John Wesley Harding (studio album)
by Bob Dylan

Sparse and fallow, Dylan’s 1967 album runs almost as contrary to his previous work as it does to the swirling currents of lush production and psychedelia of the time. In 1965 he was two years ahead of his time. He is now four.

These are Dylan’s dark ages. Lyrically speaking his fables in the 3rd person shed little direct light on his state of mind at this time, but the thematic mood of the album is of a low flying apocalypse. It is clear that for the first time he is in retreat from the outside world and the songs are written to please no one, Dylan included.

There is still genius of course. All Along The Watchtower is a new brand of mature mood setting songwriting brilliance. Dear Landlord is Dylan at his most vulnerable and is beautiful for it.

The closing tracks of the album Down Along Cove and I’ll Your Baby Tonight run contrary to the flinty feel, in latter’s case almost laughably so. Perhaps Dylan felt the mood of impending doom circling the album needed a lift. More likely though, he just wants to keep us all guessing.

From HoldenM 06/22/2025 21:11 | #309668

All hits, no misses.

Under-rated Dylan, probably because it begs to compared to the other more impactful stuff from the 60s, but I would rate it above Desire.

I really rate this album with nearly everyone feeling in the 4/5 category for me. I had heard covers of the songs before I heard Bob - and I had loved those covers first but glad when I go back to the source I can enjoy that too.

Some solid songs but not my favorite dylan overall

All Along the Watchtower is fantastic, the Hendrix version is still better, and the title track is an amzing opener

This is not bad album, but there is one great song - All Along The Watchtower and the rest is good singing with well-written lyrics, but it's far from his most exciting and sharp projects.

From Jboy56 04/12/2022 14:36 | #284088

For completists, A good album before the silence...

From LukasAntoine00s 01/24/2022 00:49 | #279983

81.67

Bob Dylan regresa al folk puro y a la música acústica, tras tocar la gloria con 3 obras maestras seguidas, Bringing It All, Highway 61, y Blonde on Blonde. John Wesley Harding se siente como un retroceso, pero esto no significa que el disco sea malo.
La canción homónima tiene una línea de bajo muy atractiva. Ahora, una constante, y es que todas las canciones, a excepción de 2, tienen la misma estructura: 3 versos, y lo inusual es la ausencia de estribillos. Las únicas distintas son The Ballad of Frankie Lee and Judas Priest, que se extiende hasta los 11 versos y la última del album, I'll Be Your Baby Tonight, que también tiene 3 versos, pero cuenta con un bridge, una sección diferente a los versos.
Las melodías no me parecen trabajadas minuciosamente, pero es por la ausencia de instrumentos no acústicos. Y aún así, las melodías son salvadas por lo resaltante en la música de Dylan, la letra. Cada canción cuenta una canción, como todas las de su discografía.
En comparación con otros discos, especialmente con sus antecesores, este disco se siente más vacío, pero logra mantener una buena reputación, así como tener en su catálogo la obra maestra All Along the Watchtower, y otro par de canciones dignas de mencionar, como The Ballad of Frankie Lee and Judas Priest y I'll Be Your Baby Tonight. Incluso John Wesley Harding está muy buena, y también I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine.
Disco promedio para el nivel de Dylan, que logra cautivar en algunos pasajes.

Uno de los mejores álbumes de Dylan, donde ya se reflejan las influencias del country que sería más notorias en Nashville Skyline. Y contiene una de mis canciones favoritas de él: All Along The Watchtower.