The Never Ending Pool

Recently i was asked by a friend to make some sort of "Best of" cd of bob dylan's music.
It would be easy to just go to the shop and buy The Essential or the whole series of Best Of CD's but i just don't think they quite cover "the best off". The only compilation IMO that comes close is Biograph but this on is almost 20 years old so it doesn't cover the last two decades.
So i sat down and tried to compile my own best off CD's. The idea was to make a chronological compilation of about 5 discs. I grouped the songs in several era's, which i gave titles with the help clinton heylins biography. This is what i have come up with:
(btw, one era doesn't necessarily fit one disc. Some discs contain two eras)

#1 Songs Of Innocence
1. Song To Woody
2. I Was Young When I Left Home
3. House Of The Risin Sun
4. Man Of Constant Sorrow
5. Baby Let Me Follow You Down
6. Bob Dylan's Dream
7. Tomorrow Is A Long Time
8. Man On The Street
9. Let Me Die In My Footsteps
10. Talkin Hava Negeila Blues
11. Seven Curses
12. Mama You been on my mind
13. Girl from the north country
14. Don't Think Twice

#2 While The Establishment Burns
Blowin In The Wind
Masters Of War
A Hard Rain's A Gonna Fall
The Times They Are A Changin
The Lonesome Death Of Hattie Carroll
Percy's Song
John Birch Paranoid Blues
When The Ship Comes In

#3 On The Heels of Rimbaud
To Ramona
My Back Pages
It Ain't Me Babe
It's Alright Ma
Just Like A Woman
Chimes Of Freedom
Love Minus Zero
Lay Down Your Weary Tune
She Belongs To Me (live 66)
It's All Over Now (live 66)
Desolation Row (live 66)
Visions Of Johanna (live 66)
Mr Tambourine Man
Farewell Angelina

#4 The Ghost Of Electricity
Positively Fourth Street
Subterranean HomeSick Blues
Highwahy 61
Rainy Day Woman
I Want You
Stuck Inside Of Mobile
The Whole of The Electric set of live 66

#5 Evening Things Up
I Shall Be Released
Millian Dollar Bash
Quinn The Eskimo
All Along The Watchtower
Frankie Lee and Judas Priest
I'll Be You Baby Tonight
I Threw It all away
Lay Lady lay
Tonight I'll Be Staying Her With You
If Not For You
New Morning
The Man In me
Knockin' On Heavens Door
You Angel You
Nobocy Cept You

#6 Before And After The Flood
You're A Big Girl Now
Lily, Rosemary and the jack of hearts
If you see her, say hello
shelter from the storm
Tanled Up In Blue
Idiot Wind
Romance In Durango
Simple Twist Of Fate
Oh Sister
Hurricane
One Mor Cup Of Coffe
Sara
-
Chaning Of The Guards
Senor
Where Are You Tonight?

#7 On The Holy Slow Train
Gotta Serve Somebody
precious angel
Slow Train
Heart Of Mine
In The SummerTime
Every Grain Of Sand
Carribean Wind
Lenny Bruce
(Solid Rock)

#8 Songs Of Expercience
Sweetheart Like You
I and I
Foot Of Pride
Jokerman
Blind Willy McTell
Death is not the end

#9 Raised From The Dead
Man In The Long Black Coat
Most Of The Time
What Good am I
God Knows
Shooting Star
Born In Time
Series Of Dreams
Jack A Roe

#10 In This World And A World We Can't See
LoveSick
Tryin To get To Heaven
Not Dark Yet
Make You Feel My Love
Mississippi
High Water
Hones With Me
Things Have Changed
Spirit On The Water
When The Deal Goes Down
Workingmans Blues
Nettie Moore

So what do you think. Could this be enough to explain his career to one who doesn't know it? And doesn't it contain to much noise (i mean songs that could be dropped)?

Let me know what you thing!

cheers
thomas

Very good picks!
I guess I would have picked exactly the same songs which you did off of the TOOM - MT era.

A friend of mine plead me to do the same, so now I have some inspiration.

They are very good picks Thomas!

Maybe in category 8...

Under Your Spell !

But nice job...

I think you did a great job from the standpoint of a Dylan fan. But I would suggest this set will overwhelm anyone who isn't already a fan. I'd hack it down to a single disc of songs that are easily accessible from all eras, even if the transitions dont' make sense, just hoping a little of it sticks. Or else start with a single album, like H61 or BOTT, and then try something more conclusive afterward.

That disc 10 makes me drool. Excellent!

not bad, but death is not the end ? never.Maybe a live version of wheels on fire and grooms still waiting at the alter.But i think you've covered it.By the way did you ever do a cd for your friend?

Ten discs of introductory Dylan and no "Like a Rolling Stone"?

I'd direct your friend to "Greatest Hits, Volume 1" instead. Nice effort though.