Various: The Best of Bob Dylan's Theme Time Radio Hour (Chrome Dreams)

Elsewhere readers would be familiar with Bob Dylan's extensive website (he's got another new album in April) and his radio programme  and will have doubtless noted the many Dylan articles, music etc at Elsewhere, most recently the posting of the album Bob Dylan's Jukebox which was a compilation of songs which had influenced him.

From the same source -- and no doubt having nothing to do with Dylan himself -- comes this 52 song collection of songs which Dylan has played on his free wheelin' radio show. Of course within the context of the shows which were themed (divorce, weather etc) these songs would have more resonance, but this is still a damn fine collection of old country and blues, seminal rock'n'roll, obscure songs and artists (all briefly annotated in the booklet).

As with the radio shows this is a musical discovery and further evidence that Dylan listens much more widely than most people on the planet.

With material by artists as diverse as the Carter Family, the Ink Spots, Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson, Hank Williams, Gene Vincent, Percy Mayfield, Blind Willie Johnson, Screamin' Jay Hawkins and Sister Rosetta Tharpe, this is a double disc collection that will be paying dividends for a very long time to come.