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Trouble In Mind: Bob Dylan’s Gospel Years - What Really Happened
When I get involved in something, I get totally involved. I don’t just play around on the fringes.’ – Bob Dylan
In 1979 there was… trouble in mind, and trouble in store for the ever-iconoclastic Dylan. But unlike in 1965-66, the artifactal afterglow – three albums in three years, Slow Train Coming, Saved and Shot of Love – barely reflected the explosion of faith and inspiration. One has to look elsewhere, and in Trouble In Mind, Clinton Heylin has; connecting the dots on the man’s gospel years by drawing on a wealth of new information, newly-found recordings and new interviews. His primary goal? To make the case for a wholesale re-evaluation of the music Bob Dylan produced in these inspiring times.
In 1979 there was… trouble in mind, and trouble in store for the ever-iconoclastic Dylan. But unlike in 1965-66, the artifactal afterglow – three albums in three years, Slow Train Coming, Saved and Shot of Love – barely reflected the explosion of faith and inspiration. One has to look elsewhere, and in Trouble In Mind, Clinton Heylin has; connecting the dots on the man’s gospel years by drawing on a wealth of new information, newly-found recordings and new interviews. His primary goal? To make the case for a wholesale re-evaluation of the music Bob Dylan produced in these inspiring times.
- GenresMusicBiographyNonfiction
336 pages, Paperback
Published November 1, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
November 13, 2017
Solid recounting of Bob Dylan's gospel recording sessions, albums and associated tours, and of primary interest to those wanting to learn more about that period stretching roughly from 1979-81.
Heylin has an engaging writing style, a bit marred by a tendency for the cute turn of phrase and the occasional lapse into Dylan super-fan minutia. The Kindle edition weirdly is formatted so that page turns are from right to left, rather than the English-standard left to right, lending to confusion if the reader forgets which way s/he is reading.
Do we learn anything new about Bob Dylan, his so-called conversion, or why, after 2 1/2 years, he more or less abandoned the religious songs and on-stage evangelism he had promoted so vehemently? Maybe a little. From the perspective of an outside observer, relying mainly on the public record, Heylin paints a portrait of an artist as a confused and whimsical man, apparently becoming involved with the Vineyard Christian Fellowship Church thanks to a romantic relationship, and dropping the relationship with the church when the more personal relationship cooled. Interestingly, Heylin points out that many of Dylan's songs, and more pointedly, his bizarre "gospel raps" to the audience during the gospel era, borrow equally from Hal Lindsey's potboiler "The Late, Great Planet Earth" and the Bible.
Bottom line: if you like reading about Bob Dylan, you'll likely enjoy the book.
Heylin has an engaging writing style, a bit marred by a tendency for the cute turn of phrase and the occasional lapse into Dylan super-fan minutia. The Kindle edition weirdly is formatted so that page turns are from right to left, rather than the English-standard left to right, lending to confusion if the reader forgets which way s/he is reading.
Do we learn anything new about Bob Dylan, his so-called conversion, or why, after 2 1/2 years, he more or less abandoned the religious songs and on-stage evangelism he had promoted so vehemently? Maybe a little. From the perspective of an outside observer, relying mainly on the public record, Heylin paints a portrait of an artist as a confused and whimsical man, apparently becoming involved with the Vineyard Christian Fellowship Church thanks to a romantic relationship, and dropping the relationship with the church when the more personal relationship cooled. Interestingly, Heylin points out that many of Dylan's songs, and more pointedly, his bizarre "gospel raps" to the audience during the gospel era, borrow equally from Hal Lindsey's potboiler "The Late, Great Planet Earth" and the Bible.
Bottom line: if you like reading about Bob Dylan, you'll likely enjoy the book.
January 16, 2018
If you buy this book looking for a definitive treatment of Dylan's "Gospel Years" -- and for a book to spend 336 pages on Dylan circa 79-81 it's not an unreasonable expectation -- you will be sorely disappointed. On the other hand, if you want a companion reference for Dylan's recently released "Trouble No More," Volume 13 of the Bootleg Series covering the same period, this does quite nicely. In fact, Heylin provides the reader with several extended quotes of Dylan's between-song banter that have been studiously scrubbed from the "bootleg" recordings. One senses that Dylan has come to terms with the music he played during that period, but that doesn't mean he wants people to hear his rather embarrassing embrace of Hal Lindsey "Late Great Planet Earth" end times nonsense. I mean, do you want people looking at the crap you scribbled in notebooks when you were in college?
On a whole, 'Trouble in Mind" provides an imbalanced consideration of this polarizing era. Compare Heylin's thin discussion regarding the impetus for Dylan's rather abrupt and puzzling embrace of Christianity -- cherchez la femme -- with his rather exhaustive rundown of Dylan's set lists during an extended series of concerts in San Francisco. This imbalance can probably be attributed to the information available to and of interest to Heylin. His command of Dylan's recorded legacy -- studio and concert -- is unsurpassed. His access to people who knew Dylan during this time and could comment meaningfully on what was going on with Dylan seems lacking.
If you are a Dylan obsessive, you have probably already this book, so why bother reading my review. If you have burned yourself out on the various phases of Dylan's career up to 1979 and have heard some buzz that his Christian is not as bad as people make it out to be, this book provides some much needed context to that rather odd and unique period of Dylan's career.
On a whole, 'Trouble in Mind" provides an imbalanced consideration of this polarizing era. Compare Heylin's thin discussion regarding the impetus for Dylan's rather abrupt and puzzling embrace of Christianity -- cherchez la femme -- with his rather exhaustive rundown of Dylan's set lists during an extended series of concerts in San Francisco. This imbalance can probably be attributed to the information available to and of interest to Heylin. His command of Dylan's recorded legacy -- studio and concert -- is unsurpassed. His access to people who knew Dylan during this time and could comment meaningfully on what was going on with Dylan seems lacking.
If you are a Dylan obsessive, you have probably already this book, so why bother reading my review. If you have burned yourself out on the various phases of Dylan's career up to 1979 and have heard some buzz that his Christian is not as bad as people make it out to be, this book provides some much needed context to that rather odd and unique period of Dylan's career.
May 28, 2019
It is said (in some circles) that the gospel is as simple for a child to understand and as deep and mysterious for the wisest theologian to spend a lifetime in and never touch bottom. In some ways, Dylan’s “gospel period” is like an inversion of this analogy: Dylan himself, always the complex oracle, the truth-seeker, the iconoclast, the imp, the prophet, along with his body of work, is deep enough to swim around in for perhaps a lifetime– yet the born-again period is fairly simple and easy to compute: he was seeking far and wide, under every rock, until he struck a foundation, until he discovered the “solid rock” itself.
As Heylin begins Trouble in Mind with a “caveat emptor” as a believer in Dylan’s gospel period, I’ll start my review with my own: Dylan’s musical cannon in many ways tilled the soil of my own heart nearly twenty years ago. As someone who was obsessed with Dylan late in my college years and profoundly through grad school, when I began exploring the gospel years I was intrigued. Dylan was, after all, someone whom I trusted almost implicitly. From my first (real) exposure through Blood on the Tracks and then my regress through his early work through Nashville Skyline and then back out to Desire, Street Legal, and finally… a big finally, to the magisterial Oh Mercy, I was a believer. Here was someone whose art seemed to be in service of the capital T truth. Nuanced, yes; vague and mysterious, of course; but It was there. There was something happening but I didn’t know what it was! It was then not insignificant knowing that Dylan believed, that I began, or was rather pulled into, my own exploration of faith. But that, of course, is a different story.
Heylin’s book is a fascinating chronicle of this epoch in Dylan’s life and work, complete with interviews not only of Dylan but of those around him, excerpts from the “raps” where Dylan had the gift of proselytizing gab, essentially preaching mini-sermons to an often, but not always and not for long, befuddled crowd. These raps provide a lot of insight into Dylan’s thinking at the time, and Heylin does a fantastic job of charting Bob’s theological leanings (at the time) to their probable sources.
The book moves somewhat deftly through the period in chronological order, covering in sometimes frustrating detail the troubled births of the three siblings of the so-called gospel albums, Slow Train Coming, Saved, and Shot of Love (Heylin spends a grueling 40 pages on the long, painful labor of Shot of Love, which the reader may feel a tangible relief when it is over, much like Dylan and his band probably felt). But the most exciting parts are without a doubt when Dylan takes this traveling Bible circus on the road, going into juicy details of the fans’ reactions, but even more so the media’s reaction, especially of the initial ’79 and ’80 runs where Dylan was only playing the Jesus songs and most vociferous in his sermons from the stage.
By the way, if you pick up this book, it is recommended– no, required– that you also buy, beg, borrow, or steal the 2017 release of Trouble No More: The Bootleg Series Vol. 13. The studio albums alone will give you much less than half the story, and to appreciate just how great this overlooked, ignored, or forgotten period is, you have to hear for yourself some of these blazing numbers come to life en vivo.
This is a seminal book for Dylanites far and wide, old and young, enchanted or just plain curious. The gospel of Dylan is simple enough: you gotta serve somebody; and yet we may spend a lifetime in beautiful fear and trembling figuring out just what that means.
As Heylin begins Trouble in Mind with a “caveat emptor” as a believer in Dylan’s gospel period, I’ll start my review with my own: Dylan’s musical cannon in many ways tilled the soil of my own heart nearly twenty years ago. As someone who was obsessed with Dylan late in my college years and profoundly through grad school, when I began exploring the gospel years I was intrigued. Dylan was, after all, someone whom I trusted almost implicitly. From my first (real) exposure through Blood on the Tracks and then my regress through his early work through Nashville Skyline and then back out to Desire, Street Legal, and finally… a big finally, to the magisterial Oh Mercy, I was a believer. Here was someone whose art seemed to be in service of the capital T truth. Nuanced, yes; vague and mysterious, of course; but It was there. There was something happening but I didn’t know what it was! It was then not insignificant knowing that Dylan believed, that I began, or was rather pulled into, my own exploration of faith. But that, of course, is a different story.
Heylin’s book is a fascinating chronicle of this epoch in Dylan’s life and work, complete with interviews not only of Dylan but of those around him, excerpts from the “raps” where Dylan had the gift of proselytizing gab, essentially preaching mini-sermons to an often, but not always and not for long, befuddled crowd. These raps provide a lot of insight into Dylan’s thinking at the time, and Heylin does a fantastic job of charting Bob’s theological leanings (at the time) to their probable sources.
The book moves somewhat deftly through the period in chronological order, covering in sometimes frustrating detail the troubled births of the three siblings of the so-called gospel albums, Slow Train Coming, Saved, and Shot of Love (Heylin spends a grueling 40 pages on the long, painful labor of Shot of Love, which the reader may feel a tangible relief when it is over, much like Dylan and his band probably felt). But the most exciting parts are without a doubt when Dylan takes this traveling Bible circus on the road, going into juicy details of the fans’ reactions, but even more so the media’s reaction, especially of the initial ’79 and ’80 runs where Dylan was only playing the Jesus songs and most vociferous in his sermons from the stage.
By the way, if you pick up this book, it is recommended– no, required– that you also buy, beg, borrow, or steal the 2017 release of Trouble No More: The Bootleg Series Vol. 13. The studio albums alone will give you much less than half the story, and to appreciate just how great this overlooked, ignored, or forgotten period is, you have to hear for yourself some of these blazing numbers come to life en vivo.
This is a seminal book for Dylanites far and wide, old and young, enchanted or just plain curious. The gospel of Dylan is simple enough: you gotta serve somebody; and yet we may spend a lifetime in beautiful fear and trembling figuring out just what that means.
November 21, 2017
The author writes that this book is very much about Dylan’s own response to both his newfound religious beliefs and the reaction it engendered by a cynical media. It serves as an excellent companion to Dylan’s recently released eight-disc edition of Trouble No More: The Gospel Years (The Bootleg Series Vol. 13). I enjoyed listening to the 102 songs on the box set as I read this book.
I had only been a Dylan fan for only a few years, and not yet a Christian, when Slow Training Coming was released in 1979. Dylan would follow that album with the poorly recorded Saved in 1979 and Shot of Love in 1981, in what has become known as his controversial “Gospel Period”. I saw two of the Midwest shows on his 1981 tour.
The author provides a detailed look at this fascinating period, detailing these three recordings, and the many songs other songs that Dylan wrote and recorded, many of which have just now been released. He also provides a very interesting look at Dylan in concert, from the early shows in which he only performed his new Christian songs, and none of his older songs.
So, what really happened? The author states that Dylan, through the ministry of the Vineyard, accepted Christ as his Savior, and was baptized. He then attended an intense three-and-a-half-month course studying about the life of Jesus and principles of the faith. Hal Lindsey’s best-selling book Satan is Alive and Well on Planet Earth seems to have been a significant influential part of Dylan’s discipleship. This was a particularly prolific time of songwriting for Dylan.
The author tells us that the reaction from the fans and critics on the first night in San Francisco, when he played only his Christian songs, would set the tone for six months of shows and define the likely critical reception when Slow Train Coming’s follow-up album, Saved, was released the following June. For that album, for the first time in his career, Dylan planned to go straight from the road to studio. Although the album had some very good songs on it, the official release was poorly recorded, with little of the passion the songs had in concert. It was also a critical and commercial failure, and included cover art that Dylan’s label wasn’t happy with. The cover art was later replaced.
During this time, Dylan would often offer mini-sermons, or “raps” as the author refers to them. Many of them had to do with the end times. Later, Dylan would begin to do some of his older songs. It is not described why he made the change to begin including his older songs.
The author spends a good deal of time on the recording of the Shot of Love. Again, Dylan had several good songs, but the officially released album was a disappointment, not including “Caribbean Wind”, a song he had spent a lot of time on. The author calls the album an “atrocity”, and indicates that Dylan would often show up three hours late to the recording studio, keeping everyone waiting. On both Saved and Shot of Love, Dylan would frustrate his producers with the way he approached recording an album.
Dylan’s “Gospel Period” would end with a concert in November 1981, with him indicating that he had no plans to tour again until 1984.
The book contains a helpful appendix that details a chronology of concerts and recordings, and one that contains some alternate “raps” (mini sermons) delivered in concert.
Dylan fans who would like to know more about his Gospel period, and those who buy the new Bootleg Series project will enjoy this book.
I had only been a Dylan fan for only a few years, and not yet a Christian, when Slow Training Coming was released in 1979. Dylan would follow that album with the poorly recorded Saved in 1979 and Shot of Love in 1981, in what has become known as his controversial “Gospel Period”. I saw two of the Midwest shows on his 1981 tour.
The author provides a detailed look at this fascinating period, detailing these three recordings, and the many songs other songs that Dylan wrote and recorded, many of which have just now been released. He also provides a very interesting look at Dylan in concert, from the early shows in which he only performed his new Christian songs, and none of his older songs.
So, what really happened? The author states that Dylan, through the ministry of the Vineyard, accepted Christ as his Savior, and was baptized. He then attended an intense three-and-a-half-month course studying about the life of Jesus and principles of the faith. Hal Lindsey’s best-selling book Satan is Alive and Well on Planet Earth seems to have been a significant influential part of Dylan’s discipleship. This was a particularly prolific time of songwriting for Dylan.
The author tells us that the reaction from the fans and critics on the first night in San Francisco, when he played only his Christian songs, would set the tone for six months of shows and define the likely critical reception when Slow Train Coming’s follow-up album, Saved, was released the following June. For that album, for the first time in his career, Dylan planned to go straight from the road to studio. Although the album had some very good songs on it, the official release was poorly recorded, with little of the passion the songs had in concert. It was also a critical and commercial failure, and included cover art that Dylan’s label wasn’t happy with. The cover art was later replaced.
During this time, Dylan would often offer mini-sermons, or “raps” as the author refers to them. Many of them had to do with the end times. Later, Dylan would begin to do some of his older songs. It is not described why he made the change to begin including his older songs.
The author spends a good deal of time on the recording of the Shot of Love. Again, Dylan had several good songs, but the officially released album was a disappointment, not including “Caribbean Wind”, a song he had spent a lot of time on. The author calls the album an “atrocity”, and indicates that Dylan would often show up three hours late to the recording studio, keeping everyone waiting. On both Saved and Shot of Love, Dylan would frustrate his producers with the way he approached recording an album.
Dylan’s “Gospel Period” would end with a concert in November 1981, with him indicating that he had no plans to tour again until 1984.
The book contains a helpful appendix that details a chronology of concerts and recordings, and one that contains some alternate “raps” (mini sermons) delivered in concert.
Dylan fans who would like to know more about his Gospel period, and those who buy the new Bootleg Series project will enjoy this book.
January 14, 2018
I read this book at the same time as listening to the newly-released Trouble No More, Bootleg Series, Vol. 13. Great combination, detailing specifics of Dylan's turn to Christ and his "Gospel Albums" & tours between 1979 - 1981. When I first heard that Bob Dylan--the 60s revolutionary folkie & rock 'n roller--had come to Christ and was naming Jesus' name, it was hard to believe. I rushed out and bought "Slow Train Coming" and was blown away...and have been ever since with Dylan's work, both pre & post-conversion. It stands the test of time.
March 28, 2018
I'm always interested in Bob Dylan. I've found his work, and working methods inspiring. He's a masterful songwriter, a good memoirist, and the 20th century's outstanding performance artist. That being said, this is a book for fans (perhaps as in fanatics,) and scholars. I mean, does the general public care about "what really happened," during Dylan's conversion years? I doubt it. And, that being said, Clinton Heylin is a perceptive chronicler and critic of Dylan's life and times, and a good writer to boot.
Good gossip - but not too much; a great look at Dylan's creative process; a critique of the critics; and an interesting slice of rock & roll history, albeit a narrowly defined one.
Good gossip - but not too much; a great look at Dylan's creative process; a critique of the critics; and an interesting slice of rock & roll history, albeit a narrowly defined one.
March 12, 2018
This was a book I could not put down. It is compelling reading for anyone interested in Bob's 'gospel years'. It makes a good companion to the recently released "Trouble No More" Bootleg series cd set. The author was able to talk to quite a few of the musicians that worked with Dylan on those albums and tours, and paints a very vivid picture of what it was like to be in the studio and on stage during these spiritually intense times. I don't agree with Heylin's assessment of the Shot of Love album, but I enjoyed the way he takes the reader through those sessions, day by day, week by week.
September 7, 2024
Review Title: Saved!?
Here is an indepth and offbeat look at Bob Dylan's "gospel period" from 1979 to 1981 when he recorded three consecutive albums of gospel songs/hymns: Slow Train Coming, Saved, and Shot of Love. Clinton Heylin is a well-known rock music historian and biographer, including previous books about Dylan such as Bob Dylan: The Recording Sessions, 1960-1994), so he is a knowledgeable and trustworthy narrator. I came to Trouble in MInd by a reference to it in Why Bob Dylan Matters, a scholarly analysis of Dylan that referenced Trouble in MInd as a forthcoming book proving the continued relevance of Dylan.
Duing this period, Dylan selected musicians to record and tour the gospel albums based on their skill and fit in the band, not their religious beliefs or practice (p. 59). With Slow Train Coming in record stores and most of a second gospel album's worth of songs written but not yet recorded, Dylan sent on stage in San Francisco October 31, 1979 determined to sing only his new gospel songs, none of his hundreds of previous songs. Critics, unaware of the decision, were mostly stunned and wrote negative reviews (p. 75-77). Ticket buyers for the opening show, also unaware, were reportedly subdued in their response and applaus, some booing and walking out.
Many then and since questioned whether Dylan's Christian conversion was sincere. While Dylan is famously reluctant to talk about the genesis of any of his songs, including his gospel songs, as the two week residency in San Francisco continued and the crowds became more accepting as they learned what to expect (and as secondary market sales went increasingly to Christians ready to hear the new Dylan in person), Dylan began to provide longer and more spiritual improvised introductions to the songs. As Heylin documents from his interviews and research, band members, others close to Dylan, and those in the audiences had no doubt about his sincerity, and he concludes: "At no point did Dylan ever renounce the views he expressed between 1979 and 1981--he just modified them, shaped by the weft and warp of fate and circumstance in life and life only." (p. 281) Even after "moving past" the gospel period, Dylan continued to sing those songs in concert, and his songs written since still include numerous biblical references and spiritual insights.
And there is no reason to question his theology, even as audiences in other cities (Tempe, Arizona was particularly harsh, writes Heylin) and venues booed and called for Dylan's past catalog. In his lyrics, his between-song patter, and a telephone interview taped by a local radio show in Tucson (p. 110-113), Dylan spoke a consistent born-again evangelical faith, heavily influenced by his discipleship with Vineyard Ministries in Los Angeles, his reading of the KIng James Bible, and his reading of the best-selling prophecy writer Hal Lindsey. When the Tucson interviewer said atheists were picketing his shows there because they were "anti-religion", Dylan responded: "Christ is no religion. We're not talking about religion. . . . Religion is another form of bondage which man invents to get himself to God. But that's why Christ came. Christ didn't preach religion. He preached the truth, the way, and the life."
As the tour moved eastward through the rest of 1979 and the first three months of 1980, the band and Dylan sharpened their performances and fans and critics both began to take notice that Dylan sounded as good as he had in years. The as yet unrecorded songs were particularly strong audience favorites and encores. So Dylan and producer Jerry Wexler decided to go straight to into Alabama's Muscle Shoals studios and put Saved, the second gospel-period album, on tape. According to Heylin the results came up far short of the live performances (p. 127-131), which piques my interest to hear the later "Bootleg" series release of the gospel material. Heylin's history of the recording of Shot of Love tells a similar story of multiple takes, rewritten song lyrics and rhythms, and changing album song lists that suggests the best takes and songs didn't make it on the official release.
Three quibbles about the book:
--It doesn't include an index, which would be helpful for looking up names and song titles
--Heylin sometimes makes too-deep references to inside arguments he has with other archivists that most readers won't know or care about.
--Heylin writes in a cryptic style with callouts and callbacks to Dylan lyrics, but it settles in and fits with the subject matter.
But he has researched and documented his subject thoroughly through interviews (both personal and referenced) with a list of the interviews conducted and consulted at the back of the book, along with a chronology of the recording sessions (with song titles) and concerts during the period (p. 285-298).
As a fellow Christian who has also been a long-time Dylan fan (Planet Waves was the first record I ever bought), I have enjoyed the music and message of many of the songs of the period, and "Every Grain of Sand" is a song that will be played at my funeral. Trouble in Mind will be valuable time spent for Dylan fans and those curious about his gospel period.
Here is an indepth and offbeat look at Bob Dylan's "gospel period" from 1979 to 1981 when he recorded three consecutive albums of gospel songs/hymns: Slow Train Coming, Saved, and Shot of Love. Clinton Heylin is a well-known rock music historian and biographer, including previous books about Dylan such as Bob Dylan: The Recording Sessions, 1960-1994), so he is a knowledgeable and trustworthy narrator. I came to Trouble in MInd by a reference to it in Why Bob Dylan Matters, a scholarly analysis of Dylan that referenced Trouble in MInd as a forthcoming book proving the continued relevance of Dylan.
Duing this period, Dylan selected musicians to record and tour the gospel albums based on their skill and fit in the band, not their religious beliefs or practice (p. 59). With Slow Train Coming in record stores and most of a second gospel album's worth of songs written but not yet recorded, Dylan sent on stage in San Francisco October 31, 1979 determined to sing only his new gospel songs, none of his hundreds of previous songs. Critics, unaware of the decision, were mostly stunned and wrote negative reviews (p. 75-77). Ticket buyers for the opening show, also unaware, were reportedly subdued in their response and applaus, some booing and walking out.
Many then and since questioned whether Dylan's Christian conversion was sincere. While Dylan is famously reluctant to talk about the genesis of any of his songs, including his gospel songs, as the two week residency in San Francisco continued and the crowds became more accepting as they learned what to expect (and as secondary market sales went increasingly to Christians ready to hear the new Dylan in person), Dylan began to provide longer and more spiritual improvised introductions to the songs. As Heylin documents from his interviews and research, band members, others close to Dylan, and those in the audiences had no doubt about his sincerity, and he concludes: "At no point did Dylan ever renounce the views he expressed between 1979 and 1981--he just modified them, shaped by the weft and warp of fate and circumstance in life and life only." (p. 281) Even after "moving past" the gospel period, Dylan continued to sing those songs in concert, and his songs written since still include numerous biblical references and spiritual insights.
And there is no reason to question his theology, even as audiences in other cities (Tempe, Arizona was particularly harsh, writes Heylin) and venues booed and called for Dylan's past catalog. In his lyrics, his between-song patter, and a telephone interview taped by a local radio show in Tucson (p. 110-113), Dylan spoke a consistent born-again evangelical faith, heavily influenced by his discipleship with Vineyard Ministries in Los Angeles, his reading of the KIng James Bible, and his reading of the best-selling prophecy writer Hal Lindsey. When the Tucson interviewer said atheists were picketing his shows there because they were "anti-religion", Dylan responded: "Christ is no religion. We're not talking about religion. . . . Religion is another form of bondage which man invents to get himself to God. But that's why Christ came. Christ didn't preach religion. He preached the truth, the way, and the life."
As the tour moved eastward through the rest of 1979 and the first three months of 1980, the band and Dylan sharpened their performances and fans and critics both began to take notice that Dylan sounded as good as he had in years. The as yet unrecorded songs were particularly strong audience favorites and encores. So Dylan and producer Jerry Wexler decided to go straight to into Alabama's Muscle Shoals studios and put Saved, the second gospel-period album, on tape. According to Heylin the results came up far short of the live performances (p. 127-131), which piques my interest to hear the later "Bootleg" series release of the gospel material. Heylin's history of the recording of Shot of Love tells a similar story of multiple takes, rewritten song lyrics and rhythms, and changing album song lists that suggests the best takes and songs didn't make it on the official release.
Three quibbles about the book:
--It doesn't include an index, which would be helpful for looking up names and song titles
--Heylin sometimes makes too-deep references to inside arguments he has with other archivists that most readers won't know or care about.
--Heylin writes in a cryptic style with callouts and callbacks to Dylan lyrics, but it settles in and fits with the subject matter.
But he has researched and documented his subject thoroughly through interviews (both personal and referenced) with a list of the interviews conducted and consulted at the back of the book, along with a chronology of the recording sessions (with song titles) and concerts during the period (p. 285-298).
As a fellow Christian who has also been a long-time Dylan fan (Planet Waves was the first record I ever bought), I have enjoyed the music and message of many of the songs of the period, and "Every Grain of Sand" is a song that will be played at my funeral. Trouble in Mind will be valuable time spent for Dylan fans and those curious about his gospel period.
February 6, 2020
Clinton Heylin does an outstanding amount of work and research using numerous interviews, transcripts, and documentation to chronicle the entire account of Bob Dylan's conversion to Christianity, the writing of the songs this produced and more importantly, the construction of the band, rehearsals and concerts in this 3 year period along with the change in Bob Dylan and the complete dedication he had, willing to sacrifice his reputation, esteem and finances to present the Gospel he had come to believe to those who would attend his concerts and buy his albums, not just in those three years, but even continuing on for the rest of his career, songs and concerts for the rest of his life. Another book which tackles this same thing, though in a much less thorough way, is Bob Dylan: A Spiritual Life by Scott Marshall. If you are a Bob Dylsn fan, or are interested in the message of the Gospel as presented in song and raps by Bob Dylan, this book is the best you will find. I am even more of a fan than i was before reading this book, recognising the passion and power he expresses and the crafting of some incredible songs. Also, the confirmation to my opinion, that his live concerts of these songs were much better presentations of this music than he was able to get onto the 3 albums he released during this time. To really get a feel for this incredible music, you should get the Bootleg 13: Trouble No More box set containing 8 CDs and a DVD of his rehearsals and some of the best of his live concerts during these years.
November 27, 2017
There's a lot of minutiae in this book, so it is primarily of interest to fanatics like me. One thing it reinforces for me is that the Bootleg 13 set should have included complete versions of the complete shows, including the backup singers' set, and that it also would have been better served by the complete "Born Again" video from Toronto instead of the hour-long film of concert excerpts interspersed with the Luc Sante "sermons" performed by Michael Shannon.
Heylin's book is heavy on transcriptions of Bob's raps; again, I wish they had been included in the concert recordings.
Heylin's book is heavy on transcriptions of Bob's raps; again, I wish they had been included in the concert recordings.
November 14, 2018
Excellent commentary on Dylan's recording and touring exploits during what have come to be known as his Gospel Years.
Very informative with contributions from many who were deeply involved with a range of past and current interviews.
Published to compliment the Bootleg Series Vol 13 on this period, this is mandatory reading for any commited Dylan fan. Perhaps less so for others, although it does help to provide background to Dylan's ability to fuck up albums.
Very informative with contributions from many who were deeply involved with a range of past and current interviews.
Published to compliment the Bootleg Series Vol 13 on this period, this is mandatory reading for any commited Dylan fan. Perhaps less so for others, although it does help to provide background to Dylan's ability to fuck up albums.
August 30, 2018
Truly a good read! An informative and insightful look into one of the most fascinating, unexpected period in the Nobel winner's career. I reviewed Trouble in Mind for The Current.
May 2, 2019
Meh ... I deep dive into one of Dylan's most unexpected and polarizing phases. While it does not make the music Dylan created during this period any better (though the live versions recently released via the Bootleg Series gives it a new fire) Heylin's research proves just how challenging it all was and how committed Dylan remained.
April 19, 2025
I never realized how hardcore Christian Dylan became in the late 1970’s. This book describes the process. He was quite a zealot, especially in concerts, where he did plenty of preaching as opposed to more current shows where nary a word is spoken between songs. An interesting read for Dylan fans, but not for the casual listener.
November 26, 2017
Heylin is a pre-eminent Dylanologist who seems to be knocking off books for profit of late to coincide with the release of big "Bootleg Series" box sets. I'm happy to have and read them, but he can be arrogant, petty, and at times, ungrammatical.
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