How Many Roads Must A Man Walk Down? (Greatest Hits Vol.1 - Bob Dylan)

Member Name: markhobbs

Product:	Greatest Hits Vol.1 - Bob Dylan
Date:	24/09/01 (267 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Flawless

Disadvantages: Could be more flawless if it wasn't singles

My greatest hits is mildly different to the one described above, so the irregularities are intentional and good.

Bob Dylan is perhaps the most influential artist of all time, so investing in a greatest hits CD is perhaps not a bad idea. I normally find that compilations take away from the songs, given that tracklisting on albums is one of the most important things. It just doesn’t feel the same when a track is played alongside one from five albums later, but the songs are of such high quality that it doesn’t matter here.

These tracks are selected from his first seven albums, spanning just five years, which was by far his most productive period. He went from the most socially conscience folk singer to the loudest thing in the radio in one step, alienating his diehard fanbase and destroying his reputations in folk circles. And thank God he did it, for his first three electric albums; Bringing It All Back Home, Highway 61 Revisited and Blonde On Blonde are some of the finest pieces of art I have ever had the pleasure to listen to.

That’s not to say that his folk albums were bad, Freewheelin’ and The Times They are A Changin’ are up there among his best work, it’s just that they have their limitations. Bob felt that the folk scene was getting stale and that he had done all he could do.

Blowin In the Wind

A simple song, but a simple song with more power than any nu-metal band can ever have, no matter how much they shout and rant. It sounds so fresh and relevant, despite being written forty years ago. Bob sees the injustices of the world and asks for some sense, but he doesn’t get any, he’s singing about the same problems we have today. An absolute classic, sounds great and has real substance.

It Ain’t Me Babe

He sings about a woman who wants him to be a strong man, to be loyal and to take of her. Bob says that he’s not the right guy
, he’s not infallible and perhaps he’s the one who needs some stability in his life. “I’m not the one you want babe, I’ll only let you down”. A great vocal performance, showing that while voice his might not be technically brilliant, there’s not many people who can put as much emotion into a song as him.

The Times They Are A Changin’

The early sixties saw the world the world irreversibly change, and this song tells us to change with it or get lost in it. It’s also the title of Bob’s third album, an amazing commentary on social and political issues and a protest to the way the country is being run. To say that this isn’t even the best song on the album is to say something indeed.

Mr. Tambourine Man

An acoustic song from his first largely electrical album Bringing It All Back Home. The language used is really beautiful, it’s such an easy and flowing song. Absolutely magical.

“Take me on a trip upon your magic swirlin’ ship
My senses have been stripped, my hands can’t feel to grip,
My toes too numb to step, wait only for my boot heels
To be wanderin’
I’m ready to go anywhere, I’m ready to for fade
Into my own parade, cast your dancing spell my way
I promise to go under it”

This really annoyed his folk fans, the song has no clear meaning and the surreal lyrics are far from the previous three songs.

She Belongs To Me

A gentle song, Bob sings about his loved one, and how she can dictate his moods and thoughts. Good but not typical Dylan.

It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue

Strained vocals make this kind of hard to listen to at first, but once you get into it, it’s a really good song. Again, the lyrics are surreal at times, but that only serves to make the song more interesting. It’s seemingly about Judgement Day
or something end of the world related. I didn’t really see it at first, but it makes sense now.

Subterranean Homesick Blues

Image the shock of the folk world when its hero’s new single is the loudest thing on the radio. Loud guitar and brilliant political commentary make for vintage Dylan. The beginning of a new era in music as a whole.

Sooner or Later (One of Us Should Know)

The lovely harmonica intro sets the mood, it’s a really nice and easy song to listen to. Bob sings about how he understands why his girlfriend left him, that things weren’t supposed to go the way they did, it was just the way it happened. Great singing and a great collage of sound, one of the highlights of Blonde On Blonde.

Like A Rolling Stone

The song that kept Bob from quitting music. He was disillusioned with how easy it had become, go out play, then two encores and bed. But while flying home he started writing and this is the result, one of his best and most famous songs. Again, there’s a huge sound, his band really are playing out of their skins. It’s story of a rich kid who’s coasted through their teenage years, only to alone in the real world afterwards. It’s a really up tempo song, which never fails to get me in a good mood. It’s that good.

Just Like A Woman

A bittersweet love song, more bitter than sweet, about those bitches we’ve come to call women. Bob can’t understand them, he’s attracted and amazed by them, but he sees the manipulative side as well. Poor Bob.

Rainy Day Women Nos. 12 & 35

“Everybody must get stoned”, that’s the message here. This is the most fun song ever, a marching beat and a whole lot of laughing and cheering. You can’t fully appreciate it until you’re in a caravan with this playing and a very stoned guy contemplating a jar of beetroot. Ha!

I
Want You

Bob may be a poet, but he really is a talented musician as well. He can write a catchy love as well as anyone else when he wants. The title is pretty self explanatory, Bob just sings about his loved one. It’s worth saying at this stage that the woman he’s singing these love songs about ultimately left him, and really messed him up. Puts it all into perspective really.

And there you go, twelve of some of the best and most important songs of all time. It’s a pity that the non -singles are better. Oh well…

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