As discussed in a pervious blog on Dylan's discography, 1980's Saved is considered by many to be Bob Dylan's worst album. A weeks back Muse-Zach acquired the infamous album and gave it a thoughtful and neutral minded spin (I actually listened to the album all the way through at least 4 times). The conclusion? Well, actually it was well liked. Now it is important now to give my Dylan album background. I am a Dylan fan but I would not say I'm a super serious disciple (yet), I love a number of Dylan's songs but have mostly enjoyed Bob through Greatest Hits packages. The only Dylan albums I've heared in their entirety are: Saved, Modern Times (many plays), and Together Through Life (once). So is it Dylans worst album, I cant actually say as I've only listend to three of them, but I will say it is a good album and here's why:
From start to finish, Saved takes you on the a gospel journey exporing the mindset, attitute, and vigor behind the "born again" philosophy. In the opening song, an often covered piece by Red Hayes and Jack Rhodes, Dylan lets his audience know that the world's riches, power, and fame (all things Dylan himself has acquired during his legendary career) do not bring a life of happiness, but a satisfied mind does. But how does one acquired a satisfied mind u ask, Dylan will spend the remainder of the album aquiatting it to accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and savior; evident further by the following track being the evanguletically upbeat "Saved". From here it's a Dylan penned check list for New Worshipper 101. Reborn, saved, Bob makes a covenant with the lord on "Covenant Woman" (he compares it to a beatuiful and trusting woman), ask the Lord "What can I do for You", discusses what the Lord did for him in "Solid Rock", turns from temptation in "Pressing On", preaches the gospel of Jesus' crucific in "In the Garden", preaches Jeusus' love in "Saving Grace", and finally ends the album fittingly by proclaiming the second Jesus' soon return in "Are you Ready". Realizing this straight forward and very familiar Christian presentation, many critics and fans have panned the album as routine songwriting, lacking the poetic mastery, imaginative storytelling, and social commentary that made his previous albums (especially the early ones) amazing works of genious. While this comparison may hold some water, I trully feel it is unfair to compare and contrast Dylan's previous work when deciding the merits of a peticular album. You can't condem the album for what isn't there, you should only judge it on what is there. In that light, most of the lyrics are not particularly interesting or compelling (same ole Christain BS), but what makes the songs, and the album, enjoyable for multiple listens (to an atheist of all people) is the conviction in Bob's voice. The passion and the drive of these songs is fantastic, Bob is in a fever and you can really feel the fire of his vocal delivery. I may not believe this shit, but god-dammit at the time Dylan did, and he sings with true gospel conviction. I can enjoy that, especially when his band catches wind behind him and the those lovely back up singers make the entire experience feel like a rocking southern Sunday moring worship. Dylan's conviction, Dylan's passion, Dylan's delivery (his hard hum in the opeing track is fucking amazing), and Dylan's band make this album great, despite presenting a message and in your face Christian themes I obviously disagree with. If Bob Dylan, Elvis, Willie Nelson, or Johnny Cash want to sing gospel, we should all still be on ears.
So, now that we've heard my rambling review of the album, you may be asking yourself; why did critics and fans hate this album so much.The answer is actually really simple, it's a Bob Dylan Christan album, but more importanly it's Dylan's second Christian album. For Dylan's first Christian album, 1979's Slow Train Coming caught fans and critics off gurad in it's Christian philosophy, but many were curious and skeptical enough to accept and decently praise the album; "Gotta Serve Somebody" is now considered a Dylan classic. The following year when Saved was released, the public was outspokening against Dylan's new direction and new religon. Some of the criticism and backlash certainly wasnt Dylan's fault (though he certainly should have seen it coming), but in other ways he undoubtedly egged on his retractors.
So why were Dylan fans so against Bob's new found love of Christianity? To answer this question you need to know a little about Dylan's fans. Bob reached fame in the 60's penning wonderful folk songs protesting the war and commenting on the changing world around him. Folkies, songwriters, and college students became Dylan's demographic; many of whom would fill the newly arriving jobs as rock magazines like Rolling Stone got started, and newspapers began having album reviews in them. Music critics loved Bob's early records, and Bob also won over many eary rock fans when he picked up an electric guitar (the folkies eventually forgave him). While many of the these fans (and critics) are proably Christian, they certainly are not "born again" evangelical Christians, and seeing their hero, prophet, turn to a more conservative, right wing religon, was unappealing. Let's be honest, Dylan fans are more likely to be Democratic in mindset, and evangelist are more likely to be republican in mindset, easy to see why there would be some tension than. Instead of singing of social change, plight, or the horrors of war, now everything was just Jesus. In a way it's ironic that the 80s, considered by many to be the Reagan-Conservative decad backlash answer to the liberal demanding 60s, was when Dylan also had his most drastic change. The hippies and liberals had failed in their mission and worldview, in the empty years following flower power, drugs, and protest many found promise in big buisness and God.
As I stated earlier, it is in many ways unfair to lambast Dylan the way many critics did has his new found religion and direction (they certainly said cruel things far out of the scope of the album they were reviewing), but Dylan came on so strong with his Christianity it was sadly unavoidable. Just before Slow Train Coming was released and after the Jesus vision and recruitment by Vineyark Ministries, Dylan's faith began to leak out in small doses. In concert he began mentioning Jesus and the end of days, (he read that retarded Hal Lindsey book The Late Great Planet Earth ) and added Biblical themed lyrics to "Tangled Up in Blue". In interviews, he began giving quick hard answers more and more often referecing God and Satan. Fans were dishearted and skeptical about these actions, and the album, but it wasnt until new tour that fans became really angry. Bob didnt just mention his convictions, he preached them, and to alienate fans further, he stopped playing the secular hits that birthed and sustained his career. He now played only songs invoking the power and love of Jesus Christ; Jesus Christ. A fourteen-night stand at San Francisco’s Warfield Theater brought horrid reviews from both local papers, as well as numerous wide circulating reports of fans booing and heckling Dylan before retreating in droves during the concerts midway break each night. Dylan, years later, denied the instances saying they were heavily exaggerated.
A year of this evangelising on tour and in interviews came to a head with the release of Saved. Fans who were once so eager and asking for Bob to make opinions to stand on that soapbox, were now angerily pushing him off of it. Critics spared no nail crucificing the album and freely attacking their once enamored hero (most reviews of the album even today say little of the music and instead comment on Dylan's poor choice into Christian music). The album debuted on the Billboard Charts at a low #24 and quickly fell off completely; while Slow Train Coming reached platinum status and earned Dylan a Grammy, Saved, released only a year later, has yet to even reach Gold certification and is one of the hardest to find Dylan albums.
If your going to sell somthing, whether it's music or peanuts, you have to know your audience. Creativity may lead you astray from what your audience desires, and while challenging them can be worthwhile experience and greatly rewardin to both the artist and the audience, if you stray too far, and continue to stray away from those who built your fortunes and proclaimed you name as one of the greats, you may find that license, that artistic freedom, has been limitedl; or revoted.
So thats a hap hazard look at Saved, a much hated Dylan album that can be enjoyed if you step away from the message and the themes (unless you actually are a wing nut Born Again Christian); time has given us that vantage point. Following Saved, Dylan's released his third and final Christian album 1981's Shot of Love. Also despised by critics at the time, though somwhat forgiven in recent years, Shot of Love contains secular numbers along with the Christian. While touring in support of it, Dylan also returned to playing his most famous secular tunes; thank God.
P.S. I really hate the original cover to this album. Despite what Dylan purist might say, I personally feel the changed reissued cover (Dylan had abandoned the born again mantra by this point) is far superior.
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