Freewheelin' Bob Dylan, The - Bob Dylan

After his first album, which consisted of mainly cover songs, comes this his second album, and ultimately his unofficial debut, as this is truly where it all began and where the world began to take notice of this prodigious talent. There are only two cover songs on this album, but despite that, they seamlessly flow within this, as his song writing and playing style take on a huge number of folk and traditional elements. He was truly a man with a ...
...people behind them, his first love was Woody Guthrie and some of the songs take directly from those done by him, such as I Shall Be Free, which is hugely similar to We Shall Be Free. But despite this, the song writing is original and surpasses some of the folk offerings of the day, breathing life into the civil rights movement and allowing him to become engulfed within it. The album itself contains a low of his classic songs, many of which are still ... more

After his first album, which consisted of mainly cover songs, comes this his second album, and ultimately his unofficial debut, as this is truly where it all began and where the world began to take notice of this prodigious talent. There are only two cover songs on this album, but despite that, they seamlessly flow within this, as his song writing and playing style take on a huge number of folk and traditional elements. He was truly a man with a history in folk music and loved the styles and the people behind them, his first love was Woody Guthrie and some of the songs take directly from those done by him, such as I Shall Be Free, which is hugely similar to We Shall Be Free. But despite this, the song writing is original and surpasses some of the folk offerings of the day, breathing life into the civil rights movement and allowing him to become engulfed within it. The album itself contains a low of his classic songs, many of which are still as poignant today as if they were written yesterday. This album after the rather slap dash attitude taken to the recording of the first album, is better processed and produced, with the songs feeling more well run and formed.

1. Blowin' In The Wind *****

One of his more famous songs opens this album, showing officially his ability as a song writer. For me this is not the best track on the album, but it is a great song that shows the unrest evident in society and perhaps his feelings on the subject, although he would go on to deny any strong feelings towards the civil rights movement later on. This would become a big hit for Peter, Paul and Mary, but this is it in its purest form and is the best version, the original.

2. Girl from the North Country *****

A more personal song after the political side of the first track and shows a side to Dylan that many seem to overlook when they listen to Dylan's folk work, his humour and his ability to write great ballad like songs. This would later be redone with Dylan and Johnny Cash on Nashville Skyline, but this version is more heart wrenching and shows his vocal ability that many simple view as poor singing, which is the greatest tragedy of Dylan's work.

3. Masters of War *****

This is definitely political and is one of the most finger pointing songs of his career, even suggesting that he wouldn't mind it if some of the politicians died, which he would later go on to say was one of his most extreme reactions within a song. This is a good song if you look at it from a powerful and political manner, with the lyrics providing the strength and conviction and the vocals emphasising this further.

4. Down the Highway ***

I have never really got on with this song, and its guitar parts. The lyrics are very obscure and don't specify any specific events and don't feel personal or political. To me it just seems to be a piece of music. This may be quite a harsh analysis of the song, as it is not that bad, but I just don't really get along with it.

5. Bob Dylan's Blues *****

This song picks the album back up and is more upbeat and has a better feel than the last. It is a blues, as the style would suggest and the lyrics also, but it is a nice analysis of some of the things Dylan sees in his life and the way he deals with them as a young man.

6. A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall *****

This is one of the best tracks on the album and again one of his more famous ones. It is made up of lines Dylan said he felt could develop in to songs but wouldn't have the time to write, but despite these rather meagre beginnings, this song develops into a political look at the state of the world and the poor treatment of the smaller man. The guitar itself is good and helps to change the mood of the song as it moves from chorus to verse and visa versa.

7. Don't Think Twice It's Alright *****

Another song that is more of a love song than a political song, but unlike the second track, this is more of a break-up song, as the singer tells his former lover to forget about him and go down new routes in life without him. This perhaps deals with his split from Suze Rotolo, although this is dealt with in Tomorrow Is A Long Time, which was unreleased, but can be found on some good bootleg albums from this period.

8. Bob Dylan's Dream *****

This song seems to look at how Dylan feels about how his former childhood friends have slowly drifted away and he is left alone to find new beginnings and ends. The song looks at what he perhaps foolishly hoped would happen and his inability to make that come about and rekindle some of the childhood events he used to enjoy with them. This though is a good song, and contains some really nice lyrics that show his ability to write very personal pieces and perform them with power and emotion.

9. Oxford Town *****

This is a nice ditty of a track that looks at the racist behaviour of the place in question that was in the news at the time. This kind of song would be revisited on The Times They Are A-Changin', but with a more vengeful and cutting tone than this seemingly more light hearted piece, which I think helps to gloss over the political slant of this and presents it more as a song in its own right, without the weight of the political story behind it.

10. Talkin' World War III Blues *****

I like this more humorous offering that looks at the singer's misadventures as he explores the uninhabited world after world war III. It is not hugely political, but is a nice piece that is light hearted and shows his fun and vigour present in his young mind.

11. Corrina, Corrina *****

The first of two covers on the album is this light ballad for corrina, that is done nicely and sits as a good love song for this album which is fuelled by mainly political pieces. Although I really like this song, I sometimes feel that this and the second cover that follows seem almost strewn on for good measure and would be better suited to a more spread out feel and not placed together.

12. Honey, Just Allow Me One More Chance ****

A light hearted piece again that is a cover of a Henry Thomas song. Some nice fun vocals and harmonica, but not a masterpiece of a song after some of the other pieces on the album.

13. I Shall Be Free *****

A very humorous song that takes generously from We Shall Be Free by Woody Guthrie. But despite this, it is a good song mainly for the fun of it and all in all it is a good way to close the album, on a high, with the listener left with a smile on their face.

Overall, this is a classic not only for Dylan but also for music, sitting nicely as number 97 on the Rolling Stone Magazine 500 best albums, but this isn't really a good indication of an album's merits. This is an album that everyone from the hardcore fan to the casual listener or newbie should own, sitting as a highlight in a career filled with them. The best place to go to see his folk credentials and his early acoustic period. 

...less