Dylan
rushed out
New Morning
in the wake of the commercial and critical disaster
Self Portrait
, and the difference between the two albums suggests that its legendary failed predecessor was intentionally flawed.
expands on the laid-back
country-rock
of
John Wesley Harding
and
Nashville Skyline
by adding a more pronounced
rock & roll
edge. While there are only a couple of genuine classics on the record (
"If Not for You,"
"One More Weekend"
), the overall quality is quite high, and many of the songs explore idiosyncratic routes
had previously left untouched, whether it's the jazzy experiments of
"Sign on the Window"
"Winterlude,"
the rambling
spoken word
piece
"If Dogs Run Free"
or the
Elvis
parable
"Went to See the Gypsy."
Such offbeat songs make
a charming, endearing record. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine