New Morning by Bob Dylan

New Morning, Bob Dylan's 11th studio album, came out on Columbia in October 1970, a mere four months after the divisive Self Portrait, and it sounded like a man clearing his throat and remembering who he was. Bob Johnston produced it, and the big news was the voice: the familiar nasal Dylan was back after the country croon he'd adopted since John Wesley Harding.

The record is shorter, sunnier and tighter than its predecessor, still rooted in the country and rural feel he'd been exploring, with "If Not for You" and "The Man in Me" among its keepers. Fans and critics warmed to it right away. It went gold fast, reached number 7 in the States and gave him his last UK number one album until 2009, while "If Not for You" went on to become a hit for Olivia Newton-John and was also cut by George Harrison.

Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.