General Information Artist: Bob Dylan Title: John Wesley Harding Label: Columbia Catalog number: KCS 9604 Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Stereo Year: 1970 Country: USA Edition: 2nd pressing Genre: Folk Rock / Country Rock Description Released following a period of reclusion after his 1966 motorcycle accident, John Wesley Harding signaled a dramatic shift in Bob Dylan's musical direction. Moving away from the dense, surrealist "thin wild mercury sound" of his electric trilogy, Dylan embraced a stripped-back, acoustic-driven style infused with biblical imagery and country influences. Recorded in Nashville in just three sessions with bassist Charlie McCoy and drummer Kenny Buttrey, the album features "All Along the Watchtower"—a track that would become legendary both through Dylan's performance and Jimi Hendrix's subsequent cover. The cover photo, taken by John Berg, features Dylan flanked by two Bengali musicians, Purna Das and Laxman Das, along with local carpenter Charlie Joy. Condition Vinyl: Presumed MINT (unplayed) Cover: Factory-sealed, never opened Notes for collectors This is a rare opportunity to own a factory-sealed copy of a classic Columbia stereo pressing. This particular copy carries the KCS 9604 catalog number; while the album was originally released with the CS prefix in late 1967, Columbia shifted to the KCS prefix in 1970 for pricing tier adjustments. The integrity of the original "shrink-wrap" is well-preserved, featuring a vintage double-price sticker from The Wherehouse, a famous defunct California-based record store chain, showing an original price of $4.25. For a collector, a sealed "Dead-stock" copy like this ensures the vinyl has never been exposed to dust, fingerprints, or needle wear. Matrix/Labels Matrix: Presumed "XSM 118945 / XSM 118946" (Internal matrix numbers typical for this pressing; specific stamper numbers are hidden by the seal) Manufacturer: Columbia Records / CBS, Inc. Markings: "Columbia" and "Walking Eye" logo on the front and back corners.