General Information Artist: Bob Dylan Album: John Wesley Harding Format: Vinyl LP Release Year: 1968 Label: Columbia Records Catalog #: CS 9604 Edition: First Edition (Stereo) Description This is an original 1968 US stereo pressing of Bob Dylan's eighth studio album, John Wesley Harding. The record is factory sealed in its original shrink wrap. The front cover features the Columbia Stereo 360 Sound logo at the top center and the catalog number CS 9604 in the top left corner. The jacket also lists the mono catalog number CL 2804, which was standard for Columbia releases during the transition period between mono and stereo. This edition features the iconic black and white cover photography by John Berg. Condition The album is Factory Sealed and remains in its original shrink wrap. The seal is tight with original factory breath holes visible. There is some minor shelf wear consistent with age, including slight bumping and rubbing on the corners (notably the bottom left and right). There is a very small tear in the shrink wrap at the top right corner, but the jacket remains well-protected. Overall, a beautiful, well-preserved archival copy. Notes for collectors John Wesley Harding marked Bob Dylan's significant return to a stripped-down, acoustic sound following his 1966 motorcycle accident and the dense, electric textures of Blonde on Blonde. Recorded in Nashville in just three brief sessions totaling less than 12 hours, the album is celebrated for its lean arrangements and mythic, biblical lyricism. This release is famous for containing the original version of All Along the Watchtower, later immortalized by Jimi Hendrix. A point of fascination for collectors is the cover art: for decades, fans have claimed that the faces of The Beatles are hidden upside down in the knots of the tree behind Dylan. Photographer John Berg later confirmed that while not intentional, the shapes are indeed visible. The album title itself contains a curious misspelling of the Texas outlaw John Wesley Hardin, to which Dylan added a g for reasons never fully explained. Finding an original 360 Sound stereo pressing in factory-sealed condition is increasingly difficult, making this a premier piece for any Dylan discography. Matrix/labels As this item is factory sealed, the matrix numbers and label variations cannot be visually verified. However, the jacket indicators (CS 9604 catalog number and the 360 Sound Stereo branding) identify this as a first-era 1968 pressing.