The Basics of Bob4 Out Of 5 Stars
At two discs and 30 songs, The Essential Bob Dylan is about as basic a primer to America's Greatest Living Songwriter. Thing is, as O write this, it is 50 years ago this week that "Blowin' In The Wind" was first released, and that means your 30 songs doesn't even merit a song per year. Dylan-Philes would not be satisfied with that few songs, but then Dylan-Phobes might get a better notice of what all the fuss is about.
Despite the mythic mumble mouth of legend, Dylan has a killer knack for melodies, which is why some of his songs have made surprisingly odd cover versions. "If Not For You" was an early hit for Olivia Newton John, "Mr Tambourine Man" helped define The Byrds, and Rod Stewart did a heck of a version of "Forever Young." There's even the covers that outshine Dylan's own, like "Mr Tambourine Man" and Jimi Hendrix' definitive version of "All Along The Watchtower." After all the years, the songs of Bob Dylan can still hold relevance, as "The Times They Are a Changing" making an appearance in the movie "Watchmen" opening credits.
All of Dylan's periods are represented, including the Christian moment and his latter day resurgence ("Jokerman," "Everything is Broken"). What is amazing is just how consistent Dylan is. No covers albums, no attempts at lounging it, no albums of "revised" materials (live albums discounted). There are far two many songs omitted to make this perfect, but this Essential is perfect for a casual music fan.
No comments:
Post a Comment