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What can you say about Bob Dylan that hasn’t already been said? Sod all really; the man’s one of our greatest songsmiths and over the course of his amazing career he has been both applauded and panned by fans and critics alike. Not only was Dylan’s career dynamic it was at times quite prolific which makes the task of collating a fair and balanced representation of his work on one disc quite daunting. However, it’s a task that the linear notes, (penned by respected critic Bill Flanagan), acknowledge early in the piece. As Flanagan points out, a release such as this can only ever serve as a sampler as opposed to a summation of a brilliant career, and in that regard Dylan succeeds.

From the 1963 release of Blowin’ in the Wind to Someday Baby released on last years Modern Times record, each of Dylan’s most iconic tracks are included and explained with a beautiful affection by Flanagan, a knowledgeable and incisive fan.

The music is simply timeless; the themes and deliveries, although products of their time and place are in no way anchored in the periods during which they came into existence. Everything about the man and his music is timeless and completely universal, a quality that has allowed Bob Dylan to create a rich soundtrack that has been playing for almost half a century.

Of course the hardcore fans are going to have these tracks, and in better context, but if Dylan is one of those artists you’ve always meant to check out, this is as good a start as any.