Bob's fourth record, and close runner up to Freewheelin' as the masterpiece of this early stage of his career. While the overly arch Times They Are A Changin' pretty much stood as the cornerstone of classifiable folk rock at the time, Another Side is just that. Dense, elliptical, and downright surreal at times, with some of the protesty stuff that made the media so happy & hungry, but much more layered and poetic. Another side is also much more reverent of and indebted to the Harry Smith field recordings that Bob studied so hard, the stuff that finally caught on with the general public in the early 90s. Titles include "Spanish Harlem Incident", "It Ain't Me Babe", "Ballad In Plain D", "Black Crow Blues", "I Don't Believe You", "Motorpsycho Nitemare", "To Ramona", "Chimes Of Freedom", "My Back Pages", and "I Shall Be Free No 10". LP, Vinyl record album

Not just the "best" – as the set also includes new tracks "Dignity (outtake)" and "Things Have Changed" – amidst lots of other Dylan classics too! CD

Titles include "Meet Me In The Morning", "Shelter From The Storm", "Idiot Wind", "You're A Big Girl Now", "If You See Her, Say Hello", "Buckets Of Rain", and "Tangled Up In Blue". LP, Vinyl record album

Titles include "Meet Me In The Morning", "Shelter From The Storm", "Idiot Wind", "You're A Big Girl Now", "If You See Her, Say Hello", "Buckets Of Rain", and "Tangled Up In Blue". CD

The first album, and a bit more straight folksy than later work – but still with some amazing young flashes of genius! Dylan bursts right of the gate hear as one of the greatest young voices of the folk revival, on set that Columbia was clearly positioning Dylan to be carrier of the torch in the Woody Guthrie tradition, but it's crystal clear that Dylan is an island unto himself, bursting at the seams of tradition, and soon to establish his own singular genius. Titles include "Highway 51", "See That My Grave Is Kept Clean", "Song To Woody", "Man Of Constant Sorrow", "Fixin To Die", "Baby, Let Me Follow You Down", and "Talkin New York". This top shelf Mobile Fidelity pressing is on double 180 gram audiophile vinyl, 45rpm! CD

The first entry in the Bob Dylan series from Columbia – and maybe still one of the most important – as it really focused on the kind of special material that had been changing hands in the underground for decades – part of that secret knowledge that would always make diehard Dylan fans sneer at anyone who only knew the official albums! There's some really amazing stuff here – especially great album outtakes, especially from classics like Freewheelin Bob Dylan and The Times They Are A Changin – plus some unusual 70s moments, weird early demo and live tracks, and lots more. Despite the large date rate, the set skews pretty heavily towards the mid 60s – which represents probably 50% of the material, alongside a good chunk of 70s tracks, and a few scattered 80s and 90s moments. Titles include "House Carpenter", "Hard Times In New York Town", "Mama You Been On My Mind", "Sitting On A Barbed Wire Fence", "Wallflower", "Santa Fe", "Who Killed Davey Moore (Live)", "Paths Of Victory", "Talkin Hava Negeilah Blues", "Let Me Die In My Footsteps", "Man On The Street", "Suze (The Cough Song)", "Seven Curses", "every Grain Of Salnd", "Catfish", "Tell Me", "Series Of Dreams", and lots lots more. CD

A masterpiece of early electric Dylan – and one easily one of the most pivotal recordings of the 60s in any genre! featuring classics like "Subterranean Homesick Blues", "Maggie's Farm", "Mr Tambourine Man", "Gates Of Eden", "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue", "It's Alright Ma", and "Bob Dylan's 115th Dream". LP, Vinyl record album

Titles include "Hurricane", "Isis", "Joey", "Romance In Durango", "Sara", and "One More Cup Of Coffee". LP, Vinyl record album

A pivotal moment for Bob Dylan – and maybe one of THE albums of the 60s! The newly-electrified Dylan really takes off here – putting more punch and bit into his already-strong lyrical approach – and twisting things in amazing ways that still leave us breathless all these many years later! And sure, the album gave Bob a few hits – which are nestled in here next to headier tunes that work together perfectly. Titles include "Like A Rolling Stone", "Ballad Of A Thin Man", "It Takes A Lot To Laugh It Takes A Train To Cry", "From A Buick 6", "Desolation Row", "Highway 61 Revisited", and "Queen Jane Approximately". CD

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A pivotal album for Dylan – featuring complicated dark little numbers like "All Along The Watchtower", "The Ballad Of Frankie Lee & Judas Priest", "I Am A Lonesome Hobo", "I Pity The Poor Immigrant", "The Wicked Messenger", "As I Went Out One Morning", and "Down Along The Cove". LP, Vinyl record album

A pivotal album for Dylan – featuring complicated dark little numbers like "All Along The Watchtower", "The Ballad Of Frankie Lee & Judas Priest", "I Am A Lonesome Hobo", "I Pity The Poor Immigrant", "The Wicked Messenger", "As I Went Out One Morning", and "Down Along The Cove". CD

Dylan's wonderful foray into country rock – the great Nashville Skyline! He takes his voice into a strangely crooning arena that we hadn't heard from him before or since, kinda adding a mysterious vibe of the whole thing. Titles include a duet with Johnny Cash on "Girl From The North Country", plus "Lay Lady Lay", "Country Pie", "To Be Alone With You", and "One More Night". LP, Vinyl record album

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The sprawling 1970 Self Portrait from Dylan – a record that caps off the most unpredictable period of his career – a mix of classic level Dylan originals and some really interesting choices of covers. A 2LP set with "Let It Be Me", "Days Of 49", "Alberta #4", "All The Tired Horses", "Copper Kettle", "Take A Message To Mary", "Wigwam", "The Mighty Quinn", "The Boxer", "Gotta Travel On", "Little Sadie", and "Blue Moon". Titles include "Let It Be Me", "Days Of 49", "Alberta #4", "All The Tired Horses", "Copper Kettle", "Take A Message To Mary", "Wigwam", "The Mighty Quinn", "The Boxer", "Gotta Travel On", "Little Sadie", and "Blue Moon". LP, Vinyl record album

The first album in Dylan's so-called "Christian Period", but it's not really the uber-dramatic departure from the "old" Dylan that it was treated as at the time – gospel soul backing vocals and testifying lyricism for sure, but it sounds more like gospel has come to Dylan than it sounds like Dylan has "gone gospel". Slow Train Coming has a focused approach, ala Blood On The Tracks, even if this train doesn't come close to crossing over onto those particular tracks – and the return to a leaner, more focused vibe is welcome one. It's got stellar studio players in the mix, and producer Jerry Wexler's production touches on a soul sound, but smartly hews to Dylan's vocal style and lyrical focus. Dylan's high bar for a masterpiece given his trailblazing past didn't give this record or the following couple much a chance to succeed on their own merits back in the day, but all these years later...wow, this is really good, passionate stuff. Includes "Gotta Serve Somebody", "Precious Angel", "I Believe In You", "Slow Trait", "Gonna Change My Way Of Thinking", "Do Right To Me Baby (Do Unto Others)", "When You Gonna Wake Up", "Man Gave Name To All The Animals", "When He Returns". LP, Vinyl record album

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Maybe not the first album from the legendary Band – but a record in which the group get everything completely right all the way through – and sparkle with that special sound that continues to influence generations of music makers, and music lovers! All the great elements the group were bringing to their work with Bob Dylan are in place here – but the focus is completely different, with this warm glow that really fits the vocals of Levon Helm, and a sense of unified vision that makes it really hard to even come up with a match for the energy of the group on this album. The great John Simon adds a few special touches to the overall sound – and titles include "Rockin Chair", "Across The Great Divide", "When You Awake", "Up On Cripple Creek", "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down", "Look Out Cleveland", and "King Harvest". LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe not the first album from the legendary Band – but a record in which the group get everything completely right all the way through – and sparkle with that special sound that continues to influence generations of music makers, and music lovers! All the great elements the group were bringing to their work with Bob Dylan are in place here – but the focus is completely different, with this warm glow that really fits the vocals of Levon Helm, and a sense of unified vision that makes it really hard to even come up with a match for the energy of the group on this album. The great John Simon adds a few special touches to the overall sound – and titles include "Rockin Chair", "Across The Great Divide", "When You Awake", "Up On Cripple Creek", "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down", "Look Out Cleveland", and "King Harvest". 2CD 50th anniversary edition features lots of bonus tracks – including 13 more early, alternate, and instrumental versions of tracks on the album – and a bonus 11 track Live At Woodstock 1969 set, with original rough mixes of tunes that include "I Shall Be Released", "This Wheel's On Fire", "Long Black Veil", "Ain't No More Cane On The Brazos", "Tears Of Rage", "Chest Fever", and "We Can Talk". CD

Maybe not the first album from the legendary Band – but a record in which the group get everything completely right all the way through – and sparkle with that special sound that continues to influence generations of music makers, and music lovers! All the great elements the group were bringing to their work with Bob Dylan are in place here – but the focus is completely different, with this warm glow that really fits the vocals of Levon Helm, and a sense of unified vision that makes it really hard to even come up with a match for the energy of the group on this album. The great John Simon adds a few special touches to the overall sound – and titles include "Rockin Chair", "Across The Great Divide", "When You Awake", "Up On Cripple Creek", "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down", "Look Out Cleveland", and "King Harvest". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most iconic rock and roll shows of all time – the late 70s farewell to The Band – and quite famously, much more final concert by an esteemed band, it's actually a rock, pop, folk, blues and soul summit that features The Band as the house band. This landmark document of the event has always been one of rock's more opulent releases – with appearances by Muddy Waters, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison, Dr. John, The Staples and more. Includes "The From The Last Waltz", "Up On Cripple Creek", "The Shape I'm In", "Down In South New Orleans" with Bobby Charles, "Forever Young" with Bob Dylan, "I Shall Be Released (Finale)", "Rag Mama Rag", "Further Up The Road" with Eric Clapton, "Dry Your Eyes" with Eric Clapton, "Evangeline" with Emmylou Harris, "The Weight" with The Staples and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Continuing genius from the great Bert Jansch – the singer/songwriter's second album, and one of his most sublime records ever! The album's got an up-close, personal vibe – mostly just Bert's vocals and acoustic guitar, a bit like the earliest albums by Bob Dylan – and like Dylan, Jansch has this approach that's completely his own – very much schooled in older 20th century traditions, but focused on finding a new way forward – with a mix of melodic and harmonic elements that flow from his guitar with effortless ease, and are matched by some beautifully pointed vocals by a singer who sounds unlike anyone else. At times, the tunes have a quality that's almost hypnotic – a bit of a John Fahey vibe in the progressions, but a bit warmer – and titles include "Tinker's Blues", "It Don't Bother Me", "Harvest Your Thoughts Of Love", "Lucky Thirteen", "As The Day Grows Longer Now", "So Long", "900 Miles", and "Ring A Ding Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

Jonathan Lethem has given us plenty of great writing on his own – and here, he teams up with Kevin Dettmar to co-edit a volume of seminal writing on rock, pop, and soul music of the past 50 years! This isn't one of those "best of the year" books, with content that will seem dated in a decade – and instead, this is a mighty rich volume, with an array of great articles that really hold up strongly – penned by some of the most insightful musical minds in recent decades. The book includes Lester Bangs on Elvis Presley, Stanley Booth on Otis Redding, Nat Hentoff on Bob Dylan, John Jeremiah Sullivan on Axl Rose, Jessica Hopper on Emo, Eve Babitz on Jim Morrison, Nick Tosches on Jerry Lee Lewis, Nelson George on Marvin Gaye, Robert Christgau on Prince, Greil Marcus on Christian Marclay, and lots lots more – 601 pages, hardcover. Book

Two late 60s albums from Tim Rose – back to back on a single CD! First up is the self-titled Tim Rose – a fantastic solo debut from Tim Rose – issued by Columbia Records at a time when the label was taking a strong stand with singer/songwriting giants like Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen! Rose might not be totally in the territory of those legends, but steps out from previous folk work (including a group with Mama Cass and Jake Holmes!), into a mode that's trying to carve out a more thoughtful space for a male singer in the late 60s. Rose has a full voice that's clearly influenced by soul, yet has this raspy, almost boozy charm around the edges – almost crackling at times, which only adds to the spirit of the songs – which get great small group accompaniment from a studio combo that features Bernard Purdie on drums and Artie Butler on piano. Titles include "Where Was I", "You're Slipping Away From Me", "Got A Loneliness", "I'm Gonna Be Strong", "I Gotta Do Things My Way", and a version of "Hey Joe". On Through Rose Colored Glasses, Tim Rose has a very unusual vibe – kind of a raspy charm that almost puts him in soul-influenced territory, with maybe some of the elements that Burton Cummings was bringing to Blood Sweat & Tears – yet set up in a mode that's got more of a small combo rock sound overall! Arrangements are by Rose and Ian Freebairn-Smith – and there's a great drummer at the core of the sound, who kicks things with rhythmic currents that hint at funk – and which provide a crisp crackle to the music that matches Tim's energy in the lead! Titles include "Hello Sunshine", "Days Back When", "Apple Truck Swamper", "You'd Laugh", "You Ain't My Girl No More", "Let There Be Love", and "Maman". CD

A trio of early albums from Tom Rush – all together in a single set! First up is the really great debut album from Tom Rush – a sometimes-overlooked singer/songwriter from the Bob Dylan generation – and one who definitely deserves a rediscovery all these many years later! Tom's a great songwriter, and takes off here in a rootsy blend of folk and acoustic blues – backed by lots of great guitar work of his own, plus some spare guest contributions – including occasional harmonica from John Sebastian! Rush is one of those rare breed who handles his music completely without self-consciousness or cliched adherence to his roots – a performance that we'd put right up there with Fred Neill on his legendary Capitol albums, or maybe the bluesier side of Tim Hardin. Titles include "If Your Man Gets Busted", "Poor Man", "Black Mountain Blues", "When She Wants Good Lovin", "Windy Bill", "Panama Limited", and "The Cuckoo". On Take A Little Walk With Me, Tom Rush picks up a bit of an electric edge, but still keeps all the songs and styles very much in the territory that made his debut so great! Al Kooper wrote the liner notes, and also plays electric guitar on all of side one – but the instrument is used in ways that just seem to underscore all the rhythmic changes of Tom's acoustic guitar, and echo some of the shifted rhythms that make the music sparkle. Tunes include originals by Rush and Eric Von Schmidt, plus some bluesy covers too – and titles include "Galveston Flood", "Sugar Babe", "Joshua Gone Barbados", "On The Road Again", "Money Honey", "Who Do You Love", and "Statesboro Blues". Last up is the classic The Circle Game – one of the best-remembered albums from the great Tom Rush – a set that gave the world his well-recorded title track (and the classic "No Regrets"), and which also has Tom really reaching out with a proud new style! The record expands the core sound of Rush in ways that roughly echo some of the early Tim Hardin material at Verve – still bluesy folk at the core, but with arrangements that are slight, but sophisticated – in ways that unlock all these great moods and colors in the songs that you never would have gotten if Rush were just singing and playing guitar on his own! Paul Harris handles the charts, and things are light, but well-pointed – a really beautiful inflection of the vocals and guitar at the core of the performance, often with a very moody style. Titles include "The Circle Game", "Rockport Sunday", "No Regrets", "Tin Angel", "Urge For Going", "Something In The Way She Moves", and "Shadow Dream Song". 2CD set features bonus tracks too – "I'm In Love Again", "Urge For Going (single)", "Coda", "Circle Game (take one)", and "Something In The Way She Moves (single)". CD

Uncut magazine presents the untold story behind the Bob Dylan/Johnny Cash recordings in late 60s Nashville – alongside other articles on Prince, Pink Floyd, Bonnie Prince Billy, Jeff Lynne, Debbie Harry, REM, Richard Thompson, and Booker T – plus a conversation with Robert Smith of The Cure, lunch with Bruce Springsteen, a self-portrait of Joni Mitchell, and the return of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds. Plenty more too – including reviews of over 120 records, books, and films! Bonus CD, too – with an unissued Bob Dylan song – plus more by Gene Clark, Ryley Walker, Jim Sullivan, and Tindersticks. Magazine

Two 1968 albums by Cher – back to back on a single CD! First up is Backstage – a great little solo album from Cher – recorded during her overlooked run of non-Sonny Bono material for Imperial Records in the late 60s – a sublime stretch that really opens up her vocals with a surprisingly soulful vibe! That's definitely the case here, as Harold Battiste is helping Sonny out on production – adding some nicely deep currents to the music, as Cher takes on tunes by Bob Dylan, Miriam Makeba, Tim Hardin, and a surprisingly diverse array of artists – transforming every song in the process, and really making the music her own! Titles include a great sitar-laden version of "Masters Of War", plus "The Click Song", "Reason To Believe", "Do You Believe In Magic", "Take Me For A Little While", "A House Is Not A Home", and "Song Called Children". Golden Greats features loads of solo material that Cher recorded for Imperial Records without Sonny Bono on vocals – working alone, because the duo were contracted as a pair to Atlantic at the time! Sonny's still got a great hand in the music, though – producing most of it, and contributing a fair bit of original songs, next to material that Cher takes on from others, and really makes her own. Titles include "Hey Joe", "Alfie", "Sunny", "All I Really Want To Do", "I Feel Something In The Air", "You Better Sit Down Kids", "Come & Stay With Me", and the mega-hit "Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)". CD

An unreleased album from singer Polly Niles – a unique talent with a style that fits in strongly with some of the rising tide of female vocalists rising up at the start of the 70s – an elite group that might include Joni Mitchell, Carly Simon, and Carole King! Polly's much more obscure than both, of course, but has similar roots – an American singer with experience in folk music, turning towards different modes at the end of the 60s – recording here for the British Ember label, who did a really great job with production, but then never managed to get the record past test pressing stage! Niles has a voice that contains all the earnestness of a folk singer, but none of the more cloying qualities – more mature, and nicely tuned through a range of material from Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, John Barry, Stephen Stills, and even the team of Goffin and King. Titles include "Bang Bang", "Since I Lost You Baby", "The Milk Of The Tree", "Get High On Jesus", "I Am A Child", and "East Virginia". 2CD set also features an insane number of bonus tracks – session tracks and single mixes, with 24 more titles in all – plus very detailed notes on Polly's special story. CD

This is a great one recorded during the years when the US music industry clamped down on the type of pirating that some labels were doing – and imprints like Pickwick hid out in the "soundalike" business of recording big hits by other stars, using unknown studio groups who were great at faking the style of famous rockers. This one's got The Tribe copping styles of George Harrison and Bob Dylan – doing surprisingly competent versions of "Bangla Desh", "Here Comes The Sun", "My Sweet Lord", and "Blowin In The Wind". Also features a spare Indian instrumental called "Meditation Raga". LP, Vinyl record album

Music from Al Green, John Mellencamp, the Pretenders, Johnn Cash, James Brown, Bruce Springsteen, Natalie Merchant, Jackson Browne, Bob Dylan, Sam Moore, the Allman Brothers & more. CD

Ralph J Gleason might just be one of the coolest cats to ever write about music – a key part of the San Francisco scene during the postwar years – where his talents helped illuminate both the worlds of art and music during the beat generation – then really helped shine a spotlight on all the cultural changes in the city during the 60s – which even led to Gleason's role in the founding of Rolling Stone magazine! Gleason always had a great eye (and ear) for things that were new and special, but never in a way that was slavish to the moment – or to its creator – and the book features an initial section on his writings on jazz and blues – with essays on John Coltrane, Charles Mingus, Carmen McRae, BB King, John Handy, Vince Guaraldi & Bola Sete, Cal Tjader, Ben Webster, the San Francisco Jazz scene, and other diverse topics. The second section features Gleason on folk and rock – with bits on Jefferson Airplane, Hank Williams, Lenny Bruce, Odetta, The Beatles, Bob Dylan, and others – and the final section features articles on politics and culture – covering topics that include Richard Nixon, radio payola, Law & Order, flower children, and other slices of society, seen from the Gleason viewpoint. Book is hardcover, and 309 pages. Book

A really great idea for a book – served up by a thoughtful British writer with plenty of experience in the rock mainstream of the 70s, 80s, and 90s! The book looks at 40 key moments in the career of that many rock stars – not as a "datebook" or diary-styled publication, but with richly-crafted essays on each moment – tracing the rise of Bob Dylan in the Village scene, or the moment when Elvis stepped forward in Memphis, Buddy Holly's plane crashed in Iowa, John Lennon was shot, Bob Geldof created Live Aid, Michael Jackson filmed his Pepsi commercial – and on and on – the kinds of defining moments that not only shaped the careers of these artists, but also the music as well. Hardcover edition is 305 pages, with some illustrations in the middle. Book

Mojo magazine spins the time dial even more firmly to the past than usual – thanks to a big issue special on the new version of The Beatles' classic Abbey Road – packaged here with a giant Beatles map of London and Liverpool! The issue also offers up some unseen David Bowie, a look at Bob Dylan and Neil Young together, and more on Jethro Tull, The Waterboys, Bootsy Collins, Laura Lyro, The Stranglers, and Jean-Claud Vannier – plus a huge section of music reviews, a special Paul McCartney cover, and a 15 track bonus CD! Magazine