{$Bob Dylan} returned from exile with {^John Wesley Harding}, a quiet, {\country}-tinged album that split dramatically from his previous three. A calm, reflective album, {^John Wesley Harding} strips away all of the wilder tendencies of {$Dylan}'s {\rock} albums -- even the then-unreleased {^Basement Tapes} he made the previous year -- but it isn't a return to his {\folk} roots. If anything, the album is his first serious foray into {\country}, but only a handful of songs, such as {&"I'll Be Your Baby Tonight,"} are straight {\country} songs. Instead, {^John Wesley Harding} is informed by the rustic sound of {\country}, as well as many rural myths, with seemingly simple songs like {&"All Along the Watchtower,"} {&"I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine,"} and {&"The Wicked Messenger"} revealing several layers of meaning with repeated plays. Although the lyrics are somewhat enigmatic, the music is simple, direct, and melodic, providing a touchstone for the {\country-rock} revolution that swept through {\rock} in the late '60s. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide