Customer Reviews

3 Pak: Blonde / Blood on Tracks / Time Out Mind

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This collection houses three incredible albums that, even in Bob Dylan's uncomparable catalog, ranks as perhaps his three best. The first of these, the huge, sprawling masterpiece Blonde On Blonde was rock's first ever double album, in 1966. Containing masterpieces such as Visions of Johanna, Stuck Inside of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again, and Sad-Eyed Lady of The Lowlands, it is truly one of the greatest albums ever recorded. Blood On The Tracks, the second album, is considered by many people, rather myself included, to be Dylan's finest. It's about as close to heart-on-sleeve as he ever got, and is an undisputed major masterpiece, containing perhaps my favorite Dylan composition ever, Idiot Wind. The last of these is his 1997 Grammy Award-winning Album of The Year (and deserving, too), Time Out of Mind. A dark, incredible, and immensely rewarding album, his best, indeed, since Blood On The Tracks.

Still, even though this contains what is possibly Dylan's three greatest albums (with all that that entails), this is not a necessary package for everyone. Here's what I suggest:

If you don't have these three albums already (shame on you!), go out and buy this package RIGHT NOW. Don't delay; don't even hesitate... run; don't walk. This is your chance to own three of the greatest albums in the history of recorded music. It's better to buy them this way if you don't already have them, as it's convenient, and cheaper to boot.

On the other hand, though, if you already have them (which you should), there are no incentives for you to purchase this collection. There's no extensive re-packaging, re-mastering, or added tracks to warrant its purchase.

Follow this advice, and your wealth of music catalog will increase immensely.

As a newcomer to Bob Dylan's vast and highly regarded discography, I was looking for an introduction to his best material. I was expecting some kind of cheap packaging deal, and was surprised to find that these are identical to the CDs you would get if you bought them individually. This is really a good deal...This collection plucks three of his best albums from three distinctly different periods of Dylan's career: "Blonde on Blonde" from 1966, "Blood on the Tracks" from 1975, and "Time out of Mind", his "comeback" album from 1997. I'm sure you'll find plenty of adequate reviews of these albums on their respective pages, but if you want to save some time, take my (and several others') word for it, and just buy this now. It is my understanding that there are a couple more similar package deals like this available, but for the broadest range of material, I think this is your best bet.

After some interesting couplings, columbia has gotten it right and packaged three of the greatest albums of the past 40 years. Period. first of all, the almost incomperable BLONDE ON BLONDE, Rocks first multi-album {it predated the White album by a couple of years.}From the opening strains of Rainy Day woman# 12&35,to Visions of Johana to the amazing,haunting masterpiece SAD EYED LADY OF THE LOWLANDS,Dyaln never, I mean never missed on this album. the do this once in a career is extraordinary. It was follwed in 1974,after some good[Nasville Skyline,Planet Waves} some not so{New Morning, and Self Portrait] by BLOOD ON THE TRACKS,for many people Dylans masterpiece.Tangled up in BLUE, the overwhelming IDIOT WIND{listen to this after you listen to SAD EYED LADY OF THE LOWLANDS},Your gonna make me lonesome When you Go, and the crushing SHELTER FROM THE STORM, Written is resonse to his failing marriage,9 cuts of pain,agony,exhaustion, and hope{one cut LILY ROSEMARY and the JACK OF HEARTS is an exception,and terrific}. By the 90's Dylan was on the never ending tour, and he had doen some very underrated work{Infidels,OH Mercy,} but many folks though he had become a cultural curiosity,destroying the myth of poet,prophet to be a song and dance man. then came a near fatal illness, and TIME OUT OF MIND,his grammy winning "comeback". No longer the self assured trickster,he is now a man aging,trying to make sense of it all,and he does so. In many ways,this is my favorite dylan ,form Love Sick to tryin' to get to Heaven, to the simply wonderful NOT DARK YET,Dylan is still the master. If you do not own any Dyaln,my goodness this is manna from heaven. three of his greatest albums from three different periods, each graceful,poetic and beautiful.Maybe the greatest ameican poet of the last 50 years{yeah, i know that is quite a statement],the most influetial musician in the past 50 years,and here are three of his greatest,waiting for you. MAGNIFICENT!

Dear Stevo,
No offense, Bro, but you are totally without critical skills. Modern Times is every bit as good as Bringin' It All Back Home. Blood On the Tracks is better, maybe his best. You gotta grow, dude. evolve with the times. I was born in '48 and I know Dylan. Trust me, he still rocks outrageously.

Whip

This Box set contains three of Bob Dylan's finest records. Well, I suppose you'd have to say that Dylan has a lot more than three finest records, more like thirty or forty. Still this is a nice set, a good way to get these CDs if you don't already own them.

Blonde on Blonde - Thin Wild Mercury Music

Blonde on Blonde came out as a double album in May, 1966. Two months later Bob Dylan broke his neck in a motorcycle accident. Till then, every album was better than the last except this one. Blonde on Blonde just about equals Highway 61, which in my opinion is the best rock album of all time. I guess that would make Blonde number 2. Still with the Beatles, Stones, Zep, Eric and the Boss out there making music, having the number 2 record is pretty good, especially if you already hold the number one spot. Rolling Stone Magazine calls the record number ten, but hey, what's eight places when you're talking about the hundreds of thousands of rock records out there.

This amazing record was the third electric album done by Dylan and by now he'd won over many of his fans, though some did boo him when he toured in Europe in Sixty-six, but those Europeans, what do they know? And do any of us know what would direction Dylan's music would have taken, had he not been in that accident, would he have built on this record, delivering more of the same? Who knows? But what I do know is that this record opens with a dynamite song. Can you imagine what it must have been like for those establishment types hearing the lyrics, "Everybody must get stoned," blaring from their car radios.

The backing band on this record is both tight and loose, if that makes any sense, ripping through songs like "Stuck Inside a Mobile With the Memphis Blues Again," like a meteor streaking across a desert sky. This record is Thin Wild Mercury Music at its very best. Just incredible.

Blood on the Tracks - It's Like Bob Dylan Burst Upon the Scene All Over Again

It seems Bob Dylan's career has been studded with comebacks. "JWH" after the motorcycle accident. "Blood on the Tracks" after the lapse into country. "Infidels" after the lapse into religious territory. "Oh Mercy" after all those records with the girly backup singers (some of them were pretty good though). However, "Tracks" was so much more than a comeback. It's like Bob Dylan burst upon the scene all over again.

And now I'm going to say something that may or may not make any sense. I believe "Highway 61" to be the best rock & roll record ever made, but I think "Blood on the Tracks" is the best record Dylan has ever done. I know it doesn't make sense, kind of oxymoronic, but "Tracks" to me is more than just a rock record, more than poetry put to music, more than fine musicianship. It's chocked full of emotion, mostly tears. It's gritty and rough and it's got the best damned cowboy ballad ever sung on it to boot.

Time Out of Mind - Eerie, Haunting, Dark and Searing

When TOOM (Time Out Of Mind) came out it had been seven years since Dylan had done an album of original songs. Was TOOM worth the wait? I'd say so. For me this record harkens all the way back to "Blood on the Tracks" with Dylan delivering searing songs full of hurt, heartbreak and emotion. This album is bittersweat and dark. This album is great. This album stands near the top of a superb body of work.

And yet again, when this record came out it was hearlded as a comeback for Dylan. I swear this man has had more comebacks than Carter's got pills. Mr. Dylan never left. He has always been here, always making music, just sometimes some of his records don't etch their way into your soul the way others do. Some of his records are merely outstanding, some others, like this one, blaze like a firey comet streaking across the desert sky, burning their way into your conscious.

I suppose every five years or so Dylan has to put out a record like this just to remind us all what a real poet is all about.

To receive three great Dylan C.D.'s in one boxed set is a great treat. 'Blonde on Blonde,' his frenetic classic; 'Blood on the Tracks,' his mature masterpiece; and his uneven, but worthy comeback, 'Time Out of Mind' are all enduring and enjoyable enough to pay more than the price of admission. Here it is about $26.50 for new C.D.'s. While 'Time Out of Mind' provides some disappointment because of the hype, all of it is a welcome addition to one's C.D. library. Also, trading in a cassette with the wrong song order is worth buying 'Blonde on Blonde' on C.D. Great buy! ****1/2 content, **** delivery, *****+ value= ***** overall
***** 'Blood on the Tracks' ***** 'Blonde on Blonde' **** 'Time Out of Mind'

I really got to say Dylan was probably my biggest hero growing up and his albums up to Blonde on Blonde were great, excellent, whatever. Totally, unbelievably fantastic in Bringing it All Back Home period. Then gradually, the one with All Along the Watchtower still great, the music started to suck ie not be good. Dont think Jimi Hendrix would have done any covers of his latest album. Man, he must have really smoked and drank a lot to get his voice like that. I guess with fans like me he doesnt need enemies but that dude was a great artist and age does funny things to everyone, not just him. Capish?