bob Dylan's Dream to remind yourself how naturally funny Dylan is.

Excellent. Liked it

Perfect pergevy

It’s hard not to rate this album a 5. So many tracks (Blowin in the Wind, Master’s of War, Hard Rain is Gonna Fall, Don’t Think Twice) are so powerful they are woven into the global web of cultural memory. Other tracks are excellent and humorous, but less memorable. It’s on the border between a 4 & 5, but I’ll go with a 5 (can’t live without some of these tracks).

Favorite Track: A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall

I could quibble but I won't

For as long as I've had favorite Dylan records, this has been in the top three.

My father had this album, along with one by Joan Baez, despite having no interest in or knowledge of popular music after Sinatra; he probably wanted to know what the fuss was about. I think he had a secret sympathy for the folk song army (his favorite record was one of protest songs sung by Paul Robeson), but actual protest was a bridge too far for him. That may have been the ultimate function of this album: to drag centrist liberal economists along. I'm not a monster, of course I'm giving it a 4.5, but I saw the movie and my favorite part was when the Kinks came on. Also I've been hearing a lot of Jesse Welles recently and while there would be no Jesse Welles without Dylan, Jesse manages to inject a little more Lehrer-esque wit into his biting political analysis. But of course I appreciate Bobby Z's contribution to the discourse. Finally, just a note that our town is under siege by ICE and we could yet invade Greenland and this is at least the third album this week that has really addressed the moment. This randomizer is kind of creeping me out.

A National Treasure: Will always be 5 stars, will always be relevant, always my most listened to vinyl record, always my favorite Bob Dylan.

My second Dylan so far – I’m sure there’ll be more before this thing is over – the classic Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan. It’s tricky this one for me. I know it’s a wonderful, important album, and most of the songs live somewhere in my head, with enough presence that I can singalong if the opportunity presents. However, and here’s the rub, this isn’t my favourite period of his career; his early ‘60s LPs are rarely my go-to records. So, knowing this, I’m surprised at how much I’ve enjoyed listening. There are a lot of tracks I’m very familiar with, but it’s the obscurer songs that hold the album together, add context, and generally provide the depth that makes Freewheelin’ a genuine artistic statement rather than an early hits collection. This is Bob with sparks flying, full of questions, and offering up some answers. He’s still hungry, still proving himself, and simultaneously moving away from his contemporaries. “Blowin’ In The Wind” is the perfect start – cool and erudite – and making all the right noises. Whereas “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall” is a surreal biblical journey into stranger lands. It’s here, over these dozen tracks, he begins to transcend his genre, and he’s literally freewheelin’ into the future. 10/10

I've been trying to set aside my ego and pride, which have no purpose or value, and reexamine certain things I married myself to an opinion of when I was much younger than I am now. Trying to correct a bad personality, more or less. This record was on that list even before I started doing the album a day thing here. So, acknowledging that I'm not saying anything brilliant or original here: one man can change the world!!!

fire

Somehow beat expectations. Phenomenal.

Poetry and Protest; I can hear the Woody Guthrie influence throughout. Truly a great listen. Blowin’ in the Wind Girl from the North Country A Hard Rains A-Gonna Fall Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright

Nie je mu príliš čo vytknúť. Klasika folkovej populárnej hudby. Sú tam skvosty aj trochu menej skvosty, ale za 5.

Listened previously. Expectations: High - Verdict: Masterpiece - Dylan's first masterpiece. There will be more.

Always liked Bob Dylan but have never listened to one of his albums all the way through. I really liked this one! My favorites were Blowing in the Wind and Girl from the North County

Full of classics

My fifth album generated, and my first five star rating. One of those albums that's just an instant classic, with themes that reverberate loud and clear through the decades. Is his voice abrasive? Perhaps. Is the harmonica ear-piercing at times? Yeah, probably. Does this album contain some of the best American folk songs of all time? Absolutely. Undeniably prophetic songs that twist your ears and heart in unexpected ways, accomplished with super stripped down instrumentation, even for its time. Not even my favorite Dylan album, but still a 5/5 for sure.

a little too much harmonica but that’s fine 🙂‍↔️ idk if this is an unpopular opinion but I love Bob Dylan’s voice. It’s weirdly really comforting. I think this is one of the most influential folk albums made and it’s pretty easy understand why after listening to it. Fav songs: masters of war, don’t think twice, it’s alright

Really enjoyed this

Yeah this slaps.

Massa demais, mesmo eu gostando mais do Highway 61.

Love bob Dylan

Iconic

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

Only a legend like Bob Dylan in the sixties could end an album with a silly song about catching dinosaurs and making love to Elizabeth Taylor without the album losing any integrity. What a dude!

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

What is there to say about Bob that hasn't already been said. I'm a massive Dylan fan, so clearly biased but much as I love Freewheelin, for me, it's not in his top 5 or maybe even 10 albums. But still taking a step back and wow, tracks like A Hard Rain, Masters of War, Girl from the North Country, Don't Think Twice and of course Blowing in the wind (despite being so well known) really do stand the test of time. Coincidentally I came to this album just a day after belatedly watching 'A Complete Unknown' which featured the same early era Dylan. Right now, at this stage in my life I'm more of a Rough & Rowdy Ways era Dylan nerd. But still this one is 5 out of 5 for me

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

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.

Excellent

Incredible and while Bob's "singing" voice is a bit... Well - Bob - it's an incredible and amazing album.

As much for how classic the album is as for the quality. Its still hard to get over Dylan's voice.

Listen, he can’t sing for shit but I love this album (except for Down the Highway but whatever)

The best songwriting (lyrics) on an album ever? Dylan sings about war, love, heartbreak, politics, and absolute bullshit (I shall be free) and effortlessly flips tones (angry, contemplative, forlorn, drunk) and makes it all fit together.

Listening to “Masters of War” on the day Dick Cheney died. Five stars.

It's a timeless album. Heartbreak, heartache, anger, bitterness, contemplative; all timeless and relevant themes that Dylan explores in a way that will always ring true.

Incredible album

but dont thinkk twiceeee its allriighttt

Acoustic guitar, harmonica, and Bob. That's the best Dylan. It's iconic. The songs are musically simple but so poignant. Love him or hate him, you can't deny that this album has so much soul and feeling. It's folky and bluesy and it's still relevant. Usually when I get an album with just a guy and a guitar, I prepare to be a little bored (I know, I shouldn't pre-judge an album before listening) but that's never a concern with Dylan. The man's an icon for a reason, and he still holds up 60 freaking years later. My favorite moment of the album is Dylan so coldly delivering these lyrics: "I hope that you die, and your death will come soon.... and I'll stand over your grave 'til I'm sure that you're dead" from "Masters of War," and it's so hardcore I can't praise it enough. I feel this in my bones about so many ghouls that walk the Earth in 2025 and Dylan nailed the feeling way back in the 60s. Nothing changes. It's really hard to pick standout tracks here because they really are all so good. The whole album is standout, so I'll leave it at that. This might be one of the lowest-key albums sound-wise that I give 5 stars to, but Freewheelin' just hits so well that it deserves it. It doesn't need anything else other than the man, his instruments, and his ideas. It's haunting and every time I hear it, it grips me and makes me stop in place and just shut up and listen.

I listen to this album at least once a week. More if I’m sad, or hungover

I’m not sure if it’s a 5 because a few of the songs are annoying by themselves. But others are simply some of the best songs ever, so it’s a 5.

Pretty good songwriter for a 22-year-old. 🤪

As classic album as classic albums get.

probably more like a 4.5 bc some songs are too dylan-y for me but still fav songs: blowin in the wind, a hard rain, don’t think twice

A classic. Gorgeous. Forever relevant.

Bobs 2nd album and his first that really defined what his career would become. Some absolute classics as well as some impressively reimagined folk standards. The definitive album of his early acoustic period.

112/1001 :: Bob Dylan - The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan Heard before? ✅ Would I revisit? ✅ Rating: 9 Listen before you die: Yes Fav Songs: Masters of War, A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall, Corina Corina This is the album where Dylan became Dylan. Not sure how you could listen to songs like Masters of War, Blowin’ In The Wind or A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall and not feel something. These protest songs made Dylan the voice of generation whether he wanted that title or not. And then he follows that up with songs like Girl From The North Country, Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright and (the cover) Corina Corina just to pull on the heart strings. The one liners from this album also legendary: - How many times must a man look up before he can see the sky? - You ain't worth the blood That runs in your veins - Where black is the color, where none is the number This is definitely an all timer and he was only just getting started…

Top tier Dylan album.

Beautiful and hard hitting by turns. Proof of how much great lyrics can add to a song. There's a reason this guy won a Nobel...

Beautiful art. Killer cutting political folk, beautiful understated delivery of some trad style stuff and some of the best ballads in that style. I love the electric albums soon after this and their cryptic lyrics, but it's so good to hear him being so direct and honest and raw here first.

This was the first time I caught a glimpse of why he might’ve been such a whirlwind through the public consciousness, why he might’ve have been called the voice of a generation. Disagree, but he brung it good on this album.

A classic album from a great Nobel Prize Winner. Only his first complete originals album and already packed with timeless and actually still acutely relevant messaging. Blowing in the Wind, Masters of War, A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall, Don't Think Twice It's Alright. And how young and yet mature his voice sounds.

Bob’s first album of mostly original songs. So many classics.

Pretty good. Can’t argue

Amazing!!!!

Such a good classic with fantastic storytelling, which I understand from reading other comments that this was brand new at the time. It is a dense album for sure but really worth the time, especially if you like contemporary folk!

Probably one of the best and most significant albums of all time.

Great album. Full of soul and Dylan’s truth.

Wow so voll von Ideen

Love it

Great album!

A classic, maybe more harmonica than my likely (personal opinion), but a classic none the less

I was feeling a bit guilty for giving 3 stars to albums that are quite good, but not GOOD. GOOD ones are the ones I want to listen to quite often. But then, when I put something like Bob Dylan's Freewheelin’ on, I feel good, because I know this is what EXTRAORDINARY music sounds like. These are the ones I reserve for 5 stars.

Are you fucking kidding me?! 1963?! (Essentially) his debut album?! It’s nearly unbelievable that this happened that early and that this was his first full length album of original songs. As tribute to genius, this could be top 10 on the “1001 best debut albums to listen to”. Would be interesting to go back to these near-perfect debut efforts to see if they tend to portend genius songwriting going forward….

This album is part of my DNA. I grew up listening to Dylan and then actively sought him out in high school, digging out my dad’s old dubbed Dylan tapes he made when he moved to Canada. When I started university, I picked up a copy of Freewheelin and was immediately hooked. I played it for anyone that would listen. I still think it’s one of his best and unbelievable to me that he was still in his early 20s. The songwriting is beautiful and astounding and he only got better from here.

This is my 2nd favorite Bob Dylan album right behind blood on the tracks So 9/10

Quintessential folk Dylan. Despite not loving his voice, hard to deny that this is clearly a classic. I think probably also my favorite Dylan album (or maybe Blood on the Tracks)

Listened on the subway in Manhattan. There are multiple masterpieces on this album. Maybe it’s corny but I will never not be moved by Blowin’ in the Wind. Masters of War is another 10/10, as is Don’t Think Twice. I could keep going and going

Instant classic. Timeless. Just for the opening song alone.

This one to me is a masterpiece. It has my favorite Dylan song on it, "Don't think twice it's alright." It has other incredible songs like Oxford Town, Girl from North Country and Blowing in the wind. I love his voice on this, the simplicity of the songs, and it's amazing to think he did this around the age of 20. Absolutely incredible.

Je l'aimé à 10 ans, quand mon père me l'a offert à Noël, et c'est toujours aussi bien.

Favorites: The whole album Iconic. Plenty of meaningful lines, songs that make you think.

I love this album. I know this album pretty well. It's the starter album for anyone trying to get into Bob Dylan. I listened to it a bunch in my 20s. I really enjoyed revisiting it. It's wild that Bob wrote all these songs at 22. They stand up so well 60 years later. They are so intense and beautiful and even funny at points. The lyrics are iconic: the politics, the heartbreak, the moment he's capturing in the world. And it's just him, an acoustic guitar and a harmonica (a touch of drums on 1 or 2 tracks). He does so much with so little. It's pure magic. This is probably a 4.5 for me and I'm gonna round up. It's not perfect, but there are just so many classic songs on this album. It deserves a 5. Specific track thoughts... Blowin' in the Wind - What more is there to say? It's probably the most influential protest song ever written. It's pretty great. Girl from the North Country - What a devastating song about a past a love. You can feel how much he still loves her and misses her. I almost can feel the cold of the north country when he's describing it. It's such a beautiful track. Masters of War - this one is so intense. It's one of those relentless Dylan songs about how awful things are. Sadly his critiques around governments and war are still valid today. Down the Highway - i love the chaotic blues guitar riff. It's wacky and weird and loose. I'm not normally a big traditional blues guy, but Bob pulls it off. Bob Dylan's Blues - An early diss track. I love him roasting tin pan alley song writers. They cranked out pop songs like an assembly line for decades and he's just like "i don't need a team of writers, i can writer a bunch of classics on my own, get fucked." And he was right. A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall - One of those massive, behemoth Dylan tracks that just goes and goes and goes. You can feel a whole world in this song. And the chorus hits so hard (hard hard). Don't Think Twice, It's All Right - this is my all time favourite Bob Dylan song. It's this perfect, pretty little breakup song. It's sentimental but bitter. It's witty and sad. It's beautiful. The lyrics are just incredible. So many lines that stick with me: "I give her my heart but she wanted my soul" "You just kinda wasted my precious time" "Goodbye's too good a word, babe, So I'll just say, "Fare thee well"" The way they all come together... it's insane. O and the gentle picked guitar is just magic, and so is the harmonica. Just a perfect track in my books. Oxford Town - It's a fun little country song. Just the way he delivers it, it has this endearing country twang. Corrina, Corrina - Just another pretty, kinda swinging sad bluesy song about missing someone. It's simple but it works so well. Also i think this is one of the few songs with drums on it? I didn't notice it till i was really digging into the track. Honey, Just Allow Me One More Chance - this is just a goofy, funny strange rippin fast folk jam. Turns out Bob Dylan can have fun and it's great to hear. I Shall Be Free - Also another funny folk number. It's kinda silly but it's very charming and a good relief after some of the serious grinding political tracks on the album. I don't have a lot of negatives about it. There's a couple songs that i didn't review specifically that are solid, but not special in the way the rest of the album is. It's just a really great album. I love it.

Some albums are classics for a good reason.

Didn’t want to give instant 5 stars because it’s Bob. Don’t think twice… it’s alright.

A trailblazer in political movement whose music in this day and age have unfortunately been misinterpreted and distorted to fit a narrative that he would have never supported. The leader in political movement music who would be deeply ashamed of the state our country is in, but ultimately not surprised

This is Bob Dylan at the peak of his game for me (he stayed up there for a long time, fortunately). His strengths here are his lyricism and musicianship, of course, and his distinctive voice lends a grounded, common-man quality to this music. This album features a number of hard hitters: "Blowin' in the Wind," "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall," "Oxford Town," "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right," and more. We are lucky to have him.

It has been a long time since I listened to this and it was a lot better than I remembered. I don't care much for Blowin' In The Wind but Girl From The North Country is a great song and Masters Of War is very powerful and sadly even more relevant in 2025 than it was in 1963.

Really enjoyed it and the story telling is great!

I mean come on. Dylan at his rawest form. Some songs I had never heard before that RULED. I feel like this is the moment that Dylan became Dylan like some of these songs will be played for the rest of time. Bob Dylan’s dream was my fav

Bob :c

One to listen to again and again - starts off with one of Dylan's finest (Blowin') and just keeps going through to my fav of Hard Rain. So incredibly well written that it could be taken by Bryan Ferry and made into a pop classic. Girl From The North Country is another special track - 5 stars are not enough for this album!

Classic for what and who it is to music!

This album certainly did not create a whole new genre in folk, but it certainly is responsible for 99% of what came after it. 5/5

The best songs

Loved traveling back in time. While I don't think Dylan would win "best voice" his lyrics hit it out of the park. Some of the songs are rants and rages but he knows how to switch gears to memories of lost love. Loved the album.

So often albums fail to properly capture and evoke the spirit of the era in which they were recorded. Not the case here.

Classic. What a genius.

Yep, It's another Bobby record. He's good, I don't know if you knew that. What uh, what else is there to talk about?

Dylan's first great record and best acoustic album; the one that'd establish a stranglehold on American folk he'd spend decades tightening and loosening at will.

As I get older I feel like I appreciate Bob Dylan's work more and more. This album is incredibly dense. Put aside that he isn't a great singer and the harmonica gets a bit old; his influence on both music and society is way understated.

very good

Loved this.

Fantastic!! Nothing like it being recorded nowadays

So young yet so good

My fave Bob Dylan album!

great album but it’s like wow this song is genius he is a masterful poet and then the next song you’re thinking what kind of bacteria is eating away at his brain to make him say all that but then the next song is life changing again

One of the classic Dylan albums, right at the absolute top of his early acoustic game. Blowin in the Wind is timeless, generation-defining even. Then there's Girl From North Country, A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall, Don't Think Twice etc. But those big hits don't really do the album justice, because a lot of the lesser known tracks are amazing. Oxford Town, I Shall Be Free, and a personal favourite, Corrina Corrina. Clear 5/5, and among Dylan's best.

Vad roligt! Detta var min ordentliga introduktion till Dylan för drygt tio år sedan. Sedan har det blivit en del timmar med den nasala pojkrösten i öronen. Tycker för övrigt att detta är ett perfekt introduktionsalbum för den som vill ta sig an Dylan. Det är så mycket _klassisk Dylan_. Det gör det nästan svårt att bedöma. Hur skriver man värderande om 'Blowin' in the Wind' eller 'A Hard Rain...'? De är ju som bärande väggar i själva konstruktionen av mitt musikliv. Som luften jag andas. Det går ju inte att skriva något speciellt om det - det bara är. Har länge velat vandra runt lite småfrusen i snöslasket på New Yorks gator med min egen Suze Rotolo klängandes runt min arm. Om hon sen skulle lämna mig finns 'Don't Think Twice...' där som tröst. Några ord om 'Masters of War' också. Jag befinner mig nu i en tid där högertyckare menar att band som Kneecap inte bör få spela på musikfestivaler på grund av att de använder sin plattform för att kritisera mördandet av barn i Palestina. Så låg är den jävla ribban idag. Därför får sista versen i 'Masters of War' extra tryck idag. Efter att stenhårt, men poetiskt, kritiserat anstiftare till krig och lidande känns ett "And I hope that you die" så välbehövligt. Att få tala klarspråk om saker som MÅSTE få talas om. "And I'll stand over your grave 'til I'm sure that you're dead". Bästa låt: Don't Think Twice, It's All Right.

A perfect album, as far as I’m concerned. I don’t care how cliche people think they are now, I will always love his lyrics, and his stupid little voice. Irresistible stuff. Hard to pick a favourite track from so many greats but I think Don’t Think Twice is definitely one of my all-timers.

Blast my ears with that harmonica Bobbay

bob dylan the goat

He was 22.

Great album.

Classic folk Dylan. Solid from beginning to end with the outstanding tracks sprinkled throughout with "Blowin' in the Wind", "Girl from North Country", "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right" and "Masters of War". Just a great folk album.

has blowin' in the wind 10/10

This Bob Dylan fella’s pretty good aye? Wonder what became of him. Lyrically this is obvs a masterpiece. Unfortunately I have the attention span of a 7 year old, so really ought to read along while I listen. Alas, I’m a busy multi-tasking man. Still giving this 5 stars because, even though the main attraction frequently flies over my procrastinating head, it’s ruddy good.

Fantastic listen! I haven't ever really gotten into Bob Dylan records, so this was a great experience. Musicality and lyrics are amazing.

Dude is one of the best songwriters we've ever had the chance to listen to.

favorite bob album

Great classic album.

Blowin' in the Wind is going to be a really hard act to follow. The beautiful desolation of Girl from the North Country is excellent though, and Masters of War pulls no punches lyrically over a looping guitar motif. "Even Jesus would never forgive what you do..." Later, Hard Rain comes closest to capturing this same folk magic, and the delicately picked melody of Don't Think Twice, It's All Right is certainly mesmerizing. Bob Dylan's Dream, poignant and beautiful, is equally good and I like the shuffling rhythm of Corrina, Corrina. I'm maybe less keen on the rambling blues songs but they break up the flow nicely. I Shall Be Free is amusing, a less heavy closer. Feels like one of those time capsule albums.

Masterpiece.

This will be my fourth Bob Dylan album to review, and also my last album from 1963. I've given my previous three Bob Dylan albums two stars (Time Out of Mind), three stars (Blood on the Tracks), and four stars (Highway 61 Revisited), and I have no idea where this early effort from Mr. Dylan is going to land with me. Before starting this project, I'd listened to HIghway 61 Revisited and Blonde on Blonde (I own copies of both), and I'd always meant to listen to them more, but never got around to it. I'd considered myself a fan of his, but now that I'm further into this project, I think I conned myself into thinking I was a fan, because I felt like I should be a fan of his. Whatever the case may be, I'm ready to start this Freewheelin' Friday! I won't be gaslighting myself when it comes to the Freewheelin' Bob Dylan, because I loved this album. It felt a lot more bare musically, but it worked really well to mostly rely on the guitar and harmonica for this album. There's a seriousness and an urgency to this album that I really loved. On Highway 61 Revisited, I absolutely loathe the acme siren on the title track. It feels so silly and stupid compared to a lot of the rest of the album, but the tone here was much more even and consistent. The political and social commentary on this album carried a lot of weight, and those songs really met me where I'm at presently when it comes to American politics. The lyrics on this album were a lot more straightforward as well; I enjoyed the simplicity of not having to decipher line after line of metaphors. I love Dyan's nasally tone on his other albums, but his vocals here are outstanding as well. The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan was fantastic from start to finish, and I didn't think there was a single song on here that stood out as weak or filler. I don't know that I could pick out a favorite song here, but "Masters of War," "Oxford Town," and "Talkin' World War III Blues" are all strong contenders for the best song on the album. "Blowin' in the Wind" is fantastic too, but I already knew that going into this album. This has been the first Bob Dylan album I've reviewed that I would listen to again in a heartbeat.

Girl from the Northern Country, A Hard Rain, Don't think twice,Masters of War are just some of the gems in this album. Plenty of his trademark harmonica playing alongside acoustic guitar picking, with a voice I am still uncertain of but his lyrical abilities shine bright.What an album for his generation.And I love that album cover too

This album holds some weight. Dylan is a legend.

Great !!

What I love about this album is that along with the classic 'voice of a generation' songs, there are some tracks where he's clearly having fun, and I find that infectious. With the benefit of hindsight, people probably didn't need to wait for Dylan to go electric to know that he was too freewheelin' to be pigeon-holed as an earnest political folkie.

Overall: 9/10 Filled to the brim with beautiful songs about love, war, and anything else Mr. Dylan could think of. It's honestly weird listening to this now after getting into the rockier side of Dylan, but not in a bad way as I think it's way better. Dylan going electric was never a problem itself, but he did lose a bit of the intimacy that was present on albums like this. The lyrics are incredible, borderline surreal at times, and the only complaint I really have about the album is the overuse of harmonica. Fav Song: Bob Dylan's Dream Least Fav Song: Girl from North Country

Imagine someone recording songs with just a guitar and a harmônica, and 62 years later, people are still listening to it. Simply Dylan. Freewheelin' is an imortal album, with legendary songs and It was the first big hit of a legendary artist. Music wouldn't be the same without it. Even tho we livin diferent times, those lyrics remain fresh as new. His odd voice, singing in a odd way, sang for an intire generation, and people remained passing it foward until today. There's no words enough to say how big is Bob Dylan, and I won't waste them anymore. 5 stars.

Absolute 5* - has some of the all time great Dylan tracks

good music

Beautiful

Great revisit of a classic. I do like Dylan

Come on! It's THE FREEWHEELIN' BOB DYLAN So many hits. Beautiful folk on an LP. And it's his second one!

Second Bob album in 3 days. This one is a lot better, and I own it, which helps.

I have a few go to Dylan albums and this wasn't one of them. It might be now. The guitar and vocal arrangements are so powerful and make stuff like masters of war all the more intimate and damning. There are so many great songs on this. Towards the end there are a few of his stream of consciousness ones and it usually depends what day it is as to whether I love them or I'm indifferent. If there are any criticisms to be made it is probably the that last couple of songs don't really give the album the send off that it deserved and since they are the last ones you're left thinking of them immediately afterwards. Like an odd aftertaste to a brilliant drink. However considering it is an album of such simple instrumentation the variety in the style of songs and performance are impressive and the ending doesn't take away from the incredible tracks earlier on.

╮(￣▽￣"")╭

For those who don't know much about Dylan, this was his second album after his first album 'Bob Dylan (1961)' which was all covers except for two not great originals. This album came out a year later featuring all originals, some of the best folk songs that have ever come out and the unforgettable 'Blowing in the Wind'. This album came out when Dylan was 22, and this astronomic leap in quality between his first and second project was a shock to the music scene at the time. Bob would go on to have the storied career that he has but the fact that this album, one of the best folk albums ever made and arguably Bob's best album, was the catalyst behind that career makes this all the more monumental. As an album, this one is great. There's such a unique style on display here, it's so old man, but with the energy that old men don't have anymore. Dylan sang with an accent that wasn't regional, it was him. Just like his songwriting and incessant harmonica playing, his weird voice was his signature that he stamped all over this album. The result is unlike anything that was coming out at the time, and no one has pushed the limits of folk music so successfully ever since.

This album was so good that I questioned A) whether I actually do hate Bob Dylan and B) whyyyy are there so many mediocre Bob Dylan albums on this list?? This plus Hwy 61 would’ve been the perfect one two punch.

Damn. I originally listened to this album in high school, and back then I just couldn’t grasp the themes as well as I could now in adulthood. While Dylan’s second ever album, this record sounds modern in its simplistic production and its still-prescient lyrics. Speaking of lyrics, this album has some of the best written folk tracks I’ve ever heard. Dylan imbues each track with soul; never once did I feel as though he was ever lying to me. Each track conveys honest conviction; what more can you ask for from a record like this?

Classic gem

Feel like this is a one Dylan album that never gets mentioned alongside the usual great ones but its also a classic in my mind 4.5*

Listened in a hotel room between conference days. Absolutely loved this album. Familiar of course with the opening track and through a cover from Eels I knew Girl from the North Country. Was really taken with songs like Oxford Town and Masters of War, both lyrically and musically. Masterpiece for a reason.

I love this album the music makes you feel something special