Highway 61 Revisited (1965)

This is Dylan’s first record I’ve listened to that feels like a record that can stand for itself.  There’s coherence and meaningful transitions, and it’s straight up rock and roll.  Before this point it was obvious Dylan was poking around and slightly revealing his intentions with regards to “going electric”, but this record puts it all out there.  This is by far my favorite so far.

Going Electric… Bringing It All Back Home – 1965

Half of this record is all electric, and the other half is acoustic.  Favorites…

1.   She Belongs To Me
2. Subterranean Homesick Blues
3. Gates of Eden
4. It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue

Another Side of Bob Dylan (1964)

The best of the first four records.  Dylan starts to really draw away from the themes and style of his first record. I saw one critque of this record saying, “It was like a rock n’ roll/punk record but played with just an acoustic guitar”, and really… that’s the best way to describe this record.

Favorites:

1. My Back Pages
2. It Ain’t Me Babe
3. Ballad in Plain D
4. To Ramona

The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan (1963)

Better than the previous record. Some of this record is protest songs and some of it isn’t, but it is very soften. Aside from the vocals, a lot of this reminds me of Elliott Smith.  Granted, some of this record still has Dylan singing with that southern country drawl, but he lets it go once in a while.

Favorites:

1. Girl from the North Coutry
2. Down the Highway
3. Don’t Think Twice It’s Alright

The Times They Are a Changin’ (1963)

The only way to really identify this record is as a protest record.  A lot of the songs, in particular “With God On Our Side” talk about war and the avoidance of it. In my personal opinion, this record is magnitudes better than his debut.

Favorites:

When the Ship Comes In

Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll

One Too Many Mornings

Ballad of Hollis Brown

Bob Dylan – Bob Dylan (1962)

Bob Dylan's first record

Since I was born nearly twenties years after this record, I have no context for it.  In fact, I probably won’t have any context for any of his records except for Modern Times and Together Through Life.  Anyhow, this record begins with a lot of songs that are fairly fast and eventually develops into some slower songs that sound more familiar to some of his future songs.  However, he did throw in “Freight Train Blues” which is pretty wild.

Favorites:

1. Pretty Peggy-O
2. Highway 51 Blues
3. Baby, Let Me Follow You Down
4. Song to Woody