The Times They Are a-Changin' review

Bob Dylan's third album. His first to contain entirely original work, this will no doubt mean another round of Dylan giving society the finger in the most wonderful way imaginable.

Tracks:

1. The Times They Are a-Changin': 8/10 it's less poetic than many of Dylan's songs, but this song has clever lines and an enjoyable instrumental to spare, and sends the message it set out to convey successfully.

2. Ballad of Hollis Brown: 9/10 who knew a stark, acoustic guitar ballad could be so intense? Certainly not a feel-good song, but it's Dylan at his most brutally effective.

3. With God on Our Side: 9/10 this brilliantly structured song may be 7 minutes long, but only gets better as it progresses.

4. One Too Many Mornings: 6/10 quietly powerful, but a bit too quiet and short to be anything more than a brief diversion.

5. North Country Blues: 7/10 this undeniably skilled song doesn't quite manage to walk the tightrope between 'Powerful' and 'Utterly, soul crushingly depressing'.

6. Only a Pawn in Their Game: 8/10 while occasionally confusing, this examines 2 sides of an argument in a brilliantly balanced and powerful way.

7. Boots of Spanish Leather: 7/10 a fairly straightforward but nice romantic tune.

8. When the Ship Comes in: 8/10 while it often feels like Bob Dylan's entry into a competition for 'How many storm metaphors can you cram into one song?', I like it and it's a fine poetic piece.

9. The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll: 8/10 it's still Joy Division levels of depressing, but this time it works well and tells a real-life story in a truly thought-provoking way.

10. Restless Farewell: 6/10 I don't really get this one. It just sort of drifts aimlessly through an overlong runtime but it's not too bad.

Best song: With God on Our Side
Worst song: One Too Many Mornings

Summary: This isn't Bob Dylan at his absolute best. Some of the songs, especially tracks 2 and 3, are excellent and it's another showcase of his writing talent. The truth is, this isn't as enjoyable as some of Dylan's other albums. It's too depressing for its own good and at times gets completely soul crushing. It's well written and the instrumentals are enjoyable. While the songs aren't as poetic and inventive as some of Dylan's other stuff, they're always interesting. In fact, this is a very good album technically, but it's not Dylan's most enjoyable.



Final rating: 8/10