Bob Dylan – God Knows Review

Those who even passively noted Shot of Love or Saved will know the link between Bob Dylan and God. It has affected every action in his career from the 1970s onward, and yet has not left too heavy an imprint. Those who are not guided by faith can still enjoy the sermon-like songs featured on Slow Train Coming. There is a rareness to an artist who can blur their deep-seated beliefs with a comfort or quality which exists independent of the higher power’s influence. God Knows is an example of that. A song which featured on Under the Red Sky, a bloated piece of work which shot down any chance of a return to form offered by Oh Mercy. But, as is the case for many underwhelming studio releases from Dylan, the problem is in the studio and production, not the writing. Hear out a live version of anything released between Slow Train Coming and Under the Red Sky, and you may be pleasantly surprised.  

God Knows takes on a whole new form just three years after its release. Dylan’s performance at The Roseland Ballroom in 1994 comes amid a vintage year for his touring. Just about any song performed at this point sounded excellent. His instrumental variations were crucial to this feeling. God Knows is a great example of it. Where Neil Young and Tom Petty were succeeding in evolving grunge or rock tones, Dylan stepped into a semi-improvised run of guitar rock classics. It suits him well and would be used, on and off, for a decade. God Knows is one of those early adaptations of the sound. Crucial to those who have binged the 1980s sets, the sound found here is very different. There’s still the crunch of strong lead guitar work, but the difference is clear. God Knows sounds better formed, a little tighter and stricter in how long a song can go. That’s a necessary change, and it makes all the difference for this Under the Red Sky adaptation.  

An instrumental break after Dylan delivers a few lines of hope and faith is excellent. A blowout where Dylan and the band can work together in deconstructing the song, in finding a new turn of instrumental focus for it. Thunderous lead and rhythm guitar work, backed by strong percussion, brings out a groovy best in God Knows. It’s a sound the song doesn’t have on the album. An overblown production is the problem there. What God Knows and The Roseland Ballroom 1994 highlights, more than anything, is just how solid a sound Dylan had on stage. Once he had that, he could adapt just about every song to his style, and did. Effective but forgettable lyrics open the song, and from there is a monumental instrumental riff which overwhelms the goodness of God, which Dylan had touched on in the early moments of the track.  

Changing it up to be a roaring, defiant performance is a great change which defies expectation. Some of the best parts of bootlegs from the 1990s are the songs where the studio versions are lacking. A performance of Dark Eyes, albeit with Patti Smith joining to give the song that extra spark, is just one of many examples. Under the Red Sky has translated well to the stage across the last three decades, and part of the why is found in what passing Dylan fans fear. Deconstruction of the song is crucial. It’s the inevitability of his set but also the reason people find themselves falling in love with the most unlikely of songs. God Knows is not a song many listeners are returning to, but this version may be the rendition which sparks a new appreciation for an understandably overlooked song.