Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits, Vol. 3

Bob Dylan | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 15, 1994)
• Original Release Date: November 15, 1994
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B000002AX1
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  MiniDisc  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (44 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #99,758 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Finally! A greatest hits package for Bob's '70s and '80s work! Includes such classics as Tangled Up in Blue; Knockin' on Heaven's Door; Forever Young; Hurricane; Jokerman; Gotta Serve Somebody; Groom's Still Waiting for the Altar, and more, 14 in all with a new track! --This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

48 of 50 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Two decades' worth of incredible Dylan tracks, March 6, 2003

By 

Daniel Jolley "darkgenius" (Shelby, North Carolina USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits, Vol. 3 (Audio CD)

Many of the albums Bob Dylan released in the late 70s, 80s, and early 90s were not overwhelmingly successful, and much of the really good music included on those albums has been overlooked through the years. Released in 1994, just prior to Dylan's return to prominence, this Greatest Hits Volume 3 CD boasts a number of great songs that have never gotten the credit they deserve. It's an eclectic set of songs, boasting a variety of styles, but it is pure Bob Dylan.

I'm going to examine these songs in order by release date. The oldest song included here is the classic Knockin' on Heaven's Door from Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid (1973). Planet Waves (1974) gives us Forever Young, an atypical but amazing, slow-paced, powerful Dylan song. Blood on the Tracks (1975), one of Dylan's most universally praised albums, gives us the CD's opening track, Tangled Up in Blue; this quintessential Dylan story-telling song really starts the album off with a bang. The song Hurricane from Desire (1976) is a long, incredible song about Rubin Carter, the prize-contending boxer wrongly charged with murder and imprisoned for nearly two decades in a racially charged case (a story which was dramatized in the feature film The Hurricane starring Denzel Washington in 2000)-this is one of Dylan's best songs ever. Changing of the Guards from Street Legal (1978) is a much different song, with backing vocals that give it a real gospel feel (although the lyrics make it unclear exactly what the song is about, at least to me). Next is Gotta Serve Somebody from Slow Train Coming (1979); this is a slow song that sounds a little hollow to my ears and is thus my least favorite song on the album. The 1980s are represented with five songs. The Groom's Still Waiting at the Altar comes from Shot of Love (1981); I really like this uptempo track, but it is rather unusual and not the type of song you might expect on a Greatest Hits album. Jokerman dates back to Infidels (1983). Knocked Out Loaded (1986), regarded by some as Dylan's worst album, is well represented here with the amazing, long (11 minutes), and unforgettable song Brownsville Girl-this one is not to be missed. Down in the Groove (1988), another less successful album, makes what I consider a minor contribution here in the form of Silvio. Oh Mercy (1989) had one great song after another, and while I really like Ring Them Bells, I don't think it is the best song from that comeback album. The other three songs here are from the early 1990s. Under the Red Sky, from the strangely enjoyable yet often-criticized album of the same name (1990) is a weak edition to this collection, although I rather like the song in and of itself. The much-appreciated Bootleg Series Vol. 1-3 (1991) is well represented by the incredibly appealing Series of Dreams. Finally, there is Dignity, the only brand-new song included on this album; it's a great song, but it pales in comparison to most of the other songs collected here.

Featuring an amazingly diverse set of songs and sounds from America's greatest musician, this third volume of Dylan's greatest hits is just as good as the first two volumes chronicling his earlier work. In a sense, it is even more important because incredible songs such as Brownsville Girl have been wrongly overlooked due to their inclusion on badly-received albums and also because this volume basically covers almost two decades of Dylan's work. Those who thought Dylan peaked in the early 70s could not be more wrong, as this collection as well as his string of widely-acclaimed CDs in the years after 1994 prove in the strongest of terms.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Who's This Dylan Guy? Find Out Without Spending Much $$$, February 7, 2002

By 

A. Wolverton (Crofton, MD United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits, Vol. 3 (Audio CD)

'Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits Vol. 3' is a welcome disc for anyone who buys a lot of "greatest hits" CDs. More importantly, for those who have even a slight interest in Dylan, this package provides as comprehensive a look as you can get covering 25 years of Bob in a single disc. The songs range from 1973's "Knocking on Heaven's Door" to 1994's "Dignity." That's quite a span.

This is a good introduction to the second half (not an accurate term by any means) of Dylan's career, especially for those who may not wish to purchase the 3-disc 'Biograph' box set. Hardcore fans may quibble with some of the selections here. I certainly could have done without "Under the Red Sky." But, for the most part, this is a pretty good collection for the money. I do hope, though, that we won't have to wait 20 more years for Volume 4.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Could sit in the dark and listen to it for hours., March 1, 2000

By 

w vansickle - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits, Vol. 3 (Audio CD)

I sort of picked this CD out at random, hoping that it would be decent, and I'm glad I did to say the least. I had never heard the song Brownsville Girl before, and I was stunned when I first heard it. It goes in my book as a classic. It has both amazing lyrics, and an awesome sound to it. There were some other good tunes on the album too, but the album was worth buying for the song Brownsville Girl alone.