Description:The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released in May 1963 by Columbia Records. Whereas his debut album Bob Dylan had contained only two original songs, Freewheelin' initiated the process of writing contemporary words to traditional melodies. Eleven of the thirteen songs on theThe Freewheelin' Bob Dylan is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released in May 1963 by Columbia Records. Whereas his debut album Bob Dylan had contained only two original songs, Freewheelin' initiated the process of writing contemporary words to traditional melodies. Eleven of the thirteen songs on the album are original compositions by Dylan. The album kicks off with "Blowin' in the Wind", which would become one of the anthems of the 1960s, and an international hit for folk trio Peter, Paul & Mary soon after the release of Freewheelin'. The album featured several other songs which came to be regarded as amongst Dylan's best compositions and classics of the 1960s folk scene: "Girl from the North Country", "Masters of War", "A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall" and "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right".
Dylan's lyrics embraced stories ripped from the headlines about civil rights and he articulated anxieties about the fear of nuclear warfare. Balancing this political material were love songs, sometimes bitter and accusatory, and material that features surreal humor. Freewheelin' showcased Dylan's songwriting talent for the first time, propelling him to national and international fame. The success of the album and Dylan's subsequent recognition led to his being named as "Spokesman of a Generation", a label Dylan came to resent.
The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan reached number 22 in the US (eventually going platinum), and later became a number one hit in the UK in 1964. In 2003, the album was ranked number 97 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. In 2002, Freewheelin' was one of 50 recordings chosen by the Library of Congress to be added to the National Recording Registry.... (more)(less)
Manufacturer : Columbia Release date : 27 May 1963 EAN: 5099751234821
"27th April
I was never much of a Bob Dylan listener. I knew of some of his iconic songs, it's petty hard to get this far in life without having heard at least one thing by him. However, one day I decided I would listen to an album of his and when I went to my music store, I bought this on CD. His previous album only two original compositions and I've already heard one of them, so I decided to move onto this one as a starting point. Well, it's fair to say that I've been won over. I am now a fan "
TGWTG fan added this to a list 2 weeks, 3 days ago
"Week 6:31.01.11 - 06.01.11
The live version of this track will have to do, it's impossible to find album quality Dylan on youtube. I have pretty much been listening to this song purely on the strength of the lyrics alone. It's not my favourite Bob Dylan song by any means, but the lyrics and the message! Written at a time when he thought it was a matter of days until he was obliterated by nuclear fire, it's kind of a good bye song to the world. Profound on every level."
blue_skies added this to a list 2 years, 5 months ago
""Dylan's second LP was released on May 27th, 1963 — three days after his twenty-second birthday. It was a tender age for such a historic triumph. On Freewheelin', the poetry and articulate fury of Dylan's lyrics and his simple, compelling melodies transformed American popular songwriting. He later made light of the protest anthem "Blowing in the Wind" ("I wrote that in ten minutes," he said in '66). But Dylan's wholly original grip on grit, truth and beauty in "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall" and "
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