... CD

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

Two rare takes on this classic Bob Dylan tune from Infidels – both nicely different! Take 1 features Dylan on voclas, piano, and harmonica – with Mick Taylor on guitar over the very cool rhythm section of Alan Clark on keyboards, Robbie Shakespeare on bass, and Sly Dunbar on drums – and Take 5 changes it up nicely, with the replacement guitar of Mark Knopfler, who gives the tune a nicely different sound. Both tracks recorded April 11, 1983 at Power Station in NYC. 7-inch, Vinyl record

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

An 80s issue of a live set from the early 60s! LP, Vinyl record album

1975 Boston & Toronto. CD

Sure, the young Bob Dylan might look a bit hokey on the cover – but he's already out there way ahead of the pack – and starting to blow away any of the less interesting pop folkies who'd been crowding into the Greenwich Village scene of the early 60s! There's a difference here right from the start – not just some of his own material, but the way that Dylan transforms older tunes too – not with this crew-cutted, clean-voiced style – but bringing in elements of blues, and using these very personal guitar inflections and harmonica lines to really make the music his own. 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". LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

Loads of classics – including "Blowin In The Wind", "It Ain't Me Babe", "Like A Rolling Stone", "Rainy Day Women #12 & #35", "Positively 4th Street", "Just Like A Woman", "Mr Tambourine Man", and "I Want You". LP, Vinyl record album

A great mix of material here – earlier classics and some tracks recorded in 1971! Titles include the nwer cuts "I Shal Be Released", "You Ain't Goin Nowhere", and "Down In The Flood" – plus "A Hard Rain's A Gonna Fall", "She Belongs To Me", "All Along The Watchtower", "I'll Be Your Baby Tonight", "Don't Think Twice", "Lay Lady Lay", "Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again", "If Not For You", "It's All Over Now Baby Blue", and "Maggie's Farm". CD

Seminal work from Bob Dylan – one of his early electric sides, and a record that moved the singer from folk stardom to an even more explosive force in the mainstream! This is the record that forever made Dylan as influential on rock music as he was on underground styles – and the whole thing is a perfect blend of the complexity of his earlier songwriting with some tunes and messages that made his politics even more powerful than ever! The album's brimming over with genius – nearly every cut is a classic – and titles include "Subterranean Homesick Blues", "Maggie's Farm", "Mr Tambourine Man", "Gates Of Eden", "It's All Over Now Baby Blue", "It's Alright Ma", "Love Minus Zero/No Limit", "She Belongs To Me", and "Bob Dylan's 115th Dream". CD

Live at the Warehouse New York city May 3rd 1976. CD

... CD

2 tracks. CD

... CD

... CD

70s session outtakes – with titles that include "Answerphone Message", "If You See Her Say Hello", "Tangled Up In Blue", "You're A Big Girl Now", and "Idiot Wind". LP, Vinyl record album

Plenty of early classics and hits – including "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right", "Blowin In The Wind", "Down The Highway", "A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall", "I Shall Be Free", "Bob Dylan's Dream", and "Oxford Town". CD

Plenty of early classics and hits – including "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right", "Blowin In The Wind", "Down The Highway", "A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall", "I Shall Be Free", "Bob Dylan's Dream", and "Oxford Town". LP, Vinyl record album

One of THE great Dylan bootlegs and a fantastic set of acoustic material from Bob's early years! Tracks include "Hard Rain's Gonna Fall", "Ballad Of Hollis Brown", "No More Auction Block", "Kindhearted Woman Blues", "Moonshine Blues", "Cocaine", "Don't Think Twice", and "Ain't No More Cane (Cane On The Brazo)". CD

Cool French takes on the songs of Bob Dylan – set to arrangements by Christian Chevallier! 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 than a 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. CD

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

Cash's fourth volume of stark, sparely-arranged studio recordings for producer/set list provider Rick Rubin. As Johnny gets on in the years his always haunting voice, like Bob Dylan's, is weighted by age, but the heavily-breathed delivery only adds to the ghostly quality of the increasingly dark tunes. With this fourth set in the series we're far past being surprised by the choices of material – this time Cash conjures up spiritual takes on Depeche Mode's "Personal Jesus", Trent Reznor's "Hurt", Lennon/McCartney's "In My Life", and more traditional material like Hank Williams' "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" and the eternally underrated Marty Robbins' "Big Iron". You can't forget that Cash's pen is still pretty sharp, too, as the really spooky imagery in the title track and others testify. The accompaniment includes the great Randy Scruggs, Beck/Tom Waits guitarist Smokey Hormel, Marty Stuart, Glen Campell, and backing vocals by Nick Cave and Fiona Apple. Another great one from the greatest! 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

An excellent anthology of rare Hendrix – featuring previously unreleased recordings of songs we've never heard from Jimi, alternate recordings of staples, incendiary live recordings and tracks from Jimi's early years as a sideman – plus the full length Jimi Hendrix: Voodoo Child documentary on DVD! It's an amazing set tracing Jimi's roots as a session player for soul stars, through his iconic days as a rock guitar deity. Disc 1 of the 4CD set is the only one that features a wealth of tracks that have been previously released – the remaining discs are heavily weighted with unreleased tracks and alternate versions – tracks from the mid 60s featuring Jimi on sessions for the Isley Brothers, Don Covay, Frank Howard & The Commanders, Little Richard and others. Titles include "Testify" and more with the Isley Brothers, "Mercy, Mercy" and "Can't Stay Away" with Don Covay, "I Don't Know What You Got But It's Got Me" with Little Richard, "Instant Groove" with King Curtis, "My Diary" and "Utee" with Rosa Lee Brooks and more. Discs 2 to 4 features the soul shredding Jimi we know and love – unheard alternate recordings of the classics and much much more, plus rare live recordings and covers. Includes versions of "Fire", "Are You Experienced?", "Can You See Me?", and amazing version of Dylan's "Tears Of Rage", plus "Message To Love", "In From The Storm", "Bolero", "All God's Children", "Everlasting First", "Freedom", "Peter Gunn/Catastrophe", "Suddenly November Morning", live versions of "Stone Free", "Wind Cries Mary", "Star Spangled Banner" and much much more. 59 tracks on 4CDs, with a thick book of notes & photos, and the 90 minute DVD featuring the documentary by Bob Smeaton. CD

A group who take their name from the Hudson River Valley – beautifully pictured here on the front cover – and a quartet who work in an equally expansive array of sounds – all sharp elements of tone and timing from a lineup that features Jack DeJohnette on drums, John Scofield on guitar, Larry Grenadier on bass, and John Medeski on piano, Fender Rhodes, and Hammond! The Hudson influence doesn't just stop at the name, though – because all these upstate New York musicians often pay tribute to other artists who left the city for points north – Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, Joni Mitchell, and The Band – each of whom gets a tribute track on the album. About half the set is originals by members of the group – and if we had to pick one instrument that seems to have the strongest voice in the group, it might be the guitar of Scofield – maybe in part because he can skirt the two different worlds so well. Titles include "Tony Then Jack", "Dirty Ground", "El Swing", "Hudson", "Lay Lady Lay", "Woodstock", "Wait Until Tomorrow", and "A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall". CD

Bettye Lavette on Verve Records – a move that also signals a shift in her music too – in a way that we can really approve! Bettye's getting some richer care in the backings – more of a classic soul approach, in terms of warmth – never trying too hard to cast the singer in modes that might be a bit forced, and instead almost echoing a Muscle Shoals sort of vibe at times – which leaves Lavette to provide more than plenty of edge to the music with her vocals! All of the tunes here are Bob Dylan covers, but are wonderfully transformed – and even the presence of guest stars like Keith Richards or Trombone Shorty can't get in the way of the lady and her message. Titles include "Emotionally Yours", "Going Going Gone", "Seeing The Real You At Last", "Don't Fall Apart On Me Tonight", "Things Have Changed", and "Ain't Talkin". CD

This issue looks at the surprisingly strong pairing of Robert Plant and Alison Krauss – back on record with a new album – and also has a close up look at Aretha Franklin, a feature on Bob Dylan in the 80s, and more on the legendary Faust, Jack White, Lindsey Buckingham, Low, and The War On Drugs! There's also the story behind the 1988 Reading Festival – billed on the cover as the worst rock festival ever – plus lots more great bits, and pages and pages of the sorts of music reviews that make Mojo essential reading, month after month. Plus, you also get a bonus CD – 15 songs chosen by Plant and Krauss! Magazine

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". LP, Vinyl record album

The biggest record that Al Stewart ever cut – as you no doubt know from the oft-played title track – but a set that also stands as a great testament to all the many years he'd been crafting fine music before fully getting the recognition he deserved! Stewart's got a way with words that's like few of his contemporaries – maybe a bit like Donovan, with whom he shares a similar vocal approach – and also a clear early love of Bob Dylan, yet an immediate evolution past that influence – so that the whole thing is very much in a world of Al's own, with some slight 70s mainstream production, but not enough to soften the music into more mainstream AOR – despite the fame of the hit. Titles include, of course, "Year Of The Cat", plus "One Stage Before", "Flying Sorcery", "Broadway Hotel", "Lord Grenville", "If It Doesn't Come Naturally Leave It", and "Midas Shadow". CD features the bonus track "Belsize Blues" – and a full bonus live concert, recorded in Seattle in 1976, issued here for the first time ever. CD

Music from Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, the Byrds, Jim and Jesse, Poco, Ricky Skaggs, Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Asleep At The Wheel, Marty Robbins, Moe Bandy, and more. CD

British folk music got really weird and wonderful at the end of the 60s – light years from the crew cut versions of The Kingston Trio, or the twangy modes of Bob Dylan wannabees – but also very different from the more rockish directions that American folk acts were taking at the time! If anything, the British artists showed an even deeper commitment to acoustic modes – and far more ancient ones than American groups had access too – a thousand year legacy of British Isles music, but reworked into an often-trippy style would find more famous iterations in groups from Fairport Convention through Current 93, and even in the Wicker Man soundtrack as well! Most of the music here is much more obscure than those references – groups that were big in the UK, but maybe didn't have as much of an impact over here during the period – which makes this 63 track box set a real treasure trove of discovery – filled with many tunes we'd never heard before, and put together in a very special way. Titles include "Black Girl" by Mary Anne, "Till The Morning Comes" by Dando Shaft, "Roses For Columbus" by Mark Frhy, "Love Is A Funny Thing" by Spyrogyra, "Come All You Travellers" by Wight, "Willow's Song" by Nagnet, "Cruious Crystals Of Unusual Purity" by Bridget St John, "Prisoners Victims Strangers Friends" by Paper Bubble, "Gabilan" by Duncan Browne, "Meeting By The Moonlight Mill" by Dry Heart, "Silence Returns" by Beau, "Me & My Kite" by Fuschia, "The Colour Is Blue" by Country Sun, "Welcome To The Citadel" by Marc Brierley, "Garden Song (demo)" by Bill Fay, and "Upon Reflection" by Heron. CD

Music from Oscar Isaac, Stark Sands with Punch Brothers, Oscar Isaac & Marcus Mumford, Justin Timberlake with Carey Mulligan & Stark Sands, the Down Hill Strugglers with John Cohen, Oscar Isaac with Punch Brothers, Nancy Blake, Bob Dylan, and more. CD

A wonderful little set from Blonde On Blonde – a group who may have taken their name from a tune by Bob Dylan, but who have a sound that's completely different than that reference might make you expect! There's a quality here that place the group at so many junctures of UK music at the end of the 60s – a bit of late psych, early hard rock and prog, and still traces of a tunefulness that would have come out differently a few years before! The guitar work is fantastic, and the record balances some full-on moments with some other interesting twists and turns – one of which is this really cool take on "Eleanor Rigby", handled with flute and horns and modes that make their take so different than any other version we've heard! But the best work is the original material, and the album's full of that – titles that include "Mother Earth", "Regency", "Island On An Island", "Don't Be Too Long", "Jeanette Isabella", and "Conversationally Making The Grade". LP, Vinyl record album

An overlooked gem from the Three Blind Mice catalog of the 70s – a date that's led by pianist Kunio Ohta, but which features some excellent reed work from Masamiki Takano too! The record's got that open, creative spirit that we love from the label's best work in the decade – almost as if the group is trying to make sure they're never pegged down to one style at all, as they open up in new directions on every track on the set! The title tune is a beautiful 16 minute take on Bob Dylan's "My Back Pages" – and also features trumpet from Katsuhiko Matsuura, too – who plays on the titles "Mar Y Sol" and "My Ship" as well. The album also features a great take on "St Thomas", which is an excellent workout for Takano's tenor. CD

The biggest record that Al Stewart ever cut – as you no doubt know from the oft-played title track – but a set that also stands as a great testament to all the many years he'd been crafting fine music before fully getting the recognition he deserved! Stewart's got a way with words that's like few of his contemporaries – maybe a bit like Donovan, with whom he shares a similar vocal approach – and also a clear early love of Bob Dylan, yet an immediate evolution past that influence – so that the whole thing is very much in a world of Al's own, with some slight 70s mainstream production, but not enough to soften the music into more mainstream AOR – despite the fame of the hit. Titles include, of course, "Year Of The Cat", plus "One Stage Before", "Flying Sorcery", "Broadway Hotel", "Lord Grenville", "If It Doesn't Come Naturally Leave It", and "Midas Shadow". LP, Vinyl record album

A rare nugget from the Voices Of East Harlem – an obscure second album of material for Elektra Records, issued after their debut on the label – but only as an overseas release! The album follows strongly in the righteous blend of gospel and soul on Right On Be Free – and the set seems to feature material that may well have been recorded at those sessions, plus some other unreleased tracks too – all pulled together in a style that could have made these guys as big as The Staple Singers on Stax! There's actually a deeper vibe here – and a sound that's even deeper than on their two later albums for the Just Sunshine label – as the group take on work by some rock acts, like Bob Dylan or Creedence Clearwater Revival – and mix the music with their own soulful music to create something really amazing. Titles include "Nation Time", "Oxford Town", "Sit Yourself Down", "No No No", "Hey Brother", "I Want To Be Free", "Proud Mary", "Freedom", and "Kind Woman". CD

Music from the Byrds, Big Brother & the Holding Company, Santana, Blood Sweat & Tears, Bob Dylan, Paul Revere & the Raiders, the Electric Flag, the Rip Chords, Al Kooper & Mike Bloomfield, the Buckinghams, Billy Joe Royal, and the Chambers Brothers. CD

An Atlantic Records gem from the great Doug Sahm – with guest work from Bob Dylan, Dr John, Arif Mardin, Mel Martin, David Bromberg, and even Flaco Jimenez! LP, Vinyl record album

A landmark album from one of the greatest European pianists ever! Stan Tracey first made his mark in the Brit bop scene of the late 50s – breaking out with a fresh style that was infused with modern touches of Monk and Tristano – certainly some of the most striking on his side of the Atlantic at the time. By the time of this 1965 album, he'd honed his sound brilliantly – and is working here in quartet formation on a set of original tunes based around Dylan Thomas' Under Milk Wood. Don't be put off by the source of the album's inspiration, though – as there's no "jazz meets poetry" here, just straight jazz in a fresh modern vein – played by a group that features wonderfully edgey tenor by Bobby Wellins, arcing perfectly with Tracey's angular lines on piano! Drums are by Jackie Dougan, bass is by Jeff Clyne, and the album's one of the key British jazz treasures of the 60s! Titles include "AM Mayhem", "Starless & Bible Black", "Cockle Row", "No Good Boyo", "Penpals", and "Llareggub". CD

Four albums that show the continuing evolution of Earl Scruggs in the 70s – with a sound that's very different than his earlier music, and maybe even sharper instrumentation overall! First up is I Saw The Light – a record made after the famous banjo pioneer split with Lester Flatt, and was very popular with a young rock crowd – as evidenced by help he gets here from Linda Ronstadt and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band – not to mention Gary and Randy Scruggs, Vassar Clements, and Norman Blake! The mix of famous names and the growing Scruggs Review sound is great – and the record is an unlikely but important entry in the rise of country rock during the early 70s, with a very different quality than some of Earl's earlier work. We might well thank the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band – as the vibe is similar at times to their shifting music of the period – mixed with some Mike Nesmith inspiration, as a few of his tunes are included. Titles include "Lonesome & A Long Way From Home", "Silver Wings", "Never Ending Song Of Love", "Rock Sant & Nails", "Some Of Shelly's Blues", "It's A Picture From Life's Other Side", and "Propinquity". Features bonus tracks "The Cure", "I Saw The Light", "Fireball Mail", and "Tramp On The Street". On Live From Austin City Limits, the great Earl Scruggs takes on the growing Austin scene – which turns out to be a perfect fit for his Revue's blend of new country modes and older styles of instrumentation! Earl leads off the set with stunning work on banjo – maybe even sharper than earlier years – and the group lead off with some Dylan material at the start, showcasing some of their rock leanings – but soon bringing on other songs of their own, and making for this beautiful mix of key instrumental moments and lyrical passages. Lead vocals are from Gary Scruggs, and Randy and Steve Scruggs are in the group too – on titles that include "Nashville Skyline Rag", "I Shall Be Released", "Tall Texas Woman", "I Just Can't Seem To Change", "Black Mountain Blues", "Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven", and "The Swimming Song". Strike Anywhere is a mighty nice album from the great Earl Scruggs – recorded with his boys' Revue group, and a sound that really helps keep Earl's instrumentation fresh for the 70s! Years back, we never would have thought that mixing the legendary Scruggs banjo sound with keyboards would have worked – but the change here is a great one, as Earl makes the shift that a few of his traditional instrumental contemporaries were doing at the time – such as Vassar Clements or Bashful Brother Oswald – finding a new setting for the instruments that still shine out in the lead at all the best moments. Titles include a great remake of "Mandolin Wind" – plus "Muhammad Ali", "Bring It On Home To Me", "You Really Got A Hold On Me", "I Think Of You", and "Dreaming As One". On Bold & New, the great Chips Moman produced and recorded the record – a set that shows that move that Earl had made into country rock during the decade, delivered in the best possible hands! Vocals are from some of Earl's sons, and the man himself still gets gets in plenty of banjo solos too – as the group mix their own material with a few from Bobby Emmons, who plays organ, electric piano, and clavinet on the set. Titles include "The Cabin", "Our Love Is Home Grown", "That's Alright Mama", "Found Myself A New Love", "Games People Play", "Take The Time To Fall In Love", and "Louisiana Lady". CD