Bob Dylan – John Wesley Harding

Numbered, limited-edition mono reissue

Limited to 3,000 copies

180-gram 2LP 45 RPM pressed at RTI

Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums No. 301/500

Leave it to Bob Dylan to follow three of the most pioneering electric-based albums in history by deviating from the norm and straying from expectation — but continuing to work in the mono format.

This restored mono version presents the 1967 album with finite details and in the original sound Dylan intended. Immediately notable for the slimmed-down instrumentation, brisk flow, and simple approach, the record continues to endure via a rustic, era-defying naturalism tied to the organic sounds and warm production swathing Dylan's acoustic guitar, mellow voice, breezy harmonica, and minor accompaniments. All these traits translate with incredible realism and lifelike air on this reissue, which also brings out the low end of Charlie McCoy's bass with previously unheard character.

Recorded around the same time as the sessions that yielded The Basement Tapes, John Wesley Harding came together after just three studio sessions and approximately 12 hours of time. While many specifics are shrouded in mystery, a majority of songs are tied to Biblical figures, ominous matters, and morality themes.