The Essential Bob Dylan
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This page is part of a list of original releases by release date of international commercially-released regular stereo Dylan albums. They do not contain rarities or obscurities and are not eligible for the Searching For A Gem list. Nevertheless, their interest value or scarcity means they're worth listing here - as far as I know some are not included on any other Internet site. Promo releases of regular albums are now listed here and no longer in the former yearly Promo sections. This page is incomplete - more entries required. For releases of this album in Columbia multi-packs, see International Album Releases (Regular) - Multi-Packs. |
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If you have any entries to add to the list or additions/corrections to
existing entries, please let me know!
Please note I cannot value your Dylan rarities -
see the Mission page for reasons why. Contact the
dealers on my Trading page for assistance!
Revised 21 May, 2013.
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US release: Columbia C2K 85168, 2CD set, 31 Oct 2000 This was originally sold as a limited edition album available until the end of Jan 2001 only. Copies were still on sale in Apr 2004, but these may be unsold stock. This album has now been added to the albums page of bobdylan.com. For the 36-track European/Australian versions of this album, released in the UK, France and Australia as The Essential Bob Dylan and in Germany as The Ultimate Bob Dylan, see 2001. The 36 track European version of The Essential Bob Dylan was released in Nov 2003 as a 3CD set with a "Limited Tour Edition Bonus Disc" with a further rarity in Holland, see 2003. A different 36-track 2CD set with the same title was released in Europe in Oct 2010, see International Album Releases (Dylan-only Compilations) 2010s. |
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Vinyl Releases
None to my knowledge.
CD Releases
"The Essential Bob Dylan" - 2CD set, Columbia C2K 85168 (USA/Canada), 31
Oct 2000:
For the 36-track European/Australian versions of this album, released in the
UK, France and Australia as The Essential Bob Dylan and in Germany as The Ultimate
Bob Dylan, see 2001. The 36 track European version of
The Essential Bob Dylan was released in Nov 2003 as a 3CD set with a
"Limited Tour Edition Bonus Disc" with a further rarity in Holland, see
2003. The 30 track US release is now classed as a regular
album, see International Album Releases (Regular), even though it was originally
released as a "limited edition". Ian Woodward has a US promo copy,
still sealed, with a hole punched through the jewel case at front top left,
right through the barcode on the rear insert.
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This is a 2 CD set with 30 tracks, all digitally remastered. This was
originally a limited
edition album available until the end of Jan 2001 only. The US release was
available in both a "slimline" 2CD jewel case and a 12" x 6" long box. The front yellow jewel
case sticker says: "Special Limited Edition! 30 Digitally Remastered Classics on
2 CDs!". There is an 8-page booklet. R-0299 Things Have
Changed The Positively 4th Street on this collection is the 3:54 "regular" version from Biograph, as opposed to the 4:10 "alternate mix" which is now to be found on the remastered Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits (US release). Neither stereo version is now classified on this site as a rarity. |
 Columbia C2K 85168 (USA/Canada) - promo copy with hole punched through barcode, scan by Ian Woodward |
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 Columbia C2K 85168 (USA/Canada) - 2 CD long box back, scan by Peter Pearson |
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 Columbia C2K 85168 (USA/Canada) - CD reverse of rear insert (the Japanese release below is virtually identical) |
 Columbia CK 85169/C2K 85168 (USA/Canada) - CD1 |
 Columbia CK 85169/C2K 85168 (USA/Canada) - detail of CD1 (compare with 2009 Essential 3.0 CD1 below) |
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Track list (all tracks are standard stereo album versions except where indicated):
Disc 1: Blowin' In The Wind; Don't Think Twice, It's All Right; The Times They Are A-Changin'; It Ain't Me, Babe; Maggie's Farm; It's All Over Now, Baby Blue; Mr. Tambourine Man; Subterranean Homesick Blues; Like A Rolling Stone; Positively 4th Street (3:54 stereo version from Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits and Biograph); Just Like A Woman; Rainy Day Women #12 & 35; All Along The Watchtower; Quinn The Eskimo (The Mighty Quinn) ("Basement Tapes" version with The Band from Biograph); I'll Be Your Baby Tonight. [Thanks to David Goldsmith for correcting the origin of the Mighty Quinn version!]
Disc 2: Lay, Lady, Lay; If Not For You; I Shall be Released (1971 version with Happy Traum from Greatest Hits Vol. 2/More Greatest Hits); You Ain't Goin' Nowhere (1971 version with Happy Traum from Greatest Hits Vol. 2/More Greatest Hits); Knockin' On Heaven's Door; Forever Young (slow version from Planet Waves), Tangled Up In Blue; Shelter From The Storm; Hurricane; Gotta Serve Somebody; Jokerman; Silvio; Everything Is Broken; Not Dark Yet; Things Have Changed (R-0299 as above).
Thanks to Peter Pearson for information about the long box release of this set plus scans. This release has the same catalogue number C2K 85168 on the CDs, but the number of 3OC 85168 on the long box itself.
"The Ultimate Collection" - 2CD set, Columbia 5031339 (Germany), 21 May 2001:
 Columbia 5031339 (Germany) - front picture from amazon.de |
This is an expanded edition of the 2000 USA release The Essential Bob Dylan with the same cover and six extra tracks, one of which is a rarity. Full full details, see 2001. This expanded edition was also released as The Essential Bob Dylan in the UK, France and Australia, also see 2001. This 36 track European version of The Essential Bob Dylan was released in Nov 2003 as a 3CD set with a "Limited Tour Edition Bonus Disc" with a further rarity in Holland, see 2003. |
"The Essential Bob Dylan" - 2CD set, Sony Music TV STVCD 116 (UK); Columbia 5031332 (France), 21 May 2001; Columbia 50313320000 (Australia), Mar 2002; Columbia 5031332 (UK), Sep 2005; Sony Music 88697 63674 2 (UK), 28 Sep 2009:
 Sony Music TV STVCD 116 (UK, 2001) - front picture from amazon.co.uk |
This is yet another variant of the Essential/Ultimate compilation, tracklist exactly the same as the German version immediately above (36 tracks). For full details, see 2001. This album was re-released in the UK in Sep 2005 as Columbia 503133 2, the previous French catalogue number, and on 28 Sep 2009 in the UK as Sony Music 88697 63674 2 in a metal box. |
 Columbia 5031332000 (Australia, 2002) - front with sticker, scan by Stuart Moore |
 Sony Music 88697 63674 2 (UK, 2009) - picture from amazon.co.uk |
"The Essential Bob Dylan" - 2CD set, Sony Music House MHCP 30-31
(Japan), 21 May 2003:
The Japanese release is in a 2CD slimline CD jewel case only.
 Sony Music House MHCP 30-31 (Japan) - front with obi |
 Sony Music House MHCP 30-31 (Japan) - wrap-around obi with drawing by Jun Miura |
 Sony Music House MHCP 30-31 (Japan) - rear insert |
 Sony Music House MHCP 30-31 (Japan) - CD1 (blue-grey, with large "Bob Dylan") |
 Sony Music MHCP 166 (Japan, 2004) - front of Dylan soundtrack album (my copy) |
 Sony Music House MHCP 30-31 (Japan) - centre of booklet |
 Dylan Ga Rock - 1993 exclusive Japanese release also illustrated by Jun Miura, see 1993 and 2010 |
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 "Iden & Tity" issues 24-27, comic book by Jun Miura, picture found by Moise Potié (Bob on right) |
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R-0299 Things Have
Changed 
from the Wonder Boys soundtrack
album as well as European/Japanese compilations and singles (all listed above), lyrics on bobdylan.com
Now no longer a rarity since The Essential Bob Dylan is now on the bobdylan.com albums page.
This album was belatedly released in Japan on 21 May 2003 in an enhanced package, although not with the six extra tracks of the 2001 releases. It has a 40-page booklet with Japanese liner notes and lyrics in English and Japanese. There is also a unique wrap-around obi with artwork by popular Japanese cartoonist and Dylan fan Jun Miura. Jun Miura has also provided a centre picture for the booklet and drew the artwork for the very rare promo 2CD Japanese set Dylan Ga Rock, see 1993 and 2010. The Jun Miura picture used for the Japanese edition of The Essential Bob Dylan also appears in Jun Miura's series of comic books "Iden & Tity" and on the 2004 Japanese Dylan film soundtrack compilation Iden & Tity, (Sony Music MHCP 1166), see International Album Releases (Dylan-Only Compilations) 2000s.
"The Essential Bob Dylan" - 3CD set, Columbia 503133 0 (NL), 13 Nov 2003:
 Columbia 503133 0 (NL) - front of jewel case with sticker (my copy) |
This Dutch set is a "Limited Tour Edition". It contains the 2001
36-track expanded version and also has a 6-track Bonus Disc featuring
a further rarity. It has a 12-page booklet in English and a 20-page booklet
in Dutch. For full details, see 2003. |
 Columbia 503133 0 (NL) - Dutch language sticker |
"The Essential Bob Dylan'" - Blu-spec 2CD set release, Sony Music SICP 20193-4 (Japan), 22 Jul 2009:
 Sony Music SICP 20193-4 (Japan) - front of sealed copy, scan by Wil Gielen |
This release is on Blu-spec CDs, an audio-only disc which is presumably
intended to be Sony's new high quality audio format. The copy shown is still
sealed, with a blue and white obi with price ¥3,990 (¥3,800 before tax). The
release date is shown as "09-7-22" (22 Jul 2009), the original
release date as "00-10-31" (31 Oct 2000) and the withdrawal date as "10-1-21" (21
Jan
2010). These are not actually Blu-ray discs as it says on the sticker, but
they are made using Blu-ray
technology. Thanks to Wil Gielen for information and scans. |
 Sony Music SICP 20193-4 (Japan) - rear of sealed copy, scan by Wil Gielen |
"The Essential Bob Dylan 3.0" - 3CD set, Columbia 88697 54084 2 (USA), 18 Aug 2009:
 Columbia 88697 54084 2 (USA) - front of sealed pack with sticker (my copy) |
This Limited Edition 3CD set in "eco-friendly" packaging contains the 30-track 2000 US 2CD set release plus a bonus disc with six tracks: Thunder On The Mountain; Mississippi; Blind Willie McTell; Make You Feel My Love; Beyond Here Lies Nothin' and Dark Eyes. It comes in a four-panel card sleeve and has the same 8-page booklet as the 2000 US release. The first two discs are the same as the 2000 US set with the addition of the text "DIDP 101773" and "DIDP 101774" respectively below the Columbia and compact disc logos. |
 Columbia 88697 54084 2 (USA) - inside of booklet (outside is the same as 2000 Essential release above) |
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 Columbia CK 85170/C2K 85168 (USA) - CD2 |
 Columbia 88697 54084 2 (USA) - CD3 (bonus disc) |
Columbia 88697 54084 2 (USA) - outside of four-panel card sleeve
unfolded
Columbia 88697 54084 2 (USA) - inside of four-panel card sleeve
unfolded showing pockets for discs and booklet
"The Essential Bob Dylan 3.0" - 3CD set, Sony Music S 30578C (South Korea), 2009:
 Sony Music S 30578C (South Korea) - front with stickers, picture from eBay |
Thanks to Éamonn Ó Catháin for finding this on eBay. More information will be added when available. |
"The Essential Bob Dylan" - 3CD set, Sony Music/Starsing Records 49021 (China), Mar 2011:
 Sony Music/Starsing Records 49021 (China) - front of slipcase (my copy) |
This "2+1" set is from mainland China, and was
released to coincide with Bob's first live performance in China in Beijing
(Peking) on 6 Apr 2011. It is an
official release from Starsing
Records licensed from Sony Music and bearing the Sony Music logo. Also illustrated is the Chinese edition of "Rolling Stone" from Nov 2006 with Bob on the cover and an article by Jonathan Lethem inside. There is also a "Top Twenty" list of "Bob's Greatest Songs" with Like A Rolling Stone as #1. Thanks to Dag Braathen and Sonny Boy McFitzson for information and to Steve Barker from the BBC for the CD set and magazine. |
 "Rolling Stone" magazine, Chinese edition, Nov 2006 (front with Bob) |
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 Sony Music/Starsing Records 49021 (China) - front sticker |
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 "Rolling Stone" magazine, Chinese edition, Nov 2006 (inside page with Bob) |
Sony Music/Starsing Records 49021 (China) - spine of slipcase
"The Essential Bob Dylan" - 2CD set, Sony Music 88697 78417 2 (Europe), 1 Oct 2010:
 Sony Music 88697 78417 2 (Europe) - front scan by Ian Woodward |
This new 36-track 2CD release in a "Super Jewel Box" is an updated version of the previous 2001 European 36-track 2CD set with the same title, see International Album Releases (Dylan-only Compilations) 2010s. Both previous rarities are now officially released on regular Dylan albums. Thanks to Ian Woodward for information and scan. |
"Music & Photos" - 2CD set, Sony Music (catalogue number?) (Germany), 8 Feb 2013/(UK), 11 Feb 2013:
 Picture from www.examiner.com |
This 2CD set comes with ten 11" x 12.5" photographs
and is part of the new "Music & Photo" series, made to attract fans who
still enjoy purchasing physical product, as opposed to intangible downloads.
The initial releases in the "Music & Photo" series also feature Jeff
Buckley, Elvis Presley, and Miles Davis. Each CD set in the series will be
packaged with ten photographic prints, housed in a large book (11.4 x 0.4 x
12.9 inches.) The tracks included in the Dylan release apparently replicate
the Oct 2010 version of The Essential Bob Dylan (see above). There are currently no plans to release it in the U.S. Thanks to Fred Muller and Harold Lepidus for information. |
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The Essential Bob Dylan (2000) |
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