Product Description

This double CD compilation covers 37 years of the folk-rocklegend's sprawling career. It begins with his 1963 protest song 'Blowin' In The Wind' and ends with his contribution tothe soundtrack of 2000's 'Wonder Boys', 'Things Have Changed'. His exploration into folk, rock, blues, country, gospel and evangelical pop are all touched upon on this collection.

Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. Blowin' In The Wind
2. Don't Think Twice, It's All Right
3. The Times They Are A-Changin'
4. It Ain't Me Babe
5. Maggie's Farm
6. It's All Over Now, Baby Blue
7. Mr Tambourine Man
8. Subterranean Homesick Blues
9. Like A Rolling Stone
10. Positively 4th Street
11. Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window?
12. I Want You
13. Just Like A Woman
14. Rainy Day Women #12 & 35
15. All Along The Watchtower
16. Quinn The Eskimo (The Mighty Quinn)
17. I'll Be Your Baby Tonight
18. Lay, Lady, Lay
19. If Not For You
20. I Shall Be Released
21. You Ain't Goin' Nowhere
22. Knockin On Heaven's Door

Disc 2:

1. Forever Young
2. Tangled Up In Blue
3. Shelter From The Storm
4. Hurricane
5. Changin' Of The Guards
6. Gotta Serve Somebody
7. Blind Willie McTell
8. Jokerman
9. Tight Connection To My Heart (Has Anybody Seen My Love?)
10. Silvio
11. Everything Is Broken
12. Dignity (Original Version)
13. Not Dark Yet
14. Things Have Changed

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #861 in Music
• Released on: 2004-06-07
• Number of discs: 2
• Format: Original recording remastered

Amazon.co.uk Review
The two discs of The Essential Bob Dylan don't exactly provide a thorough overview of four decades of recording by one of the most important and prolific performers of his time. So the collection definitely skates over his leagues-deep oeuvre, summarizing his monumental first half-dozen years in disc one and skirting over the following 34 years in disc two. Delving into Columbia's three Dylan greatest-hits packages, Essential offers only a few surprises, opting for The Basement Tapes version of "Quinn The Eskimo" over the Self Portrait remake that made it onto Greatest Hits Volume II and tossing in "Things Have Changed" from the Wonder Boys soundtrack for completists. But this overview is designed with newcomers, not Dylan-ologists, in mind. --Steven Stolder

Customer Reviews

For once Essential is right
In the beginning the way into Dylan was via Peter Paul & Mary,the Turtles,the Byrds and Johnny Cash.
And commercially electric Dylan was just right.
This CD is just a sampler and introduction to the Art of Dylan.If you want more you get the original albums on CD.All but one have been on catalog since CDs began.
My favorite Dylan song is Can you please crawl out your window.
Thus this double CD would only be of interest if there was a booklet with it and its by no means the only one of its kind as the most recent-titled DYLAN and in 3 different editions -comes with a picture book.
Today's Dylan collector needs plenty of money and plenty of room

Introducing Mr Zimmerman
I have collected a number of albums from this series for one of two reasons, either to have a collection for the car or secondly to explore artists in which I have a casual interest. The essential series does this very well indeed.

My knowledge of Dylan was poor and I really never gave the man a chance but upon listening to this double set a few times I am converted. The songs are outstanding from start to finish. I have not become a Dylan obsessive but I recognise that he has written some outstanding songs in his meandering career. I also discovered that they are best sung by Dylan, yes his voice isn't the greatest nor is his guitar playing but that's hardly the point.

There are too many high points to mention but discovering familiar songs in their original form is thrilling, from the early Guthriesque protest songs though "Judas" era band backed records his mastery of the form is apparent.

A great introduction to an enigmatic artist.

BEST SELECTION POSSIBLE.
Bob Dylan in my opinion is a songwriting poetic genius and his songs are timeless. Being a completest I own all of his albums, however, if I had to purchase just one then it would be without doubt this one. Two cds and the cream of his recording career. Although I own just about everything he ever produced. I regularly play this cd and it is a great introduction for anyone considering starting a collection or who can only afford one album of each artiste.