REISSUE: Bob Dylan – The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan

 

In case you missed it, on Record Store Day Black Friday, Columbia Records/Legacy Recordings released The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan on vinyl, as it was originally conceived with four tracks omitted before the album was released and with the original never-seen liner notes. 

Originally released in 1963, Bob Dylan’s second album - best known for the masterpieces “Blowin’ In The Wind”, “Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall”, and “Don’t Think Twice It’s Alright” - now includes “Rocks And Gravel”, “Let Me Die In My Footsteps”, “Rambling, Gambling Willie” and “Talkin’ John Birch Paranoid Blues”.  The latter four tracks were intended for release on the album but were withdrawn before release and while they’ve been previously released via The Bootleg Series, they now complete the album as it was meant to be.   

While Dylan’s breakout debut album was comprised of mostly cover songs, Freewheelin’ was where Dylan became the voice of a generation as he wrote nearly all of the songs on his second album which introduced listeners to his surreal sense of humor (the self-deprecating “Bob Dylan’s Blues”) and his politically-charged stance, best exemplified by the spiritual protest song, “Blowin’ In The Wind”.   

Of the newly-included tracks, “Rocks And Gravel” stands out with its full band accompaniment and funky, bluesy boogie; a stark yet welcomed contrast to the simplified arrangements of the other songs.  Another standout, is “Rambling, Gambling Willie” with its punchy acoustic strumming and catchy, sing-along refrain.  Even with the inclusion of these amazing tracks, it’s a little bittersweet, as the fan favorite “Girl From The North Country” and the protest anthem, “Masters Of War” are both omitted from this release.       

This new version of The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan mirrors the rare first pressings of the album and is the perfect companion to the recently released The Bootleg Series Vol. 18: Through The Open Window 1956-1963.     

For more info: https://recordstoreday.com/UPC/198029671216 & https://bobdylan.lnk.to/Bootleg18YD

Listen to a stripped-down version of “Rocks And Gravel (Solid Road)” taken from Through The Open Window here: