Bob Dylan - Dylan

Like you’ve never heard these before…

…But not like you’ve never heard them before. Dylan best ofs come slightly less often than Presley and Bowie ones now, often with an unreleased outtake or rare-ish recording for collectors without bootlegs to get excited over. Not so here. Now the brouhaha is that the fans picked the tracks. Dylan fans, for all you’ve heard, aren’t known for being boringly predictable, though, suggesting that SonyBMG’s marketing team may not have been happy with their choices; or, that perhaps they really do just want to hear the same thing repeatedly. Either way, despite a lovely near-solo I Shall Be Released, these three CDs (or one 18-track disc, depending on your wallet) cover the same ground as the others, without offering anything in the way of basic rarity like Greatest Hits Vol II, Masterpieces, or even a “limited edition” version of The Best Of… Volume 2 did. From his first self-penned song, Song To Woody, the established canon, covers albums and through to Modern Times, there’s nothing for anyone other than the newcomer. Only the superbly beautiful deluxe box set packaging for a version of the 3-CD set can, and well, appeal to collectors. How about a collection of rare soundtrack songs, guest spots and the like next?

SonyBMG | 88697114202

Reviewed by Jason Draper
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