Bob Dylan, John Wesley Harding shoot-out: which is the best version? The answers may surprise you! 

Thanks for this survey. ‘John Wesley Harding’ is my favorite album of all time, and I think your review does it justice. I am a HUGE fan of the Sony Dylan mono box and feel the ‘JWH’ is a highlight. (I should say I’m not an audiophile and use a simple little Onkyo bookshelf CD player these days.) Your experience with the vinyl release was like mine: I owned various releases and all of them were decent, but none was spectacular. One of Bob’s sparest, simplest analog recordings really found a home in the digital world. Thanks again. (BTW, thanks also for the Bruno Walter box review - it’s really a gem!)

Hello. The old Columbia (CK 9604) is a remix. The SACD (CK 90320) is remastered from the original mix. That's why they sound different. At the time Dylan wanted to make a lo-fi album, remember that JWH is the antithesis of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. My favourite way to listen to it is on SACD (CK 90320). It is true that the old Columbia sounds 'better'. Although 'better' is not a word I would use for listening to JWH (IMHO)