Make this known; if you enjoy the best of Bob Dylan then you already own these three CDs. However if you enjoy great music but don't own these three classic Dylan sets (shame on you) then this is the way to get them. They're essential '60s folk from the greatest poet of the past 50 years with great sound, coming at an exceedingly low price. (Less than 8$ per CD, in fact) If you insist on knowing more let me review each one for you.

The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan- 4 Stars The weakest of three. While much of it is average and it contains its share of filler (Honey Just Allow Me One More Chance is one of Dylan's worst) it also contains some of the greatest material of Dylan's career and in all of music (A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall, Blowin' in the Wind, Girl from the North Country, Don't Think Twice Its All Right, Masters of War). Essential folk and protest music.

The Times They Are a Changin- 5 stars The most consistent and most satisfying of the three albums. Its still folk, but not quite as traditional. Captures Dylan at his most whimsical as a poet, giving us vivid images and fascinating lyrics through his music. Not a bad song in the set. Up there with Dylan's best poetry (Behind Bringing It All Back Home, Highway 61, Blonde on Blond, and Time out of Mind.)

Another Side of Bob Dylan- 5 stars Another step in Bob Dylan's evolution. He may still be using accoustic guitar, but Dylan now has some rock 'n' roll attitude to back up his folk style. Here he moves beyond protest music, becoming far more witty and loose. While it is inconsistent (but with less filler than Freewheelin') classics such as My Back Pages, Chimes of Freedom, All I Really Want to Do, and It Ain't Me Babe this is a 5 star classic.

So if you are a long time Dylan collector, then you already have these albums in some form or another, so this is obsolete to you. But if you need to get some high quality Dylan at a nice price this box set is something you should get today. And if you don't have them (and I'd hate to be you if you don't) get Blonde on Blonde/Blood on the Tracks/Time Out of Mind (Another Bob Dylan box set) and Highway 61 Revisited while you're at it. YOU WILL NEVER REGRET IT!

P.S. Why are you still reading this. Get them NOW!

This slip case encloses three albums that are all very good, and probably should be in the collection of just about any self-respecting music fan. All three are classics, historically important, and great. However, be warned: if you already have these albums, there's no reason to buy this box. The albums are the same (track and package wise), and the new packaging is minimal. However, if you don't already own these CDs, this IS the way that you should purchase them, since they come conveniently in one package, and is considerably cheaper than buying them all separately.

BOTTOM LINE: If you don't have these albums already, get this. If you do, don't bother.

These three records are masterpieces by anyone's opinion and are perhaps Dylan's best work. He was young and he was so good.

-- The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan --

Freewheelin' is Bob Dylan's second record. While his first was an album of mostly folk song covers with only two originals, this record had only two covers, the rest being originals and some of Bob Dylan's finest work. "Girl From the North Country" is one of my favorite songs, by anybody, and to think it was written by a twenty-one-year-old kid, almost half a century ago, way back in 1963.

"Master's of War" still seems valid today. Re, those masters of war, those seller's of guns, "There is one thing I know, though I'm younger than you, that even Jesus would never forgive what you do." Yet, despite those words that moved so many, all these years later the masters of war are still plying their trade. And, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention "Blowin' in the Wind," perhaps the best antiwar song ever written. Dylan asks nine questions about war and freedom, the answers to all of them, I'm afraid are, "Blowin' in the Wind."

-- The Times they are a-Changin' --

The opening track, "The Times they are a-Changin'" is a call to arms. It was heeded in the Sixties when the streets were filled with protesters, kids who wanted an end to the war in Vietnam. Dylan has sung this song countless times over the years, talking about the battle that is outside raging, but somehow we've forgotten this message, though we sing the words with Dylan at almost every concert he's given on his never ending tour. Sadly there are almost no protesters today. And it seems if one does raise a voice, bad things could happen to him.

Lord, I have to wonder if God ever was on our side. Bob Dylan doesn't think he was, but there are so many today who are convinced he is, maybe they should listen to this record. At least we've done something about the horrible racism Dylan sings about on "Only a Pawn in Their Game" and the haunting "Ballad of Hollis Brown," but we have a long way to go. I think all those people who are so against those who only want to better themselves by coming to America should be forced to sit down and listen to this record. That's what I think.


-- Another Side of Bob Dylan --

For me "Another Side" is all about "The Chimes of Freedom." Yes there are several other good songs on this record that marks a change for Bob Dylan from his so called "Protest Period" to a darker, deeper, more poetic kind of music. Poetry, Dylan had become a poet and to all of those who think there are hidden meaning in his words I have to say, "No, I don't think so." I think Dylan put it all out there, said what he meant and meant what he said. No hidden meanings, no secrets implied, but who needs 'em. "Chimes of Freedom" says enough, says if for a generation, for generations.

"Tolling for the Rebel, tolling for the rake, tolling for the luckless, the abandoned and the forsaked." What words, what power from this twenty-three-year-old singer who was already tired of leading a movement. Still, try as he might, he was the one the youth of his time looked up to, listened to, wanted to follow, but Dylan wasn't leading. Just imagine what this world might be like today if he had been. Maybe some of those misdemeanor outlaws who wound up in the White House might have been sidelined where they belonged. Ah, well, we'll never know.

Still, this is one fine record. "To Ramona" is one of the best songs ever written, the poetry so divine in this dark song. "It grieves my heart love, to see ya trying to be a part of a world that just don't exist." It's like he's singing about me, way before I was born, because I sure want to be a part of that world that doesn't exist. Ah, I was so much older than, older yesterday even. It's so sad sometimes, because like Dylan says, they "hype you and type you in making you feel that you gotta be just like them." I know I'm not making much sense, but get this record. Don't be like them, just do what you think you should do.

"Freewheelin'" is Bob Dylan's second album, but it's the one that made him known to the general public at large. He penned most of the songs on the record, including the famous, "Blowing in the Wind," a song that would live on for generations. Also included on this record is the very long and very good, "A Hard Rain Must Fall," which tells the story of a man asking his young son questions. The answers, if you listen to them, will really move you and get you to asking a lot of questions yourself. "Girl From the North Country" is a terrific song where a young and soulful Bob Dylan asks anybody traveling to the North Country if they'd remember him to a girl who lives there. I can't help it, I picture a coal miner's daughter. Even back then, Bob Dylan was a poet who could grab you and make you think with his words.


"The Times They Are a-Changin'" is one young man's rage against how things are going in America back in the '60s and the song still rings true today. We still have war and corrupt politicians and parents who will never understand their sons and daughters. I guess some things never change. "With God on Our Side," is a long song about war that also is relevant today, it just needs a verse about Iraq at the end of it. This is an album that is impossible to listen to without wanting to get up and do something about the state of affairs in the world today.


"Another Side" is one of my favorite Dylan albums. I must confess, I really, really like his early stuff. I love the anger in his voice back then. Yes the stuff that comes later is very good, especially "Blood on the Tracks" which kind of reminds me of "Another Side" in a lot of ways, but this record, the last acoustic record Dylan will do for a very long time, is something very special. "Chimes of Freedom" is my favorite all time Dylan song and like "The Times They Are A-Changing," it still has meaning today. It Ain't Me Babe" is sort of like a love song in reverse and you can't help but love it.

These are three of a young poet's best records and they are three records any and every Dylan fan or wannabe Dylan fan or anybody else in the world, for that matter, should own.

My favorite song on "Freewheelin'" is one Bob Dylan didn't right. But he delivers "Corina, Corina" with such a heartfelt manner that he truly makes it one of his own. And the thumping, haunting base backup just pulls you right into the song, makes you believe every word of the lyrics. He just can't keep from crying in that song and I just can't keep from crying when I hear it. However, as much as I love "Corina, Corina," and "Girl from the North Country" too, I recognize that those are not the songs that made this such the ground breaking record that it is. It's "Blowing in the Wind", "Masters of War", "A Hard Rain's a Gonna Fall", "Talkin' WW III Blues" and "Oxford Town", songs that talk of war and racism, songs that moved a generation, they are the heart and soul of this masterpiece.

Everybody knows about and has heard "The Times They are A-Changin," one of Bob Dylan's biggest hits. And everybody knows he had a protest period and that this record came out smack in the middle of it. But what they may not know is that there are a songs about love and loss on this album that will tear your heart out. Bob Dylan then as now was a master of words. Probably the greatest wordsmith of his generation, mine too. And then there is that song that is impossible to define "The Hour that the Ship Comes in." It is just simply to good for words, powerful, I can say that. Very powerful. But my favorite song here is "One too Many Mornings." It gets a tear or two from me every time I hear it.

There are so many sides to "Another Side" that I hardly know where to begin, other than to say that I absolutely loved it. There is a lot to learn here about the times then and how they haven't really changed all that much, but you get that a lot in early Dylan records. Also, traveling salesmen should never, ever take a shower with the farmer's daughter. How could you not like a song where a farmer accuses a salesman of being an "unpatriotic, rotten, doctor, commie rat." Then of course there is the haunting, "To Ramona," the prophetic "Chimes of Freedom" and I'd be remiss if I didn't mention "I Don't Believe You," a song about a lad who has been recently dumped, but can't get over the girl even though "She acts like we never have met." I'm not very fond of "All I Really Want to Do." For some reason I keep picturing Sonny and Cher when I hear this song. I loved all the other stuff on the record though. There are many sides of Dylan here, his protest songs, which we won't be seeing very many more of after this record. His humor, which we well see more of later on. His piano playing, which also we'll be seeing more of and his ability to turn out a love song, which we will certainly be seeing more of.