Briks' exploration of folk music
"Holy ****, just realized that I've never heard a Bob Dylan album"
-Me, about eight hours ago
"Bob Dylan kinda kicks ass"
-Me, just now
Artist: Bob Dylan
Album: The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan
Year: 1963
Genre: Contemporary folk
I'd never heard a Bob Dylan album before this. I'd heard Dylan songs, of course. “Hurricane”, “Blowing in the Wind”, “Like a Rolling Stone”, the big ones, y'know? I was about to say “classics”, but that doesn't do justice to the less popular tracks found on this album. They're all pretty goddamn great. Isn't it amazing what one man can do with only a guitar, a harmonica, a hoarse voice and a high-quality brain? The simplicity of it all creates a feeling of honesty, and helps accentuate the lyrics, which are witty, wise, sentimental, direct, and definitely relevant. Four of these songs are anti-war to different degrees, and though they were all written during the Cold War, the lyrics to all of them can apply even today. The standouts for me are “Blowin' in the Wind”, “Masters of War”, “A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall”, “Don't Think Twice, It's All Right”, “Talking World War III Blues” and “I Shall Be Free”. Definitely worth its reputation as an all-time classic.
5/5