John Wesley Harding [Original recording remastered]

Track Listings

1. John Wesley Harding

2. As I Went Out One Morning

3. I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine

4. All Along The Watchtower

5. The Ballad Of Frankie Lee And Judas Priest

6. Drifter's Escape

7. Dear Landlord

8. I Am A Lonesome Hobo

9. I Pity The Poor Immigrant

10. The Wicked Messenger

11. Down Along The Cove

12. I'll Be Your Baby Tonight

Tracks:

John Wesley Harding
As I Went Out One Morning
I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine
All Along The Watchtower
The Ballad Of Frankie Lee And Judas Priest
Drifter's Escape
Dear Landlord
I Am A Lonesome Hobo
I Pity The Poor Immigrant
The Wicked Messenger
Down Along The Cove
I'll Be Your Baby Tonight

Customer Reviews:

Two riders were approaching, the wind began to howl........2007-02-20

There must be some way out of here, said the joker to the thief,

Beautifully understated and subtle..........2007-02-02

This was Dylan's first album back after the motorcycle crash, and it's a moving, mysterious, and poignant album. The songs are shorter than his previous (and later) albums, and the instrumentation is bare to the bone. A lot of rock acts in the 1960's were trying to outdo one another (The Beach Boys put out Pet Sounds, The Beatles try to one up them with Sgt. Pepper, The Stones had Their Satanic Majesty's Request, Dylan had his Blonde on Blonde), so when Dylan made this simple (though not simplistic) album, the rock world was hugely surprised. Considering the turmoil going on in the country (Vietnam, Woodstock, hippies), this album is so far removed from that. John Wesley Harding is an album that's quite surprising in its depth and maturity. It's quickly becoming a favorite, with kudos going to the great song The Ballad of Frankie Lee and Judas Priest. I saw Dylan do it in concert once (he did all the verse), and it's always been a favorite. But there isn't one wasted song on this album. This was Dylan's last great album for a while. He followed this with the cute (but slight) Nashville Skyline, the godawful Self Portrait, and the decent New Morning. All those albums had some good stuff on them, but they weren't as dynamic as JWH (and its predecessors) were. Quite a beautiful album.

Surprisingly Underrated Masterpiece.......2006-12-10

I remember the surprise upon hearing this album when it came out in December of 1967. It was Dylan's first LP since "Blonde on Blonde" and was preceded by a horrific motorcycle accident and, then, a reclusive hiatus of nineteen months at Dylan's home in Woodstock, NY. "John Wesley Harding" signaled a major turning point in the mercurial artist's career, a downturn from the rock music of "Highway 61 Revisited" and "Blonde on Blonde" toward an acoustic minimalist country genre of guitar, bass, drums, mouth organ and, of course, that nasal Dylan voice.

Aside from its powerful pioneering force upon other artists of the era, this album stands alone as an artifact of genius and originality. There is no doubt that some of the lyrics tend toward the ridiculous. For example, we hear that John Wesley Harding "traveled with a gun in every hand," and in "As I Went Out One Morning" we hear, "Depart from me this moment, I told her with my voice," and, "I beg you sir, she pleaded from the corners of her mouth." Moreover, the swear euphemism "Judas Priest" seems corny in "The Ballad of Frankie Lee and Judas Priest."

But so what? There are stories to be told here, and the fact that they remain veiled in meaning and, at times, use weird phraseology, endears them to the listener all the more. In any case, superb musicianship makes this album a star more than anything else. The haunting riffs of Dylan's mouth organ, the punctuating rhythm of Charles McCoy's bass, and the uncanny stick magic of Kenny Buttrey's drums absolutely mesmerize the listener, especially if he's wearing headphones. Buttrey's virtuosity alone makes this album worth every penny. Just put on the headphones and focus on the drumbeat in "As I Went Out One Morning" and "All Along the Watchtower." Buttrey died in 2004 of cancer, but he left an unparalleled legacy of material as a session drummer, and his contribution to "John Wesley Harding" shines on.

Bob Dylan wrote his best song ever for this album: "All Along the Watchtower." Ten months after its release, Reprise Records came out with Jimi Hendrix' "Electric Ladyland" with Hendrix' immortal cover of "Watchtower." Dylan himself recognized Hendrix' cover as better than his own version, and it stands today as the most dazzling masterstroke of rock music history. So there is a lot to be had in this underrated and under-appreciated album. It has stood the test of time and begs to be played over and over and over. I heartily recommend it.

Classic Dylan.......2006-11-12

For those who continued to like Dylan after he "plugged in the band", this is an album definitely worth owning. This is a classic album that was quite popular during the Vietnam War. Any fan of Dylan, the 1960's, and the Counter-Cultural movemant should get it.

Give me the live versions!.......2006-11-07

This is not my favorite Dylan album by a country mile. It's not that this is a completely unappealing album to listen to but when I am in the mood for Bob; there are at least 15 records I reach for before this. As Jimi Hendrix and a host of other rockers proved with their cover versions, the fabulous songs are here, it's just Bob's execution that bores me to tears.

Mr. Dylan delights in re-inventing his old songs on stage and I can think of three fairly sterile tunes from John Wesley Harding that have become on stage barn burners in recent years:

Drifter's Escape
Wicked Messenger
Down Along The Cove

The Love And Theft era band (featuring the guitar styling's of the great Charlie Sexton from 1997 to 2002) has rightly been heralded as among the greatest Bob ever performed with and those guys helped Bob find the buried treasure hidden in these fine songs. You can find the modern day arrangement of Down Along The Cove on the Bonnaroo 2004 CD but I wish Bob would put out a Never Ending tour live album featuring these gems. Just as Knocking on Heaven's Door was ultimately delivered in its definitive form on the Before The Flood live album, so these tracks should get their due on a live release.

Bonus tip: Check out intensely rocking versions of Wicked Messenger by The Faces and Jerry Garcia (Legion Of Mary) to get an idea of the power inherent in this song.

Average customer rating:

Bob Dylan at his Best
Plays on in Your Head Long After You've Turned off the CD Player
Live by No Man's Code
A Record that is Always New
A Little Country, But Still a Rocker

John Wesley Harding
Bob Dylan
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Nashville Skyline
Highway 61 Revisited
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Bringing It All Back Home
The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan

ASIN: B0000C8AV9
Release Date: 2003-09-16

Tracks:

John Wesley Harding
As I Went Out One Morning
I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine
All Along The Watchtower
The Ballad Of Frankie Lee And Judas Priest
Drifter's Escape
Dear Landlord
I Am A Lonesome Hobo
I Pity The Poor Immigrant
The Wicked Messenger
Down Along The Cove
I'll Be Your Baby Tonight

Amazon.com essential recording

Bob Dylan's remarkable first album after his debilitating 1966 motorcycle accident isn't as urgent as the ambitious folk and rock songs he wrote earlier in the decade. Even considering the rocking "All Along the Watchtower" (covered famously by Jimi Hendrix), the album's overall feeling is soft and laid-back, all gently strummed guitars, perfectly timed harmonicas, and some of Dylan's best pure singing to date. The 1968 release sounds as if the songwriter and his three sidemen set up a few tape recorders in a bedroom and began playing as soon as they woke up in the morning. They open with the title track (a folk fable), move into the piano-driven "Dear Landlord," and close with the sweet love song "I'll Be Your Baby Tonight." --Steve Knopper

Customer Reviews:

Bob Dylan at his Best.......2006-09-04

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.

Plays on in Your Head Long After You've Turned off the CD Player.......2006-05-20

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.

Live by No Man's Code.......2006-05-20

A Record that is Always New.......2006-05-20

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.

A Little Country, But Still a Rocker.......2006-05-20

What a change for Bob Dylan. First he was a folk singer, than a hard rocker and now it seems he'd turned direction, going a bit country. However, don't make any mistake, just because he's got country musicians, this is still a rocker and it's one of my top five favorite Dylan records. "John Wesley Harding" is sort of a western ballad that will have you stamping your feet. "As I Went Out One Morning" is a country rocker with a message. So are many of the other songs on this record.

Average customer rating:

Buy this record.
Quick review
nonsense defense and travel tips
Buy New Deal instead
Far Too Clever...

Confessions of St. Ace
John Wesley Harding
Manufacturer: Hollywood Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Awake
Awake: The New Edition
John Wesley Harding's New Deal
It Happened One Night & It Never Happened at All
The Name Above the Title

ASIN: B00004WJG6
Release Date: 2000-08-29

Tracks:

Humble Bee
She's A Piece Of Work
People Love To Watch You Die
I'm Wrong About Everything
Same Piece Of Air
Old Girlfriends
Bad Dream Baby
Goth Girl
You In Spite Of Yourself
Our Lady Of The Highways
After The Fact
Too Much Into Nothing

Customer Reviews:

Buy this record........2004-08-26

There's not a track on this one I don't like. A catchy pop album with wit to spare.

Quick review.......2003-01-24

It's funny how Harding and Elvis Costello are easily compared yet this cd is better than any Costello has done (of this form) since Blood and Chocolate. Surprisingly good throughout.

nonsense defense and travel tips.......2001-10-23

As if "Well, I see you got your brand new, leopard-skin, pillbox hat" had some greater meaning? Plenty of "serious" lyricists -- Dylan, Guthrie, etc. -- have their share of beautiful nonsense. That said, I fail to see how HUMBLE BEE's perfectly constructed choruses don't deliver the goods. And, his collaboration with Steve Earle on "Our Lady of the Highways" is gonna sound even sweeter when I'm driving to Philly for the holidays, this year. If you ever find yourself driving north on I-95, just a few miles south of the Maryland/Delaware border toll booth, look to your right and you'll see her.

Buy New Deal instead.......2001-01-05

My wife and I have seen Wes in concert several times over the last twelve years, and listen to his albums often. Neither of us could fight our way through this album. The lyrics show a complete lack of imagination. I wish that I could comfort myself in the fact that this album will bring his music to a larger audience, but I don't believe that is the case.

Far Too Clever..........2001-01-01

I've been a fan of John Wesley Harding's music since his first CD - once again, he scores with thoughtful, literate lyrics and a beautifully simple vocal style. If you're looking for inane pop, don't buy this CD. But...if you like music with more poetry than "radio hook," I highly recommend this CD.

Average customer rating:

Balanced, one of his best
Best of all
Best of all
Likeable, just not memorable
Good songwriting wins the day for English chap.

John Wesley Harding's New Deal
John Wesley Harding
Manufacturer: Rhino / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Awake
Confessions of St. Ace
Here Comes the Groom

ASIN: B0000033PN
Release Date: 1996-02-13

Tracks:

To Whom It May Concern
Other People's Failure
The Secret Angel
Kiss Me, Miss Liberty
Heart Without A Home
God Lives Upstairs
Infinite Combinations
The King Is Dead Boring
The Triumph Of Trash
Cupid And Psycho
Still Photo
In Paradise
The Speed Of Normal

Customer Reviews:

Balanced, one of his best.......2003-09-14

Wes really found a great balance with this one. No disappointments!

Best of all.......2003-07-19

I think I've heard them all or close and this is definitely my favorite! Beautiful, sometimes eerie songs with gorgeous melodies and harmonies. Wes may not sing like Celine Dion (and thank god for that) but I think they are extremely emotional. Wes seems to write with great subtlety - sometimes fun, sometimes critical and sometimes heartbreaking and lonely. Its a softer album like Swings and Roundabouts or Why We Fight and I find the songs on this album haunt me for days and draw me back for further listening.

Best of all.......2003-07-19

I think I've heard them all or close and this is definitely my favorite! Beautiful, sometimes eerie songs with gorgeous melodies and harmonies. Wes may not sing like Celine Dion (and thank god for that) but I think they are extremely emotional. Wes seems to write with great subtlety - sometimes fun, sometimes critical and sometimes heartbreakingly lonely. New Deal is a softer album like Swings and Roundabouts or Why We Fight and I find the songs haunt me for days and draw me back for further listening.

Likeable, just not memorable.......2003-04-08

I find myself nodding to the rhythm of Harding's pleasant melodies, and occasionally humming along, but it's just not memorable. Songs meander along, finding there way to an eventual end, but they are nothing more than a mild diversion. I realize as I write this, I couldn't summarize one of these songs a day after I've heard it. One song blends into another; he creates an overall feeling of competence and professionalism, but I find the songs lacking in true emotion. Nothing wrong with that, but I want so much more from music. (I also had trouble with his rhyming "insecure" with "manure" ouch!)

Good songwriting wins the day for English chap........1998-06-23

Most of the songs on this album are beautifully thought out and performed. Songs like "Infinite Combinations" and "Cupid and Prycho" are gems that reveal the unique universe of singer-songwriting. The production is understated which suits most of the material but in some places is rather dry. Wes communicates a personal and engaging sense of the world that is somehow soothing and compelling.

Average customer rating:

One of the most overlooked artists today! Brilliant pop!
GrownUpMusic.com Recommended!
Solid, through and through
wes's claim

Adam's Apple
John Wesley Harding
Manufacturer: Drt
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Awake: The New Edition
Confessions of St. Ace
It Happened One Night & It Never Happened at All
Songs of Misfortune
Here Comes the Groom

ASIN: B0001A79RQ
Release Date: 2004-02-17

Tracks:

Nothing at All
Monkey and His Cat
Negative Love
Sleeper Awake
Pull
Sussex Ghost Story
It Stays
Hard
Sluts
Protest Protest Protest
She Never Talks
When You Smile

Amazon.com

John Wesley Harding is well into his second decade as a recording artist. As a literate but no longer new voice, he's no longer major-label material. Indeed, the well-traveled Brit who was once heralded as the heir to Elvis Costello has been hopping from indie to indie since he parted ways with Sire in the early '90s. So one wouldn't be shocked if his first new collection in four years felt like an exhausted last breath of a frustrated journeyman. But from the first notes of the cascading opener, "Nothing at All," it's apparent that Harding has, if anything, become more adept at mating sharp, witty wordplay (always his forte) with surging power pop. This time out, he's managed to pull together more than a fair share of alluring melodies and fitting folk-rock arrangements. Whether it's the jangling, spirit-affirming "Sleeper Awake" ("Get out of your bed/ Quit playing dead") or the O. Henry-like murder ballad "Sussex Ghost Story," Harding proves he's still going strong at a stage when it wouldn't be surprising if he was running out of gas. --Steven Stolder

Customer Reviews:

One of the most overlooked artists today! Brilliant pop!.......2005-02-04

'Adams Apple' is a finely crafted, heartfelt pop gem that will have you singing and humming to these wonderful and memorable songs! The tight songwriting and musicianship is truly top notch, with shades of Elvis Costello and The Beatles, but yet very original in scope with Wes's distinct vocal signature. There are some uptempo tunes here, as well as some slower, more pensive songs of beauty like 'Sleeper Awake' and 'Sussex Ghost Story'. Wes is a masterful songwriter, and has perhaps released his best work yet with this one. To say John Wesley Harding is easily one of the best and most talented singer/songwriters out today is not an overstatement. My wife and I are looking forward to yet more great releases from Wes, as well as catching him live. Here's to you Wes!!!

GrownUpMusic.com Recommended!.......2004-12-09

Singer-songwriter John Wesley Harding has picked up the musical mantle abandoned by Elvis Costello: that of poet laureate for the small sect of listeners who still crave a little wit, wisdom and originality in their straight-on rock and pop. He even sounds like Costello a bit, by way of Jakob Dylan. We love "Negative Love." Infectious beat, catchy melody, smart lyrics ("Negative Love, the radio's playing my request. Negative love, you lie before me unimpressed. Why say yes. When you know all the ways to say no best."). Harding is a tunesmith worthy of our adulation. He's like the clever friend who effortlessly tosses out the witty barb with perfect timing. His wry humor, paired with an uncanny sense of melody, make this disc a total pleasure.

Solid, through and through.......2004-06-15

No rock-critic-speak here . . . The album is really quite good pop. It's got a fine mix and more "rockin'" numbers as well as some sweet ballads and a creepy murder tune! ooh, spooky! Seriously, though, there isn't a skipper on the album.

JWH's music is usually clever and fun and this album is one of his best. Check out http://www.johnwesleyharding.com/music.html for links to some "teasers". One of my favorite tunes from the album, "It Stays", is available as a sample, although it cuts off right before the chorus, which is really very good.

wes's claim.......2004-03-09

Over a year and a half since The Man With No Shadow disappeared (along with its original label) just a few days before its release, John Wesley Harding finally releases it as Adam's Apple, the album officially awaited as the finest of his career. Those familiar with Wes's career know this is a tall order, but he delivers with the sharp songwriting we know to expect AND a healthy dose of pop craftsmanship that stakes a claim among the best pop song writers and presenters of this moment, folks like Joe Henry, Steve Wynn, Chuck Prophet, Steve Earle, Roddy Frame, Rufus Wainwright... It's a great follow up to The Confessions of St. Ace (2000) - the similar feel of a big, meaty pop album, but the band is a little tighter, the licks and chops more polished, the songs themselves somehow a little more earnest. There's also plenty of room for the kind of quirky, innovative lyrical and musical touches that highlited Awake (1996) on great songs like Sleeper, Awake! and Pull, and while this is definitely one of Wes' "pop" albums, there are still plenty of traces of his inner folkie (a la John Wesley Harding's New Deal and the Dynablob series) in songs like Monkey and His Cat and Sussex Ghost Story. With John Wesley Harding, sometimes the package is slick, other times homespun; sometimes you get rich pop concoctions while other times you get wise (and/or wise-ass) folk ruminations. But like all the best music out there, Wes's songs always have something truthful to say and a unique and cohesive presentation that makes you want to listen.

Average customer rating:

Interesting
Small Gem in Wes's Treasure Chest
A Miracle
faux-lk
Stellar Brit folk

Songs of Misfortune
The Love Hall Tryst , John Wesley Harding , Kelly Hogan , Nora O'Connor , and Brian Lohmann
Manufacturer: Appleseed Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Misfortune
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I've Got My Own Hell to Raise

ASIN: B0009VBTJQ
Release Date: 2005-07-26

Tracks:

Do Not Fear the Dark
Joan of Arc (The Ballad of La Pucelle)
Lord Bateman
Female Rambling Sailor
Lord Lovel
The Sanguinary Butcher
Shallow Brown
Lambkin
The Lady Dressed in Green
The Abandoned Baby
Jack in the Green
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Lord Bateman (electric)

Amazon.com

In a beguiling bit of cross-promotion, this motley madrigal quartet of ringers performs a largely a cappella selection of songs mentioned in Misfortune, the debut novel by Wesley Stace (better known in musical circles as John Wesley Harding). Supporting Harding's reedy tenor in the Love Hall Tryst are the bass voice of Brian Lohmann and the soaring duo of Kelly Hogan and Nora O'Connor, who adapt their interpretive styles to suit the musical source. Most of the material is traditional British folk balladry as adapted by Harding, though a lovely reading of Leonard Cohen's "Joan of Arc" is a highlight. The results fall somewhere between unplugged, unaccompanied Fairport Convention and the Elizabethan era's Mamas and the Papas. Confirming that the modern era has no monopoly on murder songs, the bloodlust and body count on Songs of Misfortune rival that on any gangsta rap CD. --Don McLeese

Album Description

Why are British expatriate singer-songwriter John Wesley Harding, U.S. country/jazz/folk solo artists Kelly Hogan and Nora O'Connor and actor-vocalist Brian Lohmann singing traditional British folk songs in a converted bank?

In 1987, Wesley Stace, soon known as John Wesley Harding (a.k.a "Wes"), thought up the opening lines for a song about a foundling baby boy raised as a girl. Six years later the song was completed as "Miss Fortune" and frequently performed by Harding before and after its release on his 1998 CD, "Awake." But, says Harding, "When you sing a song for years onstage…you think about the song. The one thing I thought about that song is that I never ended it. What about that character?"

Wes answered his own question by writing a huge 19th Century historical novel, "Misfortune," published under his original name in 2005 to acclaim in USA Today, Entertainment Weekly, and other publications.

The book is studded with traditional British folk songs adapted by Harding, and some camouflaged original compositions. These songs "demanded to be sung in a very specific way," says Wes, so he convened The Love Hall Tryst, a mostly a cappella quartet comprising himself, friend and occasional collaborator Hogan, her favorite singing partner, O'Connor, and bass singer Lohmann. They used the Troy, NY, Savings Bank, a cavernous recording hall with incredible natural reverb.

Like its source, "Songs of Misfortune" isn't exactly a romp in the Victorian meadows. Wes says, "None of (the old songs) have happy endings." Greed, envy, treachery, and murder are on full display here. But redeeming these tales are the ringing voices of the Tryst - cascades of mesmerizing harmonies surround the melody lines shared by all four singers. Even the grimmest scenarios are enlivened by the beauty of the vocals and the authenticity of presentation. Two songs appear in both unaccompanied and blazing, Fairport-ish electric versions, the latter provided by The Minstrel in the Galleries, Harding's occasional "mediaeval rock" band of Seattle musicians.

Whether or not you've read Harding's novel, "Songs of Misfortune" stands on its own as a daring, rewarding adventure in musical scholarship, sublime arrangements and the eternal strength of the human voice.

Customer Reviews:

Interesting.......2007-02-18

Interesting mix of songs and styles, in a good way. While most of the album is vocals only, i also enjoyed the two songs at the end that he sang with instrument accomppanyment.

Small Gem in Wes's Treasure Chest.......2006-03-02

If this CD and the Misfortune book were the only thing John Wesley Harding ever did, it would be enough to label him a modern artistic genius. His wit and humor made me a big fan 12 years ago. Check out his CD's..start with "Why We Fight" or if you enjoy "Songs of Misfortune" try "Trad Arr Jones". He also has free downloads of music on his web site. Better yet catch a live show.

A Miracle.......2005-11-15

I just loved this record. I didn't really know much about it going in, though I had read the novel to which it is attached - but this is simply a beautiful record of well-arranged and wonderfully recorded A Capella music. These are mainly traditional folk songs, but also some fake old songs (found in Misfortune) and a haunting cover of Leonard Cohen's superb Joan of Arc. This CD really took my by surprise.

faux-lk.......2005-10-18

A cappela madrigals about the unfortunate demises of a variety of doomed peasents. The songs are full of strikingly poetic betrayal, murder, forboding dreams, ghosts, stabbing, hanging. Lines like "High above the wedding guests, he hung the ashes of her wedding dress" and "If he was fire, she must be wood" abound.

The ridiculous contrast between the sweet vocals and grotesque lyrics by itself is entertaining enough to justify buying this album.

Stellar Brit folk.......2005-08-08

I can't add much to the editorial review. This is maybe a surprise but a great folk album, in okay 'retro' style-- but so 'old' it's new again! They do remind of The Young Tradition (& just a bit of The Weavers), but in some
ways the vocals even better. And Harding's bonuses w. band do kinda channel Fairport Convention if with slightly modern twists too. And very nice to hear Nora O'Connor & Kelly Hogan singing a different repertoire.
Surprising, but very engaging project-- I hope they record again!

Average customer rating:

Bob Dylan at his Best
Plays on in Your Head Long After You've Turned off the CD Player
Live by No Man's Code
A Record that is Always New
A Little Country, But Still a Rocker

John Wesley Harding
Bob Dylan
Manufacturer: Sony Japan
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Bringing It All Back Home
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Blood on the Tracks
Blonde on Blonde
Oh Mercy

ASIN: B0002CHQXA
Release Date: 2004-08-23

Tracks:

John Wesley Harding
As I Went out One Morning
I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine
All Along the Watchtower
Ballad of Frankie Lee and Judas Priest
Drifter's Escape
Dear Landlord
I Am a Lonesome Hobo
I Pity the Poor Immigrant
Wicked Messenger
Down Along the Cover
I'll Be Your Baby Tonight

Album Description

Japanese pressing of the singer/songwriter's 1967 album, packaged in a limited edition miniature LP sleeve. CBS. 2004.

Album Details

Limited Edition Japanese LP-STYLE Sleeve Replicating the Original Album Release Artwork and Style.

Customer Reviews:

Bob Dylan at his Best.......2006-09-04

Plays on in Your Head Long After You've Turned off the CD Player.......2006-04-03

My older brother thinks this is the best Dylan album ever. Is it? I don't know. "Blood on the Track," "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.

Live by No Man's Code.......2006-04-03

A Record that is Always New.......2006-04-03

A Little Country, But Still a Rocker.......2006-04-03

Average customer rating:

Why I Write

Why We Fight
John Wesley Harding
Manufacturer: Drt
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0000CNY24
Release Date: 2004-03-30

Tracks:

Kill The Messenger
Ordinary Weekend
The Truth
Dead Centre Of Town
Into The Wind
Hitler's Tears
Get Back Down
Me Against Me
The Original Miss Jesus
Where The Bodies Are
Millionaire's Dream
Come Gather Round

Customer Reviews:

Why I Write.......2005-07-24

I can't believe no one has reviewed this yet. It's been out for years and years. Well, since nobody else has spoken up, I'll do it. If you like folk/rock/pop, you should pick this album up, especially if you are into good songwriting. The melodies are infectious and the lyrics are top notch. There isn't a bad song on the whole album, but there are a few that really stand out(at least for me, they do.) "Ordinary Weekend" is one of them. The lyrics to this song are like reading a really good novel. Except you get a catchy melody to go with it. "Me Against Me" is another incredible track. It has a great feeling-lonely-late-at-night vibe to it. There are plenty of other tracks I could go on and on about like, "Dead Centre of Town", "The Original Miss Jesus", "Where The Bodies Are", but if I get started I'll go on forever. Let me just say that JWH is such a good writer that I'm not surprised he wrote a book. To wrap this up, if you are a JWH fan and you don't have this, get it. If you are unfamiliar with the man, picture a cross between Bob Dylan and Elvis Costello and you'll have some idea of what you're in for. I hope this helps.

Average customer rating:

Punk sings Childe ballads, seaman songs, and other folk
This CD is better in its case than in the player
Mesmerizing
A real gem
A must for fans of Wes and/or trad. English folk music

Trad Arr Jones
John Wesley Harding
Manufacturer: Appleseed Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Rogue's Gallery: Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs, and Chanteys

ASIN: B000058TEC
Release Date: 2001-02-27

Tracks:

The Singer's Request
Little Musgrave
The Golden Glove
Annachie Gordon
The Flandyke Shore
William And Nancy's Parting
William Gleen
The Bonny Bunch Of Roses
Master Kilby
Annan Water
Isle Of France
Canadee-I-O (bonus track)
Billy, Don't You Weep for Me (bonus track)
Edward
The Humpback Whale

Amazon.com

Often compared to Elvis Costello, with whom he shares certain smoky vocal intonations, John Wesley Harding is working along the lines of another of his heroes, Bruce Springsteen. This collection, which puts one in mind of Springsteen's forays into acoustic music, features traditional folk songs recorded by the obscure but respected folksinger Nic Jones. (Jones withdrew from public performing following a 1982 car accident.) With little more than acoustic guitars and occasional accordion, Harding lights into ageless tales of unrequited love in which women are maidens and men are sailors forever lost at sea. Recorded over three days in a Seattle studio, Trad Arr Jones is a deceptively simple, powerfully immediate collection that casts its creator firmly in the troubadour tradition. --Rob O'Connor

Customer Reviews:

Punk sings Childe ballads, seaman songs, and other folk.......2006-03-23

Instant goose bumps. Think Elvis Costello or a young Graham Parker singing Childe ballads, seaman songs, English plainsong, and folk rounds with spare accompaniment (variously guitar, mandolin, accordion). Think punks singing their tattoos away at the end of a night of beery-good fellowship. Think Manchester street toughs finding grace and a way home to a world before machines, struggling wity heightened human feelings of yearning, frailty, heartbreak, and about death. Think a regular guy finding English folk in his blood, but no standard folk way to let it out.

Tracks 12-15 use a full electric band and are characteristic of his other work. But they work well here too. [73:18]

This CD is better in its case than in the player.......2003-05-02

A total waste of possible talent, this CD is just awful on so many levels. Wes is off-key in many of the songs, and his voice is unconvincing and irregular. In theory this album is a good idea, but the execution is so painful. I've really tried to get into this CD, but in the end, I taped it to the ceiling in my office, so nobody has to listen to it.

Mesmerizing.......2000-03-18

I have been a fan of Wes for years, but this album exceeded my expectations. These songs are incredible, giving credit to Nic Jones, and the interpretations are wonderful as well. Now I want to go get more of the original work of Nic Jones, if it weren't out of print.

Buy this album - you won't regret it.

A real gem.......2000-01-16

I first heard Litle Musgrave on KPFT, Houston Community Radio, on the way to work. So different, a wonderful story line, perfectly executed. I immediately ordered two copies of the CD, one for myself, one for my son-in-law as a Christmas present. The entire repertoire on this album is to the same high standard as Little Musgrave. This has been a wonderful introduction to the Nic Jones style and I shall be delving further into this type of music. Highly recommended!

A must for fans of Wes and/or trad. English folk music.......2000-01-09

This is an excellent collection of tunes. The arrangements are sparse(usually just guitar and vocal) but quite beautiful. The respect and love that Wes has for these songs and the underappreciated Nic Jones really comes through in the music.

The Collection, Vol. 4: Nashville Skyline/New Morning/John Wesley Harding

Average customer rating:

A Perfect Collection, Bob Dylan's Country Period -- Kind of
Three Records I Play All the Time
A Super Collection
Three Outstanding Countrified Records
Nashville Skyline the sole standout on this otherwise-lackluster compilation

The Collection, Vol. 4: Nashville Skyline/New Morning/John Wesley Harding
Bob Dylan
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Bringing It All Back Home
Modern Times (Deluxe Edition With Bonus DVD)

ASIN: B000AAIXSG
Release Date: 2005-08-30

Tracks:

Girl from the North Country - Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan
Nashville Skyline Rag
To Be Alone with You
I Threw It All Away
Peggy Day
Lay Lady Lay
One More Night
Tell Me That It Isn't True
Country Pie
Tonight I'll Be Staying Here with You

Tracks:

If Not for You
Day of the Locusts
Time Passes Slowly
Went to See the Gypsy
Winterlude
If Dogs Run Free
New Morning
Sign on the Window
One More Weekend
Man in Me
Three Angels
Father of Night

Tracks:

John Wesley Harding
As I Went Out One Morning
I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine
All Along the Watchtower
Ballad of Frankie Lee and Judas Priest
Drifter's Escape
Dear Landlord
I Am a Lonesome Hobo
I Pity the Poor Immigrant
Wicked Messenger
Down Along the Cove
I'll Be Your Baby Tonight

Customer Reviews:

A Perfect Collection, Bob Dylan's Country Period -- Kind of.......2006-04-02

My older brother thinks "John Wesley Harding" is the best Dylan album ever. Is it? I don't know. "Blood on the Track," "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.

Dylan goes country on "Nashville Skyline" and he does it well. This is a record far too short. Good songs here, but not enough of them. It seems like you've just put the CD in the player and it's over. But other than the fact that there isn't as much music here as on a normal Dylan CD, I have no complaints. Dylan is in fine voice here, sort of a country, high pitched twang that works very nicely. He tells these songs of love and loss with such sincerity, such honesty. But then he attacks everything he does that way, so it should be no surprise. This is just a wonderful, if a bit too short, record.

Some of the best lyrics of Bob Dylan's career are tucked away on "New Morning, a record that sadly hasn't been as popular as some of the rest of his music. Maybe because it's a bit spiritual with the gospel singers who sing background on some of the songs. Maybe it's because some of the songs really are spiritual and Dylan makes no attempt to hide it, like he did so successfully on "John Wesley Harding." Maybe it's because he has a bit of that "Nashville Skyline" country voice some people (I'm not one of them) didn't like. But none of those are reasons to give this record a pass. If you are one of those who gave it a listen one time or two years ago, please take my advice and give it a listen now, because I think you'll find that you've misjudged this record. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. It'll be like discovering a brand new Bob Dylan record.

Three Records I Play All the Time.......2006-04-02

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."

NASHVILLE SKYLINE is a nice record, good to put on when you want to relax with a glass of wine and a good book. I know that's not the usual way one would listen to a Dylan record, but this is not a usual Dylan record. "Nashville Skyline" is full of uplifting, twangy songs, plus it has the Dylan mega hit on it, "Lay, Lady Lay which has always been a favorite of mine. I also like "Peggy Day" an awful lot as well as the duet Dylan sings with Johnny Cash, "Girl From the North Country." That song is just sublime. "Tonight I'll be Staying Here With You," is another sublime song about the narrator's lost love that will pull a tear from the driest eye, if you're a sentimental girl like me anyway. Then there is "Tell Me that it isn't True" another song about lost love, well a love about to be lost anyway, as the narrator is asking his girl about another man. Yes this is, at least up to now, a totally new direction for Bob Dylan, but it's a direction I kind of like.

There are spiritual overtones on this NEW MORNING and that is fine with me. Bob Dylan has always worn his beliefs on his sleeve. He puts it all out there and if you don't like it, tough. Well, in this case I like this record just fine. Bluesy sometimes, jazzy sometimes and always with those Bob Dylan lyrics you can take at face value the way Dylan says you're supposed to, or you can read all kinds of things into his words. Did he mean this? Did he mean that? It seems Bob Dylan is like a chameleon, so many different things to so many different people, but that's also okay by me, because he has been making the best stuff to listen to on my record player and now my CD player for the last three decades.

A Super Collection.......2006-04-02

John Wesley Harding -- A Record that is Always New

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.

Nashville Skyline -- A Pure Joy to Listen to

I love the guitar work on this record, especially on "Nashville Skyline Rag" and "Country Pie." I love the country flavor, but then I've always been a fan of country music. I'm a huge Dolly Parton fan and I like George Jones too. So, liking Bob Dylan as much as I do and since my husband has him playing in our house an awful lot, this tends to be one of my favorites of his. True there are no protest songs here, not hard driving rock, no secret messages, no songs that you can interrupt in a number of ways. This is a very straightforward record with very straightforward music that is just a pure joy to listen to.

New Morning -- A Truly Fabulous Record

It's true he came from a small town in Minnesota, but Bob Dylan went on to conquer the world. He is the poet of more than one generation and some of his best stuff is on this records. "Went to See the Gypsy" and "Three Angels" are two of my favorites. The haunting "Ooo, Ooo, Ooo" (I don't know how else to describe them) vocals in the background of "If Dogs Run Free" are just chilling and they really set of the song which is my favorite song on the record. Of course, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention "If Not For You", which is done just wonderfully on this record. I like the way George Harrison does it as well. In fact I just got the Bangledesh Video for my birthday and Bob and George perform it on the extras part of the video. It's just a fabulous song, one of many on this fabulous record.

Three Outstanding Countrified Records.......2006-04-02

John Wesley Harding - A Little Country, But Still a Rocker

What a change for Bob Dylan. First he was a folk singer, than a hard rocker and now it seems he'd turned direction, going a bit country. However, don't make any mistake, just because he's got country musicians, this is still a rocker and it's one of my top five favorite Dylan records. "John Wesley Harding" is sort of a western ballad that will have you stamping your feet. "As I Went Out One Morning" is a country rocker with a message. So are many of the other songs on this record.

Nashville Skyline - What a Shocker

Wow, what a shocker this record must have been when it came out. The opening song, a reworking of the lovely "Girl from the North Country" is nothing like the original. Sung as a duet with Johnny Cash, this song, like the rest of the record, is pure out and out country. Country all the way. But that's not necessarily bad. Dylan is great when he does folk, he is great when he does rock and he is great when he does country. I really love the instrumental "Nashville Skyline Rag," which kind of reminds me a bit of "The Cough Song," from Bootleg fame. I play this record an awful lot, usually right after I play JWH, in fact I have those two records on the same playlist on my iPod along with "New Morning." These records, for me at least, are very uplifting. I know back then, maybe a lot of Dylan's fans didn't think so, but I bet they all appreciate them now. I know I sure do.

New Morning - It's Like Nashville Skyline married John Wesley Harding

For me this record seems like a blend of "Nashville Skyline" and "John Wesley Harding." That's probably the best way for me to describe it and the blend works well. The first few times I listened to it I had a hard time with the female back up singers, but I'm used to them now, hardly hear them. I think "Time Passes Slowly." It does pass slowly, then like Dylan says, "it fades away. But this record will never fade away for me. I just love it. If you get a chance go to see the Gypsy and get a copy of this CD, you won't be disappointed.

Nashville Skyline the sole standout on this otherwise-lackluster compilation.......2006-02-25

Flame me if you will, but neither John Wesley Harding nor New Morning ever did much for me. The former seemed to me like a dull load of overtly-religous messages with occasional great songs thrown in just for good measure, and the latter a dull attempt to capture the joy of the domestic life. Only Nashville Skyline stands out here, in my mind. Though it isn't Bob's album by several country miles, it's still good fun. So just pick up Nashville Skyline and Greatest Hits Volume II.

Music Review:

Music Review

Music Review

1. John Wesley Harding
2. As I Went Out One Morning
3. I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine
4. All Along The Watchtower
5. The Ballad Of Frankie Lee And Judas Priest
6. Drifter's Escape
7. Dear Landlord
8. I Am A Lonesome Hobo
9. I Pity The Poor Immigrant
10. The Wicked Messenger
11. Down Along The Cove
12. I'll Be Your Baby Tonight