Bob Dylan Times They Are A-Changin' CD

Solo performer: Bob Dylan (vocals, acoustic guitar, harmonica).
Engineers include: Stan Tonkel, George Kneurr, Peter Dauria.
Recorded at Columbia Recording Studio, New York, New York in August -October 1963.
If The Times They Are a-Changin' isn't a marked step forward from The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan, even if it is his first collection of all originals, it's nevertheless a fine collection all the same. It isn't as rich as Freewheelin', and Dylan has tempered his sense of humor considerably, choosing to concentrate on social protests in the style of "Blowin' in the Wind." With the title track, he wrote an anthem that nearly equaled that song, and "With God on Our Side" and "Only a Pawn in Their Game" are nearly as good, while "Ballad of Hollis Brown" and "The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll" are remarkably skilled re-castings of contemporary tales of injustice. His absurdity is missed, but he makes up for it with the wonderful "One Too Many Mornings" and "Boots of Spanish Leather," two lovely classics. If there are a couple of songs that don't achieve the level of the aforementioned songs, that speaks more to the quality of those songs than the weakness of the remainder of the record. And that's also true of the album itself -- yes, it pales next to its predecessor, but it's terrific by any other standard. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine
On his third album, Bob Dylan both redefined and expanded his musical palette. Feted as a protest singer, a definition he rejected, he brought new insight to the genre, particularly with "Only A Pawn In Their Game," in which he paints a wider canvas relating to the murder of civil rights leader Medgar Evers. Dylan's love songs herein are particularly poignant, their stark acoustic setting enhancing a graphic lyricism. The title song boasts a wonderful ambiguity, managing to be both political and personal, the latter aspect suggesting the changes Dylan would bring to his music. His last album as a folk artist per se, THE TIMES THEY ARE A-CHANGIN' is yet another essential Dylan collection.Mojo (Publisher) (p.122) - 5 stars out of 5 - "Dylan's reputation as a major cultural force was justifiably fixed forever in the public mind."