Getting acquainted with Mr. Dylan

Bob Dylan - Essentials ;)

Here's a few suggestions from different stages:

 

If you like to see how great artists progress in their career, then why not start at the (almost) beginning, with The Freewheelin? Simple, protest folk style with powerful songs. You may find this one endearingly authentic, or embarrassingly dated.

 

If you're only going for just one or two albums, then skip the transitional albums and go for his confident, all electric, rocker  Highway 61 Revisited. Arguably his greatest. Aggressive, punchy style.

 

Or for a softer, more ballad style, then Blonde on Blonde, with long, long, songs with outrageously oblique lyrics that go on for seemingly thousands of verses. Paints great images, even if you have no idea what he's singing about. Not for the impatient though. This was originally a double LP, which now fits onto a single CD.

 

Of his more modern output, then try Love and Theft. A no nonsense return to basics. Ditto Modern Times.

 

A couple of wild cards (of many great options): Nashville Skyline for an early melodic, country style. Not his greatest, but it's very easy to listen to. And John Wesley Harding. Incredibly basic production of strange, mystical, religious stories. Oblique lyrics means you won't know exactly what it's all about, but the images painted are often unsettling.

 

I ditto nearly this entire post. I'm not a fan of Dylan's later works, Freewheelin' is probably the best starting point, and Highway 61 and Blonde and Blonde are fabulous. I'd also recommend The Times They Are A-Changin' and Bringing it all Back Home. Two fantastic albums of earlier Dylan with powerful tracks such as The Times They are A Changin, The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carrow, and Mr. Tambourine Man.

You can't go wrong with any of the albums until Self Portrait, which was legitimately bad, IMHO. Up until that, they were very nearly all brilliant, with his self-titled debut okay.

 

This.
 

I'll go along with The Attorney's recommendations.

Though you might want to see if you can find the SACD versions of these. Dylan released a lot of his catalog on SACD and the recordings are wonderful. And, yes, it's worth picking up something like a Sony CE595 to spin them.

So many fantastic records…hell, after years of fandom I only discovered Planet Waves recently. Love it. Here's what I'd start with, though:

 

Highway 61 Revisited

 

Blood On The Tracks

 

Nashville Skyline (because it's purty)

Edited by tru blu - 2/5/11 at 4:00pm

TheAttorney's recommendations are pretty much spot-on from my point of view as well.

 

My personal favourite album of his, and one of my favourite albums in general would have to be John Wesley Harding.

 

The track I Am A Lonesome Hobo is absolutely amazing.