Bob Dylan - John Wesley Harding
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Free Music Notes for John Wesley Harding
Free Music Review: Overlooked, Understated Gem
Hit: 4 Stars
This album often gets lost in the shuffle of Dylan idolatry. And while it's often said of this album that it was a transition to the country of "Nashville Skyline," that shorts the achievement of this work. Which is a shame. Some of Dylan's most striking and enigmatic images are in the lyrics from this album.
"The Ballad of Frankie Lee and Judas Priest" tells the story of a friendship that feels doomed from the opening verse when, over the strumming of a lonely accoustic guitar, Dylan announces that Frankie and Judas were the "best of friends." And, over the next five and a half minutes, he spins out the story of their undoing, wrapped in the double entendres and sharp images that are so prevalent in his earlier albums from the 1960's. Some of the strongest examples of those images are here.
What makes this album sharply different from "Blonde on Blonde" and "Highway 61 Revisited" is the spareness of the instrumentation. It is basically an accoustic album. But beyond that, the instrumentation is never given over to anything soaring, like the organ on "Like a Rolling Stone." And there is beauty in the simplicity.
This album will probably never be considered in the top tier of Dylan's work, but it is strong, and it stands on its own without being seen as a transition towards "Nashville Skyline."
Free Music Review: Bob Dylan at his Best
Hit: 5 Stars
Recorded with a set of Nashville musicians, this is one of Bob Dylan's best albums. The music is superb and the lyrics draw you right in. These are songs with a story, with a purpose. and there is even a love song thrown it, "Down Along the Cove" and to my way of thinking its one of the best love songs ever written. Coming out after his long hiatus after "Blonde on Blonde" (supposedly because of his motorcycle accident) the way it did, his fans were probably starving for music and they snatched this one right up (or so I'm told). Still, it must have been a little bit of a shocker to his fans, you know, the direction his music was taking. A few years later they would be shocked even more, because Dylan is not your basic static musician, he's ever growing, ever changing and this incantation of the never the same Bob Dylan is truly one of the best.Free Music Review: Plays on in Your Head Long After You've Turned off the CD Player
Hit: 5 Stars
My older brother thinks this is the best Dylan album ever. Is it? I don't know. "Blood on the Tracks," "Desire", "Highway 61" and "Blonde on Blonde" are all records I like better, but right after them, I'd but "JWH" maybe tie it with "Oh Mercy." Don't get me wrong. JWH is a must own album. Not only because you can see here how he transitions into his country period with "Nashville Skyline" and "New Morning," but because it's a record that plays on in your head long after you've turned of the CD player. JWH was not only a change of direction in Dylan's music, but it was written while he was recovering from his motorcycle accident, so one could also assume his life was taking a new direction as well. I'm not sure about that, but I would think a long recovery would make you think about life and what it's all about, that's what this record seems to be about anyway. At least that's what I take away from it.Free Music Review: Live by No Man's Code
Hit: 5 Stars
My favorite song on JWH is "Dear Landlord." It's a lament driven by a soulful piano that will reach right into your soul. You can just feel the desperation the singer is crying about. "Only a Hobo," is another song where Dylan sings from the view of someone less fortunate. "I've served time for everything except begging on the street." What a line. You can just see this hobo Dylan sings about, a shyster, con man, often down and out on his luck. A hobo without regret and some advice to give, "Stay free from petty jealousies, live by no man's code, and hold your judgment for yourself, lest you wind up on this road." Dylan's hobo, like Dylan himself, is a lot of things, but a beggar he is not. Then there is the excellent song about that western outlaw, turned somewhat of a saint in the title song of this record, "John Wesley Harding" is Dylan accurate in his portrayal of the outlaw, well he misspelled his name, maybe that's a clue. Dylan is always doing that, surprising us and fooling us. This is an excellent record, full of fine music, double entendres and maybe some simple advice on how to live your life, like these outstanding words, "Live by no man's code."Free Music Review: A Record that is Always New
Hit: 5 Stars
I just love this record. A solid rocker with a country flavor. The music is tone down quite a bit from "Blonde on Blonde" but it's still got many songs with a driving beat. The most famous song on JWH has to be "All Along the Watchtower." Jimi Hendrix did such a great job with his cover of that song. Dylan himself, still plays it all the time, changing it as he's always changing himself. "As I Went Out One Morning", is my favorite. Dylan sings about what America as all about and how Tom Paine would be so disappointed if he were around today. That's my read on the song anyway, you may have yours. So many of Dylan's songs are open to different interpretations. My next favorite song is "The Ballad of Frankie Lee and Judas Priest." It seems that Dylan just loves to showcase his humor. There is just so much going on in this record, it's almost impossible to take in. I've been listening to JWH for years and years and it's always fresh and I always seem to be finding something new, a new way to look at one of these songs.