The Essential Bob Dylan [Vinyl]

Most of the high points in the Minnesotan troubadour's catalog are touched on, and the chronological sequencing provides a kind of tour through Dylan's various phases.
We're taken through the pioneering protest-folk period ("Blowin' in the Wind," "The Times They are A-Changin'"), the Rimbaud-inspired songpoet mode ("It's All Over Now, Baby Blue," "Mr. Tambourine Man"), the amphetamine-fueled rocker phase ("Like A Rolling Stone"), and all the rest of Dylan's many twists and turns. From the poignant introspection of "Shelter From the Storm" to the born-again R&B of "You Gotta Serve Somebody" and the searing narrative of "Hurricane," we get the broad view of an awe-inspiring body of work. Diehards will doubtlessly complain about various disincluded tracks, but on the evidence presented, it's easy to see why the genius tag is so often applied to this artist.