Bob Dylan - where to start?

[Heisenberg]

Freewheelin' is probably his best, but since you are just starting out, it might be a good idea to just grab Greatest Hits Vol 1 & 2. They give you a pretty good sample of alot of Dylan's best stuff and then you can find more deep cuts from there.

[helplessdancer]

I have some songs off the Essential album.
What albums are worth getting?
I like 'Girl from the North Country' because of Eddie's cover

good luck

[SVRDhand13]

I could talk for days about Dylan's discography, but for now just start with Freewheelin. It's his first classic.

Listen to this guy, he's smart.

[Newch91]

bringing it all back home

getting into dylan could get messy and time consuming! it was for me..

My favorite Dylan album along with "Highway 61 Revisited". BIABH has my favorite Dylan lyrics.

I'd definitely suggest checking out "Freewheelin' Bob Dylan" all the way to "John Wesley Harding", along with "Blood on the Tracks" and "Desire". Just great, fantastic music.

[SVRDhand13]

And whatever you do, don't forget the 97-06 trilogy of Time out of Mind, "Love and Theft", and Modern Times. Dylan's resurgance back to greatness.

[Dirty Frank Z]

I really enjoy his bootleg series, especially "Tell Tale Signs" Also, seeing him in Rochester, Minnesota August 21!!

[ilockyer]

You can't go wrong with all albums from Bob Dylan through Nashville Skyline. From there it gets a little patchy, Blood On The Tracks, Desire, Oh Mercy and Time Out Of Mind are essential, Street Legal has some good stuff on it, Love And Theft also.

My favourite is the Live 1975 Bootleg Series. Love the Rolling Thunder Revue tour.

[SVRDhand13]

You can't go wrong with all albums from Bob Dylan through Nashville Skyline. From there it gets a little patchy, Blood On The Tracks, Desire, Oh Mercy and Time Out Of Mind are essential, Street Legal has some good stuff on it, Love And Theft also.

My favourite is the Live 1975 Bootleg Series. Love the Rolling Thunder Revue tour.

I just listened to Street Legal earlier today

That album has some catchy stuff on it

[rcs]

If you've ever had your heart ripped out by someone you've loved then start with Blood on the Tracks. You will completely relate to it.

If not then go for Blonde on Blonde or Highway 61 Revisited. Truly you can't go too wrong with Dylan (with a few exceptions.)

[keeponrockin]

And whatever you do, don't forget the 97-06 trilogy of Time out of Mind, "Love and Theft", and Modern Times. Dylan's resurgance back to greatness.

Agreed. Amazing someone 30 years into their career can write a song as good as 'Not Dark yet'.

[Thoughts_Arrive]

Having listened to sample of all his 60's albums I like what I hear on:

The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan
Bringing It All Back Home
Highway 61 Revisited

I am tempted to purchase today!

[Newch91]

Having listened to sample of all his 60's albums I like what I hear on:

The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan
Bringing It All Back Home
Highway 61 Revisited

I am tempted to purchase today!

It'll be one of the best music investments you'll ever make in your life.

[musicismylife78]

I mean no disrespect to the OP but this question is like someone asking where to start with the Beatles or Led Zep or Pink Floyd. You can start anywhere, its all amazing stuff. Dylan is probably the greatest songwriter and lyricist of all time, and he's a bonafide poet, probably one of the finest poets of the last half of the 20th century. sure there is nothing better than the actual song and music, but you take his lyrics and they read as genuine poetry. plus the OPs question hard to answer because Bob has been recording and making music for so long. His first album, an album of folk covers, came out in what 1962 or something and in 2009 he released a Christmas record and a studio record, plus the Bootleg stuff he puts out seems to come out every single year, a new record of songs from the vault.

He is the type of guy, like the Beatles, its impossible to overstate his importance. His impact on culture at large, not just music, is massive.

His catalague spans everything from blues and folk, to rock and swing, and everything in between. He had a political phase, and a country phase, his most famous 1963-1975 or so was all over the place, a phase in the 70's where he donned white makeup, he renounced his jewish faith and became born again in the 80's, the late 80's and much of the 90's he was largely forgotten, or as forgotten as someone like dylan can be, and his last 4 records have been as acclaimed and beloved as any of his 1960's music.

It all depends on what you like. You cant go wrong with Freewheelin 1963, Times and Another Side both from 1964, Bringing it all back home, and Highway 61 from 65, Blond on Blonde 66, John Wesley Harding 1967, Nashville Skyline 1969, Blood on the Tracks and Basement Tapes both 75. Thats the basic stuff people refer to when they talk about Dylan, thats the classic Dylan. Although as I said, he's as important and vital as he was back then.

Id check out a show on his current tour if it hits the states. Ive seen him 3 times since 2001, including a show the night we started the war on terror and started bombing Afghanistan. And its a real blast. Its funny he plays a great set, but he's done and out of the venue by like 930. Pretty crazy.

Whatever you do, listen to as much as you can of Dylan, Start anywhere. Its like asking where to start with Shakespeare or something. Whereever you begin and start, you will be getting your mindblown with some of the greatest art of the 20th century.

Part of the reason why Dylan is so respected by so many people, including myself, is that he is the ultimate rebel. He has refused to listen to or cater to either fans or critics. He wrote political songs before being political was popular among the hippie counterculture. And when people started becoming political and wanted him to speak out more, and become something he was not he crashed his motorcycle, either on purpose or by accident to get away from his record label and contract. He then started writing personal non political songs. He went country before it was popular for folk artists to go country. And when everyone started going country he changed again. Pearl Jam made No Code to lose fans, but they no doubt feel its a worthy album. Dylan put out an album of stuff he considered bad songs and a bad album and released that all to lose fans and get the critics off his case. I cant think of another musician who has ever done that. Being born again, and then releasing some of his strongest material in his 60's and 70's all are examples of someone, an artist, who refuses to follow any marching orders from anyone other than himself. That is something that is so rare and is why he is a hero.

How many other musicians do you know of who won a Pulitzer, and have a large base of people who are now hounding the Nobel committe to award him the Prize in Literature.
I think it was Bono who said no matter where you are in life, there is always a dylan record to help you map the terrain.

[Thoughts_Arrive]

Having listened to sample of all his 60's albums I like what I hear on:

The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan
Bringing It All Back Home
Highway 61 Revisited

I am tempted to purchase today!

It'll be one of the best music investments you'll ever make in your life.

I bought them. Listening to Freewheelin' now.
Girl from the North Country melts my heart.
The store has many of his albums, pretty much every 60's album and $10 or less.

[whgarrett]

I think I fell in love with dylan when I heard Freewheelin. I then fell hard for both blood on the tracks and Desire. I got to say that Oh Mercy sounds suberb on the stereo, but Modern Times has to be the album I've consistently listened to most. Can't seem to get tired of it. I read that a lot of people are upset at Dylan cause he used alot of lyrics from a civil war poet Henry Timrod. Doesn't really bother me much though. "When I look into your eyes, I see nobody other than me. I look into your eyes, I see nobody other than me. I see all that I am, and all I hope to be." Bootlegs vol. 5 and vol.6 are quintessential. They are amazing, and give you two totally different aspects to Dylan's live performances.