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Bob Dylan Together Through Life [Deluxe Edition 2cd/1dvd]
By all accounts, Together Through Life arrived quickly, cut swiftly by Bob Dylan and his touring band in the fall of 2008, surprising the label upon its delivery a couple months later, then rushed into stores in April 2009, just half a year after the release of the monumental archive project Tell Tale Signs. Given the speed of its creation, it fits that the album has a spontaneous, kinetic kick, feeling so alive that it's a little messy, teeming with contradictions, crossed signals, and frayed ends. That liveliness turns Together Through Life into a much lighter affair than its weighty predecessor, Modern Times, which was tinged with doom and had thematic unity, two things missing from this comparatively breezy affair. If Together Through Life is about any one thing, it is -- as its title and cover photo elliptically suggest -- the enduring power of romance, how it provides sustenance and how its absence can make life hard. But all this suggests that Dylan has turned in a meditation on the meaning of life and love here, when its core charm is its very modesty. It's an old-fashioned ten tracks, clocking in at 45 minutes, a simple set of songs co-written with Robert Hunter -- Jerry Garcia's lyricist and previous Dylan collaborator, co-writing the irresistibly jaunty "Silvio" in 1988 -- and delivered without adornment, its clean yet earthy production slyly emphasizing the musical variety here. Sonically, this is right in line with Dylan's 2000s albums, the sound of a well-lubricated traveling band easing into the same chords it plays every night, but this isn't strictly roadhouse rock & roll: Dylan remains fixated on pre-rock & roll American music, emphasizing the blues but eager to croon love-struck ballads. In this context, David Hidalgo's accordion -- which appears so often it soon ceases to be noteworthy -- can suggest a romantic stroll down Parisian streets or a steamy sojourn with Doug Sahm in a Tex-Mex border town, but everything here is recognizably, thoroughly Dylan's mythic picturesque America that stretches from the hazy past to the barbed present. While the music is proudly, almost defiantly, rooted in the past, with Dylan borrowing Willie Dixon's "I Just Want to Make Love to You" wholesale for the riotous "My Wife's Home Town," there's no avoidance of the present here, with Bob even going so far as to turn the omnipresent catch phrase "It's All Good" into a mordantly funny rocker. Dylan's not just aware of the modern-day vernacular, he's wound up with an album that fits the spirit of 2009: it's troubled but hopeful, firmly in favor of love and romance, but if that fails there are always romantic dreams and sardonic jokes to get you through life. [A two-CD/one-DVD Deluxe Edition was also released.] ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi

Performers: David Hidalgo - Accordion, Guitar; Mike Campbell - Guitar, Mandolin; Bob Dylan - Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals; Tony Garnier - Bass; George Recile - Drums

2 CD/1 DVD

ON SALE! $ 29.98 $ 18.98 buy

Bob Dylan Together Through Life
By all accounts, Together Through Life arrived quickly, cut swiftly by Bob Dylan and his touring band in the fall of 2008, surprising the label upon its delivery a couple months later, then rushed into stores in April 2009, just half a year after the release of the monumental archive project Tell Tale Signs. Given the speed of its creation, it fits that the album has a spontaneous, kinetic kick, feeling so alive that it's a little messy, teeming with contradictions, crossed signals, and frayed ends. That liveliness turns Together Through Life into a much lighter affair than its weighty predecessor, Modern Times, which was tinged with doom and had thematic unity, two things missing from this comparatively breezy affair. If Together Through Life is about any one thing, it is -- as its title and cover photo elliptically suggest -- the enduring power of romance, how it provides sustenance and how its absence can make life hard. But all this suggests that Dylan has turned in a meditation on the meaning of life and love here, when its core charm is its very modesty. It's an old-fashioned ten tracks, clocking in at 45 minutes, a simple set of songs co-written with Robert Hunter -- Jerry Garcia's lyricist and previous Dylan collaborator, co-writing the irresistibly jaunty "Silvio" in 1988 -- and delivered without adornment, its clean yet earthy production slyly emphasizing the musical variety here. Sonically, this is right in line with Dylan's 2000s albums, the sound of a well-lubricated traveling band easing into the same chords it plays every night, but this isn't strictly roadhouse rock & roll: Dylan remains fixated on pre-rock & roll American music, emphasizing the blues but eager to croon love-struck ballads. In this context, David Hidalgo's accordion -- which appears so often it soon ceases to be noteworthy -- can suggest a romantic stroll down Parisian streets or a steamy sojourn with Doug Sahm in a Tex-Mex border town, but everything here is recognizably, thoroughly Dylan's mythic picturesque America that stretches from the hazy past to the barbed present. While the music is proudly, almost defiantly, rooted in the past, with Dylan borrowing Willie Dixon's "I Just Want to Make Love to You" wholesale for the riotous "My Wife's Home Town," there's no avoidance of the present here, with Bob even going so far as to turn the omnipresent catch phrase "It's All Good" into a mordantly funny rocker. Dylan's not just aware of the modern-day vernacular, he's wound up with an album that fits the spirit of 2009: it's troubled but hopeful, firmly in favor of love and romance, but if that fails there are always romantic dreams and sardonic jokes to get you through life. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi

Performers: Donny Herron - Banjo, Guitar (Steel), Mandolin, Trumpet; David Hidalgo - Accordion, Guitar; Mike Campbell - Guitar, Mandolin; Bob Dylan - Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals; Tony Garnier - Bass, Bass (Upright); George Recile - Drums

ON SALE! $ 13.98 $ 12.98 buy

Bob Dylan Together Through Life [Bonus Cd]
By all accounts, Together Through Life arrived quickly, cut swiftly by Bob Dylan and his touring band in the fall of 2008, surprising the label upon its delivery a couple months later, then rushed into stores in April 2009, just half a year after the release of the monumental archive project Tell Tale Signs. Given the speed of its creation, it fits that the album has a spontaneous, kinetic kick, feeling so alive that it's a little messy, teeming with contradictions, crossed signals, and frayed ends. That liveliness turns Together Through Life into a much lighter affair than its weighty predecessor, Modern Times, which was tinged with doom and had thematic unity, two things missing from this comparatively breezy affair. If Together Through Life is about any one thing, it is -- as its title and cover photo elliptically suggest -- the enduring power of romance, how it provides sustenance and how its absence can make life hard. But all this suggests that Dylan has turned in a meditation on the meaning of life and love here, when its core charm is its very modesty. It's an old-fashioned ten tracks, clocking in at 45 minutes, a simple set of songs co-written with Robert Hunter -- Jerry Garcia's lyricist and previous Dylan collaborator, co-writing the irresistibly jaunty "Silvio" in 1988 -- and delivered without adornment, its clean yet earthy production slyly emphasizing the musical variety here. Sonically, this is right in line with Dylan's 2000s albums, the sound of a well-lubricated traveling band easing into the same chords it plays every night, but this isn't strictly roadhouse rock & roll: Dylan remains fixated on pre-rock & roll American music, emphasizing the blues but eager to croon love-struck ballads. In this context, David Hidalgo's accordion -- which appears so often it soon ceases to be noteworthy -- can suggest a romantic stroll down Parisian streets or a steamy sojourn with Doug Sahm in a Tex-Mex border town, but everything here is recognizably, thoroughly Dylan's mythic picturesque America that stretches from the hazy past to the barbed present. While the music is proudly, almost defiantly, rooted in the past, with Dylan borrowing Willie Dixon's "I Just Want to Make Love to You" wholesale for the riotous "My Wife's Home Town," there's no avoidance of the present here, with Bob even going so far as to turn the omnipresent catch phrase "It's All Good" into a mordantly funny rocker. Dylan's not just aware of the modern-day vernacular, he's wound up with an album that fits the spirit of 2009: it's troubled but hopeful, firmly in favor of love and romance, but if that fails there are always romantic dreams and sardonic jokes to get you through life. [This edition includes a bonus CD.] ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi
VINYL

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Bob Dylan New Morning
Dylan rushed out New Morning in the wake of the commercial and critical disaster Self Portrait, and the difference between the two albums suggests that its legendary failed predecessor was intentionally flawed. New Morning expands on the laid-back country-rock of John Wesley Harding and Nashville Skyline by adding a more pronounced rock & roll edge. While there are only a couple of genuine classics on the record ("If Not for You," "One More Weekend"), the overall quality is quite high, and many of the songs explore idiosyncratic routes Dylan had previously left untouched, whether it's the jazzy experiments of "Sign on the Window" and "Winterlude," the rambling spoken word piece "If Dogs Run Free" or the Elvis parable "Went to See the Gypsy." Such offbeat songs make New Morning a charming, endearing record. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

Performers: David Bromberg - Dobro, Guitar, Guitar (Electric); Al Kooper - French Horn, Guitar, Guitar (Electric), Horn, Keyboards, Organ, Piano; Maeretha Stewart - Vocals (Background); Albertine Watson - Vocals (Background); Harvey Brooks - Bass, Bass (Electric); Ron Cornelius - Guitar, Guitar (Electric); Charlie Daniels - Bass, Bass (Electric), Guitar; Bob Dylan - Guitar, Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar (Electric), Harmonica, Keyboards, Organ, Piano, Vocals; Howard "Buzz" Feiten - Guitar, Guitar (Electric); Hilda Harris - Vocals, Vocals (Background); Russ Kunkel - Drums; Billy Mundi - Drums; Albertine Robinson - Vocals, Vocals (Background); Maretha Stewart - Vocals, Vocals (Background)

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Various Artists Before The Flood
Bob Dylan and the Band both needed the celebrated reunion tour of 1974, since Dylan's fortunes had been floundering since Self Portrait and the Band stumbled with 1971's Cahoots. The tour, with its attendant publicity, definitely returned both artists to center stage, and it definitely succeeded, breaking box office records and earning great reviews. Before the Flood, a double-album souvenir of the tour, suggests that these were generally dynamic shows, but not because they were reveling in the past, but because Dylan was fighting the nostalgia of his audience -- nostalgia, it must be noted, that was promoted as the very reason behind these shows. Yet that's what gives this music such kick -- Dylan reworks, rearranges, reinterprets these songs in ways that are still disarming, years after its initial release. He could only have performed interpretations this radical with a group as sympathetic, knowing of his traits as the band, whose own recordings here are respites from the storm. And this is a storm -- the sound of a great rocker, surprising his band and audience by tearing through his greatest songs in a manner that might not be comforting, but it guarantees it to be one of the best live albums of its time. Ever, maybe. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

Performers: Garth Hudson - Clavinet, Keyboards, Organ, Piano, Saxophone; Rick Danko - Bass, Violin, Vocals; Bob Dylan - Guitar, Harmonica, Keyboards, Piano, Vocals; Levon Helm - Drums, Mandolin, Vocals; Richard Manuel - Drums, Keyboards, Organ, Piano, Piano (Electric), Vocals; Robbie Robertson - Guitar, Guitar (Electric), Vocals; Maretha Stewart - Vocals

2 CD SET

ON SALE! $ 18.98 $ 15.98 buy

Bob Dylan & The Band The Basement Tapes
The official release of The Basement Tapes -- which were first heard on a 1968 bootleg called The Great White Wonder -- plays with history somewhat, as Robbie Robertson overemphasizes the Band's status in the sessions, making them out to be equally active to Dylan, adding in demos not cut at the sessions and overdubbing their recordings to flesh them out. As many bootlegs (most notably the complete five-disc series) reveal, this isn't entirely true and that the Band were nowhere near as active as Dylan, but that ultimately is a bit like nitpicking, since the music here (including the Band's) is astonishingly good. The party line on The Basement Tapes is that it is Americana, as Dylan and the Band pick up the weirdness inherent in old folk, country, and blues tunes, but it transcends mere historical arcana by being lively, humorous, full-bodied performances. Dylan never sounded as loose, nor was he ever as funny as he is here, and this positively revels in its weird, wild character. For all the apparent antecedents -- and the allusions are sly and obvious in equal measures -- this is truly Dylan's show, as he majestically evokes old myths and creates new ones, resulting in a crazy quilt of blues, humor, folk, tall tales, inside jokes, and rock. The Band pretty much pick up where Dylan left off, even singing a couple of his tunes, but they play it a little straight, on both their rockers and ballads. Not a bad thing at all, since this actually winds up providing context for the wild, mercurial brilliance of Dylan's work -- and, taken together, the results (especially in this judiciously compiled form; expert song selection, even if there's a bit too much Band) rank among the greatest American music ever made. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

Performers: Levon Helm - Bass (Electric), Drums, Mandolin, Vocals; Garth Hudson - Accordion, Clavinet, Keyboards, Organ, Piano, Sax (Tenor), Saxophone; Rick Danko - Bass, Bass (Electric), Mandolin, Violin, Vocals; Bob Dylan - Guitar, Guitar (Acoustic), Harmonica, Keyboards, Piano, Vocals; Richard Manuel - Drums, Harmonica, Keyboards, Piano, Vocals; Robbie Robertson - Drums, Guitar, Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar (Electric), Vocals; Maretha Stewart - Vocals

2 CD SET

ON SALE! $ 18.98 $ 16.98 buy

Dylan & The Dead Dylan & The Dead
Featuring Bob Dylan together with the Grateful Dead, the live Dylan & the Dead has an intriguing selection of songs, including staples like "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" and more obscure gems like "Joey," although both artists have done better. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

Performers: Bob Dylan - Guitar, Vocals; Jerry Garcia - Guitar, Vocals

$ 8.98 buy

Bob Dylan The Bootleg Series, Vol. 8: Tell Tale Signs - Rare And Unreleased 1989-2006 [Deluxe Edition
Tell Tale Signs is perhaps the most appropriately titled of all the volumes in Bob Dylan's official Bootleg Series thus far. Containing 27 tracks, the material here dates from the albums Oh Mercy through to 2006's Modern Times. It presents a carefully prepared sonic treat of a genuine enigma's musical world-view. Dylan may be an icon, but if it wasn't already obvious, he seems to perceive the modern world as a strange place that he no longer understands, nor wishes to. The music here is startling in its depth and presentation. It begins with one of the two versions of "Mississippi" included; the song first appeared on Love and Theft, but was written for the Time Out of Mind sessions five years earlier. This one, with only Daniel Lanois' electric guitar as backing, shows Dylan in full voice, and performing it as a midtempo blues. It's jauntier in tempo, but harder, leaner, and wearier than the released version. Even more shocking is "Most of the Time," which has become a signature of Lanois' production style with its warm, thickly padded guitars and muffled drums. This one features Dylan solo with harmonica and guitar. It comes off as a statement of actuality about strengths and weaknesses rather than as a treatise of denial in the aftermath of lost love. It feels like a back-porch country song here, with different lyrics that underscore the singer's steely determination. There are some truly amazing stops along the way. The unreleased "Red River Shore" would have shifted some of the darkness on Time Out of Mind to some declaration of empathy and even tenderness had it been released. Likewise, "Marchin' to the City," one of the best slow blues Dylan has ever written, offers a respite from the desolation on that album. Soundtracks get represented, too: the alternate take of "Tell Ol' Bill," from North Country, is a semi-rag tune with rambling honky tonk piano, and "Huck's Tune," from Lucky You, creates a more complex look at the male lead in the film with a Celtic undertow in the melody. Disc one closes with a burning live reading of "High Water (For Charley Patton)," with overdriven electric guitars replacing the banjo.A real surprise on disc two is a dynamite reading of Robert Johnson's "32-20 Blues" that was originally recorded for the covers-only World Gone Wrong, but left in the can. A completely unreleased tune, "Can't Escape from You" portrays Dylan the folksinger as a lover of early rock & roll ballads. In his own wrecked way, he pays homage (in waltz time) to the Platters, Doc Pomus, Leiber & Stoller, and Cisco Houston with a lonely B-3 and trebly guitars. There are two takes of "Dignity" here as well (one on each disc), the first a prophetic gospel solo piano version and the second a full-band roots rock rave-up. The version of "Ring Them Bells" recorded live at New York's Supper Club is so utterly moving that it raises goosebumps and leaves the studio version in the dust. The disc closes with the greatest moment on the whole set: "'Cross the Green Mountain," from the Gods and Generals soundtrack. Veteran Dylanologist Larry Sloman claims in his truly brilliant and incisive liner notes that this "might be his finest hour as a songwriter." The amazing thing? It's not just hyperbole. In all, even in some of its familiarities, Tell Tale Signs feels like a new Bob Dylan record, not only for the astonishing freshness of the material, but also for the incredible sound quality and organic feeling of everything here. It's a carefully presented set, but it's full of life and crackling energy and offers yet more proof -- as if any were needed -- that Dylan remains as cagey, unpredictable, and yes, profound and relevant as he ever was. [There is also an expensive deluxe version of this set that includes an exclusive bonus CD with 12 extra tracks. These include a third version of "Mississippi," and a second one of "Ring Them Bells," but it also includes wonderful live readings of "Tryin' to Get to Heaven Before They Close the Door,"and "Cold Irons Bound," the unreleased "Duncan and Brady," from 1992 on the aborted David Bromberg sessions, and the traditional ballad "Mary and Tthe Soldier," a cutting-room floor outtake from World Gone Wrong. There is also a 150-page 8"x8" book featuring pics of Dylan's singles, as well as a larger format CD booklet with more photos and complete track details. All of it packaged in a hardcover solid slipcase.] ~ Thom Jurek, Rovi

Performers: Malcolm Burn - Tambourine; Cindy Cashdollar - Dobro, Slide Guitar; Jack Cooke - Bass (Upright); Dick Fegy - Fiddle, Mandolin; Daniel Lanois - Dobro, Guitar, Organ; Augie Meyers - Accordion, Organ; James Price - Fiddle; John Rigsby - Mandolin; Steve Sparkman - Banjo; Ralph Stanley - Banjo, Vocals; Ralph Stanley II - Guitar (Rhythm); Jeff Wisor - Fiddle, Mandolin; Robert Amiot - Bass; Bucky Baxter - Guitar (Electric), Guitar (Steel), Pedal Steel, Slide Guitar; Brian Blade - Drums; Robert Britt - Guitar; David Bromberg - Guitar; Chris Cameron - Keyboards; Larry Campbell - Guitar, Violin; Richard Crooks - Drums; Jim Dickinson - Organ; Bob Dylan - Guitar, Harmonica, Harp, Organ, Piano, Vocals; Peter Ecklund - Trumpet; John Firmin - Clarinet, Sax (Tenor); Denny Freeman - Guitar; Tony Garnier - Bass; Willie Green - Drums; Tony Hall - Bass; Donnie Herron - Guitar, Guitar (Steel); John Jackson - Guitar; Darryl Johnson - Percussion; Jim Keltner - Drums; David Kemper - Drums, Percussion; Stuart Kimball - Guitar; Freddy Koella - Guitar; Glen Lowe - Guitar; Tony Mangurian - Drums, Percussion, Piano; Tommy Morrongiello - Guitar; Cyril Neville - Percussion; George Recile - Drums; Duke Robillard - Guitar; Mason Ruffner - Guitar; Charlie Sexton - Guitar; James Alan Shelton - Guitar; Brian Stoltz - Guitar; Benmont Tench - Organ; Winston Watson - Drums, Percussion

3 CD / BOOK

ON SALE! $ 159.98 $ 127.98 buy

Bob Dylan The Bootleg Series, Vol. 8: Tell Tale Signs - Rare And Unreleased 1989-2006
Tell Tale Signs is perhaps the most appropriately titled of all the volumes in Bob Dylan's official Bootleg Series thus far. Containing 27 tracks, the material here dates from the albums Oh Mercy through to 2006's Modern Times. It presents a carefully prepared sonic treat of a genuine enigma's musical world-view. Dylan may be an icon, but if it wasn't already obvious, he seems to perceive the modern world as a strange place that he no longer understands, nor wishes to. The music here is startling in its depth and presentation. It begins with one of the two versions of "Mississippi" included; the song first appeared on Love and Theft, but was written for the Time Out of Mind sessions five years earlier. This one, with only Daniel Lanois' electric guitar as backing, shows Dylan in full voice, and performing it as a midtempo blues. It's jauntier in tempo, but harder, leaner, and wearier than the released version. Even more shocking is "Most of the Time," which has become a signature of Lanois' production style with its warm, thickly padded guitars and muffled drums. This one features Dylan solo with harmonica and guitar. It comes off as a statement of actuality about strengths and weaknesses rather than as a treatise of denial in the aftermath of lost love. It feels like a back-porch country song here, with different lyrics that underscore the singer's steely determination. There are some truly amazing stops along the way. The unreleased "Red River Shore" would have shifted some of the darkness on Time Out of Mind to some declaration of empathy and even tenderness had it been released. Likewise, "Marchin' to the City," one of the best slow blues Dylan has ever written, offers a respite from the desolation on that album. Soundtracks get represented, too: the alternate take of "Tell Ol' Bill," from North Country, is a semi-rag tune with rambling honky tonk piano, and "Huck's Tune," from Lucky You, creates a more complex look at the male lead in the film with a Celtic undertow in the melody. Disc one closes with a burning live reading of "High Water (For Charley Patton)," with overdriven electric guitars replacing the banjo.A real surprise on disc two is a dynamite reading of Robert Johnson's "32-20 Blues" that was originally recorded for the covers-only World Gone Wrong, but left in the can. A completely unreleased tune, "Can't Escape from You" portrays Dylan the folksinger as a lover of early rock & roll ballads. In his own wrecked way, he pays homage (in waltz time) to the Platters, Doc Pomus, Leiber & Stoller, and Cisco Houston with a lonely B-3 and trebly guitars. There are two takes of "Dignity" here as well (one on each disc), the first a prophetic gospel solo piano version and the second a full-band roots rock rave-up. The version of "Ring Them Bells" recorded live at New York's Supper Club is so utterly moving that it raises goosebumps and leaves the studio version in the dust. The disc closes with the greatest moment on the whole set: "'Cross the Green Mountain," from the Gods and Generals soundtrack. Veteran Dylanologist Larry Sloman claims in his truly brilliant and incisive liner notes that this "might be his finest hour as a songwriter." The amazing thing? It's not just hyperbole. In all, even in some of its familiarities, Tell Tale Signs feels like a new Bob Dylan record, not only for the astonishing freshness of the material, but also for the incredible sound quality and organic feeling of everything here. It's a carefully presented set, but it's full of life and crackling energy and offers yet more proof -- as if any were needed -- that Dylan remains as cagey, unpredictable, and yes, profound and relevant as he ever was. ~ Thom Jurek, Rovi

Performers: Malcolm Burn - Tambourine; Cindy Cashdollar - Dobro, Slide Guitar; Jack Cooke - Bass (Upright); Dick Fegy - Fiddle, Mandolin; Daniel Lanois - Dobro, Guitar, Organ; Augie Meyers - Accordion, Organ; James Price - Fiddle; John Rigsby - Mandolin; Steve Sparkman - Banjo; Ralph Stanley - Banjo, Vocals; Ralph Stanley II - Guitar (Rhythm); Jeff Wisor - Fiddle, Mandolin; Robert Amiot - Bass; Bucky Baxter - Guitar (Steel), Pedal Steel, Slide Guitar; Brian Blade - Drums; Robert Britt - Guitar; David Bromberg - Guitar; Chris "Hambone" Cameron - Keyboards; Larry Campbell - Guitar, Violin; Richard Crooks - Drums; Jim Dickinson - Organ; Bob Dylan - Guitar, Harmonica, Harp, Organ, Piano, Vocals; Peter Ecklund - Trumpet; John Firmin - Clarinet, Sax (Tenor); Denny Freeman - Guitar; Tony Garnier - Bass; Willie Green - Drums; Tony Hall - Bass; Donnie Herron - Guitar, Guitar (Steel); John Jackson - Guitar; Darryl Johnson - Percussion; Jim Keltner - Drums; David Kemper - Drums, Percussion; Stuart Kimball - Guitar; Freddy Koella - Guitar; Glen Lowe - Guitar; Tony Mangurian - Drums, Percussion, Piano; Tommy Morrongiello - Guitar; Cyril Neville - Percussion; George Recile - Drums; Duke Robillard - Guitar; Mason Ruffner - Guitar; Charlie Sexton - Guitar; James Alan Shelton - Guitar; Brian Stoltz - Guitar; Benmont Tench - Organ; Winston Watson - Drums, Percussion

4 LP VINYL

ON SALE! $ 134.98 $ 79.98 buy

Bob Dylan Dylan [2007 3-Cd Deluxe Edition]
In 1985 Bob Dylan's Biograph established the blueprint for weighty rock & roll retrospectives, blending rare and unreleased material with classics over the course of a three-disc set that wound up being the template for rock & roll boxes for the next 20 years or so. Twenty-two years later, Dylan's second triple-disc retrospective arrived, and it's quite a different beast, bucking all the conventions that Biograph instituted. Simply called Dylan, thereby creating confusion with the 1973 rarities set Dylan that Columbia released in a pique of anger as he recorded with Asylum briefly, the set is nothing more and nothing less than a concise introduction to Bob, with all the rarities trimmed away. As befitting its companion status to Todd Haynes' impressionistic biopic I'm Not There -- where no less than six actors played the Bard, including actress Cate Blanchett -- Dylan comes in a multitude of forms, beginning with a terse single disc, then expanding out to a three-disc set, which is then offered in a variety of limited-edition sets. Although the single disc is good, it's the three-disc set that commands attention for it's a truly exceptional encapsulation of his work.Yes, there are great, even significant, songs missing -- no other songwriter has quite as deep a catalog -- but the remarkable thing is that there is no dip in quality here, thanks to judicious selections from the '80s but also Dylan's remarkable comeback of the late '90s/2000s. It was the great third act that his great career needed, and while he is sure to make more great music, the 22 years uncovered by Biograph but present her turn Dylan into a richer aural biography. It hits many, but not all, of the '60s and early-'70s highlights, soft-sells the scatteredness of the '80s albums by picking the best songs (including "Blind Willie McTell," unearthed on the first Bootleg Series; nothing can quite save those slick, cavernous productions), and in this context the '90s and 2000s work sounds even more impressive. This doesn't give you everything you should hear, but as an introduction to Dylan in his entirety, this can't be beat. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi
3 CD DELUXE EDITION SET

ON SALE! $ 49.98 $ 41.98 buy

Bob Dylan Dylan [2007]
In 1985 Bob Dylan's Biograph established the blueprint for weighty rock & roll retrospectives, blending rare and unreleased material with classics over the course of a three-disc set that wound up being the template for rock & roll boxes for the next 20 years or so. Twenty-two years later, Dylan's second triple-disc retrospective arrived, and it's quite a different beast, bucking all the conventions that Biograph instituted. Simply called Dylan, thereby creating confusion with the 1973 rarities set Dylan that Columbia released in a pique of anger as he recorded with Asylum briefly, the set is nothing more and nothing less than a concise introduction to Bob, with all the rarities trimmed away. As befitting its companion status to Todd Haynes' impressionistic biopic I'm Not There -- where no less than six actors played the Bard, including actress Cate Blanchett -- Dylan comes in a multitude of forms, beginning with a terse single disc, then expanding out to a three-disc set, which is then offered in a variety of limited-edition sets. Although the single disc is good, it's the three-disc set that commands attention. It's truly a exceptional encapsulation of his work.Yes, there are great, even significant, songs missing -- no other songwriter has quite as deep a catalog -- but the remarkable thing is that there is no dip in quality here, thanks to judicious selections from the '80s but also Dylan's remarkable comeback of the late '90s/2000s. It was the great third act that his great career needed, and while he is sure to make more great music, the 22 years not covered by Biograph but present here turn Dylan into a richer aural biography. It hits many, but not all, of the '60s and early-'70s highlights, soft-sells the scatteredness of the '80s albums by picking the best songs (including "Blind Willie McTell," unearthed on the first Bootleg Series; nothing can quite save those slick, cavernous productions), and in this context the '90s and 2000s work sounds even more impressive. This doesn't give you everything you should hear, but as an introduction to Dylan in his entirety, this can't be beat. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi
3 CD SET

ON SALE! $ 34.98 $ 29.98 buy

Bob Dylan Dylan [2007 Single Disc]
The single-disc distillation of the triple-disc 2007 set Dylan weighs in at 18 tracks -- considerably shorter than the 51-track box -- but it covers the same ground, beginning with "Blowin' in the Wind" and ending with "Someday Baby" from his 2006 album Modern Times. That's a lot to cover in one disc, so it's inevitable that some details are glossed over. Still, this isn't intended to be a thorough introduction, the way that the triple-disc set is. Instead, this is a basic primer built upon the standards -- "The Times They Are A-Changin'," "Mr. Tambourine Man," "Like a Rolling Stone," "Rainy Day Women #12 & 35," "All Along the Watchtower," "Lay Lady Lay," and "Knockin' on Heaven's Door." This doesn't make for a deep introduction, but it's not intended to be: it's merely a disc with all of the biggest Bob songs, the first ever to be released, actually. On that level it works as either the simplest introduction to Dylan ever, or as the best all-the-hits collection he's ever had. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi

ON SALE! $ 11.98 $ 10.98 buy