The first Bob Dylan album I ever listened to was 1997’s “Time Outta Mind,” a raspy, dusty, vulnerable and suppressed collection of dark and aching ballads. Following this, I decided to listen to 1963’s “Freewheelin’,” and with the aforementioned being the sole context of my Dylan repertoire, this record equally confused me and absolutely blew me away. Tunes like “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall” feel like they were finished after the first take—so flawed that they become perfect. The music feels effortless. What Dylan tends to lack in perfectionism, he makes up for with an abundence of humanity in the form of sloppy guitar schemes and scratchy vocals. Dylan’s music has long been a roadmap to the soul, and “Freewheelin’” is where it all started.
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The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan by Bob Dylan
Credit: Columbia Records, 1963
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About the Contributor
Finley Gober, Crest Editor
Finn is a semi-professional music, fashion and film yapper. All opinions are valid, but of course, Finn’s are correct.