John Wesley Harding
by Bob Dylan
- Type: Album
- Released: December聽27,聽1967
- Label: Columbia
- Country: United States
- Length: 38:50
- Community rating: 3.85/5 from 13 ratings
Album Notes & Community Reviews
Released after a period of public seclusion, 'John Wesley Harding' marked Bob Dylan's deliberate departure from the complex, electrified rock of his mid-60s albums. Produced by Bob Johnston, the album features a sparse, semi-acoustic sound rooted in folk, country, and roots rock, with instrumentation primarily limited to Dylan on guitar and harmonica, backed by bass and drums. The songs are concise, narrative-driven parables, drawing on biblical allegory and American frontier mythology, which stood in stark contrast to the psychedelic excess of the era.
Genres
Descriptors: folk, biblical, storytelling, acoustic, minimalist, male-vocals
Tracklist
- John Wesley Harding (03:00)
- As I Went out One Morning (02:52)
- I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine (03:55)
- All Along the Watchtower (02:34)
- The Ballad of Frankie Lee and Judas Priest (05:35)
- Drifter's Escape (02:48)
- Dear Landlord (03:18)
- I Am a Lonesome Hobo (03:24)
- I Pity the Poor Immigrant (04:16)
- The Wicked Messenger (02:05)
- Down Along the Cove (02:25)
- I'll Be Your Baby Tonight (02:38)
Credits
- Bob Dylan - harmonica, guitar, piano, vocal parts
- Kenneth A. Buttrey - drummer
- Charlie McCoy - bassist
- Pete Drake - steel guitar, pedal steel guitar
- Bob Johnston - producer
- John Berg - album cover photographer