As i slowly get around to filling the gaps in my Bob Dylan collection, i can honestly say that i hadn't heard much about 'New Morning', certainly not enough to grab my attention and put it at the top of the list of one's to buy. That it doesn't carry the weight historically, of say, 'Highway 61', 'Blonde on Blonde' or 'Blood On The Tracks' can be the only reason that i've overlooked it, as there is nothing about 'New Morning' to suggest that it's anything other than a classic Dylan album. Released in 1970, it's an uncomplicated and concise collection, with no message just great songs, and this is where its strengths lay. 'If Not For You', 'Day Of The Locusts', 'The Man In Me' and joyous title track 'New Morning' are as good as anything Dylan has done before or after. Dylan is in pretty good voice throughout and the band bring a looseness which serve the songs well, and helps to give the impression that everyone was having a good time making it. Though it may stand in the shadows of what went before and what was to come, 'New Morning' surely deserves some time of its own in the spotlight.