New Morning (1970)
1. If Not For You
2. Days 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
By the dawn of the new decade, it was becoming increasingly clear that Dylan’s best days, those brilliant years of the 1960s, were behind him. His output through the 1970s would occasionally dazzle with moments of brilliance, but the sustained genius that defined his first several albums had vanished. New Morning, while not a classic by any means, still holds its own within the broader spectrum of Dylan's career—there are enough bright spots to merit a warm, albeit cautious, approval.
The first thing that strikes you about this album is the stark contrast to its disastrous predecessor, Self Portrait. Where that album failed in cohesion and tone, New Morning offers a far more consistent feel, even if not every song reaches the heights of Dylan’s past work. The album is often pegged as part of Dylan’s “Country” phase, but calling it that seems a bit simplistic. Sure, it carries some similarities to John Wesley Harding, but that label doesn’t quite capture the varied musical landscapes the album traverses.
Tracks like the title song New Morning, If Not for You, and the charming One More Weekend all have a relaxed, acoustic charm. Dylan’s voice, weathered and gritty from years on the road, fits perfectly with the laid-back, almost nostalgic vibe of these songs. The album never loses its continuity, but it does shift effortlessly from one style to another. Winterlude has an unmistakable waltz feel, while One More Weekend recalls the wild spirit of Blonde on Blonde without sounding forced.
Yet, like any experiment, some pieces don’t quite hit the mark. If Dogs Run Free sounds more like a jazz-inspired spoken word piece than a song, and the final two tracks, Three Angels and Father of Night, feel like filler—small missteps that don’t quite measure up to the rest of the album’s subtle charm.
Still, New Morning was well-received and should have been. It’s clear that while Dylan’s "genius" may no longer be firing on all cylinders, he was still capable of producing meaningful work. Even as his most groundbreaking years faded into memory, Dylan’s ability to craft consistently good music endured.
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