Rating: 9/10

Track Amount: 12

Running Time: 38 minutes and 20 seconds

Genre: Folk Rock, Country Rock

Personnel: Bob Dylan (acoustic guitar, vocals, piano and other instrumentation), Kenneth A. Buttrey (drums), Pete Drake (pedal steel guitar), Charlie McCoy (bass guitar)

Producer: Bob Johnston

Record Label: Columbia Records

Recording Location: Columbia Studio A, Nashville, Tennessee

Art Direction: John Berg

Best Tracks: John Wesley Harding, I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine, All Along The Watchtower

Quick Verdict: One of Bob Dylan’s best and most underrated releases to date

This album marked a turning point in Bob Dylan’s (born Robert Allen Zimmerman) music career. After over 18 months of not releasing any new material and a serious motorcycle accident (which was highly unusual for him), Bob Dylan returned to his acoustic roots, a major departure from the Folk Rock music he had pioneered. Although the sound and style of this album was directly the opposite of legendary commercially successful albums of the time, such as The Beatles opus magnum Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967), this album was well received by many critics at the time, even though, obviously, this was not Bob Dylan’s best work. Ironically, the album’s title was a mispelling (be it intentional or not) of John Wesley Hardin, a Western outlaw. No singles were released from the album, either, which was a bold marketing strategy for Bob Dylan. With a more minimalist sound and material that was more focused on the lyrics, could Bob Dylan himself still cut it in the era of flower power and Psychedelic Rock? Let’s take a good listen and find out if so.

1. John Wesley Harding begins with some awesome guitar chords and quickly launches into a fantastic song by Bob Dylan about the tale of the above-mentioned outlaw. It is a sweet and interesting music tale, matched with a lovely harmonica solo by Bob Dylan. This sounds like an anti-Sgt. Pepper in its sound and production, but it is, in its own way, a classic tune to hear, like anything popular at this time. The drumming on this tune is in a world of its own, especially in the second half of this piece. It is raw, well executed and delivered with an instantly lovable listen throughout. A great tale of outlaws and a different tale than you’d expect. Great job, Bob. This is a fantastic song to hear.

2. As I Went Out One Morning is a nice and solid listen that continues this underrated masterpiece. Bob Dylan sings in a very nasal whine sort of delivery, which no doubt inspired the likes of Johnny Rotten and others in the future of music. A great and lovely tune about young love and the prospects that it can bring if one is not careful in their romance. Nonetheless, this is definitely a really top-notch tune to hear. Very spare, stripped down and simple to listen to, this music is a very bold and brilliant tune. When Rock bands were doing druggy Psychedelia with many overdubs, Bob Dylan was doing a proto-Punk statement on this album with tales of poetry set to very simple music. A nice listening experience. Don’t fall in love too quickly, people.

3. I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine is a mellow acoustic guitar-based piece with fantastic harmonica and some neat drumming. Bob Dylan sings a lovely tune that really ought to be covered more by up-and-coming Rock bands of this postmodern era. Nonetheless, the music at hand is superb and totally awesome. The music is amongst some of the simplest yet most effective that you can hear today. A glorious tale of seeing the dead and the feelings involved with that, Bob Dylan is true to the word, an artist indeed. Simply loveable and very impressive music is at hand here. This is likely an album that told The Beatles in 1968 to kick the Psychedelic Rock that they had been making for some time, for better or worse. Nonetheless, Bob Dylan delivers an awesome, poetic, and literate music statement that sounds extremely good to hear. This doesn’t have a happy ending this song, but it is another standout track on this album. The harmonica solo to conclude with is very lovely.

4. All Along The Watchtower was later immortalised by Jimi Hendrix in 1968 on his mammoth Electric Ladyland album release, but this is the original by Bob Dylan. It begins with some nice acoustic guitar work that sounds really fantastic and direct. It sounds completely different from the version made famous by Jimi Hendrix, but it is clearer and more audible than that version. A really smooth and sweet listen throughout. This music is a really good tune to listen to, and has a completely different impact than other cover versions of it. A really smooth and sweet listen that sounds just right. An awesome and divine original that sounds very pleasant and listenable, and is inspired. An illustrative and surreal piece of music that has its own picturesque sound.

5. The Ballad of Frankie Lee and Judas Priest begins with some more neat strummed acoustic guitar and launches into a somewhat deliberately out-of-tune piece of music. This tune is about an interesting fabled tale about men and money, which is descriptive and intelligent to listen to. This music sounds very awesome and musical throughout, just making an instantly wonderful and powerful music impression on the listener. This is proof that Bob Dylan himself had a unique and interesting storytelling mode about his music. This sounds descriptively pretty and unique, even though Bob Dylan gets a lot of flak for his singing voice. It is important to note that Bob Dylan wasn’t the greatest singer, but he articulated his words very well. This album is a complete set of tales about mythical figures, along with some pseudo Alice in Wonderland-style imagery. Completely different to the trippy sounds and experimentation of the era, but equally as fantastic in its own way. Nonetheless, this fantastic music is a seriously lovable and joyous creation that is more about a picturesque vocal statement than flower power mysticism. This tune is a little longer than your average Folk Music based piece, but Bob Dylan effectively created a solidly awesome piece of memorable music, complete with harmonica solos. A really awesome listen, start to finish, just like every other song before it.

6. Drifter’s Escape begins with upbeat acoustic guitar playing, drums and more harmonica galore. It sounds neat and sweet musically. A much more melodic tune than the previous pieces on this album, this music is a wonderful listening experience that makes perfect sense to hear today. This is a melancholy tune lyrically about someone being in trouble with the law, but it retains the typical Bob Dylan sounds and energy throughout. This is a very interesting song. Sure, this did not rival The Beatles or The Rolling Stones in its appeal, but it does so with music quality. A very lovely listen from 1967, even if Bob Dylan was not the greatest singer ever, he sang from the heart. Excellent.

7. Dear Landlord begins with piano, deep bass guitar and drumming. Bob Dylan sings in a clear, fine voice that rails against a potentially evil landlord at hand. A great song about the difficulties of being a renter as such. This is a great music statement that makes much more sense lyrically today, in the divided world between millionaire homeowners and less fortunate renters. Nonetheless, a solid song to listen to and enjoy throughout. An awesome and interesting song that is a plea from Bob Dylan to the landlords of the day. Mind you, these days in postmodern times, many are locked into a direct relationship with their own landlord, as it is a millionaire’s game (most of the time) to purchase a home to live in. Another great song to listen to.

8. I Am A Lonesome Hobo is another short and direct lyrical song with some awesome acoustic guitar playing, harmonica and a backing band to boot. It launches into an upbeat tune about being homeless and out of luck throughout. This is yet another superb and great song to listen to. Bob Dylan was a left-wing, politically motivated person, and he shows this through and through. He uses music to express the solid points about the seemingly difficult times that we all have at some point in our lives. A really good music and lyrical statement that is just fantastic and has power and energy throughout. A really nice tune to behold, and Bob Dylan gives a warning to others about the dangers of homelessness throughout. Great tune. The instrumentation is equally great as well.

9. I Pity The Poor Immigrant is another conceptual ballad, without this being an actual concept album. Amazing that. It launches into a really lovely tune with prominent harmonica, and Bob Dylan sings about emigrating to a country where he has no friends and no place in society. This is another melancholy tune about a not-so-good individual whom Bob Dylan pities. Another really awesome and timeless tune that has aged very, very well today. This is campfire acoustic poetry for those of you who love to hear simple and enjoyable songs to match that sort of setting. No overdubs or expensive production, just simply lovable tunes from start to finish. The harmonica is very prominent throughout as well. All men may be equal, but not all men behave equally, which seems to be the musical statement in this song. A really lovely and extraordinary song that reflects the hardships of a working-class life. This finishes with an awesome harmonica part and a subtle band backing track. Neat.

10. The Wicked Messenger begins with more acoustic guitar playing and harmonica. A very short song follows, with Bob Dylan singing very well here. Remember, this was before the days of crisp electronic recordings and autotune. Bob Dylan plays a very wonderful song that sounds electrifying and fantastic, without the need for electric guitars or drug-based Psychedelia sounds. A stripped-down and bare sound throughout makes this a different sort of listening experience from 1967. Great tune, and lyrically intelligent, too.

11. Down Along The Cove is a very upbeat and Country-esque Folk Music tune that sounds really different. Bob Dylan, believe it or not, was doing a John Lennon-style solo tune just before The Beatles went their separate ways. An amazing and fantastic tune to listen to, complete with pedal steel guitar. Bob Dylan pushed the boundaries of the conventional music listening of the day. Absolutely solidly superb, and another solid cut from this classic album. A really great and forward-thinking listen, with some proto-1970s sounds to it all. Solidly good. A real music treat to hear.

12. I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight is the final tune on this album. It is much slower, with harmonica, pedal steel guitar and some laidback and downtempo instrumentation. This sounds sweet and divine, and is Bob Dylan in full love/lust mode. He sings surprisingly well on this song, and the melodies and performances throughout are simple, melodic and very beautiful indeed. This music is seriously underrated compared to other Bob Dylan efforts. Bob Dylan whines and unwinds the mind vocally, with descriptive and intelligent lyrics about being deeply in love. A great finish to an equally great album. It ends with another solidly good harmonica solo. Sweet music.

This album is a really fantastic listen. Sure, it bucked the trends of the time, but every single song on this album is fantastically consistent and musically accomplished. From beginning to end, the sounds and playing are incredible, and even though this was made way before digital software was a thing, its raw and stripped-down sound is eternally pleasurable. Should you listen to this album? If you want to hear an album that rejected the status quo of 1967 with a release from that year, this is your album. Fans of genres such as EDM will wish to stay away, however.

If you like this article, please like, share, comment and follow me on The Ultimate Music Library. Thank you, Chris Airey.