Review:

on 2009-07-06 Rahgwood Said:

Bob Dylan is so adored by so many people that him singing as an evangelical Christian is a bit of a difficult thing. Something Bob Dylan has struggled against his whole career is his fan base feeling as if he is theirs. It results in everybody getting pissed off at him when he does his own thing. It's like a formula for his life. It's interesting the controversy he creates around this. Bob Dylan's Christian phase, as it is dubbed, is regarded with scorn by those who have never listened to these albums, but are offended by his conversion. How often have my hipster friends talked trash and made bad jokes about Bob Dylan's period as a born again, only to watch the movie Walk The Line, or put on a Paul Robeson record. They never complain about Sufjan Stevens Christian songs. They don't have any problems with Mahalia Jackson. They don't get up in arms over overt references to God in the national anthem. But for some reason the fact that Bob Dylan believed something different from them for a few years evokes there deepest ire. This translates into a 'the album must be bad' response. Now, Saved is not a perfect album. It has its problems, such as the uninspired version of Satisfied Mind, the sometimes cheesy tones of the instruments like the bass in What Can I Do For You, the inability for Dylan to work his voice to the fullest with Solid Rock, or the cliches and general simplicity that abounds in the lyrics (something quite dismaying by Bob Dylan standards) despite some wonderful lyrics in the verses of Pressing On and What Can I Do For You. The saving grace of the album, interestingly enough, is that the music is solid and evocative. The album has great gospel inspired songs like Saved, Pressing On and In The Garden, which really bring out the joy of faith and the elevatory experience of spirituality. The album is filled with excellent organ work and inspirational guitar. Bob Dylan doesn't even get all full of sin, hell fire and end of days talk as in Slow Train. Yet still, people freak out and get in Youtube message fights over the fact that Bob Dylan is singing about Jesus Christ. It's ironic that a man who just wanted everybody to get along and love each other caused so much fighting. But it's not His fault, it's ours. For those of us who don't believe and loathe on Christianity, we should ask ourselves why? If the reason is because they are preachy and single-minded, then WE should try not to be like that. For those of us who do believe, we should be praying for those who disagree with us or insult us for our faith to be forgiven instead of responding with ire and wrath. Both sides need to be a little more meek in spirit, and humble in word and deed.
Rating: 7/10