A Bunch of Bob Dylan Albums Part 2 (John Wesley Harding/Nashville Skyline/New Morning)

Here's part 2 in a series of quick rundowns of the scattered Blob Dylan albums I own...



Bob Dylan: John Wesley Harding

1967

Columbia Records

Format I Own it on: Vinyl and Compact Disc

Track Listing: 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


It actually took me awhile to really get into this one...On first listen only the title track, "All Along the Watchtower," "I'll Be Your Baby Tonight" and "The Ballad of Frankie Lee and Judas Priest" really stood out...The whole thing is sparse, dry, grey and has this vague sense of impending biblical doom...Like the lyrics are etched in a slab of granite...Real sober stuff...But after listening to it for years I've discovered it's a mood that no other record in my collection has, so it's become a go-to album for certain weighty, overcast days...When you need a good, ambiguous moral lesson...Right around the point where you hit "Down Along the Cove" and "I'll Be Your Baby Tonight," there's almost an odd sense of relief, like you've finally emerged from the brimstone and hellfire and all the suffering is gone...Like he's suddenly just stumbled onto Side One of "Nashville Skyline"...Definitely a weird album but interesting as hell...




Bob Dylan: Nashville Skyline

1969

Columbia Records

Format I Own it on: Vinyl

Track Listing: 1. Girl from the North Country  2. Nashville Skyline Rag  3. To Be Alone with You  4. I Threw It All Away  5. Peggy Day  6. Lay Lady Lay   7. One More Night  8. Tell Me That it Isn't True  9. Country Pie  10. Tonight I'll Be Staying Here with You

I liked this album so much more than I thought I would... Dylan's voice suddenly changes into a sweet, croon and he does a gentle, slick, good-natured country-pop record...This contains the only successful Bob Dylan duet where he teams up with Johnny Cash for a re-recording of "Girl from the North Country"...When they stop trading verses and finally sing together there's a slight bit of stumbling but it's 75% smooth...Either Johnny was quick on his feet or Bob was taking it easy on Johnny...I'm almost thinking the latter (contrast this with ever other duet he's ever done ever)...Man, I hate those old fogey duet records, but I would loooooovve it if Bob suddenly did one. Can you imagine Bob tripping up Lady Gaga or Josh Groban? Anyway, "Nshville Skyline" is fluffy and slight (with a 27-minute track listing) but I'm saying these attributes are virtues in this context...I don't know if I could make it through 45-50 minutes of this style but 27 minutes is incredibly perfect and refreshing...This would be a great Bob Dylan album for folks who don't like Bob Dylan... "Tell Me That it Isn't True" kinda rules the universe...



Bob Dylan: New Morning

1970

Columbia Records

Format I Own it on: Vinyl and Compact Disc

Track Listing: 1. If Not for You   2. Day of the Locusts  3. Time Passes Slowly  4. Went to See the Gypsy  5. Winterlude  6. If Dogs Run Free  7. New Morning  8. Sign on the Window  9. One More Weekend  10. The Man in Me  11. Three Angels  12. Father of Night

Is it wrong that I rank this right up there with "Blonde on Blonde"? This record absolutely blows me away...I cannot even begin to understand why this album is considered minor Dylan...I consider this album to be Dylan's greatest vocal performance, where there's hints of the classic Dylan voice, the sweeter Nashville Skyline style and a new third variation that I can only describe as a sandblasted soul man...Listen to "Sign on the Window"...That part where he sings "That must be what it's all about..." is one of the best deliveries I've ever heard...The way his voice cracks and scrapes just punches you right in the friggin' beergut...I love the ultra-dry recording, all the mic popping, the stumbling pianos...The title track and "Day of the Locusts" are still my two favorite Dylan songs...There's a few filler-ish tracks ("Three Angels," "Went to See the Gypsy," "If Dogs Run Free") but honestly, even the filler is fascinating...

Alright...We'll pick this up later this week, with a batch of albums that I like significantly less than these ones...Oh, boy!