Reviewed by Mike Rimmer

In 1978 Bob Dylan converted to Christianity, was discipled by a Vineyard church and soon his new faith revealed itself in his songwriting. From1979-1981 he released three albums, 'Slow Train Coming', 'Saved' and 'Shot Of Love', that are considered his "gospel period" and finally the 'Bootleg Series' brings to the surface rare tracks and live recordings made around the times of these albums in a lavish nine-disc package. People forget that this was one of the major artists of the era suddenly writing some of the most significant Christian songs ever recorded and nearly 40 years later, the power of Dylan's songs have lost none of their spiritual impact. So what you get here are studio outtakes from his gospel albums and a selection of live versions of songs that are familiar and unreleased songs which were part of his gospel sets. With eight discs of music, there are multiple versions of some of these songs and it's interesting to see how songs develop in a live setting. Dylan's songwriting in this era created some beautiful gospel music, especially on the tracks put to vinyl on 'Saved' and although a lot of fans struggled with the spiritual content, this set demonstrated that Dylan never sang with as much conviction ever again. The ninth disc in this collection is a DVD combining some live performances from the 1980 tour with sermons performed by actor Michael Shannon, scripted from ideas suggested by Dylan himself. The boxed set includes extensive sleeve notes and photographs and the result is an immersive experience though the price of over £100 will ensure it is only Dylan connoisseurs/completists who will investigate this fascinating raid of the archives.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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