The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan/Blood On The Tracks
Bob Dylan celebrates his 79th birthday this weekend – On The Turntable will feature two lps from Zimmy that made him ‘The Voice Of A Generation’. ‘The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan’, his second lp and ‘Blood On The Tracks’. Both albums are included in Robert Dimery’s book “1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.”
The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan is the second studio album from Bob Dylan, released on May 27, 1963. Freewheelin’ showcased Dylan’s songwriting talent for the first time, propelling him to national and international fame. The album featured several songs which came to be regarded as among Dylan’s best compositions and classics of the 1960s folk scene: Opening with Blowin’ In The Wind and “Girl from the North Country“, “Masters of War“, “A Hard Rain’s a-Gonna Fall” and “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right.
The album was one of 50 recordings chosen by the Library of Congress to be added to the National Recording Registry in 2002. The citation read: “This album is considered by some to be the most important collection of original songs issued in the 1960s. It includes “Blowin’ in the Wind,” the era’s popular and powerful protest anthem. It’s hard to overestimate the importance of The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan, the record that firmly established Dylan as an unparalleled songwriter” … Best Ever Albums Dot Com considers the lp the second best lp of 1963 and the 31st best of the 1960’s … the album was ranked number 97 on Rolling Stone Magazine’s list of the 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time. It is also featured in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.
Notable Tracks – “The Girl From The North Country” “Blowin’ In The Wind” “A Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall” “Don’t Think Twice It’s Alright”
Blood On The Tracks
Blood on the Tracks is Dylan’s fifteenth studio album … released on January 20, 1975. Initially receive with mixed reviews, Blood On The Tracks as gone on to be a fan and critics favorite …. It has even been listed in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die … The album reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and No. 4 on the UK Albums Chart. The single “Tangled Up in Blue” peaked at No. 31 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album remains one of Dylan’s best-selling studio releases.
Blood On The Tracks has become a benchmark lp for Dylan … any release that has had any significant praise at all has been described as “his best since Blood On The Tracks” …. Best Ever Albums Dot Com considers Blood On The Tracks as the second best lp of 1975, only bested by Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here.” The website also considers the lp as the 12th best of the 1970’s. Digital Dream Door Dot Com ranks the lp at number three on it’s top 100 songs of 1975.
Notable Tracks – “Simple Twist Of Fate” “Tangled Up In Blue” “Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts”