The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan

Incredible funk

Indispensable. Un grandisimo disco.

This is the rare songwriter who truly is also a poet!

Though I know all the songs, probably the very first time I’ve listened to the whole thing front to back. To think that he recorded all this when he was 21 years old. It’s a masterpiece.

Was going to rate only a 4 but then I listened to it like 5 times over the weekend. Going into my favorites now.

Obviously a masterpiece. What more is there to say? Must-listen #161.

Very familiar with basically all of these songs. An almost flawless classic.

4.5

This is definitely in my top 100 albums of all time and probably in my top 50. I absolutely adore this album. And to me what some people call throwaways on this album are bits and pieces of his character in writing. Whether being serious or whimsical I think they both show off his brilliance quite satisfyingly. (10) ★★★★★

4.5/5

Classic

Holds up 60+ years on.

10/10 I'm a big Dylan fan and I've listened to this album a lot. Don't Think Twice is one of my top songs ever. Hard Rain, Masters of War, Blowing in the Wind are excellent. The songs are sparse - Bob, a guitar and a harmonica. For me, they are like exquisite pencil sketches - the songs are so good that Dylan achieves with a few strokes of his genius that which very few manage with all the production, songwriting team and instrumentation money can buy.

Not my style but very deep and well crafted.

Bob

A great mix of personal/love songs with the more political. An album I'll enjoy listening to again and again to pick up more and more on the lyrics.

Clean pared back folk, a great listen from start to finish

A true classic - memorable songs. Effortless

A unique mix of traditional, protest and lighter material. A work of genius.

It's certainly not his best album or his most consistent, but there are some songs on this that are at this point legendary, hard to believe he wrote this album at such a young age.

Great stories with just a guy a guitar and a super loud harmonica

Replete with timeless songs in a cohesive package. Brilliant.

Early masterclass 5/5

Amazing

One of my top all time albums

Not my favourite from Bob, but a masterpiece, for sure.

Nuori Dylan parhaimmillaan, hittiä hitin perään. Oma suosikki on Don't think twice. 5/5

I know this album so well. Classic and fantastic.

I enjoy Bob Dylan's music but I am not a fanatic. I came to Dylan backwards probably from The Band's Last Waltz so didn't really get the impact his going electric made and I have always listened to largely the same mid-'60s to mid-'70s albums, neglecting his acoustic folksinger origins. Freewheelin' (or The Freewheeling' Bob Dylan) is his 2nd album and the first on which the songs, with the exception of two, are his own compositions. And all but one song, a decent rendition of "Corrina Corrina" on which a small band accompanies him, this is Dylan, his acoustic guitar and his harmonica. And it is excellent. Not all of these Dylan originals are classics but it is amazing just how many of them are - "Blowin' in The Wind", "Girl From the North Country", "Masters of War" (for me one of his best songs), "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall", "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right" - and the rest are very good. My only real disappointment was that closer "I Shall Be Free" is not anywhere near the quality of "I Shall Be Released" that the similar titles suggested. Looks like I am going to have to reassess Dylan's early work and get round to watching that Scorsese documentary and A Complete Unknown...

Not only my fave Dylan album but one of my fave albums of all time, so I have to go full points here. This one has lots of Bob’s best tunes and plenty of lesser known tracks that are still great. Have always loved the album cover as well.

The fact that Bob Dylan wrote these songs between the ages of 20 and 21 is incomprehensible. He sings and plays everything wonderfully, but his lyrics truly deserve the spotlight. “Blowin’ in the Wind”, “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall”, and “Masters of War” are three distinctly different commentaries on the political and societal changes happening around him, and all three are absolute triumphs. He also demonstrates his abilities to tug at our heartstrings with wistful longing (“Girl from the North Country”) and a bitter sendoff (“Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right”). Some songwriters go their entire life hoping to write one song as good as any of these five tracks. Bob did it before most kids his age had college degrees. There are quite a few fantastic tracks outside of these giant compositions as well. “Talkin’ World War III Blues” is still one of the funniest songs he’s ever recorded; “Corrina, Corrina” is a lovely take on the blues standard; “Oxford Town” is a great, succinct precursor to The Times They Are A-Changin’; I’ve even grown fonder with each passing year of “Down the Highway”, a perfectly moody tune that feels like a bridge between Bob Dylan and this record. Throughout every song, we hear the earnest voice and guitar playing of the young master, simultaneously extremely confident and unaware of exactly how much this album is about to change everything. The only personal criticism I can levy against Freewheelin’ is that some tunes strike me as filler. Entertaining, well-performed filler, but filler nonetheless. In my opinion, there are six superb songs from these sessions that didn’t make the cut - “Talkin’ Bear Mountain Picnic Massacre Blues”, “Let Me Die in My Footsteps”, “Kingsport Town”, “Walls of Red Wing”, “Rambling, Gambling Willie” and “Quit Your Low Down Ways” - that all would have been deserving of a spot in place of one or two of the weaker tracks. Really, it’s a minor complaint, and with the amount of major material on here, it’s useless to harp too long on minor complaints. I absolutely adore this album. Least favorite track: “Bob Dylan’s Blues”. Totally fine and inoffensive, but ultimately inconsequential. Favorite track: “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right”. Sheer perfection across the board: lyrically, melodically, vocally, and instrumentally. For all of the (rightful) love “Positively 4th Street” gets as a classic “fuck you” song, Bob proved he had a penchant for iciness two years prior with: “I ain’t sayin’ you treated me unkind/You could have done better, but I don’t mind/You just kind of wasted my precious time/But don’t think twice, it’s all right.” A top five Dylan track for me. 4.5/5

Was pleasantly surprised by this one. Even though I am not a fan of folk music, this one actually had a lot of humor and sadness in it, a lot of depth

Bob Dylan we meet again... This time in studio form! After having an okay time with the Royal Albert Hall live recording a few months back I'm pleased to say I don't actually mind another Dylan record at this time. I can't recall having listened to this one previously, but I recognize a few of the songs on here so I sort of know what to expect. My general expectations are telling me to that I'll be served something interesting, especially lyrically, though I'm probably not gonna "get" a lot of it. I'd call myself a casual Dylan enjoyer, having periods where I can maybe have a couple of songs of his in my rotation. Perhaps this album will kick off another such period. Blowin' In The Wind As much of a classic this song is I've never really paid it much mind. It's become so universal at this point that it feels like it's almost always existed. One of the first songs you'd think of when hearing the moniker "protest song". A melancholic and wise sounding track with very heavy anti-war/anti greed/anti injustice messaging which sadly still remains relevant to this day. Monumental. 5/5 Girl From The North Country Had to do a quick detour to listen to the song this was apparently inspired by (Scarborough Fair) really curious to hear what the two have in common. First of all I love how pleasant the guitar is. Really contrasts nicely with Bob Dylan's characteristic voice. I can definitely see structural similarities between this and the previously mentioned inspiriation for it. Really inspired implementation. The lyrics are sweet and idealistic, love how vivid they are despite the briefness of the descriptions. Fantastic. 5/5 Masters of War I never knew Dylan "borrowed" *cough* stole *cough* the melody for this song, so I had to look up the original, and wow that was haunting. Genuinely a spooky sounding mysterious folk song. Now for Masters of War. Again, classic protest song with some very direct lyrics calling out the cowards who perpetrate such atrocities. I can see why he chose to use this melody for this topic, it's extremely ominous in its buildup. Brutal. Fantastic. 5/5 Down the Highway Very classic sounding blues track. Sounds genuinely sad. After being provided with context, the song feels a lot more layered. The mournful performance captures some astute loneliness. Great. 4.5/5 Bob Dylan's Blues A perfectly acceptable blues track with some great harmonica playing. Bob Dylan is very charismatic with the delivery here. Feels very animated and hands free. Not exactly the highlight of the album, but a good show none the less. Good. 4/5 A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall Another one where I felt I had to look up the inspiration for the song before listening to it. Lord Randall which its chorus is apparently based on was again a pretty interesting piece of literature, which tied itself neatly together with the final verse. Gonna keep this in mind as I'm listening. Even if it's listed as another inspiration I'm not however going to look into symbolist poetry for the sake of this review, as that seems too deep of a rabbit hole for one night. Actual review time. Those lyrics are really evocative, love how Lord Randall is incorporated, feels like sort of a modernization of its structure. Very bleak and apocalyptic in its messaging. Dead ponies, black dogs and burning bodies. Though there seems to be some slight moments of hope underneath all the darkness. Really interesting, deserves repeat listens. Fantastic. 5/5 Don't Think Twice It's Alright Another one where he's borrowed some features of another older song. Made sure to give that one a listen as well, though I could only find Paul Claytons interpolation (Who's Gonna Buy You Ribbons), which I found sweet, reflective and pleasant to listen to. Gonna keep this in mind while listening. This is a very pretty song, and while a lot of elements are lifted from the cited inspiration I find this a lot more compelling. Love his delivery and use of the melody to convey emotion. Feels really genuine. Fantastic. 5/5 Bob Dylan's Dream I quite liked the song this was based on (Lady Franklin's Lament). Can really see how one can be inspired by that, as its melody felt really emotional and mournful, with a slight hint of bargaining coming from its lyrics. Dylan's lyrics are very relatable in their reflectiveness. The sentimentality and sadness that comes with looking back at old days of camraderie really sticks with me after listening to the lyrics. An effective piece of storytelling. Fantastic. 5/5 Oxford Town Harrowing piece of civil rights music, a stark reminder that it wasn't that long ago that injustices like this were commonplace. The song itself is a bit brief and simple, and without looking it up I wouldn't have been able to piece together which events it was refering to. Good. 4/5 Talkin' World War III Blues I'm not really a fan of the rambling style of delivery. While the lyrics have some clever bits of humour to them, they don't really make up for the fact I find it a bit boring. The satire still seems relevant to this day. I enjoy how flawed the narrator figure is, being a bit of a ridiculous character himself. Decent. 3.5/5 Corrina, Corrina This song seems to have a long and complicated history, one which seems to stretch back at least a few decades before this recording. I went ahead and listened to the original recording of this song, as well as the Robert Johnson the melody of this version is apparently lifted from. I think it'll be very interesting to hear these two starkly different songs combined. Dylan's version comes of as very pleasant though lacking some edge. I do quite enjoy his guitar playing on this track. A tasteful rendition which implements parts of both the two songs its based on pretty well. I do however feel something is a bit lost when they've been combined in this way. Great. 4.5/5 Honey, Just Allow Me One More Chance The original has a haunting enigmatic quality to it, partially due to the charming roughness of the ancient recording, alongside the very unique sounding vocal delivery. I really like Dylan's choice of changing up the tempo. I enjoy the modernized lyrics quite a bit, though it's probably not a straight upgrade from the original. Good. 4/5 I Shall Be Free It's alright. It's a bit of a more comedic track. Lifts heavily from the original track (We Shall Be Free) when it comes to the melody. I can't help finding it kinda bland. I don't get most of the pop culture references. Succeeds in showing a less serious side of Bob Dylan. Decent. 3.5/5 This turned out to be quite the undertaking. I'm not complaining though. I feel like I got an entire history lesson after reading the Wikipedia article for each song. I also had a blast listening to the traditional folk and blues songs these tracks were based on. It was almost like getting two albums for the price of one! Despite lending a lot from these traditional tunes I feel like Dylan always finds a way of transcending the source material, creating something entirely his own. It never feels egregious, even at times it feels like having these historical melodies backing the track adds an aura of additional atmosphere. Some tracks, especially the protest songs become much more harrowing with the already ominous sounding folk melodies behind them. And I also really like his songwriting on here, using very effective language when describing both beauty and horror. His performances are very emotional and genuine, and his voice adds a lot of down to earth character to many of the tracks. I love how steeped in tradition this thing is, and how through his reworkings, combinations and additions to the material he has somehow modernized the folk sound. A lot of these traditional songs live on through the tracks on this album, as well as versions of these songs covered by various artists throughout the years. A great album experience, even if it's second half is a bit weaker than its first. Would return to. 5/5 Fave track. Don't Think Twice It's Alright

Good.

I say this in all my reviews of Bob Dylan albums on this list, but he writes the best diss tracks. "Masters of War" is an absolute savage takedown, and I couldn't help but listen to it over and over again. But also how did that song come out in 1963 and is still relevant? I hate it. This album has some of my favorite Dylan songs with "Blowin' in the Wind," "Girl from the North Country," "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall," "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right," and "Corrina, Corrina" but there isn't one song on here that feels out of place or that it doesn't deserve its spot. This might be my favorite Dylan album after Blood On The Tracks. Such a good album and so strong and sadly still relevant.

Aaaaaahhhhh azt se tudom, hol kezdjem. Így ezredik hallgatásra az tűnt fel, hogy mivel egy nagyon bizonytalan és nagyon bizarr időszakban íródott ez az album (kubai rakétaválság meg minden), mennyire könnyű rezonálni a politikai/társadalmi témákkal benne. A Masters of War pl extrán nagyot ütött nálam emiatt. Vagy hogy mennyire vicces volt a fiatal Dylan - a Talkin' World War III Blues meg az I Shall Be Free az comedy gold, és az előbbi még olyan vizuális is, hogy látod a filmet közben. Vagy hogy ez ezerévesnek hangzott már akkor is, amikor megjelent, és hogy most már tudjuk, hogy az amerikai zenei hagyományt általában kevés élő ember ismeri úgy, mint Dylan, de ez látszott ezen az albumon már '63-ban is. (Ja, és hogy emiatt, tudatosan énekel úgy, ahogy, nem azért, mert nem tud máshogy.) Vagy hogy a Hard Rain képei megérdemelnének egy külön monográfiát, vagy hogy a Masters of Warnak kb egyenes folytatása a Gimme Some Truth Lennontól. Nem hiszem, hogy el tudjuk képzelni, mi volt ez, amikor új volt, meg hogy hogyan kezdte el bevinni az addig balos értelmiségi témákat a mainstream kultúrába. Meg azt is nehéz felmérni, hogy milyen hatással volt ez mindenkire akkor, és hogy pl se Rubber Soul, se Sympathy for the Devil nem lenne enélkül az album nélkül. Abszolút magic.

Day 4 of listening to Bahhhhb Dylan

Classic. Eternal truths.

Greatest yet

Five stars for Masters of War but the other tracks are great as well

Still holds up really well. Makes me want to pull out my guitar and harmonica

Watching ‘a complete unknown’ had me revisiting Dylan’s catalog, so I was glad when this popped up as an album to listen to. I don’t think I’d appreciated this one as much as the couple that followed it, but listening with fresh ears I really enjoyed it and there’s no denying how much talent he had in the early years of his career.

All the iconic songs.

Amazing in every way

One of my absolute favourites

Caught by surprise. This is where I should’ve started with him. Now I get why he was a big deal. Folksy, wonderful story telling. I can handle his voice on this one.

This album is one of Bob Dylan's greatest!! I was interested and intrigued with this album.

I loved this album

Klassiske bra

a pivotal point in american music and culture. this is when he lost the baby fat and woody guthrie impression of the first record, turned inward (“girl from”, “don’t think twice”) and outward (“masters”, “hard rain”) to create a work of genius. there’s also fun (“bd’s blues”, "i shall be free") and a glimpse of the full-blown lyrical expressionism of later albums like blonde on blonde. love him or hate him (so much hate out there; typically from dudes), this album and this raspy little jewish dude from north minnesota have shaped your american cultural experience. i feel like a better person every time i listen to this—when i'm forced to go through the range of emotions it evokes. a cathartic listen. they don't give out the nobel prize for literature to just anybody. i welled up on my way to work listening to girl from north country. imagine someone writing that for you. i sang joyfully along to the yips and yeahs and “right nows” on bd’s blues. masters of war. sneering. disgusted. nakedly pointing a finger where it needed to be pointed. righteous shit. hard rain is the post-apocalyptic sequel to masters framed as a question/answer conversation between man and boy. devastating poetic images, decades before cormac mccarthy put it in novel form. newborn babe with wild wolves all around it. ten thousand miles in the mouth of a graveyard. you're welcome to read them symbolically or metaphorically, but you don't have to. face value will get you there. don’t think twice is one of the best songs in the world. there's a reason everyone has covered it in every possible way. oxford town. the jauntiest lil song about institutional racism and its disastrous effects out there. catchy. too short. i usually listen twice. dude performed "only a pawn in their game" before MLK delivered "i have a dream." talkin world war 3 blues. just out there talking to himself. truthful observations pulled out of thin air. "but all the people can't be all right all the time. i think abraham lincoln said that. i'll let you be in my dream if i can be in yours. i said that." cue corinna. simple, gorgeous, and swaying. who doesn't want to fall in love with corinna? dylan's love songs are never trite. where zep tapped into something primal with pounding drums, heavy riffs, and a particularly shrieky man, bob does it with lyrical images woven together that are profound and universal. and listen to that guitar. honey just allow me is the throwback to the first self titled album. it's fun and wacky and he does fun dylan voice stuff. but by no means the strongest song here. i shall be free is titled like a grand gesture protest song, but instead illustrates in little anecdotes an everyman's journey toward a more simple freedom. bridget bardot. anita ekberg. sophia loren. country will grow. boner joke. this album has it all. speaking of boners, a hard 5.

It’s flows and is untouched by time.

Holy shit I think the harmonica at the end of Girl from the North Country obliterated my ear drums. Look, I get the Bob Dylan hate, the cunt has a jading voice (that I love), he looks like he has a twink variant of Downs Syndrome, and that harmonica could be used as a sonar device by the US Navy. All of that, I get; but, every now and then you need to put those facts aside and consider that this album is simply a masterpiece, both for importance of the overall record, and just the song writing quality & general musicianship. Absolutely outstanding. There's so many classics on this thing; Blowin' in the Wind, Girl from the North Country, Masters of War, and of course Don't Think Twice, It's All Right. All of which are brilliantly written, and the single guitar doesn't dull on me whatsoever. Hate Bob Dylan all you want, give all his other albums on this list that don't belong here (like the bootleg records) a low rating, but this is almost certainly Bob Dylan's best work and I think it's disingenuous to give this anything but the 5 it truly deserves.

On this album we see Dylan's songwriting craft blooming. Great stuff and a huge milestone in both his career and in music history.

Perfect, just perfect. Probably 2nd favorite after Blonde on Blonde. The “topical” songs were never really topical, they expressed universal truths that ring just as true today as they did then. This is the quintessential timeless record. It spins like it’s always been and always will be.

I am a Bob Dylan admirer, I think he is a really superb songwriter and performer. This is the 1st record I got from him, and I enjoyed it tremendously. Some of these songs have become favorites of mine, "Girl of North Country", "Don't think twice..", "Masters of War". It was also the first record that I heard where there was very little instrumentation, for almost all songs, only guitar, voice and harmonica. So, for me this is the standard for which I measure other folk records. I bought it for "Masters of War". A song that I heard on Bob Dylan's 30th anniversary concert. The lyrics of "Master of War" have been in my head almost from the very first listen, I always remember them, and still surprise me how somebody being so young, could be so capable of putting all those pointing and sensible thoughts together. The cover also felt right to me; he and his girlfriend seemed very approachable. After 60+ years I believe it still carries a lot of wisdom and thought triggering words.

Beautiful acoustic music.

top 5 of all time. fav track girl from the north country

Magisk

Really good album! I greatly enjoyed Masters of War in particular, something that I had never heard before since it is not on any Dylan compilation usually.

Wow

It’s the best album I’ve ever heard. Moved me and grooved me. Felt like a fond memory, reminded me of my grandfather. Don’t skip anything

One of the greatest of all time. In my Top 10, maybe even Top 5. Just so many great songs, stories. Masters of War remains one of the great protest songs and ever relevant. Don't think twice is another all timer. 5 isn't enough.

I often think Dylan is overrated, particularly if you let recent performances cloud your appraisal of him. Listening to this album has been a great reminder of why he deserves his acclaim. It's raw, soulful, politically challenging, simple but beautiful. Like all good folk music, it somehow makes me feel nostalgia for a place I've never visited in a time 30 years before I was born. My advice to skeptical listeners is to try to listen to this album in isolation, putting aside preconceptions of Dylan and ignoring the subsequent hero worship. It's a truly great album and probably his best.

Great

This was the album that turned me into a Dylan-head, so I have nothing but good things to say. In an increasingly difficult to rationalize world, Dylan’s ability to make the strange sound simple provides some solace.

The worlds best iron sandwich player, with 30 second one note harp solos

I love this Robert Zimmerman album. Good stuff, but it ain’t JOHNNYSINTHEBASEMENTMIXINGUPTHEMEDICINEIMONTHEPAVEMENTTINKINGABOUTTHEGOVERNMENT

Once upon a time…

-Blowin' in the Wind: classic +++ -Girl from the North Country: i forget -Masters of War: whoa +++ -Bob Dylan's Blues: ++ -A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall: long but good + -Don't Think Twice, It's Alright: ++ -Bob Dylan's Dream i forget -Oxford Town: really cheeky melody, racist ass town tho +++ -Talkin' World War III Blues: based af +++ -Corrina, Corrina: i forget -Honey, Just Allow Me One More Chance: ++ -I Shall Be Free: cheeky lyrics +++

Not much to say, know well. Love the melodies in the lyrics. 5 Star

The most important Folk artist of all time, arguably the most important musical artist ever.

Mooie country nummer op z’n kleinkunst maar dan int Engels

Great album

Yes!!!! Absolutely brilliant!!!

Not even seen the film yet but love Bobby D

I think I tend to go into Bob Dylan’s albums expecting it to be bad because I find him voice really jarring. However, this was much less so here. To be honest, I had higher hopes for this album after seeing Blowin’ In The Wind as the opening track because I know this was in the era of him singing in a much less weird manner. Voice aside, this is a really pleasant folk album. The guitar playing could easily be mistaken as Paul Simon which is definitely not a bad thing (and probably not a coincidence as Girl From North Country has many references to Scarborough Fair). This is the type of folk music I love, and the story telling was great throughout this.

Perfection.

I mean one of my faves

I don't care. I love Bob Dylan.

What a fine young folk musician. Certainly he’ll never plug those instruments into electrical implication devices.

Is this peak Dylan?

classic

‘Girl from the North Country’ is one of the most beautiful folks songs ever. So many great songs on this album.

I love this. Feels like a good indie film from early 2000s

BOB FUCKING DYLAN

I hadn't really listened to Dylan, I missed my window during my formative years.i obviously knew much of his stuff, it's everywhere. But with some distance, it was great to come to this fresh, this is simply one of the greatest albums of all time, 3 chords and the truth.

Excellent album

One of the best from Bob. This is his early stuff at it's best. I might even say this is his best album period but I know most people would disagree with me on that. 9/10

Realmente se merece un Nobel solo por la primera canción de este disco. Me guardo «Blowin' in the Wind», «Girl from the North Country», «A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall» y «Don't Think Twice, It's All Right».

Not even his best yet, but damn. Dylan is my number one. The songwriting, playing, and feel are second to none. He wrote multiple songs on this album that stand the test of time and cut to the core right at the time of release. Some people tap into the core of the American experience and can live in that place reflecting back to us the experience. Dylan is that. Best living American songwriter.

I enjoyed Bob's voice on this one as opposed to some of the later albums of his. Lyrics were soulful, somber, dare I say historic

I think I may be a hippie

An all timer. The first time Dylan found his voice (the first version of it). The great songs are great, the smaller songs are enjoyable and lesser known songs like Oxford Town hold up.

Beautiful album and very easy background music. Especially whilst being beat 3 times in a row at chess 😘

Masterful songwriting and a general pleasure on the ears. Loved it.

I like both of the songs because i like the music and i like the way he sings and i could understand what he is saying . i would recommend it because the songs are really good

I knew the first 2 songs and I love them so much. Just for these two songs I think this album deserves a 5. I really enjoyed other songs too. Whole album is well-balanced and gentle and even tender I'd say. Also the message is presented quite clear but not aggressive in any sense.

Dare I say folk Dylan at his best. High highs on this joint, with some of his best guitar and voice only songs- girl from the north country, don’t think twice it’s alright, a hard rains a’ gonna fall, masters of war, blowin in the wind: just there that’s about half the album! Sure, some fo the other cuts on this LP lack the same strength/staying power, but as a front to back listen they slot in more than fine. The covers at the end are solid, too.

What else to say about Bob?

This is what *my* soul music sounds like - the piercing harmonica notes, guitar strumming, with his troubled voice, and thoughtful, smart lyrics. This album reminds me of my Dad, it reminds me of being in college and finally being ready to get schooled on some of music's all-time greats. A front-to-back listen makes me feel sad, melancholy, but somehow hopeful. An American Classic.

This one had me Blowin’ In the Wind.

His voice is definitely something of an acquired taste, and if you can't get over it I totally understand not liking this album. I've grown to appreciate it, though, and with it the incredible songwriting that Bob Dylan showcases on his best albums. I think he strikes a perfect balance between cutting lyrics with social critiques, and making music that is just nice and pleasant to listen to.

Blowin' in the Wind is a classic. Don't Think Twice, It's All Right is a personal favorite. And with Bob Dylan's Blues and many other excellent songs, this is a 5-star from me.

It was very interesting to hear his take on his social surroundings and also describing how he would sleep with various amounts of women during this time of his life as well. I thought it was an interesting contrast between showing him as an artist, and also showing him as a human being, and I think that he had to say the instrumentation on this album was really really good. I can’t recall the track that I was listening to. It might’ve been the last one, but it really gave me a sense of who Bob Dylan is and why he is so culturally important to music

He was still a baby

Tip top. Another from my teenage years.

an all time classic

Good ol' Bob

Bob be spitting bars. Who cares what his voice sounds like when the songwriting is this strong and the lyrics this poetic. Thought it might be a 4 going in because I prefer electric Dylan, but nah, this is a 5. This is exactly what I want from Folk.

This album is a snapshot of America at the time. It's soft, filled with sorrow, and empathy. It's calming yet controversial. I found myself singing and humming along without even knowing it. Song writing, epic.

Iconic sophomore record that established Bob as the voice of his generation. It’s authentically-steeped in the American folk, blues, and spirituals traditions, as well as traditional English folk — and these considered head-nods to the past create a rock-solid platform for his strongest talent, storytelling. He tells raw, critical tales about the anxieties and melancholy that defined the early 60s. I really identify with his insistent otherness, his commitment to the socialist-leaning morality of Pete Seeger-esque folk (who I adore), and his critical view of current events on this record — all of which is tinged with his personal brand of skewed melancholy that my soul really gravitates toward as I get older. Historically cited as one of the best albums of all time, Bob’s arguably greatest record is a quintessential example of the outsized importance given to white male artists during the rise of the pop music critic culture we know today, the vestiges of which we’ve only started shedding in the last decade or so as western anglo hetero cultural dominance is being leveled out for a more inclusive landscape to flourish. Is it worthy of all that notoriety? For sure. But with 60 years between its release and today, the cult of Bob feels archaic. He always hated the ‘voice of a generation’ monicker anyway, and viewed himself more as an opportunistic conduit more than anything. He summed this up himself in an interview around this record’s release: “The songs are there. They exist all by themselves just waiting for someone to write them down. I just put them down on paper. If I didn't do it, somebody else would.” If he was up-and-coming today with the same spirit he had then, he would def align with the liberal stances that dominate today’s pop culture, and the stories defining our times would be filtered through that same world-weary kid from Minnesota to similar ends. What would a contemporary bb Dylan have to say about transgender rights, the culture of inclusivity, the rise of technology, and the continued injustice in the world today?

Somewhat shamefully this is the first Bob Dylan album I’ve ever listened to the whole way through. I’ve been doing a lot of Jewish anti war / anti occupation organising for the last while and it can be particularly isolating. I’m (only a little) older than Dylan was when this was recorded but the mix of social and interpersonal strife is absolutely familiar. There’s a lot of older activists who’ve been around since the Vietnam protests and, like this album, they’re a good reminder of perspective. Social movements take time, things seem hopeless, we’re constantly taking two steps back for every one forward but ultimately, I think, good people win out in the end. (Also it helps having recently been done dirty by a huge Dylan fan) An easy 5/5 Favourite tracks: all of them!

I really enjoyed this, so much so that I feel like I've been missing out by not really listening to Dylan. While the production is simple- dude, guitar, harmonica, it fits perfectly. There's nothing to get in the way of his words. All the more folk-y stuff is top notch. I love the Talkin Blues style and Dylan I'd one of the best I've heard do it. There's a few songs that feel like poetry with a guitar. While I usually don't care that style, I love what Dylan does in that realm. He makes things feel like they carry more weight- fuck your rhyme scheme or rhyming at all, I got stuff to say. Favorite song is easily Masters of War, it feels timeless. The minor chords give the song a dark and brooding feel, the lyrics and delivery are so raw- he's mad, you should be too. It reminds me of a few emo/alternative bands acoustic sets, feels so emotional. There's nothing less than great on this album, no skips. I like the not so serious stuff, love the serious and emotional stuff. Easily a 5.

An epic and legendary albums with many of Dylan's finest works. Always a joy to revisit and timeless. I always discover something new in his words which are the main reason to listen to him.

This is the album that got me into Bob Dylan. I love the acoustic guitar, especially the finger picking. The subject matter is a mix of scathing social commentary, love sickness, and whimsical nonsense. He broke traditional lyrical construction. Instead of fitting his message into 4 line verse or 12 bars, he fit them to the content. A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall is a great example. Each section starts with a two line call to his blue eyed son and ends with a two line chorus. But in between there are 5 lines, 7, 7, 6, and then 12 for the finale. This eschewing of convention is a microcosm for many other aspects of his life where Dylan went against the grain, like a folk guy going electric or skipping the ceremony to accept a Nobel prize. The album has 5 or 6 all time great songs while the rest might be my most-liked. This is my 2nd favorite album of time. I could listen to it on repeat forever.

Masterpiece.

Relevant as ever, full of great energy and thoughtful lyrics

Rating this less than a 5? Hey man are you crazy or something? See what happened last time this started."

What’s not to love, great time

Bob Dylan definitely belongs in the list, and especially this album does. Very influential, has several major "hits" and some of the most covered songs ever. I mean, all on one album: Blowin' in the Wind, Masters of War, A Hard Rain, Don't think Twice! Dylan won't go into the history books as the best singer or harmonica player but that's not the point. His songwriting skills are the best and his legacy is clear. An easy 5 as a "must hear" album.

I was happy to see another Dylan album so soon - I was reminded that it has always bummed me out that I never gelled with Dylan's music, and then The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan came my way, WOW and WOW! This album already had me with that sweet and tender moment captured on the cover of him in a snowy street of downtown Manhattan (he was a just a cherub!) with .. looked her up, Italian American Suze Rotolo, then I llistened - 3 times through. This album is beautiful. Just beautiful, I swear I actually heard a 'CLICK!' and just like that, I get it - I have entered the Dylanrealm LOLLL .. part of the raw beauty of these tracks (and incredibly skillful guitar playing) is bc Suze couldn't deal with his rising fame and broke up w him, moved out and over to Perugia, Italy to study art for 6mos. WHAAAT!? This made me smile bc I studied in Perugia too and lived there for 8 yrs - Mike came to stay for like 8mos back in the 90s! Loving that connection and this album. Now obsessed w/ Don't think twice, it's alright and Girl from the North country. His suffering transformed into such beautiful, intimate music.

An absolute masterpiece.

It's one of Bob's first nine, therefore it gets 5 stars.

Off to a great start!

Everyone says Dylan is a genius. Although he has one other album before this one, this is where his genius begins. His weird humor, his anti-war lyrics, his deceptively simple tunes. Sure, he has a reedy voice and his harmonica is palatable at best, but these are still some of the best songs ever written, and skillfully delivered. 5/5

My favorite Bob Dylan album, angry, funny, worth re-listening

Fabulous stuff

Been really enjoying country and folk recently so this album really scratched that itch. There’s a good reason Bob Dylan is so famous! An almost perfect album

Love love love

Pure love. 5

Early Bob Dylan with some of his finest songs

My favorite of Bob’s early folk albums. A timeless classic and the first sign of his burgeoning genius.

Changed the world

Sounds eternal.

There at at least 5 GREAT songs on here, some world disturbing. Dylan was a brilliant songwriter from the inception of his career and it's already evident on this ealy album.

The folksy act is corny, but the songwriting is the thing. The dude put in the work. It's good work. 4.5

Bob is nasal legend!

yaas

It's a very simple and direct album in the folk tradition, featuring just Dylan's nasal vocals, competent acoustic guitar and occasional harmonica interludes. But already Dylan demonstrates his masterful songwriting with a bunch of songs that are poetic, witty, clever, wry and emotional. Most impressively, a whole album of self penned songs was a rarity in 1963. So many of these songs are instantly recognisable and have been covered:- "Blowin' in the Wind", "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 vocal delivery might be an acquired taste but make no mistake, he's a damn fine singer in his idiom.

The genius of bob is in his lyrics and song writing, pure simple but gets across the point without flinching.

Even as a 22 year old he has the gravely voice of an old man and sings of an olde timey worlde. The musicianship is really good, and the songs are great. I read that the tunes were lifted from folk standards and am curious as to how much was him covering the classics a la Bob Dylan, and how much was novel. I didn't think I liked Bob Dylan all that much but this was undeniably enjoyable.

Awesome!

Perfect Album. 5/5. No Doubt.

I've heard Bob's kind of a jerk nowadays, but this is peak.

What an album, crazy good. Bob Dylan, my father

5/5

Harmonica is a bit unpleasant at points but this is probably a result in the change of sound production. Bet this would sound great on vinyl

I don't know if this is Bob Dylan's best, but it certainly is up there. Amazing lyrics that speak to the social and political tensions of the time, and in many ways speak to the same tensions of today. Blowin', and Hard Rain are so powerful lyrically, and combined with the simplicity of the acoustic guitar harmonica create make these incredibly powerful songs. Don't think twice is truly one of my all time favorite songs. Not lost on me is the nostalgia of listening to my Uncle Ron strum and sings these tunes at the forest preserve, in the driveway, in the living room. Some of my most treasure memories. This is a 5/5 and a must listen.

"Dylan was a revolutionary – the way that Elvis freed your body, Bob freed your mind." -- Bruce Springsteen And this is really where it began. In 2002, Freewheelin' was one of the first 50 recordings chosen by the Library of Congress to be added to the National Recording Registry...so of course, there will be plenty of 1 star reviews on here telling us how bad Bob sings (which isn't even close to true -- his voice may not be pretty, but that's not the same things as being a bad singer; the fact that some people don't realize that tells you a lot about their opinion.)

It just doesn't get more classic Bob Dylan than this.

This album has a very different tone than his previous one. He seems to have graduated from a "hick with a guitar" to philosophical musician with a free spirit. One of a kind person with all the right ingredients at just the right time. Straight magic if you ask me.

Best Bob.

This is important. This is a perfect album. This should be taught as part of high school curriculum.

9/10 simply for Masters Of War

Pretty bloody brilliant songs from start to finish. Great album, although I'm not a fan of his voice (not a deal breaker when the songwriting is so good).

Such great work from Dylan. As true today as it was then.

This took me back in time for sure! I tried really hard to put myself in 1963 when I listened to this. Had to be so powerful to listen to back then...yet so simple today. Nobody comes out with an acoustic guitar and harmonica and releases an album these days. Raw and genuine, love him or hate him...nobody will ever be like him.

You can hear how he became such a cultural touchstone in this one, as long as you can let go of how it sounds to modern ears and try to imagine what it was like at the time

Did not listen but have played it many times over the years.

This is an absolute masterclass in folk song. The first three tracks are all worthy and poetic. I run out of superlatives for the way Bob spun these lyrics.

So simple, so fun. Brilliant.

A landmark foray of folk into the rock sensibilities. He can’t sing with a damn, his guitar playing is simplistic at best and yet this is a tour de force of both song writing and performance. A true classic

Blowin in the Wind, Hard Rain, Don't Think Twice more than make up for the handful of weaker songs.

One of my favorite albums from my favorite artist atm so yeah it's gonna be an unapologetic five from me. The Vibe: You're walking down the street in fall and there's a really strong breeze that blows the leaves across the sidewalk and you smell that rotting leaf smell and you're like "ah hell yeah it's fall, baby"

The greatest, and perfect for this time of year.

Klassiker!

Absolute classic, from so long ago. Although a lot of people may not care for his singing voice, or the sometimes suddenly loud harmonica. It's both amazing and disheartening that a lot of the political issues brought up in this 61 year old album are still a problem to this day. Dylan shows some major silliness at times on the album, which I feel is another compelling factor. This album has been so influential, it makes sense why people generally skip his first album and go to this one.

Now this is a great Dylan album. Just so happens it's the one that put him on the map too. His writing is just incredible. Yes Blowin' in the Wind is one that gets a lot of attention, and deservedly so. It is both poignant and beautifully delivered. But listen to Talkin World War III Blues. It is a little odd being a talking piece that delivers a lot of one or two liners. But man if it isn't clever and witty as hell. Masters as War is another great political song, and to me sounds like it directly inspired Lennon's Working Class Hero (at minimum in its musical composition). And as great as it is, it's probably bested by A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall. Oxford Town is no slouch either. And for all the great political songs, he composes some really beautiful love songs. Girl from the North Country and Don't Think Twice, It's All Right are both parts happy and sad, but oh so lovely. If you sit back, you realize it's all Dylan on guitar or harmonica. And he nails it. I guess I understand a little bit more why some people got upset when he went electric on later albums - because man he killed it on this and other albums when it was stripped down.

Bob's Big Breakthrough. Blowin' in the Wind and A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall are absolute classics, deservedly so. Easily two of his best ever. Other songs I really liked included Girl from the North Country and Masters of War. A lot of the songs sound repetitive, but Bob's lyrics usually save the day. In fact, Masters of War is 100% just a repetitive riff, but the lyrics are so stirring it's easy to ignore the repetitive nature of the song. Some of the lyrics are also surprisingly humorous - I always thought he was way too serious, but songs like Talkin' World War III Blues and I Shall Be Free show he's got a sense of humor. Of course, that's more than balanced by powerful lyrics like all the previous mentioned songs (plus Oxford Town). I also liked Corrina, Corrina, possibly just for the fact that it sounded different. I'd call the album a 4.5, dinging it a little for the repetitive sound, but I'll round up for the historical significance.

Dynamite. Masters of war always a let down but the others carry this over the line. Guitar is imperfect in a really natural way.

These songs are so familiar by now. Hard to believe these were all on one album this so early in his career.

This is the first time I’ve delved into folk music with direct listening intent and the first time I’ve listened to a piece of Bob Dylan’s discography in full. I feel as though ‘The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan’ is the perfect amalgamation of easy listening compositions with character, and lyrical content with a potent message. A sigh of things to come down the line with other projects like Highway 61 Revisited and Blood On The Tracks, as well as his collaborative efforts with The Band. A new plateau had definitely opened up for me to venture into.

I like Dylan and his voice. No need to repeat previous reviews here.

This is a great album. I think everyone who has listened to Dylan has tried to sing like Dylan at least once in their life. He's a poet for a generation. Just brilliant.

I certainly respect and appreciate Bob Dylans place in music. I understand his importance as a songwriter and lyricist. I recognize that he has gifted us some of the most impactful music of all time. With that said, for the most part, I really can't stand his voice. I much rather hear his music sung by other artists. One of my favorites is Stevie Wonder's version of "Blowin' in the Wind."

I love it when it’s just Bob, a guitar, a harmonica and some great words!

The master of words at work. Not all of this hits but gee it made an impact. Don't Think Twice is nigh on a perfect song.

Incredible album. This propelled Dylan to the forefront of the folk movement and influenced countless artists then and for decades after. The album includes some of the best songwriting in the history of Western music. Lesser people can rag on his voice or the simplicity, but it's undeniably smart, provocative, and beautiful. *****

Classic

…..i liked it

Enjoyed this far more than I was expecting. More harmonicas please

Nobel winning album, do I really need to say anything else? An album to listen while staring at the horizon, during sunset, with some murmur in the background, pensive, nostalgic but with some optimism.

One of the landmark early albums. It’s amazing how good the lyrics are on his first album writing almost all the songs. One of my favorite album covers as well. People have the right to not like Dylan but I also have the right to judge you when you say it. The Dylan haters are always so loud and whiny it’s unbearable. They sound to me like Dylan does to them. Rating: 4.7

Blowin' in the Wind might be the weakest song on this album, and that song is so iconic that I learned it in 3rd grade.

❤️

Amo este disco

A free spirit singing an hymn that reached millions.

I’m a sucker for Bob Dylan, and this album does not disappoint

Great. But the harmonica scared me a couple of times

No notes a classic 8-9/10 can’t decide.

- I was not raised on Dylan, but this album finally makes it clear to me why he is so revered. - The first three tracks are one of the strongest openings I could imagine for an album. (Absolutely adore "Girl from the North Country.) - Incredibly poignant gut-punches with the political messages of many of these. Listened to this the day after the 2024 election and almost broke down crying during "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall." As relevant as ever.

Thoughts before listening: I used to always say this was my favorite Dylan album, but I think I prefer the early electric albums now. Still though it's an amazing record that captures Dylan at his folky best. Review: The amount of generation-defining songs on this album is amazing. "Blowin' in the Wind", "Masters of War", and "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall" are absolute classics that rose above simply being good songs and have become part of the American songbook. These are political songs speaking directly to what was happening in the country in the 60s but still resonate now 60 years later. Few songs give me chills like "Masters of War", and few writers could create a lyric that speaks to the sentiments of the youthful 60s anti-war protestors quite like this: "How much do I know To talk out of turn You might say that I'm young You might say I'm unlearned But there's one thing I know Though I'm younger than you That even Jesus would never Forgive what you do" Other favorites for me on this album include "Girl From the North Country, "Don't Think Twice Its Alright", and "Oxford Town", but ultimately this is simply one of the best albums of all time. While I do tend to gravitate towards Dylan's later, electric albums, its nice to be reminded of just how special this album is. 5-stars

While still great songs, Dylan's political stuff from this era don't really hold up. But his more universal material is all time goat stuff. Girl from the north country and don't think twice it's alright are some of the best compositions ever.

Just a fantastic album

It was probably around 1978 and I was babysitting. I checked out their record collection and I had to choose between this and Bread's "Baby I'm a-want you." So glad I chose Dylan. What a great album. From "A Hard Rain" to "Don't think twice" to "Blowin in the wind" to "Girl from North Country" to "Masters of War"--blows my mind how good a writer he is.

Great listen, super chilled and good lyrics to tune in to

Got totally lost in this album. In the most brilliant way. It almost carried me along without me realising! Lovely stuff. 4.8

Complete genius. Pretty much the easiest 5* ever.

There’s only one Bob Dylan. Some amazing songs on this album

Classic, massively influential album.

Gosh I love bob. He’s one of the best poets among all American musicians. He’s got some good chops too, but his sound does take some getting used to

Bob Dylan at his peak folk. What else to say?

Unmitigated classic.

This album alone earned Dylan a Nobel Prize in Literature. It helps that I'm a sucker for '60s folk, but the way Dylan plays is also so unique, unlike anything else from the era. His lyrics are truly timeless poetry, covering everything from protest to philosophy to young love lost, found, and lost again. Sometimes he’s serious, sometimes he’s taking the piss, but either way, his pen is strong, and the fact that it’s backed by great acoustic playing makes it even more compelling. And I’ll be brave and say it: the way he plays a harmonica makes me think it’s actually a beautiful instrument!! Like, the end of “Girl from the North Country”?! “Bob Dylan’s Blues”?! “I Shall Be Free”?!?! I think I prefer other folk artists from this era overall, but to me, Freewheelin’ is the peak of that sound. It’s a timeless sentiment with timeless songs, and while I think there’s maybe a couple Dylan albums that come close (and a lot that stray very far from this album’s vision, to their detriment), he’s never done anything as important as this record. It’d be my pick on a Top 100 Albums To Hear Before You Die list, that’s how essential this to pop culture.

How many roads must a man walk down?

the mixing on the current spotify version is incredible, the harmonica resonates through my head, and Bob's performance is exceptionnally captivating. I'm in love

Early, folksy Dylan. Blowin in the Wind and Masters of War feel like timeless protest songs, right alongside the haunting Hard Rain, broken up with some sort of silly and fun tracks and put over the top with some of the most epic breakup songs (North Country and Don’t Think Twice). Pretty much everything you’d want from a folk album.

This is an acoustic masterpiece. “I shall be free” is amazing.

One of those albums that could get 10 stars if it was possible. I'd put this in my top ten of all time. I'm intimately familiar with every chord and word here. Without going song by song and eulogising: the simplicity and delicateness of the songs is balanced by the lyrics that sound as angry and relevant now as they did then. I'd suggest this may be Bob at his most accessible where his voice hasn't disappeared into a rasp and the tunes are just beautiful.

Awesome Dylan is awesome

A little bit of Dylan in my life A little bit of Dylan by my side A little bit of Dylan's all I need A little bit of Dylan's what I see A little bit of Dylan in the sun A little bit of Dylan all night long A little bit of Dylan, here I am

Can you imagine living in 1963 and a singer-songwriter drops this? Opening with Blowin' In The Wind? I mean, it must have created a shift in the head of every songwriters. "Oh shit, we can actually write great, engaged, poetic and philosophical songs! With one guitar only? Damn!" This album is undoubtedly a game changer in the history of music and fully deserves its place on a list like this.

Great

This was a hard album to review. In my mid teens this was one of my favourite albums and I was a big Dylan-fan. I still think this is a very good album, it is by far my favourite of Dylan's acoustic albums and "Girl from the Northcountry" if probably one of my favourite songs. There are many other great songs on this album "Don't Think Twice It's Alright", "Master of War" to name a few more. The second half fizzles a bit though and many of the songs are a bit forgettable. Still for what this album has meant to me, the impact of this album, and the highs of its good songs it deserves a 5 for me. Although a 4 might be more fair to be honest.

Always love me some Dylan they’re all fives for me

Even though this is his second album this is the beginning of a run of amazing albums that span the 60s. So many great songs with just Dylan his guitar and harmonica

So many great songs. An amazing counterculture icon.

I know this album really well. It was a gift to have this assigned listening.

This is a remarkable album by any standard, containing three of the greatest protest songs ever written and setting the radical agenda for the sixties and beyond. For it to be just the second album from a little known 22 year old singer songwriter lifts it even further. This album also contains some self deprecating humour and lovelorn ballads, as well as a lovely, downbeat cover of Corina, Corina which was a highlight for me. Simply essential listening.

This is objectively a monument. And compared to other Dylan's albums I've listen to, there is not too much harmonica to spoil the songs.

✨✨✨

Some absolutely classic songs. The arrangements are super simple but it shows the strength of the songwriting, when Dylan can be so compelling and thought provoking with just an acoustic guitar and harmonica on most of the tracks.

Possibly one of the best debut albums (of original songs) of all time. The fact he was 20/21 when writing these lyrics is incredible. Some of the best song writing of all time. The way he wraps existential dread, anger, sorrow, all up into humourous and downright clever lyrics blows my mind. I'd start quoting but there's too many examples to even begin. Few weak tracks (never got on with the opener), but 8-9 of these songs are easily 5*. This album could be nothing else.

One of the best. Easy 5

Ahhh….acoustic Dylan. It’s a shame that he’s so divisive; folks seem to either idolize him or loathe him with very little in between. Admittedly, it’s not all the most complex musically and he definitely doesn’t have the best singing voice, but his songwriting is just so good. And this is folk, after all. The guitar isn’t really expected to be terribly intricate. Besides, this album has “Don’t Think Twice…” on it, so it’s a big win for me.

What a great album! One of his best works.

trash kid

Love, Love, Love this album. It’s the beginning of the singer songwriter era….and definitely with a message. I may not always agree with the message, but it’s funny how the music makes. The message more palatable even if you don’t agree. There is a reason that Bob Dylan is a legend, and this was just an early chapter.

So many great American folk songs on one album it's pretty incredible. I personally even like his vocal delivery, which I don't on some of his later albums and live albums. There are several huge hits on here that were covered by tons of other artists but I also like some of the others like the last two on the album. Easy five star for me

Must have been thrilling to discover Dylan in real time with this one. First album's fine and all but this one lays the groundwork for the soon to ensue verbal torrents (hard rain) absurdism/pop culture/great (wo)men/historical references (pretty much every song), sappy vs biting love stuff ( girl north country, don't think twice, corrina) , just biting stuff, contrarian and anticontrarian all at once (masters of war, oxford town). Guitar playing is masterful - simple but endless variation on themes, creative chording, rhythms etc. Singing is next level good, less potentially grating than some stuff in immediate future. Minimal harmonica.

Yes, I know this album, every song. But Nashville Skyline will always be my favorite. Blood on the Tracks a close second.

4.7 Best Dylan album, imo. Could listen to it forever and never get bored. Fave songs: Girl from the North Country, Don't think twice it's all right, a hard rain's a-gonna fall, oxford town

Really great album. On the 5 side of 4.5 for me.

Good car to drive after a war

Amazing album, grew up with it

A masterpiece. While Dylan's debut album is mostly comprised of covers, with this second album he evolved into a true master of his craft. The songwriting on this is astonishing, and many of these are timeless. For example Blowin' in the Wind and Girl from the North Country are still as moving, and beautiful as they ever were. While Masters of War is still, if not more relevant today. Just incredible.

own

Look, no one is arguing that Dylan has a great voice. He doesn't. That said, there's a certain Americana tradition to it that's especially apparent in Talkin' WWIII Blues. This is my second Dylan album, 38 albums into the project and, I mean, dang. I didn't realize HE wrote Blowin' in the Wind. I thought it was the Mamas & Papas. Girl from the North Country, Masters of War, Don't Think Twice, It's All Right, are all spectacular. There's a simplicity of the pared back instrumentalization and music that lets you focus on the lyrics and meaning of the song. It's a good balance, even with lack of vocal agility from the singer. I don't really see getting sick of these songs. I could probably leave I Shall Be Free.

Listened 3/18/24. Stone cold classic. I had forgotten some of these songs and it was great to get reintroduced to them.

After an underwhelming debut, Dylan fires on all cylinders with his sophomore release. Lyrics are poetic, original, and hit as hard 60 years later as they did when they were contemporaneously written. Nobel prize for literature well deserved. 5/5

The first and maybe my favorite Dylan album I’ve listened to. Blowin in the Wind, Masters of War, and A Hard Rain are all peak singer/songwriter (4.5/5)

5/5 this was such an enjoyable ramble and music that’s very pure for me. Just fantastic.

What an album. It is crazy that Dylan went from being a wannabe folk singer doing voers and playing harmonica for other people to this. One of the best albums ever in my opinion.

It’s Bob fuckin’ Dylan, what else is there to say

Timeless, remarkable songwriting.

The classic with Blowin in the wind ..

A near perfect album! So many fantastic, timeless songs

<3

Simply great

4.6/5 Best Track: Don't Think Twice, It's Alright

Perfect album albeit with the head scratching closing choice of I Shall Be Free. “I jumped the fallout shelter. I jumped the string bean. I jumped the tv dinner. I jumped the shotgun”. It is good that Dylan stopped writing Wesley Willis caliber “funny songs” soon after this album.

A pillar of an album that holds the weight of the world. Incredible songs from a mind in the infancy of its brilliance. Still a very young man with a sharp vision of the future and a sharper tongue. These songs can break your heart, awaken the revolutionary or just make you laugh at times. Anytime you can genuinely experience multiple emotions in such a short amount of time is worth taking note of and cling to that album with both hands and all your heart.

A classic. Certainly one of Dylan's best, if you can make that distinction.

masterpiece starting from cover

sharp lyrics

Frábær plata og mitt persónulega uppáhald með honum. Don't think twice og A Hard Rain eru svo solid tvenna. Blowing in the wind auðvitað iconic lag fyrir the 60's.

Klárlega ein af bestu plötum allra tíma. Blowin in the wind kannski pínu ofspilað, en Girl from the North Country eitt af uppáhalds Dylan lögum mínum + Masters of War, Masters of War, A hard rain´s og Dont think twice.

Masterpiece.

A simple album for the death of a simple view of empires that come and go.

i've learned and forgotten how to play a lot of these songs countless times. classic folk album for me.

A classic.

10/10

amazing, classic

i love this. i've always liked bob dylan's singing and songwriting but his harmonica never fully clicked. after fully listening to this album I think if has. also, bob dylan core 🧥

I enjoy Bob

Love Bob Dylan

This was a good one for a Friday. I was able to spin my vinyl copy while enjoying my coffee.

Love it

I’d always had the misheard lyric ‘how many roads must a man walk down, before you CAN call him a man’ and by listening to this, it was corrected and gave me a better understanding of the song

I never "got" Dylan when I was younger. Just never had the occasion to listen to him much. Didn't appeal. When I was learning about music, I knew who he was, of course -- but he was just some folk singer to me. I knew people loved him, but that whiny voice and what I found to be uninteresting music (since at the time I was way into stuff like Queensryche) -- just never figured it out. Well, I grew up and I started to understand. And listening to him now as an adult is a new experience. This is spellcasting as much as it is songwriting. Going to have to do some revisiting. Thumbs way up. Unexpected banger: Talkin' World War III Blues

Dylan erbeast

Good album. Amazing lyricist

Love, love , love this album

Icons but not my thing

First

Where are today’s Bob Dylan’s?

I may have just been in the right headspace place to listen, but it was a great album. The song writing and lyrics were great.

My favourite Bob Dylan album with Don’t Think Twice It’s Alright. Love the simple acoustic arrangement.

made me cry, made me laugh. love bob dylan :)

A masterpiece. - Blowin’ In The Wind - Masters of War - Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright

One of my all time favorites

Well, this is pretty well a timeless classic. If you’ve never heard it, well, you must at least once. Appreciate his lyrics, and also put it into perspective - this is early 1960s. Incredible depth matched by very few.

as perfect of a folk album as they come.

Early Bob Dylan was a work in progress, not yet complete, but the album is still splendid and essential listening.

love bob dylan - i remember listening to this with my dad as a teenager

Love it!!

Two out of the four albums I’ve got so far have already been in my collection and some of my favourites, including Freewheelin’. A classic folk album. The protest songs hit just as hard as when they were first written, to when I first heard them 2 decades ago, to now. Highlights: Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alrights (one of my all time favourite songs), Oxford Town, Masters of War

Definitely deserves a place in this list. Masters of War is my favorite Dylan song, especially as covered by Eddie Veder. Blowin in the Wind is one of the most iconic 60s songs, a huge hit for Peter Paul & Mary who covered it. 5 stars.

THE KING

Duh

Easy five. I love the stripped-back production. Oh and the songwriting. Second to none. Very powerful.

лучшая гармошка в жизни!

Peak.

6/5 all day long

The best of the early folk stuff.

classic

Classic

This has some of the most transcendent music ever recorded. Blowin' in the Wind and Don't Think Twice, It's All Right are both on my shortlist for best-ever Dylan songs. A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall is perhaps his best early protest song. Girl from the North Country and Corrina, Corrina are just so nice to listen to. There are some clunkers on this, though. The run of Masters of War, Down the Highway and Bob Dylan's Blues is tough. And the back half is quite uneven. Even if I'm not crazy about a significant percentage of the songs on this album, not rating this five stars would be absolute lunacy.

Perfect end to end

Still resonant and brilliant and frankly kind of mind blowing.