Once you give in to the charming quality of Bob Dylan’s religiously inclined material, there’s no heading back. You don’t need to be a believer to be an enjoyer of songs like Gotta Serve Somebody. A move towards God, a chance to separate himself from preceding, populist material, whatever you want to call it, it’s a notable period in Dylan’s career and well-bootlegged at that. Most of his career is, thankfully. Saenger Performing Arts Centre, November 1981 is a fantastic route into this material not just because the hits are all in place but because the instrumental changes which roared through on Live at Budokan are adapted further. So much changed over the four years between the Japan-based show and this Saenger Performing Arts Centre gig. This is not just a release worth listening to for the dedicated fan, but the passing listener, those who may want to know more about the religious trilogy, can learn plenty from this bootleg.
An excellent quality rip is the core of that. Opener Gotta Serve Somebody sounds magnificent, and from there, the hallmarks of Dylan’s instrumental strengths in the early ‘80s can be heard. I Believe in You has the spoken-word style, the staggered vocals paired with some overwhelming percussion and a keyboard which adds that gospel-like flair. That’s a crucial instrument for the Saenger Performing Arts Centre performance, and also for the overall tone Dylan would take in performances during his Slow Train Coming to Shot of Love period. These are the latter stages of that time and it’s well documented by the Trouble No More compilation. Worth a listen if Saenger Performing Arts Centre has tickled some interest in the interpretations of faith Dylan offered up around this time. It’s always a thrill to hear a song like Man Gave Names to All the Animals, a song which is far from Dylan’s best work, but has such a sincerity to it that it’s hard to dislike.
Those staggered vocals and gospel notations are affecting the rest of the tracks too, not just the spiritually inclined. Songs like I Want You and Forever Young take on different meaning, not deeper, but certainly offering up fresh perspectives from Dylan. Even Like a Rolling Stone is stripped back, given those same percussion and keyboard details of the gospel treats from Slow Train Coming. It works wonderfully. A groovy lead guitar and a delicacy to those instrumentals, as though it’s about to cave in under the weight of the message Dylan wrote over a decade before this performance. But it’s held together by that ongoing sincerity found in Dylan’s work, be it in the studio or on stage. He is searching for new meanings by changing up the style, the form, and the instrumental focus.
What it means for the Saenger Performing Arts Centre performance is some exceptionally interesting takes on classic songs. Ballad of a Thin Man, Girl from the North Country and Simple Twist of Fate are exceptional. A second set, too, features the likes of Just Like a Woman and Blowin’ in the Wind with the context of Shot of Love, at the time a contemporary release for Dylan, at play. It’s a nicely balanced set which hears those religious fixations on Thief on the Cross and In the Garden but also shines a light on classics which any audience member would be delighted to hear. It Ain’t Me Babe and Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door close out a remarkable set, but the real highlight is I Want You. Not only is it a sensationally upbeat time but the sincerity which comes through Dylan’s performance is infectious.
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