Bob Dylan - Saved
#256
by Jon Rosenberg
Bob Dylan
Saved
Genre: Jebus rock
Allen’s Rating: 2 out of 5
Jon’s Rating: 3 out of 5
Jon’s Highlights:
Saved
Solid Rock
Pressing On
Sometime around 1978, the former Robert Zimmerman cast off his yarmulke and became a Born-Again Christian. It was a career move that pissed off his fans even more than when he “went electric.” “Saved” is the second of three much-maligned Evangelical Christian gospel-rock albums Bob Dylan released between 1979 and 1981. For me, it’s the weakest of the three musically, but it probably contains his most authentic gospel music. The performances are heartfelt and you can feel his commitment to the Lord. Any other Jew from Minnesota might have felt like a gefilte fish out of water (or whatever that jellied shit is), but Bob jumped in head first, assembled a top-notch band of seasoned session players (Jim Keltner, Fred Tackett, Spooner Oldham & Tim Drummond) and three powerful backup singers (Clydie King, Regina Havis & Mona Lisa Young), and spread the good news to anybody who would listen. Though I guess he wasn’t technically Jewish at the time, Dylan isn’t the first Jew to write great Christian songs - Norman Greenbaum’s “Spirit in the Sky” and Irving Berlin’s “White Christmas” spring to mind. And there are a couple of great songs on this album. The title track and “Solid Rock” are real barn-burners, and “Pressing On” will have you doing cartwheels between the pews. Unfortunately, the rest of the material is a bit slow and dull in comparison. A friend of mine attended a Dylan concert during this time, and he told me the general reaction from the crowd was “What the fuck is this shit?!?!” Quite understandable when the audience was looking forward to hearing “Everybody must get stoned!” and instead they get a ten minute sermon about the End Times (Yes, Dylan really did preach from the stage at these shows). But, hey, that’s our Zimmy! Over the course of a career that’s lasted almost 60 (!) years, Dylan has had his ups and downs. He’s often been referred to as “mercurial.” You never know what you’re gonna get. And that’s part of the fun. By 1983, Dylan had given up on Christianity, returned to Judaism, and released “Infidels,” a near-masterpiece in my opinion. “Saved” is no masterpiece. It’s a decent album with some fine, listenable songs. If you can’t get past the religiosity, then don’t bother. There’s plenty of Satanic metal out there for ya – praise the Lord!
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