 Dylan Rules! |
| Review Date: February 20, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Melvin Hunt, Cleveland,, Texas United States |
This is an outstanding CD by one of the legends in American.. Over the decades Bob Dylan has been one of the dominant figures on the American musical scene. I always remember Dylan making his comeback on the Johnny Cash
show. In the early 1970's in was able to attend his comeback concert tour with the Band. I will always be a Bob Dylan fan. This CD has every major hiy that Bob Dylan ever recorded. It starts with the early years with "Blowin In The Wind","Don't Think Twice","It Aint Me Babe","Mr. Tambourine the Watchtower". The second CD has such hits as "Lay Lady Lay",If Not For You", "Knockin on Heavans Door"and the haunting"Hurricane". This is without question the greatest songs that Dylan has ever sung. Buy it. |
Great stuff, but by no means an "essential" album
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| Review Date: January 24, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Johnny Boy, Hockessin, DE |
Bob Dylan is an American icon. No, let me rephrase that. Dylan is not just an American icon, he's a world icon. His contribution to music is amazing, and he is by a long shot my favorite performer. He is the greatest songwriter to ever live, bar none.
And that's why 'The Essential Bob Dylan' is incredibly misleading and if you are a longtime, die-hard fan, completely unnecessary. Read on for further details.
First off, two discs just isn't gonna cut it. Sure, it's got several essentials, but Dylan's career is one of those that's nearly impossible to summarize without a box set or concept theme behind the compilation. But 'The Essential' tries -- and hard, at that -- to anthologize Dylan on two discs.
And it fails. Miserably. Dylan cannot simply be represented by two discs. It's impossible. It's missing classics, like 'Idiot Wind,' 'Buckets of Rain,' 'Changing of the Guards,' and 'One Too Many Mornings,' among countless others. What's represented is all entirely worthy of a million stars, but it's not essential. More like a 'Bob Dylan Collection.'
First, why is Dylan's '80s career BASICALLY UNREPRESENTED? Only 'Jokerman,' from his 1983 album 'Infidels,' and 'Silvio,' from 1988's 'Down in the Groove' get representation here. That means, no 'The Groom's Still Waiting At The Altar,' 'Every Grain of Sand,' 'Joey,' 'Series of Dreams' or 'Dignity' are here, among countless others. In my opinion (though many people disagree) some of Dylan's best work came in the 1980s. To this collection, Dylan in the 1980s barely existed, if at all. What a shame.
Alright, I've critcized this disc enough. Now to some positives. What's here is great. 'Don't Think Twice, It's All Right' rarely gets radio play or attention, and is certainly an obscurity. It's nice to see 'The Essential' give it the representation it deserves. The disc also contains 'Maggie's Farm,' 'It Ain't Me Babe,' 'Just Like a Woman,' 'Mr. Tambourine Man,' 'I Shall Be Released,' and perhaps the best protest song Dylan ever wrote, 1975's 'Hurricane' all get representation here.
Overall, 'The Essential Bob Dylan' is hardly essential, but it's a good entry point I guess for the new Dylan fan, and it's an alright sampler for a casual fan who doesn't plan on digging deep into Dylan's catalogue. But otherwise, I can't recommend this. It's a classic case of Columbia, Dylan's label, trying to milk Dylan's name for money, and is nothing but a cash cow. What a shame. This could have been a really great collection, but instead, it was another wasted opportunity.
Two stars for the music (which is all worthy of million stars), but still, it's not worthy of your time and money unless you are an easily-pleased casual Dylan fan.
NOT RECOMMENDED. |
Great selection of Dylan
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| Review Date: December 28, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Thomas B. Schwartz, |
| this two cd collection is a great overview of Dylan's work. It begins way back with classics like Blowin' in the Wind,and moves into the later years with Lay, Lady, Lay. Any Dylan fan would like this especially to remember his voice (?) as it was and certainly not as it is today. A friend of mine heard him last month and was sorely disappointed. Well, a voice can't last forever. Perhaps, he thought that the inimitable Dylan sound would last forever, still sounding like gravel. |
Dylan Through the Years
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| Review Date: November 27, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Annette Trunnell, St. George UT |
| This is quite a good mix of Dylan tunes. It makes a great compilation for a new Dylan fan or anyone wanting a taste of all his music through the years. There are songs I would have added, but that is personal taste. Great CD's! |
Dylon
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| Review Date: July 4, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Sentinel, |
| This guy was a legend in the 60s and he is still working today! I liked some of his songs then, and I love the songs on this set even more now. My only disappointment is the set doesn't have "Talking WWIII Blues" so now I'll have to get an album with that song on it. |
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