Search - Bob Dylan :: Biograph

A Bob Dylan box set? Spanning just three discs?

Docendo Discimus | Vita scholae | 12/05/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"How to make a Bob Dylan box set...well, you could put out one with about a dozen CDs and still be blamed that somebody's favorite song was missing.

But the compilers at Columbia have doen a good job solving this rather impossible task. 1985's "Biograph" wasn't the first ever career-spanning rock box set (the late, great Buddy Holly was honored with that in 1979), but it was the most important by far, establishing the format and sparking new interest in Bob Dylan whose career was in decline at the time.



Unlike many box sets, this one actually offers something to both the casual and the dedicated fan. Most of Dylan's best-known songs are here, as well as a generous helping of unreleased songs, B-sides, alternates and demos. And almost everything gels, actually, making "Biograph" an excellent, if not definitive, summary of Bob Dylan's career from 1961-1985.

Many great songs are missing, of course, but with an artist as prolific as Bob Dylan that can't be helped. And the songs that are here are excellent (with the exception of a handful that are merely good).



This is an immensely varied compilation, very well annotated and boasting magnificent state-of-the-art fidelity. The track list includes early acoustic numbers, electric rock songs, blues-rock, folk-rock, country-rock, and lovely ballads. And the rarities and previously unreleased songs aren't rejects or filler, most of them are in fact excellent, from the acoustic "Up To Me" and the surreal "Quinn The Eskimo" to the quirky, upbeat pop of "On A Night Like This" and "Heart Of Mine", and the gorgeous ballads "Lay Down Your Weary Tune" and "I'll Keep It With Mine".

Casual Dylan fans may well find that there are too many unfamiliar songs here, and they should probably start somewhere else...Dylan's original "Greatest Hits" album and the two-disc "More Greatest Hits" (AKA "Greatest Hits vol. 2") still provide the best introduction to Bob Dylan in his prime, much better than the more recent "Essential Bob Dylan". Or start by picking up Dylan's three best band-backed records, "Bringing It All Back Home", "Highway 61 Revisited", and "Blood On The Tracks".



There is no such thing as a definitive Bob Dylan-compilation, and three CDs wouldn't contain it if there was. And besides, the wonderful 70s albums "Blood On The Tracks" and "Desire" in particular are being short-changed, which is a shame.

But "Biograph" is still 3½ hours of some of Dylan's greatest songs, and the rarities and unreleased tracks makes it a must-have purchase even for the dedicated fan who already has all the hits.

4 3/4 stars."

RARE JEWELS

C K | N Indiana | 12/29/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"There are some rare jewels in this set that you will not find anywhere else. Trust me! --I own copies of virtually EVERY studio recording Bob Dylan has ever made, along with live albums and "bootleg series" recordings. If you are a Dylan fan, this is a MUST HAVE and if you aren't yet a fan, buy it anyway. You WILL be a lifelong fan after you listen to it! Included in this set is 'Lay Down Your Weary Tune'. It is truly one of the most beautiful, heart-wrenching songs you will ever hear. It has become one of my favorites--and I say that only because Bob Dylan has written far too many great songs to be able to limit myself to just ONE favorite! I highly recommend purchasing this set. You will definitely NOT be disappointed!!!"