Bob Dylan is someone, about whom one cannot write anything more, can one? So much has already been written. But then, he is also someone you can keep on writing about? The man has so many layers, phases and lives.

The same is true with his body of work. I am not using the word music or poetry deliberately. The man is a sum of many things - singer, songwriter, painter, author and music producer. The only way to describe his outputis to call it ‘body of work’. And in this edition of vinyl review, I am picking up an interesting double LP (from his ‘body of work’), that arrived at my doorstep the other day.

Every now and then, a compilation album of the man appears and takes the world by a storm. Whether it is the iconic ‘Basement Tapes’ or the series of ‘Greatest Hits’ or the cultish ‘The Bootleg Series’. But this 2016 double LP – ‘Pure Dylan’ is a compilation with some charming twists.

Firstly, it does not have the standard hits. What you get here are rare fan favourites. Secondly, it encompasses songs spanning four decades of his career, set in a non-chronological manner. It has Girl from the North Country from the second studio album, ‘The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan’ (1963) and it also has This Dream of You from the album ‘Together through Life’ (2009), to put things in perspective. The other interesting aspect of this compilation is the fact that most of these songs don’t appear in any of Greatest Hits compilations. So what you get is an eclectic mix of songs that gives you a more intimate and holistic picture of his music.

After divulging 2 tracks, I do not think I should go any further. Pick up this double LP to discover the rare and pure gems inside the appropriately named, ‘Pure Dylan’. Whether you want to enter the world of Dylan or you have been living there for years, this compilation would be a lovely listen.

Also, do wish him a little ‘happy birthday’ on the 24^th May. The man will be 80 this year. May he stay, ‘forever young’.

Year: 2016 Label: Columbia / Sony Music

Rating: 4.5

Reviewedby Meraj Hasan

Meraj Hasan is a Mumbai based communication professional (and an amateur poet/musician) with a passion for listening to music the vinyl way. His 32-year-old Technics turntable along with a humble collection of LPs across genres like Classic rock, Classical, Blues and Jazz (amongst others) are his prized possessions. He's also the author of the book 'Khyaalon ki Tapri', a collection of poems. This bestseller book is available on Amazon.