Customer Reviews

Dylan

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

normally a best of compilation does not adequately reflect the career of the artist.if that statement holds true of the average artist,imagine the effort that had to go into compiling a best of spanning the career of someone as prolific as dylan.
giving the above, listening to this compilation and finding that it is a comprehensive introduction to the greatest living artist,came as a pleasant surprise .yes there are some omissions,but with dylan's repertoire,isnt that to be expected?fact is,the songs that are there,are wonderfull,and the compilation fully deserving of a five star rating.listen for yourself and decide.

We just can't get enough of this album. We have been Dylan fans for years and years and this album just makes us want to dance. We were raised in California, born in the 40's and college in the 60's need I say more.

I was at my favorite used record shop the other evening, killing some time, and I couldn't help but notice how many used copies of this new Dylan hits package were on the shelf. The album (available in either a three disc version or a one disc, this being the one disc) was released just over a month ago, and it seems that not only did hordes of people get duped into buying this, but also that hordes of people bought it, and then didn't want it anymore- within a month.

LETS GO OVER THIS AGAIN- every year Bob Dylan releases a new greatest hits package. Every year Columbia tries to make it look like the new one has all sorts of stuff that the previous hits packs didn't have- BUT, they never do. If you are new to Dylan, just about any hits package will do you just fine, BUT, you should probably stay away from hits packs anyways, and just pick up one of the numerous classic proper albums that the man has released over the last forty five years. Any album released between 63-67 is usually a great starting point. Seventies albums Blood on The Tracks or Desire are also acceptable, or perhaps one of the three albums he's put out in the last ten years.

If you are a slightly more,n casual Dylan fan the three disc set may be your cup of tea. As it is readily available this Christmas season. As far as this one disc version goes I just don't see the point... 11 of the 18 tracks are from the sixties hey day, with nine tracks that were on the very first Dyaln hits pack released in 1967, the remaining thirty five years are covered sparsely with four songs from the seventies, and three songs from the past ten years. THINGS HAVE CHANGED from 2001's Wonder Boys soundtrack is the only song that would be slightly tougher to find elsewhere. The three disc set contains one or two more tracks that are rare, like BLIND WILLIE MCTELL, and apparently a remixed version of the 1966 deep cut MOST LIKELY YOU GO YOUR WAY (why?)

Anyway, perhaps the impressive advertising and packaging have already sold you, but I don't see how so many sell backs to the used bin could be wrong. Save your money. Three stars, as it is Bob Dylan. But I'm also adding one of these frown faces to cap off this review :(

I have been following Bob Dylan almost from the beginning of his career. I grew up listening to his messages; Dylan demands that you think. He assumes that if you are listening you are intelligent enough to listen to his messages and read between the lines. This album brings so much of his brilliant past into an equally troubled world. His messages are as appropriate today as they were in the 50's and 60's. Even if you have every album that he ever produced, this album is a "must."

This is a good introduction, even if the gap of 22 years between Hurricane and Make You Feel My Love is a bit surprinsing... Well ok, Hurricane doesn't segue well with Gotta serve somebody.

But it was time for a less conservative sampler.

For example, what about a single cd like that ?

Hurricane
The Times They Are A-Changin'
Rainy Day Women #12 & 35
Mr. Tambourine Man
Positively 4th Street
Like a Rolling Stone
Don't Think Twice, It's All Right
Lay, Lady, Lay
Tangled Up in Blue
Changing of the Guards
Gotta Serve Somebody
Knockin' on Heaven's Door
I Shall Be Released
All Along the Watchtower
Things Have Changed
Forever Young
Blind Willie McTell
Blowin' in the Wind

The tracks are real classics and all Dylan's characters are covered : the "protest singuer" (Huricane, The Times They Are A-Changin'), the "beatnik king" (Rainy Day Women #12 & 35, Mr. Tambourine Man, Positively 4th Street, Like a Rolling Stone), the "lover" (Don't Think Twice, It's All Right, Lay, Lady, Lay, Tangled Up in Blue), the "man with a soul" (Gotta Serve Somebody, Knockin' on Heaven's Door , I Shall Be Released, All Along the Watchtower, Blowin' in the Wind)and the "old man" (Things Have Changed, Forever Young, Blind Willie McTell).

It would have been a less predictable musical journey !

If you like Dylan - especially his early work - but don't want to invest in a 3-CD box set, you may be pleasantly suprised with this 18-track CD. Liner notes describe it as a "beginner" guide to Dylan. I grew up with Dylan and had his vinyl album Greatest Hits I and II, but recently wanted a single disc to pop in the CD player for an hour.
This CD delivers in as much as 18 tracks can. His legendary hits from the '60s are here. His later work is well represented with some omissions, but how does one put together a single "Dylan's Best" CD when his work is extensive? Most impressive is the digital remastering. Starting with the first track from '63 -
"Blowin' In The Wind" - and continuing through '64 and '65 titles - the music is absent of any analog hiss or static. It actually sounds quiet between vocals! If you are a Dylan-holic, get the 3 CD boxed set or start collecting all the releases. If you just want to put in one disc some night to hear him again - this is a nice, inexpensive single CD collection of Dylan.

Different than his Bootleg Series, this album is truly all high gold and the songs that made the greatest musical artist of all times.

I gave this album 5 stars simply because it contains many of Dylan's best. It's DYLAN, and all the songs are great. If you are more than a casual listener, this will not be enough for you. If you want to hear Dylan's best "GH package", buy Biograph. It contains not only his greatest hits, but the best of his lesser known songs in a great compilation that includes live recordings and the best recordings of his best work. It is a real find

This review will be short and sweet, as really you can't say much here that hasn't already been said.

Well, in 2007, Columbia Records thought it'd be necessary to release YET ANOTHER Dylan collection. This time, though, they offered three editions of this collection (appropriately titled 'Dylan,' not to be confused with the rare 1973 album that many casual fans are unfamiliar with): a single-disc edition, a double-CD edition, and even a triple-CD edition.

The review on hand here is the single disc edition. Although all three editions are useless for the Dylanologist (like myself), they can all be used for starting points, but nothing more.

Now, to the single-disc edition.

Coming almost two years after the previous single-disc Dylan collection, 2005's 'The Best of Bob Dylan,' 2007's 'Dylan' isn't much better or different. In fact, this disc might be worse than 'The Best of Bob Dylan,' but not by much. Both are inadequate retrospectives from Bob Dylan.

Like almost every other Dylan collection on the market, 'Dylan' ignores his 1980s output. But this disc ignores it ENTIRELY!!! Not one song from the 1978-1994 era, which is perhaps his most underrated. Nothing from 'Infidels,' 'Shot of Love,' 'Oh Mercy,' or 'World Gone Wrong.' It's irritating that Dylan's '80s output almost always goes unnoticed, and collections like this don't help any.

Yeah, yeah, the sound quality is nice and all, but it's no better than 'The Best of Bob Dylan.'

Overall, buy any of the three volumes of 'Greatest Hits' if you really want a starting point. Those are all far better retrospectives of Bob Dylan than the collections released in recent years. But the fact of the matter is 'Biograph' remains the best collection, even though it only spans up to 1981. That remains a far better choice for the Dylan beginner than anything else, even if it's a little pricey.

The best way to get to know Dylan is through his studio, live and 'Bootleg Series' records. While going that route is pricey, it's worth every penny (trust me on that one). Dylan has a LOT that's worth listening to, far more than these cash cow compilations that Columbia releases every three years or so wants you to believe.

I can't recommend this. By buying this, we're encouraging Columbia to continue to release these useless compilations every several years just so they can make a buck. This is an unnecessary release.

This is a nice album with his greatest hits. It just fun to listen to.