The Bottom Line You don't have to be a Dylan expert to love Greatest Hits. All you have to be is a person who loves great music.
Full Review
My day will begin with a musical confession. I, as a fan of all things rock and roll, have very little knowledge of Bob Dylan. Even worse, outside of his biggest songs I really have very scant ideas about who he is and what his music sounds like. Don’t get me wrong—I know he is a talented songwriter—but I’ve never been particularly drawn to his sound. That is my only real excuse for all but ignoring Dylan for all these years.
I’m not going to pretend to be an expert and I’m not going to feint real knowledge, but I will say that from a songwriting perspective there is no doubt that Dylan is a modern master. His songs transcend time and are as relevant and coherent today as they were when they were originally penned. Sure the times, they are a changin’ but the words still have great meaning. Like I said, unfortunately my collection is scant. It consists only of the ten-track 1967 Greatest Hits compilation. Sure it only reflects the tiniest smidge of Dylan’s career highlights but that doesn’t stop it from being excellent material.
Greatest Hits pulls the most popular ten songs from the songwriter’s first seven album. Sure the track listing is pretty short, but that only serves to highlight just how excellent each of these songs is. Sit back and allow Dylan to whisper his sweet, uneasy laments in your ears. I can think of no better way to spend a lazy winter day. Folk-rock, singer/songwriter, politically charged, and genuinely intelligent this is a compilation full of classic thought.
The outstanding nature of this album is apparent right from the start with Rainy Day Women #12 & 35. It functions brilliantly in the opening position with a bluesy, tin pan feel complete with horns, tambourine, and harmonica. If the title doesn’t ring a bell, maybe the most famous line from the song will spark some memories—you know “Everybody must get stoned.” As Greatest Hits progresses it becomes increasingly obvious that Dylan is a master. Each of the songs possesses a kind of confident grace that only appears once every decade or so.
Though the selections are few, Dylan’s talent shines. The wistful honesty of Blowin’ in the Wind became something of a war protest anthem. From what I gather, this was never his intention. It is certainly about injustice with Dylan positing the question “How many roads must a man walk down, before you can call him a man?” The answer is abstract—the answer is of course Blowin’ in the Wind. All answers, of course lie within ourselves and Dylan is quick to point this out. As a person who believes in no god, no “higher power,” I am particularly drawn to this philosophy.
Continuing on, songs The Times They Are A-Changin’ and It Ain’t Me Babe are also wonderful examples of Dylan’s rare talent. However, it is Like a Rolling Stone that appeals to me most. The sound is a so rich yet so simple, the lyrics so plain yet so poignant. I love that Dylan realized that he didn’t need a bunch of flourishes to make his songs special. He knew (and still knows) that music is about the emotion and about the heart. Without those elements a song is nothing. Like a Rolling Stone is, at least to my mind, the culmination of everything music should be.
Of course there is much more to this Greatest Hits. Mr. Tambourine Man is an inarguable classic. At the same time it is an outstanding song, it is open to many interpretations. This is one thing that really is striking about Dylan. His lyrics are just obtuse enough to allow many walks of people to get many different things out of them. Is it about drugs? Is it about fame? Who is to say…the simple truth is that it is moving and heartfelt. The admiration I feel for these songs continues through Subterranean Homesick Blues and I Want You. However, the real surprise here is Positively 4th Street. When this album was released, it was just a non-album single. The thing that really strikes me about this song is that it is uncharacteristically upbeat.
Just Like A Woman rests in the final slot and brings the disc full circle from the similarly constructed Rainy Day Women #12 & 35. There is absolutely something here for everybody, though there are definitely more complete collections out now. However, for the sake of brevity and consistency I don’t think you can do any better than Greatest Hits. It highlights Bob Dylan in the prime of his songwriting career. I realize that my knowledge of Dylan’s songwriting credits is limited, but what I do know about him is that he can really write a great song.
Rating: 5/5 stars
Track Listing:
01. Rainy Day Women #12 & 35
02. Blowin’ in the Wind
03. The Times They Are A-Changin’
04. It Ain’t Me Babe
05. Like a Rolling Stone
06. Mr. Tambourine Man
07. Subterranean Homesick Blues
08. I Want You
09. Positively 4th Street
10. Just Like a Woman
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This review is part of plorentz’s THE BEST-OFS AND BOX SETS WRITE-OFF. It is my first (and probably only) entry but I still want to encourage everybody to visit his profile page and check out the dozens of other entries. Thanks, Paul, for the invitation!
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