More of the Music of Bob Dylan
- Dylan’s sophomore release is back on the site for only the second time in eighteen months, here with solid Double Plus (A++) sound throughout this vintage Stereo 360 pressing
- Both of these sides are wonderfully full-bodied, natural and clear, with Dylan’s remarkably present voice front and center, exactly where it should be
- It’s clear these classic songs have stood the test of time: “Blowin’ in the Wind,” “Girl from the North Country,” “Masters of War,” “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall,” “Don’t Think Twice,” “It’s All Right,” and many more
- Finding early stereo LPs with audiophile sound and surfaces, and without marks that play, is getting awfully tough nowadays – this one has the sound, and the vinyl is about as quiet as we can find it, but marks are sometimes the nature of these beast with these vintage pressings
- 5 stars: “This is rich, imaginative music, capturing the sound and spirit of America… Dylan, in many ways, recorded music that equaled this, but he never topped it.”
- A Folk Classic from 1963 that should appeal to any fan of early Dylan
- The complete list of titles from 1963 that we’ve reviewed to date can be found here.
- We’ve recently compiled a list of records we think every audiophile should get to know better, along the lines of “the 1001 records you need to hear before you die,” but with less accent on morbidity and more on the joy these amazing audiophile-quality recordings can bring to your life. On the Border is a good example of a record most audiophiles don’t know well but should.
The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan is clearly our favorite of the early Dylan albums for both music and sound. We’re picking up both mono and stereo copies when we see them clean (which is rare) and both the mono mix and the stereo mix can sound out of this world.
Hearing these great songs sound so intimate and lifelike on a top-quality pressing can be a sublime experience. We should know; we enjoyed the hell out of this very copy.
Having done this for so long, we understand and appreciate that rich, full, solid, Tubey Magical sound is key to the presentation of this primarily vocal music. We rate these qualities higher than others we might be listening for (e.g., bass definition, soundstage, depth, etc.). The music is not so much about the details in the recording, but rather in trying to recreate a solid, palpable, real Bob Dylan singing live in your listening room. The best copies have an uncanny way of doing just that.
