Starting off with the evergreen classic, "Blowin' In The Wind", Bob Dylans second-ever studio album is off to a great start.

The overall composition is rather simple - just Dylan, his guitar and his harmonica, the sound quality is okay for the time, and Bob Dylans vocals are raw, although it should be a well-known fact that not all agree on how beautiful Dylans' voice is. What really makes Bob Dylan special is his song-writing ability.

An interesting thing to note on this, is Bob Dylans idea that the songs were not his own. "The songs are there. They exist all by themselves just waiting for someone to write them down. I just put them down on paper. If I didn't do it, somebody else would." he said to Sing Out! magazine.

But what's most noteworthy about Dylans songwriting is how outspoken his lyrics are - ranging from agressive to desperate, he does not hide behind sugar-covered metaphors as he speaks directly to the people he feels like holding responsible for the terrible war in his song Masters of War, just to name an example. Neither is he afraid of taking a stance or asking (rhetoric) questions about money and religion.

If you are looking for easy-listening, beautiful tones, you might be dissapointed - but if you are looking for a powerful man, speaking directly to the people of his times, attacking the government - if you are looking for a young man to tell you what it feels like to "miss your baby" when she is in a "foreign land", then this is the album you're looking for - and as much as it is focused on the period that it was written in, it has definitely passed the test of time. Whether that is because of its historical value or simply because of the genius mind behind the age-old songs, I can't tell you.

Overall rating: 7/10 Test of Time Rating: 8/10