"No reason to get excited,"
The thief, he kindly spoke
"There are many here among us
Who feel that life is but a joke
But you and I, we've been through that,
And this is not our fate
So let us not talk falsely now,
The hour is getting late"
1. John Wesley Harding (2:58)
2. As I Went Out One Morning (2:49)
3. I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine (3:53)
4. All Along The Watchtower (2:31)
5. The Ballad of Frankie Lee and Judas Priest (5:35)
6. Drifter's Escape (2:52)
7. Dear Landlord (3:16)
8. I Am A Lonesome Hobo (3:19)
9. I Pity the Poor Immigrant (4:12)
10. The Wicked Messenger (2:02)
11. Down Along the Cove (2:23)
12. I'll Be Your Baby Tonight (2:34)
Review: Following the trilogy of Bringing It All Back Home, Highway 61 Revisited and Blonde on Blonde, which contained many of Bob's most well known, complex, and adored songs he ever wrote, Bob retreated from public view to record his follow up a year later. Following a famous motorcycle crash (and the recording of The Basement Tapes with The Band, which wouldn't be officially released until 1975), Bob recorded John Wesley Harding in Nashville, Tennessee.
The result could not be more different from his prior albums. Bob once again put his electric guitar to rest, along with any gimmicks such as the siren on 'Highway 61' or the salvation army brass on 'Rainy Day Women.' Gone was the absurdism and surrealism as heard on fan favorite tracks like 'Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again' 'Subterranean Homesick Blues' and 'Desolation Row.' All this is replaced by a set of 12 musically basic songs played by Bob, his rhythm guitar, a persistent harmonica, and the most basic drums and bass. 10 of the 12 songs consist of three verses with no chorus ('The Ballad of Frankie Lee and Judas Priest' and 'I'll Be Your Baby Tonight' are the exceptions). 9 of the 12 songs clock in at around 3 minutes or less, with only 'I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine,' 'The Ballad of Frankie Lee and Judas Priest,' and 'I Pity the Poor Immigrant' exceeding this number by a minute or two. There is a distinct lack of guitar flourishes or solos of any length.
All this is to say that John Wesley Harding does not seem like it would be a success. These are not protest songs a la 'Blowin in the Wind' and 'The Times.' So what is this stuff? Basic three verse song structures, countryish-folkish rock with Biblical themes often sounding like parables or fables. The aforementioned harmonica leading the sound during intros and between verses. 'All Along the Watchtower' of course is the most famous song here, thanks to Jimi Hendrix' blistering hard rock take on it. Bob certainly respected that cut, as can be heard in his myriad live versions of the song. In fact many of these songs have since gotten the full rock band treatment, notably 'Drifter's Escape,' 'The Wicked Messenger,' and 'As I Went Out One Morning' (the latter for one magical take in 1974, at least). Others have stayed truer to the album cuts, such as 'Dear Landlord,' 'St. Augustine' and 'Frankie Lee and Judas Priest.' 'I'll Be Your Baby Tonight' has also become something of a fan favorite, somewhat surprising given its straight ahead saccharine sweetness.
Back to the album proper. Its a fine listen, if a bit simple for the man who gave us 'It's Alright Ma' and 'Like A Rolling Stone' just 2 years earlier. In this way the album is a sign of things to come for Bob - when you think he's settled down, he changes up his style once again. My only real complaint about the sound is that the harmonica can be grating. He could have left it off a few of the tracks in my opinion and let the band add some fills. The melodies are pleasant. The lyrics are dense but not as immediately gripping as those on Bringing it All Back Home et al. Aside from the aforementioned 'Watchtower' and 'I'll Be Your Baby,' the other songs that make a definite impression are 'Drifter's Escape' and 'St. Augustine.' The song construction itself is repetitive - 'Frankie Lee' makes an impression because it exceeds the 3 verse limit on the rest of the songs by about 15 verses. 'I'll Be Your Baby' is exciting because it contains a bridge in addition to the verses. The rest of the songs, while not bad, are predictable to a fault after a couple listens. But still, this is Bob near the top of his powers. The lyrics and melodies are strong enough to make for a very solid album, which sounds even better considering Bob's next several releases.
Rating: 7 / 10 ******* / **********
Best 3 song run: As I Went Out One Morning - I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine - All Along The Watchtower
Song most likely to skip: I Am A Lonesome Hobo (dishonorable mention: I Pity The Poor Immigrant)
Song Tiers:
A: All Along The Watchtower
A-: I'll Be Your Baby Tonight
B: As I Went Out One Morning, I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine, The Ballad of Frankie Lee and Judas Priest, Drifter's Escape, The Wicked Messenger
B-: Dear Landlord, John Wesley Harding
C: Down Along the Cove, I Am A Lonesome Hobo, I Pity the Poor Immigrant
