The Times They Are a-Changin' (album)
| The Times They Are a-Changin' | ||||
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| Studio album by Bob Dylan | ||||
| Released | January 13, 1964 | |||
| Recorded | August 6 – October 31, 1963 at Columbia Records, New York City | |||
| Genre | Folk | |||
| Length | 45:36 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Producer | Tom Wilson | |||
| Bob Dylan chronology | ||||
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| Singles from The Times They Are a-Changin' | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
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| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   |
| Entertainment Weekly | B |
| MusicHound |  |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | |
The Times They Are a-Changin' is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released on January 13, 1964 by Columbia Records.
Produced by Tom Wilson, it is the singer-songwriter's first collection to feature only original compositions. The album consists mostly of stark, sparsely arranged ballads concerning issues such as racism, poverty, and social change. The title track is one of Dylan's most famous; many feel that it captures the spirit of social and political upheaval that characterized the 1960s.
Some critics and fans were not quite as taken with the album as a whole, relative to his previous work, for its lack of humor or musical diversity. Still, The Times They Are a-Changin' peaked at #20 on the US chart, eventually going gold, and belatedly reaching #4 in the UK in 1965.
Dylan began work on his third album on August 6, 1963, at Columbia's Studio A in New York City. Once again, Tom Wilson was the producer for the entire album. Dylan had, by the time of recording, become a popular, influential cultural figure.
Eight songs were recorded during that first session, but only one recording of "North Country Blues" was ultimately deemed usable and set aside as the master take. A master take of "Seven Curses" was also recorded, but it was left out of the final album sequence.
Another session at Studio A was held the following day, this time yielding master takes for four songs: "Ballad of Hollis Brown", "With God on Our Side", "Only a Pawn in Their Game", and "Boots of Spanish Leather", all of which were later included on the final album sequence.
A third session was held in Studio A on August 12, but nothing from this session was deemed usable. However, three recordings taken from the third session eventually saw official release: "master" takes of "Paths of Victory", "Moonshine Blues" and "Only a Hobo" were all included on The Bootleg Series Volumes 1–3 (Rare & Unreleased) 1961–1991 released in 1991. In 2013, "Eternal Circle" and "Hero Blues" were included in the 1963 entry of The 50th Anniversary Collection 1963.
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