Trouble No More: The Bootleg Series Vol.13 / 1979-1983

Well, well, well, the Bobster has gone and done it again, he has re-visited one of the most reviled periods of his career (as he did with Vol 10) and shown us that perhaps the criticism that was meted out back in the late '70's and early 80's was undeserved. This of course is the period when he announced that he was a born again Christian and the three albums he produced over this period, Slow Train Coming, Saved and Shot of Love, reflected that conversion. Now because of the criticism I had avoided these albums, I remember as a young rock fan new to the delights of rock music, Sounds giving Saved a one star review and that stuck with me for many years. When this collection was announced a couple of months ago I thought 'WHAT!!!???!!', but then I remembered what had happened with Vol 10 of this excellent series when he revisited his Self Portrait, New Morning period that also came in for great criticism and that volume made so many have to re-think their criticism. Would this have the same effect? Now I'm not a follower of any organised religion, I don't attend church (or chapel here in Wales) except for the odd wedding or funeral, but although I'm not religious that does not mean I do not appreciate many great artistic works that are influenced by religion. I enjoy listening to Handel's Messiah and Bach's Mass in B Minor, I appreciate the beauty of many great paintings that are influenced by religious themes and I enjoy the odd bit of gospel music and this is what we have here, some excellent gospel music sung by Bob Dylan and performed by one of his best touring bands. I've seen Bob Dylan live on a few occasions and let's face he can be a pretty sloppy performer at times, his vocal delivery in particular can grate and give the impression he doesn't care. One of the things that stands out on this particular set of recordings is the passion in his vocal delivery, it's clear he's loving performing these songs, they really are coming from the heart. Added to that the backing band are top notch with five backing singers and two keyboard players to give it that real gospel feel, they really do deliver, the version of Shot of Love in this set is delivered with such passion I nearly did a Jake Blues and flip flopped down the kitchen and hallway with joy and shout Hallelujah!!, nearly but not quite. We also get the opportunity to hear how Dylan is constantly re-working his music, a few of the songs on this set are repeated to show how they evolved over a short space of time. Compare the version of Slow Train that opens disc 1 with the version from two years later that opens disc 2. The first version is closer to the studio version, whilst the later version there is more chugging feel from the backing band, both are wonderful to listen to and go to show why when he's on form Dylan can be such a mesmerising, but at times frustrating, live performer. I have of course gone for the cheap 2 disc version, my pockets are not deep enough to afford the all singing box set, but as with with Vol 10 this has been a really pleasant surprise, and I'm quite taken with it. It won't be to everyone's taste, some may find the religious message in the songs is still too much, all I would say to those people is give this a chance, so much of the criticism that was aimed at this period was down to the shock of Dylan's conversion. Time is a healer and now we can approach these songs with a far more open mind that perhaps we could 38 years ago. Check it out there really are some delights here.

This Dylan period 1979-1981 is possibly one of the most contentious and controversial of Dylan's career when he found Jesus and in the process alienated much of his fanbase. As a long time 'dylan ' fan AND a christian, this era shouldn't have been a problem, but while I applauded Bob's courage in putting his faith in the public arena, musically, I couldn't really warm to these albums, when compared against previous classics such as 'Street Legal,' Blood on the tracks' and 'Desire' although there were some potential classic songs in 'precious angel' and 'Every Grain of sand.' Hearing these songs live made me realise that it wasn't the songs, it was the sometimes sterile sound of the 'gospel' studio albums. Bob has one of the best bands of his career (possibly rivalling 'The band' and 'Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.') with Fred Tackett on guitar, Jim Keltner on drums and Tim Drummond on bass, with a quartet of female gospel style backing vocalists and piano and organ, it really kicks these songs into new life, and conveys the passion and commitment of Dylan's faith and his music in a way which the studio albums never could. Two versions of 'slow Train COMING, both very different as they evolve on stage over the 2 year period. Also far superior versions of Every grain.... Shot of love, saving Grace as well as 3 previously unreleased tracks of top quality. So, whatever your state of faith, there is much great music to be found in this excellent live document.

Great cd set , ( purchased as USED) covering a time in Dylan's journey when he converted to Christianity , I'm a fan of his Christian stuff so I quite enjoyed listening to these recordings. Cds and small book/booklet came in perfect condition , no problem with playback of the CDs , BUT sadly the top edge of the slipcase was quite badly damaged , but I'm okay with that considering the price . So it's 4/5 for the condition of the slipcase , but would be a 5 for the CDs and booklet and delivery . My personal fave album by Dylan is John Wesley Harding .

This volume of the bootleg series is culled from his gospel trilogy, Slow Train Coming, Saved and Shot of Love. Like almost everyone else, I was not terribly impressed with this trio when they were released. I thought they were patchy, but as with all Dylan records, they contained some stunning songs. I still think Every Grain of Sand can stand with Like a Rolling Stone. When this set was announced I was disappointed as I wanted a Blood on the Tracks or Street Legal bootleg series. I didn't order it at first but waited to stream it (legally) after its release. When I streamed it I was fairly mesmerized by the music. Maybe enough time has passed for me to re-evaluate the songs or maybe it's the live setting, but I consider essential listening for Dylan fans. The band is very tight, the rhythm section of Jim Keltner and Tim Drummond provide a rock-solid unpinning. Dylan's voice is powerful, some of the best singing I've heard from him.

I have been committed intellectually, spiritually emotionally and in view of the very large collection of vinyl, CD, DVD and books not to mention visits to concerts financially to Bob Dylan for many years. This set worried me. I was never all that enamoured with this part of his catalogue despite loving some of it and though I have bought all of the De Luxe versions of the Bootleg Series to date I decided that this one was too much both in volume and expense. Instead I bought this excellent 2 CD version and then downloaded another 20 songs which included studio outtakes and other songs not on this set. This has given me two superb sets of passionately delivered and brilliantly performed music at less than half the cost of the whole megillah. I am delighted with what I have. I look forward to the next instalment which I suspect will cost me more!

The previous Bootleg editions have been largely alternative versions and unreleased songs. What we have here (2 disc) are live versions from the period 1979-1981 of songs from Slow Train Coming, Saved and Shot of Love (with a few extras), known to some as Bob's Christian period. His conversion apparently started when someone threw a silver cross onstage one night and Bob (unusually) noticed it and picked it up. Whatever your thoughts about the subject matter, the songs on here are great, with a superb band and backing singers. But best of all, you get a fully (fervently?) committed Bob Dylan, driving the songs and band as if his life depended on it... To paraphrase him (from Chronicles) 'the best versions of my songs are never on studio albums, they're when I'm out there on the boards somewhere' - I can see what he means with this collection.

I have all his studio records and all the official bootlegs and a couple of live shows. Even then, this record is worth having, with good sound and interesting versions of his songs, performed 1979-81. As always his catalogue keeps giving out great music. Now let’s have less Sinatra and more Dylan!

As with all Dylan live recordings, things can be a bit hit and miss. As a fan we just accept that. To that end disc 2 works better for me than disc 1, but others I am sure will disagree. Either way, this is a great double-live album from the brilliant Bootleg seg series.

I had the privilege to see Dylan perform during this tour, in 1981 towards the end, after he had returned his "hits" and secular songs to the set list. At the time I owned only two Dylan albums, Blood on the Tracks and Before the Flood, and I was marginally aware of his Christian conversion. What I saw was a dynamic show, full of energy for both the new songs (none of which I recognized) and the old chestnuts. I didn't hear a Christian gospel show. I have a clear memory of an incendiary Like A Rolling Stone. You should download this track from the Deluxe Edition just to hear it performed with gospel backup singers. Later in life when I returned to my Christian faith, I purchased Dylan's Christian albums because mainstream Christian praise and worship music just didn't interest me. They are my favorite Christian rock albums. When I heard plans to release performances from this period, I was elated. But I opted for the two disc set and plan to download select cuts from the Deluxe Edition. I'll skip the analysis of this period of Dylan's career. You'll find well-written essays in the booklet that accompany this set, and you can make up your own mind. The performances on this set are a revelation. Dylan sings with a conviction and emotional depth that is sometimes lacking from his other live recorded performances. The band is tight and delivers great grooves and amazing solos when needed. The back-up singers are brilliant and the piano and organ are amazing. The recording quality is equally amazing. The levels are clear and even. At times it sounds like a live in the studio performance. It's that good. I do notice a slight difference in mix between tracks of different origin, but it is slight. Some reviewers here may review the content rather than the performances. That is a mistake. One of the essays in the booklet is written by an avowed atheist and Dylan devotee who writes about his second thoughts concerning the music from this period of Dylan's career and his regret that he skipped seeing Dylan perform these songs live. You should not make the same mistake, and listen to this. Dylan has made a career of confronting what you believe, especially about yourself. Don't miss this.

Para quem gosta de Bob Dylan

Trouble No More rende giustizia al gosplel di dylan. L'album Saved a mio parere ha una timbrica troppo di chiesa, simile a quella di un predicatore davanti ai fedeli, dove però ci sono dei brani che sono vere e proprie perle. In questo live si sente un dylan sereno, felice che si diverte a suonare e pieno di energia. Anche se qualche traccia è un po' rovinata, il sound è molto bello, pur trattandosi di brani a sfondo religioso che possono essere condivisi o meno.

大学1年の1981年、発売と同時期に「ショット・オブ・ラブ」を買い、そこからさかのぼって「スロー・トレイン・カミング」と「セイヴド」を買った。 キリスト教への改宗で歌詞はピンとこなかったがサウンドはとてもイカスと思った。 「スロー・トレイン・カミング」は当時たしか日本でも売れたと思うが「セイヴド」と「ショット・オブ・ラブ」は黙殺に近い扱いだったように思う。 ブートレグ・シリーズは最初からすべて買ってきているが、この1979年～1981年のライブは昔から聴きたいと願っていたものだ。 それがほんとに現実に。 ゴスペル色が強いのかと思っていたが、いやあ王道ロックです。 良い曲が揃っている、演奏は完璧、ディランの声もよく出ている、コーラスの黒人女性たちも素晴らしい。 いうことなしです。 当時のライブは過去のヒット曲を封印したらしいがこのCDもその通り。 この時代の曲が好きでない人はちょっと辛いかも。 当時西新宿の安アパートで聴きまくっていたのと、友達にこの時代のレコード最高だぜ、ディランって今でもかっこいいよって吹聴していたのを思い出した。 かってにざまあみろです。 聴いていて涙もん、よくこれ出してくれました、感謝です。

Bob Dylan gehört zu den wichtigsten Musikern und Komponisten seit den Sechzigern. Als er 1979 - 1981 3 Alben mit selbst komponierten christlichen Songs veröffentlichte und damit Zeugnis ablegte von seiner Hinwendung zum Glauben an Jesus Christus, schockte er viele seiner Fans. Ich habe mich riesig gefreut, dass im Rahmen der Bootleg Serien endlich ein Live-Album mit diesen christlichen Songs veröffentlicht wurde, Dieses Album ist - trotz toller Live-Alben wie "Before the Flood", "Live 1975" - m.E. das stärkste Live Album von Bob Dylan. Live kommen die Lieder so stark rüber. Es zeigt sich auch, dass die Begleitmusiker erstklassig sind. Hervorheben möchte ich auch das sehr schön aufgemachte und überaus informative Booklet.