The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan

Very thought provoking lyrics in most songs and a heavy anti war message through some songs. Unfortunately for me personally the sometimes nonsensical lyrics and repetitive rhythms took away from the experience. Over all a great listen but not for me personally.

Highlights: Blowin' In The Wind Girl From The North Country Don't Think Twice, It's All Right

Although I don't think this is necessarily Bob Dylan at the height of his powers, this is a terrific album and one that shows essentially where he started from. Maybe the most pure folk album he ever released (outside of his debut) and there is some terrific stuff on here. This album really showcases him as a pure folk singer, which I think is very important in his history. 4.5⭐️

Very nice, not quite what I would typically listen to though.

6/10

Has to be a 5

Swings effortlessly between furious anger, heartbreaking sorrow and rich poetry, blending the comfort and familiarity of classic folk with iconoclastic 60s politics. And all when he was 22. Just incredible.

I mean it’s Bob Dylan.

great music, great story...just not into his vocal delivery. shame.

3.5/5 https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/bob-dylan/the-freewheelin-bob-dylan/ Definitely not bad. Songwriting is interesting, lyrics (as far as I really paid attention to them) are good. But that fucking harmonica mannnn. It's so loud and out of tune. Every time it's used it's just grating and hardly adds anything as it's the same thing each and every time. Stop it, Bob!

Amazing album! One of Bob Dylan's best! It definitely has that classic Bob Dylan sound but the guitar is less prevalent. There are some political songs on the album like Masters of War- an anti-war song. After all, Bob Dylan did support the Civil Rights Movement very strongly. Wonderful album!

Dylan isn’t my favorite, but there are some undeniable tunes here. Hard Rain in particular is fantastic.

Not sure if it is nature or nurture, but this album lives in my soul.

3.5/5

Track 1 - 4.5 Track 2 - 3.5 Track 3 - 4 Track 4 - 3.5 Track 5 - 3.5 Track 6 - 4 Track 7 - 4.5 Track 8 - 3.5 Track 9 - 3.5 Track 10 - 3 Track 11 - 3.5 Track 12 - 3.5 Track 13 - 3.5

This might be a 4. I feel like I’m supposed to love all Dylan, but some doesn’t resonate that much while others is the cream of the crop.

Probably my favorite Bob Dylan album I have gotten so far. Lots of hits on here, but the deep cuts are just as good. As with most Dylan, I think these songs will grow on me the more I hear them and listen to their lyrics. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The hits carry this album. Sometimes Bob Dylan for me can be hit or miss for me, and today he’s hitting but the stars of the album are stores for a reason and I will always enjoy those songs.

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.

One of the great folk albums

Even more than 'Paranoid' even, as significant a sophomore album as has ever been made in that it followed a largely ignored (full of traditional covers) debut album. As the Beatles were wanting to hold your hand, this contains Blowin' in the wind, girl from north country, masters of war, hard rain and don't think twice - five of the most significant songs of the period; and songs like world war 3 blues, Bob Dylan's blues and dream we have songs that became live one man show audience favourites. I had forgotten that Corinna Corinna has other instruments playing - looking forward to 1965. Despite it being rather long for a 1963 album (49 minutes next to 25 minute Beach Boys albums and 30 minute Beatle albums).

Growing up, I found Bob Dylan‘s voice to be a bit greeting, like many people I suppose. I certainly appreciated his lyrics, but never did a deep dive on his music. This is probably the first Bob Dylan album that I’ve listened to start to finish. He is undoubtedly one of the greatest songwriters of all time. Blowin’ in the Wind is a classic, but many other songs on this album were quite good and the lyrics still very poignant today.

This will be forever an amazing album

Fierce Folk Rock. Music is pleasant, lyrics are sharp.

I listen to this angry young man and wonder how he feels about our lack of progress today. "I've stepped in the middle of seven sad forests, I've been out in front of a dozen dead oceans, ... I saw 10000 talkers whose tongues were all broken, I saw guns and sharp swords in the hands of young children, ... I met another man who was wounded in hatred, And it's a hard, it's a hard, It's a hard, it's a hard, It's a hard rain's a-gonna fall."

Don't normally like listening to Dylan, but I enjoyed this one.

iconic and just beautiful writing, but you kinda get sick of it after a few songs. still a great album and artist.

A real joy to experience this stripped away Dylan. Definitely more rough around the edges but that's also an exciting thing.

First Listen Favorites: A Hard Rains A-Gonna Fall Bob Dylan's Dream Oxford Town Honorable Mentions: Bob Dylan's Blues

4.3/5 - waaaa-wa-waa-waaaaa *harmonica sounds louden* WAAA-WA-WAWA-WAAAaaaAAAaaaa-

Absolutely defining, poetic and enthralling. Always a good listen and always a new line that sticks out. Over time even the harmonica becomes visceral.

1/1001. Nota 7

As much as you can say Dylan’s doing a sort of odd emulated performance built out of his influences, and as much as I might say the album’s too long and the tunes feel like songs designed to be playing in a folk club in instrumentation but also in sort of “here’s a pause in lyrics for claps and whoops”, it’s a great show of an emerging talent. He does have a knack for lyrics that feel pointed without being unsubtle, and for a witty turn of phrase as much as an emotional one, and it shines through repeatedly. Keeping an eye on this emerging talent Bob Dylan guy.

As much as I want to be a Bob Dylan hater I just can't commit to the bit, there are enough good songs on here that I admit I enjoyed most of this. Ironically I like his longer, more rambly songs better than some of the short ditties, which are pretty forgettable aside from Blowin' in the Wind. I prefer Dylan's electric stuff overall but this album is definitely significant.

Love love love it. Didn't realize I'd like the later songs on this album as much as I did

LOVE THIS ALBUM!! I'm excited to listen to it fully now - very good!

It was a good listen. Classic Dylan. You can see how he was a genius and a huge influence. Not always my cup of tea but still an easy listen.

Classic Dylan... Rating: 8/10

7/10

Freewheelin is one of the best things ever since sliced bread.

I don’t care how many times I try, I can never get into any of Dylan’s music. The vocals are always so drab, boring & unremarkable with a slight porky pig-esque cadence. I absolutely can’t stand it. Most of the instrumentation in his songs end up being just as meandering and boring. Blaring harmonica interrupts the grating vocals, weaving in and out of two things I could absolutely do without. And then there’s the perpetual strumming of an acoustic guitar which you’d be lucky to get more than one chord out of per song. It’s just not for me. I can respect Dylan for how highly regarded he has been for so long by the people that click with him. I’m just not one of those individuals. Coming back again out of curiosity time and time again continues to only leave me more confused than the previous attempt.

the one where robert zimmerman starts to really find his voice. i'm more of a dylan goes electric guy overall. it's not his best, but i have no problems with it. you nerds that don't like dylan gotta grow up.

possibly the epitome of a perfect album. bob’s done one many times. this is his first. this is probably my favorite dylan album, but that is a pretty impossible statement to make. "blowin' in the wind" and "don't think twice, it's all right" are classic rock radio staples for good reason. but "masters of war", "oxford town", "talkin' world war iii blues", and "girl from the north country" are all extra-great, but everything on this record is great

Man, Bob’s got jokes. Just look at what he told JFK.

Please don't play the harmonica ever again, that sounded awful. At least some songs were pleasant (most sounded the same tbh), but most of them were ruined but that damn harmonica.

Öka!!!!

Ge killen en varmare jacka!

Han blir bättre och bättre ju äldre jag blir men efter 90% av skivan tappade jag det totalt på munspelet

Fan gillare aldrig riktigt lyssnat på Dylan

yeah

5: I will happily play this album anytime 4: I may occasionally play this album of my own free will 3: I will happily listen to this if someone plays it in the background 2: I will tolerate this if it is playing in the background 1: I will leave the room if someone plays this in the background

"Don't Think Twice" is one of my all-time favorite Dylan songs, and this album is like a time capsule of the era in which it was written.

Really good album from his early acoustic era, I personally prefer the ones when he went electric a couple years later like Bringing It All Back Home or Highway 61 Revisited. Favorite tracks: Blowin’ in the Wind Girl from the North Country A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall Talking’ World 3 Blues

This is the second Bob Dylan album I’ve listened to, after “Blonde on Blonde.” I appreciated that one more than I liked it. “Freewheelin’”, I loved. Dylan with just a guitar, sometimes a harmonica, sometimes some percussion - it hits different. The poetry is front and center, like you’re listening to an audiobook. An audiobook by an absolute master of the English language. Dylan gets political on this album. His criticism of the people in power is sharp, angry, and clever. “But there's one thing I know Though I'm younger than you That even Jesus would never Forgive what you do Let me ask you one question Is your money that good? Will it buy you forgiveness? Do you think that it could?” And it’s sung with such passion. Even a warmonger in 1963 would have to pause at those lines and reconsider his life path. Other favorites (besides the aforementioned “Masters of War”): A Hard Rain’s a-Gonna Fall Corinna, Corinna Don’t Think Twice, it’s Alright Oxford Town

The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan is the moment Dylan’s artistic identity becomes unmistakable. It’s not perfectly consistent, and it doesn’t have the sonic richness of later Dylan records. Some songs are essentially sketches, and the primitive recording occasionally makes the album feel like a document of a young musician rather than a fully realized studio production. But that’s also part of its power. This is Dylan before the mythology became larger than the man. He’s young, angry, funny, romantic, confused, politically engaged and wildly ambitious.

as prolific as dylan is i don’t listen to his full albums very often. but man i do understand why he’s a force. there’s some obvious classics on here but i don’t know if i had heard masters of war before and it really stuck with me. bob dylan’s dream also very beautiful and made me think about my friends. yea honestly some pretty incredible stuff

cover looks like a romcom poster

Simplemente Bob Dylan, es un genio!

I get it, his voice is not for everyone. But he is first and foremost, a poet. And the music is great. Classic.

No se que tiene este album pero simplemente me pareció espectacular. Canción fav: Girl from the North Country Definitivamente lo voy a volver a escuchar.

I've lost track how many Dylan albums I've now listen to during this project. He's not growing on me, probably the opposite.

It's no blood on the tracks for sure. I'm torn between a 2 and a very weak 3. It's just kinda...we get it, maaah waaah blahwahwaaaa, mumblemumblemumble, *harmonica solo*

Said sum weird stuff

Amazing folk style album, I'm excited to begin listening to his other discography!

The Good: we get to listen to someone freewheelin' The Bad: we are sensitive to those who break the law... The Ugly: Realizing that we misread the entire title... and really the album is called Bob Dylan... There is nothing that I might say about this album that hasn't been said before... however, I will give one thing a go... Many moons ago, I was living on the other side of the world, and I had an album by Joe Cocker called Mad Dogs And Englishmen, and on that record there are a couple of excellent songs--actually, the entire fucking album is excellent, so go and listen to it--and one of the songs is a duet between Joe and Leon, which is The Girl From The North Country... and wow wow wow... Anyway, what a great fucking album this is... 5*

I'm givin it a 3 for the lyricism. I dislike how Bob sings 80% of the time, but the man can write some damn good lyrics. It's aight.

Makes me nostalgic for a time I wasn't alive. Good album.

Miserable vocals twinned with grating harmonicas = Bob Dylan. I'll never understand how he's as famous as he is. Baffles me. One or two decent songs, the rest are just shite.

Obviously there's standouts but it really all sounds the same close together like this.

אלבום פולק מדהים

Seria um crime eu não falar bem do Bob Dylan pela relevância que ele tem, e essa realmente nao é a minha vontade. É um disco bom, mas acho que ouvir somente uma vez não é o suficiente pra suprir todos os elementos que ele tem. Não acredito que seja o melhor da carreira, mas um disco relevante com certeza ele é.

Zu viel Mundharmonika, holy Guacamoly ist das anstrengend

Dylan is not for everyone. But I find his music and poetry compelling. He capture pictures of life and emotions in a way that very few songwriters manage. Love it

Nogen af hans bedste sange

Havde helt glemt vi ikke havde haft den allerede! Der er mere interessante Dylan plader men det er vildt hvor god han allerede var på nr 2

This sounds like what I'm thinking, when I think of Bob Dylan.

Bob Dylan is fascinating. He can make you laugh, cry, nostalgic, curious, thoughtful, and riled up all with one strange voice, a guitar, and a harmonica. For being so simple, this album is profound. And did I mention the audio panning? Cool stuff. "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right" was the gem of this album for me.

Wow. Embarrassed to admit that I did not hear Masters of War until I was over 50. Amazing song - should be updated to include all the tech oligarchs along with the arms dealers and war-monger politicians. "Is your money that good? Will it buy you forgiveness? Do you think that it could?" The Swedes got it right recognizing this man with a Nobel Prize (even if Dylan could not be bothered to accept it).

Brave lyrics and so complete for a ‘first’ album

Can’t really give bob lower than 3 but honestly it was ok

This 1963 album is classified as folk and blues but it's more of the former. I know Dylan is considered a god by some but I've never been a big fan. I'm just not a folk guy. He's a great lyricist and songwriter but he's not a great singer and I hate his harmonica playing. His guitar playing on this album playing is pretty good though. This album has some great songs on it although the covers by others are usually better than his originals. Blowin' in the Wind Masters of War (influenced Working Class Hero?) A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall Don't Think Twice, It's All Right I Shall Be Free I guess I just need to take Bob in small doses.

I'm a bit surprised I'm not giving this 5 stars, but while I think this album is very good, I don't think it transcends the way some of his other albums do. It's top tier folk and a bit of classic rock, but it doesn't feel as impactful as some of his other stuff. So, while I think this album is important, it didn't hit me in a way that made it feel like more than just a top tier folk album.

God damn it, Bob, you've done it again

Way too many Bob Dylan albums on this list...but which ones would you eliminate? I've never been a Dylan fan, but Blowin' in the Wind is pure genius and absolutely a classic. The rest of the songs are not known by me at all....or maybe I've heard them before...not really sure...Each songs sounds new but familiar.... maybe it's just his style that I recognize? As a guy that spent most of his life NOT liking Bob Dylan, I now realize that this is a really good album. I have to admit that I was wrong to pre-judge the album... 5/5

It's a little much, blowing the in the wind is a banger

Cool vibe..

Ive never been a big Dylan fan. This really cemented it. I was hoping/expecting to finally feel different but his sound is just not for me. Great songwriter, however. And a lot of the music itself I enjoy.

#239 - It's hard to sit here and judge an album like this when the guy has had albums for the last 60+ years. The one thing that makes it tougher to listen to is at points it can feel kinda same-y. It's just a guy and his guitar for the most part). It's a great album overall though. With a career filled with so many albums, I have resigned myself to jumping into his various eras and listening to albums as the mood strikes me. Being on this generator helps with that, except if I am not in the mood. Today was the day where I was not particularly looking for this album, but here we are. It's a good second album. Truth be told I prefer his later 60's and 70's output more. its my favorite era in all of music. That said, there are lots of songs to point out and its well worth listening to a man and his guitar. Biggest Hit - Blowin In The Wind Biggest Miss (if I had to choose) - Talkin World War III Blues Hidden Gem - Masters Of War

i am sorry i just wasn’t vibing

I don't actually mind Dylan's voice that much. I do mind the harmonica.

One of the greatest albums of all time. I still continue to be impressed by the strength of some of these songs. They just hold up. He extended the folk tradition and took the revival in a new direction. There is a youthfulness to the songs. But still timeless. I do enjoy Oxford Town and Talking World War 3 blues as deep cuts on this one. 5.

I enjoyed it, but it is not my kind of genre. I can see why Bob Dylan is so weel loved by most people, but it is not one of the best for me.

The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan is a brilliant album. Simple, stripped back and full of great songs. Blowin’ in the Wind, Masters of War and A Hard Rain’s a-Gonna Fall are classics, but Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right is my favourite on here. I love the album. It has stood the test of time and I enjoyed it from start to finish. Five stars.

Five star albums can be hard to come by, sure, but it's been a month since I had an album with two 5-star songs on it. Well, here comes Bob with at least four of them on one album. It's 1963 and the Great Folk Scare has officially arrived.

This is my first time listening to a full Bob Dylan album so very excited. Very repetitive but good album very good instrumentals.

A bunch of Dylan's best known songs on this one, but I'm just so tired of hearing his nasal vocals. I wasn't a fan after the many many other Dylan albums we've listened to, still not a fan after this one. Song writing: 5 Performance: 1 1/2 I'll average it out and give a 3

Didn't we already have this one ... or is it all Bob Dylan albums sound the same?

Gode greier👍 Digger munnspill.

Folk/country, obviously. Immediately struck by the recording and songwriting quality. Vocals front and centre, but guitar crisp and perfectly captured, showing perfect playing technique. To think at the same or later time the Beatles were butchering their recordings with hard panning. Masters of War feels appropriate today, but I suppose it always is, which makes it a timeless song. Zoned out of listening to lyrics for a few tracks and it felt less inspiring. Once I listened again I was loving it again. So the lyrics and vocal delivery of them is key to enjoying this album. Those semi-absurd, semi-poetic lyrics that make an impression. Enjoyed it so much I relistened immediately, and Oxford Town stood out as powerful on the 2nd listen. Considering the time it was written, and it being written by a white folk musician. Best track - Masters of War, Talkin World War III Blues, Oxford Town 3.5 stars - it's clearly great quality, skill and talent. Does it round to a 4 or 3? 4

An all-time favorite