John Wesley Harding

Ranking near the top of anyone's list of Dylan's masterpieces, this post-motorcycle-accident career-turning-point finds Dylan veering from the razor-edged desperation of "All Along the Watchtower" to the gentle, back-porch sway of "I'll Be Your Baby Tonight" -- and all points in between. Back at last, in its ultra-rare original mono mix, this landmark LP -- cut with the cream of Nashville's studio cats and generally credited as a blueprint for the era's country-rock movement -- sizzles on Sundazed high-definition vinyl.

I had no idea there were so many people who were unhappy with the sound, but after reading all the negative reviews I thought, maybe I wasn't paying attention. So I listened to both the CD layer and the SACD layer. Loud.

It sounds great! The bass is rich and fat, the harmonica crisp and brilliant. I've been listening to this album for 37 years; to be fair, this recording has some odd characteristics to the sound (particularly the drums). This new remaster certainly doesn't sound worse than the vinyl, and while it may not provide the blow-your-socks off sonic experience of the Highway 61 remaster, I can't detect any problems. Both layers are an improvement over the original CD release.

If you're a true audiophile, maybe it would be a good idea to find a store where you can listen to the disc before buying it. If you own the original CD, there's no urgent need to rush out and buy the hybrid. But if for some reason you find yourself without a copy of one of the great masterpieces of popular music, this edition should do nicely.


Live by No Man's Code   May 19, 2006
Danielle Lane (Horseshoe, North Carolina)
6 out of 6 found this review helpful

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."


The music is so good, it's painful to give it a low rating   October 7, 2003
Eric Edelin (Baltimore, Maryland USA)
5 out of 5 found this review helpful

'John Wesley Harding' must have been a shock to those who were getting used to hearing the 'Rainy Day Women #12 & 35', 'Like A Rolling Stone' and 'Subterranean Homesick Blues'-era Bob Dylan. After a life-threatening accident following the release of 'Blonde On Blonde', Bob Dylan went back to the basics with a simple, folk masterpiece. Despite its sparse instrumentation and its flagrant avoidance of the esoterica of a lot of his earlier lyrics, this is one of Bob Dylan's most intriguing works. Lyrically, the album is very much fables and country ballads, just as clever and as well-written as say 'Visions Of Johanna' or 'Mr. Tambourine Man'. 'John Wesley Harding', as a work of art, stands toe-to-toe with just about any of Bob Dylan's peak 1960s work. This is simple guitar, bass, and drums (sometimes replacing the guitar with a piano), with harmonica, nothing fancy-schmancy. 'All Along The Watchtower' is probably the most famous recording on this album, but 'The Ballad Of Frankie Lee and Judas Priest' is some of Dylan's best pure storytelling, and 'Down Along The Cove' functions very well as the album's most rockish, upbeat tune.

This was the fourth of the Dylan re-issues I've bought and have grown a huge liking to this side of Bob Dylan. I gave the release five stars because this is a work of integrity, though this re-issue definitely does not deserve five stars. The sound is listenable, and far from being too awful, but after listening to the superb remastering on 'Highway 61 Revisited', I know Sony could have done a much better job with this. Basically everything other reviews have said is right, though maybe a bit too harsh and picky. The guitar is tragically buried much, much too low in the mix, and his harmonica is up much, much too high. Most of all though, the mixing is very erratic. The opener, 'John Wesley Harding' is probably the truest-sounding of all the songs, but in other songs there are all kinds of unusual audio problems. The mix, from song-to-song is inconsistent, with some drum tracks being louder on certain songs, oddly loud bass (or very muffled), and always Dylan's guitar being shoved way too low in the mix. The remastered 'All Along The Watchtower' from the Sony 'Essential Bob Dylan' release from a few years ago sounds much, much better in comparison with this 2003 remaster. I'm never one to complain too much about remastering, but at times the way this re-issue was handled is downright puzzling.

The reviews on website definitely shouldn't prevent anyone from buying this album, however. The main problem with the sound is that it's muffled and a bit patchy, the music is still great and worth the time to listen to it. 'John Wesley Harding' is ESSENTIAL to any Dylan enthusiast and is easily among the finest albums of the tail end of the 1960s. Coincidentally, this was released the same year as 'The Doors', 'Are You Experienced?', 'Their Satanic Majesties Request' and 'Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band'.


Gritty Music   January 21, 2006
Mark R. Lindquist (Moscow, Idaho)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful

Just about everyone has hit on the sound quality issues, so I'm not going to beat that dead horse. I give the music five stars though. This is not a happy album. It is dark and gritty as can be. Very simple, very effective. There are a ton of great songs on here, a lot of morality tales that define the word timeless. Dylan's weary voice more than fits the tone of the album. "I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine" is one of my favorite Dylan tunes of all time. It never fails to send a shiver down my spine. Everybody knows "Watchtower" because of Hendrix's version, but Dylan's isn't shabby. And it blends in perfectly with "Ballad of Frankie Lee and Judas Priest". More of a dialogue between of two men then an actual song, it is very open to interpretation (but then again, what Dylan song isn't?). Easily one of Dylan's best albums, and a must own for fans of Dylan and fans of music in general.


Plays on in Your Head Long After You've Turned off the CD Player   May 20, 2006
Ophella Paige (Reno, Nevada)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful

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.