Awrighty, well, it's been nearly five years since I stopped listening to Dylan's albums in succession. Not that I ever stopped listening to him, mind. Still do that plenty. But, I've not revisited the box set of CDs since 2018! Far freaken out! So, I decided to jump back in, me.
As a footnote to proceedings, in between these sessions Rhona and I watched Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese on the Netflicks. Although it played fast and loose with the truth, the live performances were quite captivating. I toyed the idea of doing a Dylan tribute concert from the era, but it didn't eventuate unfortunately. I did manage to get my hands on the double CD of The Bootleg Series Vol. 5: Bob Dylan Live 1975, The Rolling Thunder Revue though. Together with 1976's live album Hard Rain, it makes for a nice document of that tour. I came to dig some of the versions on those albums more than the studio recordings. I'd always loved the Hard Rain reworking of Maggie's Farm, but I really started loving the performances of A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall, The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll, One Too Many Mornings, Isis and I Shall Be Released (which featured Joan Baez on backing vocals). One wonders what the 14 disc set issued in 2019 contains...
But anyway, on with the albums!
21. BOB DYLAN AT BUDOKAN (1978) (18/1/23)
As is usual for a live Dylan album, a lot of the songs here vary significantly from their studio counterparts. There's reggae influenced takes on Don't Think Twice, It's All Right (arguably the album's low point) and Knockin' On Heaven's Door, along with full band arrangements of Mr Tambourine Man, Simple Twist of Fate, Shelter From the Storm and It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding). The performance of Maggie's Farm is different again from the Hard Rain version, which would have only been two years beforehand. Interestingly, the guitar riff used in this take of I Shall Be Released sounds remarkably similar to the main guitar line repeated throughout Not Dark Yet, from the excellent 1997 record Time Out Of Mind. I found most of it pretty easy to listen to, despite the ravaging it got from the critics at the time of release. Not one to look back, Dylan rarely performs his songs the same way, so I guess we're all a little more forgiving of this now. Well, some of us are. I know what to expect at a Dylan concert. Sometimes you won't recognise a song until the chorus! The clumsy intro of the album's closing track The Times They Are A-Changin' suggest that the band don't even really know how they're going to be playing any given song either.
22. SLOW TRAIN COMING (1979) (21/1/23)
I've hit the run of Dylan albums that I was dreading. They're possibly the reason I put off listening to the rest of the box set. Hmmm, maybe not that possibly. This album, and the following Saved and Shot of Love were released hot on the heels of Dylan's conversion to Christianity. In 1971, he made the pilgrimage to Jerusalem, and was seen at The Wailing Wall wearing a yarmulke. Dylan spouted that he was searching for his Jewish identity, but shortly afterwards he began studying at the Vineyard Christian Fellowship in California. To jump into gospel-tinged compositions that either celebrate God/Jesus, or share lessons from the Bible, must have been fairly alienating for an artist who had never really written faith-based music. And at that, not the faith he had been raised with. Having said that, the music is quite appealing, at least to my ears.
Recorded at Muscle Shoals studio in Alabama, and produced by Barry Beckett and Jerry Wexler, the production gives most of the tracks a funky groove. The prominent organ paired with the fabulous rhythm section of bassist Tim Drummond (Neil Young, CSNY, Eric Clapton) and drummer Pick Withers (Dire Straits) make for an enjoyable soundscape. A young fella named Mark Knopfler also plays some lead guitar on the record. Dylan had caught a Dire Straits concert and pretty much invited him to be part of his next album straightaway. Little did Knopfler know that it would be the first of three offerings of Christian rock! He would return to the Dylan fold again in the eighties, producing the Infidels album.
Kicking off with album highlight Gotta Serve Somebody, your ears are drawn to Beckett's keyboard as it permeates the plod of the drums and bass. I'd forgotten that the song came from this album, so it was a nice surprise on my first spin. One of my favourite lines from it is:
It just tickles me when Dylan is a little playful, and I love the idea of someone calling him 'Zimmy'. I'd name the title track as another highlight as well, although the official title is shortened to just Slow Train. The only cut that feels like a straight-out gospel song to me is the album closer When He Returns, which sees Dylan almost preaching to a lone piano backing. It doesn't feel overly religious to me, and the musicality makes up for any zealousness in the lyrics. While I was dubious about listening to these albums, I've come away from this one quite pleased. I've even given it a few spins!
23. SAVED (1980) (31/1/23)
Well, this one takes it up a notch, huh? The preachiness increases and the funk lessens. Although Beckett and Wexler return as producers, and the sessions are again at Muscle Shoals, there is a distinct shift in vibe. Tim Drummond remains on bass, but drummer Pick Withers has been replaced by session legend Jim Keltner. Gone are Beckett's funky keyboards as well, with Neil Young bandmate Spooner Oldham tackling the keys. The subject matter is much more biblical, with songs like Covenant Woman and In The Garden, which details Judas' betrayal of Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane. Kicking off with a snippet of country standard A Satisfied Mind, the album then launches into the borderline evangelical title track, co-written with Drummond. Yeah, nah. Not one I'll probably ever play again. It's nice that Dylan was happy with his deepening faith, and let's face it, artists are moved by what's relevant to them at the time of writing. But yeah, this isn't why I listen to music. The cover was altered in future editions to show Dylan performing live, rather than the religious illustration on the original.
24. SHOT OF LOVE (1981) (2/2/23)
I found this album much easier to listen to than Saved. Although there are still strong Christian themes in songs like Property of Jesus and the opening title track, but to my ears, it's a little more palatable. The producer is now Chuck Plotkin (Bruce Springsteen, The Cowsills) and the sessions were recorded at Rundown Studios in Santa Monica. As well as the differences in production, there are also several big names contributing to the album. Ringo Starr and Ronnie Wood play on album highlight Heart of Mine, and there are also appearances from keyboardist Benmont Tench (Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers) and guitarist Danny Kortchmar (Carole King, James Taylor, etc.). As such, there's more of a rock feel than an evangelical gospel one.
Keeping Jim Keltner on the drums, and Tim Drummond on the bass (although the role is shared with Donald 'Duck' Dunn), the last of Dylan's Christian albums trilogy is an intriguing listen, but not unpleasant. One track here I really like wasn't included on the original release (and subsequently, not included in the tracklisting artwork), and I was about to be a little dismayed. Thankfully when the CD player clicked over to track six and The Groom's Still Waiting at the Altar fired up, I was a happy man! It was just the B-side for the single release of Heart of Mine, but saw itself included on further pressings and releases of the album. Good thing too! I was only turned on to it via the Rolling Stone 100 Greatest Bob Dylan Songs online article from a few years back (No.90, if you're interested). Again there's lines about God in there, but its not preachy. I think that's the big difference here. The other well-known track is the album closer Every Grain of Sand, which came in at No.10 on that list I just mentioned. I don't think I'm as fond of it as some, but it's quite heartfelt and has a similar feel to Forever Young. Rather than giving advice though, he's looking at himself and how he sees God in everything on the planet. It's a nice way for Dylan to end the album, and with it, the Christian influenced period of his songwriting.
Onto the next few albums! Which will also include The Bootleg Series Vol. 16: Springtime in New York 1980-1985! That set features outtakes and alternative versions from Shot of Love, Infidels and Empire Burlesque. I need to listen to the latter two before cracking the package! Till next time.
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