Released in 1965, "Bringing It All Back Home" is a hybrid of two sides of Bob Dylan, the acoustic and the electric. Flipping through the liner notes, we see one photo with Bob playing his acoustic guitar and harmonica, another photo with him playing harmonica with a Fender Strat hanging from his shoulder. Side one of the original LP starts off with the electric, namely "Subterranean Homesick Blues" a very anti-establishment song, which became Dylan's first single to chart in the US, peaking at #39. I recall the video, with Dylan holding a stack of que cards, following along with the lyrics of the song. "She Belongs to Me" is a slightly weaker track, followed by "Maggie's Farm", which according to Wikipedia was "Dylan's declaration of independence from the protest folk movement". "Love Minus Zero/No Limit" is a love song of sorts. "Outlaw Blues" is good, it's a song where Dylan expresses some of his dislike of folk music stardom. Later on, we come to "Bob Dylan's 115th Dream", which starts off acoustic, then Dylan breaks down in laughter, we hear I presume the producer Tom Wilson, then the song starts up again in electric. It's a surreal tune to put it short. "Mr. Tamborine Man" is my favorite track, and awesome as it was originally written by Dylan. "Gates of Eden" continues where Tambourine Man leaves off, painting a picture of the changes in the 60's. "It's Alright Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)" contains many of Dylans best and most memorable lyrics, for instance "He not busy being born is busy dying". The album winds up nicely with "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue".

Many have called this Dylan's finest album. It's hard to argue, but I add that there are so many that deserve that ranking. Buy this album knowing your are listening to the birth of folk rock.

Long having denied the implication that he created the folk-rock genre, rather giving the credit to Gene Clark of The Byrds, this release by the Bard from Hibbing would undoubtedly serve as the cornerstone of folk-rock through the ages! "Bringing It All Back Home" continues Dylan's introspection from "Another Side Of Bob Dylan" while adding electric instruments to the mix (a fact that, for some reason, would be acceptable to fans on record but not live at Newport). Here, Dylan can be at his most romantic one minute, with the Baez-inspired "Love Minus Zero / No Limit" or "She Belongs To Me," and simultaneously prophetic and surreal the next!

Introducing classics like "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue" and "Maggie's Farm" alongside concert stalwarts "Gates Of Eden" and "It's Alright Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)," this release would be the first of a trilogy ended all too soon by Dylan's supposed "motorpsycho nitemare." The other two albums in this trilogy are, of course, "Highway 61 Revisited" and the double-disc "Blonde On Blonde."

Many will say that this is Dylan at his finest, placing the artist into an uncomfortable categorization or time capsule, but he would continue to produce highly creative and innovative work both with The Band and The Traveling Wilburys, as well as via his solo career throughout the 1970's and 80's. "Bringing It All Back Home" merely brings folk-rock to the forefront, introduces his audience to "Another Side Of Bob Dylan," and provides some excellent entertainment for the unsuspecting yet open-minded listener.

Even the extra clever and superlative insightfulness that all the reviewers write here cannot capture this thing that must be heard. Not listening to it is missing a key part of the puzzle.

Bringing it All Back Home is, in my humble opinion, the best record ever recorded. On it there is Bob Dylan at his acoustic best with songs such as "Gates of Eden" and "It's Alright Ma (I'm Only Bleeding). Also on this album is Dylan as he was first heard playing electric with the outstanding "On the Road Again" and "Bob Dylan's 115th Dream." And if you can get though "115th Dream" without realizing Bob Dylan is just about the greatest American poet who ever lived, well you should go back to school and study literature. This album also includes three of my favorite Dylan songs, almost acoustic, just a little electric with that beautiful guitar playing along with his young voice, and they are "She Belongs to Me," "Love Minus Zero/No Limit" and "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue." And of course you gotta listen to that song that includes the no good, rotten, doctor commie rat,"Maggie's Farm." This is the Dylan record everybody should own. It's just fantastic.

While I flip-flop on the issue, today I consider this Dylan's finest album. When I first heard it back in the 70's, I considered the electric side dated and amateurish. Any pre-Hendrix guitar work was always going to sound behind the times, and it was just too - well, lo-fi! But the circle has turned, and lo-fi is in again, and this album miraculously sounds better than ever. The acoustic side, though, is the true miracle, with two of Bob's best-ever songs, "Mr. Tambourine Man" and "It's Alright Ma." If you've only heard the Byrds' version of Tambourine Man, you haven't heard the song. Nobody but Dylan can write songs that can be tough and tender at the same time, and he never did it better than right here.