Gotta Serve Somebody: The Gospel Songs of Bob Dylan

Barnes & Noble

A little more than 20 years after Bob Dylan stunned the world by proclaiming himself a born-again Christian, his gospel legacy is given new life in a remarkable tribute. Dylan's importance to the world of gospel music can't be underestimated; to the faithful and even the casual Iistener, his songs from this period resonate as powerfully today as they did then, bringing to spiritual matters the same unwavering, astute eye that he brought to his songs of social commentary. (Indeed, Dylan earned his first-ever Grammy for "Gotta Serve Somebody" off 1979's Slow Train Coming). Here, an all-star cast of gospel greats performs 11 songs taken from Slow Train Coming and Saved. Shirley Caesar opens this collection with a powerful take on "Gotta Serve Somebody," her forceful delivery of its cautionary lyric all the more chilling in a new era of Middle East violence, war, and political and corporate corruption. As for declarations of faith, Dottie Peoples's "I Believe In You" soars to heavenly heights, her performance packing an emotional wallop. Dylan himself appears with Mavis Staples on "Gonna Change My Way of Thinking," a rowdy, raucous track with a barroom ambience and a hefty dose of humor as the two legends chat about reading "Snoozeweek" and eating chicken. Other artists participating include Aaron Neville, the Fairfield Four, Sounds of Blackness, and Helen Baylor, to name a few. As tributes go, this collection admirably honors and educates fans about Dylan's enduring contribution to the gospel music world, and is a must-have for any serious collector. Lisa Zhito

All Music Guide

The concept of a compilation of Bob Dylan's gospel songs is certainly an idea whose time has come. That this does not feature Dylan performing the original versions of these songs is yet another. Executive producer Jeffrey Gaskill assembled a wide-ranging assortment of the hottest talent in the gospel arena, both past and present, to perform the songs from Dylan's Slow Train Coming and Saved albums, and producer Rob Moss extracted phenomenal performances from Shirley Caesar, the Fairfield Four, the Sounds of Blackness, Rance Allen, the Chicago Mass Choir fronted by Regina McCrary (who sang backup for Dylan on the 1978 and 1979 tours when these recordings were originally done), the Mighty Clouds of Joy, Helen Baylor (with Billy Preston), Aaron Neville, Dottie Peoples, Lee Williams & the Spiritual QC's, and Mavis Staples and Dylan himself (performing a duet on a completely rewritten version of "Gonna Change My Way of Thinkin'"). In addition, a reunion of Dylan's touring band from the period, which included Tim Drummond, Jim Keltner, and Spooner Oldham, performs on "Solid Rock" with the Sounds of Blackness. All of this is interesting, of course, but listeners know that all-star tributes fall short more often than not. This is no tribute, however, but a showcase of Dylan as one of the great gospel songwriters -- albeit 25 years after the fact.

Caesar's version of the title track is a scorcher and would not have been out of place in a church pastored by James Cleveland. The Sounds of Blackness' "Solid Rock" does indeed rock -- it's funky, driving, and wrapped loosely around a minor-key trill and riff pulsing just ahead of the beat. Lee Williams & the Spiritual QC's' sweet, swinging read of "When You Gonna Wake Up" is smooth and haunting, like a more streetwise version of the Impressions, giving the groove in the tune a bluesier edge than the original. Peoples' "I Believe in You" could be a testimony in church, full of understated phrasing until she gets to the refrains when it breaks and the redemptive hope in the tune comes pouring from the center of her voice. The Fairfield Four's read of "Are You Ready" is standard fare for them, meaning, of course, that the performance is beautiful, stirring, and moving, but it is less recognizable as a Dylan tune than anything else here. Neville's "Saving Grace" suffers from his now overly sweet trademark manner of phrasing. Detroit's Rance Allen kicks it on "When He Returns." His baritone is reminiscent of C.L. Franklin's, and comes from the heart of the church. He understands this is a song of great hope and personal conviction. The slight quaver in his voice at the refrain reverses the track on itself; the listener can feel something of a universal connection to the grain in his voice that at least for Allen, and Dylan too, this is not relative, but absolute truth. The set closes with the Dylan/Staples duet. Performed by Dylan's own touring band, this is a house-burning blues, ripping in the dark, razor cut of Dylan's voice. Staples wanders in after about a minute, and after a pleasant and humorous exchange joins Dylan on the funkiest, most apocalyptic track on the set. This is raw, furious, scorching blues-funk. This is not an exercise in reverence but revelation, the roar of struggle and resolution, with the singers staring into the void and seeing the blackness and horror, retreating from the edges and the drunkenness of fear to the font of refuge. This fine collection warrants a complete reappraisal of the records these tracks came from, as well as Shot of Love and Infidels. Perhaps it also warrants a compilation of Dylan's own versions as well -- it would hardly be untimely since he continues to perform many if not all of these songs today. If you buy one gospel record in 2003, let this be it. Thom Jurek

Entertainment Weekly

This tribute lets us hear these spirituals the way their writer probably heard 'em in his head. (A-) Chris Willman