Bob Dylan's eighth album, John Wesley Harding, still comes as a bit of a surprise nearly 40 years after its release. Its oddity begins with its cover: a black and white photograph in which Bob barely stands out, placed on a beige background. If you look a little closer, you see that Dylan is actually smiling; shocking, as the last few Dylan albums had featured a prominent sneer. And then you listen to the music, and things become stranger still. After Blonde and Blonde, his most varied (some would say chaotic) album, comes this simple, subdued country-folk record. The electric organ is gone; the acoustic guitar and harmonica is once again at the forefront. And even Dylan's voice has changed, smoothed out a bit, and become fuller. It all seems to have come from nowhere. The Basement Tapes, which were recorded a few months before John Wesley Harding, provide something of a missing link... but they weren't released until eight years later. If it's nowhere near as eclectic as Blonde on Blonde or The Basement Tapes, it is one of the most consistent of Dylan's albums. That said, it's an extremely enjoyable listen, and I'll conclude the review with a song-by-song analysis:
1. John Wesley Harding - I'm no music theorist, but as far as instrumentation and textures go, this song is pretty exemplary of the entire album: gentle acoustic guitar, a very nice bass line, basic drums, and some of Dylan's best harmonica playing. Lyrically it is also like much of the rest of the album, in that its subject is a sort of folk tale. A Robin Hood type of character, in this case. - 4.5/5
2. As I Went Out One Morning - A fine vocal and a fine lyric. If much of Dylan's earlier work had been cryptic in its poetry, this song and most of the album really sounds like it's telling a coherent story, at least in the individual lyrics. The song as a whole, however, doesn't make much sense. This one's about a damsel somewhere around Thomas Paine's property. - 4.5/5
3. I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine - This is perhaps the earliest evidence of Dylan's growing interest in and conversion to Christianity. It deals vaguely with guilt and redemption, and its last lines are quite moving. The melody is somewhat repetitive, but strangely memorable. - 5/5
4. All Along the Watchtower - One of Dylan's best known songs - even if it is best known as a Jimi Hendrix song. This original version is more quiet and calm (not surprisingly), and it ends more abruptly. Whereas Jimi Hendrix uses the line 'The wind began to howl' to launch into a couple of minutes of super-awesome, Bob just goes into a short harmonica solo, and the song ends. The brevity of the songs on this album is a virtue, however, I think. - 5/5
5. The Ballad of Frankie Lee and Judas Priest - This is something of a moral fable; in fact it's the only Bob Dylan song (that I'm aware of) to contain a moral at the end. The story doesn't make a whole lot of sense, but nonetheless the lyrics are quite clever and entertaining, hilarious at some points. - 4.5/5
6. Drifter's Escape - This is a pretty upbeat song and features another great vocal. The first of four songs in a row dealing with members of the poorer class. In this case it's more of a romantic tale than social protest. - 4/5
7. Dear Landlord - A prayer, or one of Dylan's first songs showing a social conscience for quite a long time. This song could be taken as either. It features a nice piano melody and a moving vocal performance. - 5/5
8. I Am a Lonesome Hobo - The best thing about this song, to me, is that it paints a very clear and complete portrait of the 'lonesome hobo,' from the hobo's perspective. I guess now that I think of it, this song has an even clearer moral than 'Ballad,' though it isn't referred to specifically as a moral. - 4/5
9. I Pity the Poor Immigrant - I think this is the slowest song on the album. What can I say except that the vocal is great, once again. The harmonica, too. - 3.5/5
10. The Wicked Messenger - Easily the most abrasive melody on the album, moving sharply up and back down again. Great guitar, great harmonica, great vocal. Stands out just for the music, but the lyrics are quite interesting as well. - 5/5
11. Down Along the Cove - This is a simple, upbeat love song. Each verse is made up of a first line that is repeated, and a third line that releases that tension. There's a simple piano part, and really that's all there is to it. - 4.5/5
12. I'll Be Your Baby Tonight - Another love song finishes off John Wesley Harding. With the slide guitar and Dylan's country vocal, this sounds like anything off of Nashville Skyline, which followed this record a year later. It's a lovely ending to a lovely little album. - 5/5
Overall, I would give this album a 4.9 if I could - holding off on the 5 only because it isn't 'classic' in the strictest sense of the word. However, it is one of Bob Dylan's most perfect albums, and I highly recommend it to anyone who has got everything up to Blonde on Blonde pretty well in hand.
