Loving the podcast. I used the like Dylan, thinking he was up there with The Beatles and Stones and have caught him a couple times in concert. Then I finally got past the 3-4 Legendary Plus albums of his and took a deep dive. And once I did I realized Dylan IS the standard on which all else can be judged. Dylan has been elevated in my book to greatest of all time, no questions asked. Now I’ll put The Doors up there with the Stones and Beatles, but nobody is in the same class as Dylan. And 80’s… Got a few albums to go to get to Oh Mercy, and every decade going forward there being a genre defining album. And I love the attitude that if Dylan doesn’t meet your expectations then you’re really not a Dylan fan. He’s like baseball, the only thing you can count on is you never know.
Thank you for your closing comments! Dylan is a self directed chameleon. Rock fans laughed at the folkies when Bob went electric, but, when he went Country or Christian Contemporary they were in shock just as the folkies were in 1964...Bob's willingness to forge his own path, IMO, is his best quality.
Another fascinating episode! Shot of Love really is all over the place. Dylan's normal MO is to work in short intense bursts, he usually gets the tracks down in a few days, sometimes with maybe one outlier that emerges after the main sessions have completed. Shot of Love sessions spanned *8 months* and the lack of focus is self evident. As for the production, Chuck Plotkin was tearing his hair out. "The mixes that got released are all just the monitor mixes we'd get at the end of each night. We'd get a track we liked and run off a rough monitor mix. And those are the mixes you hear. I tried to mix the record, we tried to squeeze in some level of aural finesse. But every time we did a finished mix and took it to Bob he went 'Naw, naw, no. The other mix. The ones I've been listening to - that's the record' (Clinton Heylin, Trouble In Mind).
I love this album so much. I really like the thematic directions he takes with most of the songs. I like the organic sounding production. The opening track would be a great opener to any live concert. "Every Grain of Sand" is one of my top five favorite Bob Dylan songs of all time. I get so choked up whenever I hear it. And Bob Dylan has said in interviews that he is quite proud of this album.
I just relistened to Shot of Love before listening to this episode. I have to say I think both of you are wide of the mark this time. Shot of Love is a damn good album, regardless of what was left on or off. I think it’s beside the point. What is on the record is really good, and all the extra tracks that didn’t make it are great as well because we still have them to listen to! What is a shame is that Shot of Love could’ve easily been a double album. So I think getting distracted by what was left off the album does a disservice to the album itself, which is in my opinion another masterpiece. Right off the bat, Shot of Love comes on and it just blows you away. Perhaps Bob’s heaviest song, and everything about it just cooks. It is superior to “Saved” which serves a similar function on the previous record. At this point, I think it’s fair to say The Groom’s Still Waiting At The Altar is canonically a part of Shot of Love. When I first heard the album on CD, it was right there as track 6. It is strange to me to try and separate from the rest of the record when it feels so much a part of the record, like a second even more rocking part to ‘Shot of Love’ with even more rich and brilliant lyrics. Give credit where credit is due, it’s an amazing song that was rightfully included on the album after initially being released as a B-side. Property of Jesus is really good as well. It propels forward on a great keyboard riff. Joe is right the chorus is great, but the verses are just as good as well. It is another very melodically strong track, which is a reoccurring theme on this album. Bob never gets credit for writing great melodies, but he should! The deep cut on Shot of Love that I think is criminally underrated is Watered-Down Love. Has Bob ever sounded this effortlessly catchy? This might be his most catchy pop track since “I Want You” from Blonde on Blonde. The song has fantastic drum groove, great guitar licks, and the lyrics are more complex than you give credit. Such a fun, upbeat track. I think you should give this one another listen. In the Summertime is also very underrated. Bob sings it so well, and it’s lyrically very interesting. It also has a fantastic harmonic part. I don’t think you guys give that song enough credit. Also, Dylan should really not slag on Trouble. That opening riff sounds straight out of the iconic blues sound of Howlin’ Wolf and Muddy Waters. It is a really cool song that we hadn’t really heard Bob do anything like it up until that point. The only thing that it is really missing is an epic harmonica solo. There are a few tracks that I agree could’ve been recorded better. Heart of Mine is a bit of a shame, since the version with Ringo and Ron Wood is fun but a bit sloppy. The version from Biograph Live in New Orleans is far better and features an absolutely killer organ solo that sounds like nothing else in Bob’s catalogue. The song itself is great though, and I’m glad we have both versions to enjoy. Very spiritual and uplifting lyrics from Bob. I just love his frame of mind on this album as well as his lyrical playfulness. Likewise, Dead Man, Dead Man is a great song that they just didn’t capture at its peak. The band really nailed it during the ‘81 tour. Listen to the version from Bootleg Vol. 13 (Live in London). The instrumental break is so far superior to the studio version. I thought Joe would enjoy this song more because it’s the ‘fire and brimstone’ Christianity that he enjoyed from Slow Train. Give the live version a chance even if the studio one is a bit underwhelming. It’s great! The elephant in the room is Lenny Bruce. Maybe it’s controversial to say it, but I think it’s actually a pretty good track. Is it better than Caribbean Wind or Angelina? Not even close. But I also don’t think it’s that out of place on the album. The song has a beautiful melody, great production choices, and Bob sings it really well. Whatever one thinks of Lenny Bruce, I can’t think of a better, more beautiful eulogy to him. In that respect the song is an absolute success. It is clear that Bob really felt an affinity and personal connection to Lenny Bruce. He performed it many times live, with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, and even in recent years, so clearly it was a song he is fond of. Lastly, Every Grain of Sand is by far the best song on the album. And that’s because of just what an incredible composition it is. It is certainly amongst the best songs Bob Dylan has ever written, perhaps even his masterpiece. From the beautiful lyrics, to the harmonicas solos, the arpeggiated guitar lines, all captured by a sparse understated production. It’s a perfect song. What a closer to the album. So honestly I really disagree with your assessment that Bob isn’t fully into this record. I think Shot of Love has sharper, better lyrics than Saved and is just as strong melodically. The only thing that I think lets it down a bit is the production, which I agree is a bit claustrophobic which doesn’t work so well on certain tracks but it really does work beautifully on the more sparse arrangements. I cannot in good conscience give this album a less than 5/5 stars
Love your enthusiasm, appreciate your insights, but even if this was the first and only piece of music I had ever heard in my life I couldn’t go higher than 3.5. - Joe
Very good album IMO. One of Bob's personal favorite albums apparently. He always says he found this sound exactly what he was aiming for. "Every Grain of Sand" is certainly a classic. I like the performances of songs like "Summertime," "Heart of Mine," title track. He is doing some more standard for-radio rock here than previously, and doing it better than he'd do on some 1980s records. Je ne sais pas!
From His Head To His Heart To His Hands, the Mike Bloomfield box set, there is a blistering 6 min live version of Groom... where Bloomfield joins Dylan on stage at the Warfield Theatre in 1980. In The Summertime is a deep cut classic. Give it time and it will grow on you. Great discussion, always appreciate and enjoy the videos. Stuart
It was during this period (Slow Train Coming, Saved, Shot of Love) that I realized that Dylan had fans as long as he was the Dylan they wanted, needed, demanded. That ain't Bob. He goes where he wants to go, does what he wants to do. And it doesn't appear he is too worried about what anyone thinks. Shot of Love is a solid 3/4 of an album. A couple of not so hot songs (it is pretty amazing what was left on the cutting room floor that could have made this amazing) but on the whole a very good recording. Dylan's last show in 2023 on the Rough and Rowdy Ways tour was in my town. He had been closing these shows with "Every Grain of Sand". I couldn't finish this comment with any better words than the final ones he left us with that night: I hear the ancient footsteps like the motion of the sea Sometimes I turn, there’s someone there, other times it’s only me I am hanging in the balance of the reality of man Like every sparrow falling, like every grain of sand
On his Sirius radio 📻 show , Bob played " You Can't Put Your Arms Around A Memory " by Johnny Thunders & afterwards remarked he wished he'd written something that good. High praise indeed !
Another great song that coulda been on Shot of Love, from Springtime in NY: Yonder Comes Sin -- great backing vocals, and Bob puts it over with customary passion.
Hi folks. Thanks for your usual intelligence, insight and good humor. This continues to be a fantastic tour through Bob's unequaled canon. Agree in almost every way with you guys (well, one or another of you, depending on the comment). As first released, the only song I liked -- and I love it -- was Every Grain of Sand. Whereas an album that included Caribbean Wind, Groom's Still Waiting at the Altar, Angelina, Every Grain of Sand, Making A Liar Out of Me, and Heart of Mine would, for me, border on being a great one. I guess because I dismissed this record when it came out as pretty crappy (except for Grain), I wasn't interested in Springtime in NY and never heard -- or even heard of -- Making A Liar Out of Me. So thank you to Dylan Sevey -- the lyric turns out to be masterful -- a great piece of Bob writing. Just one example: Well I can hear the sound of distant thunder From an open window at the end of every hall Now that you're gone I got to wonder If you ever were here at all I say you never sacrificed my children To some false god of infidelity And that it's not the Tower of Babel that you're building But you're making a liar out of me Echos of his '60's acid put-down songs, but this time instead of an indictment it's more like a plea bargain offer -- "here are the charges, I'm giving you one more chance to try making amends" -- something like that. The brilliant way it relentlessly goes on listing all the charges, but inthe context of the last chance. Just amazing. The guy never stopped writing off-the-charts brilliant lyrics. Never topped the mid-'60's trilogy, but that's a monument like The Duino Elegies, Shakespeare's Sonnets and King Lear, Blake's Songs of Innocence and Experience, the original version of Leaves of Grass, The Waste Land, Emily Dickinson in the early 1860's, Sophocles Oedipus, Dante...
Cannot wait to hear Joe thoughts on Blind Willie McTell.. dumbfounded it was left off the record. Agree that Slow Train and Saved are very underrated imo
Shot of Love could have been a really great record for sure. The songs he left off are among his best at the time. Same thing with Infields. Although by itself I think Infields is a great record.
This was a great album I just relistened to it and i still agree with the album's greatness. Thanks for your comments. After the lack of critical acclaim, I believe Dylan was willing to refund albums buyers money at the time but i never took him up on the offer as i liked the album.
For me, this is the only album of the Christian trilogy that works. "Every Grain of Sand" is just beautiful, and easily the best track that made an album from this era. "In the Summertime," "Heart of Mine," and "Watered Down Love" are also quite nice. The only one that really sticks out to me as bad is "Lenny Bruce," which just feels like the kind of joke song most people would leave off an album. "The Groom's Still Waiting at the Altar" is such an energetic rocker, and I'm glad that later releases included it on the album. It needs to be here. On his earlier albums, I wasn't always a fan of his bluesy stuff, but this one sounds incredible. Still, this album could have been a masterpiece. If it had included "Caribbean Wind" and "Angelina," (as well as Groom) in place of the weaker tracks, it would almost definitely be my favorite Dylan album. I love the slick electric version of "Caribbean Wind," with that crisp Mark Knopfler-esque guitar. It's my favorite guitar sound on any Dylan track, and the lyrics and melody are absolutely gorgeous. One of his best story songs. As someone who was raised very Christian and grew disillusioned as I got older, "Angelina" is a song that resonates with me immensely. To me, it reads like a goodbye to his Christian period, which may be why he didn't put it on the album. Lyrics like "If you can read my mind, why must I speak?" and "In the valley of the giants where the stars and stripes explode" have so much meaning to me, and the arrangement on the Bootleg Series 1-3 version feels like the band is unsure how long the song will go, kind of like "Sad-Eyed Lady of the Lowlands," which leads to an extremely emotional performance from everyone. The piano, guitar, and organ really create an ethereal experience, like some of the music from "Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid." The last verse is my favorite Dylan ever wrote.
I recall from Behind the Shades (I think) that Dylan more and more preferred songs that were fresh off the pen. Perhaps he was trying to get that old feeling of last-minute inspiration. As for Caribbean Wind, I know he felt he never acheived what he was going for and left it by the wayside for that reason. Blind Willie McTell's omission was done for much the same reason. I saw him in the early 2000s when In the Summertime made a surprise appearance during a tour. It was lovely with that band and that voice.
“As average as Bob Dylan gets”. Joe hits the nail on the head with this one. Nothing terrible, not even Dead Man, but overall rather mediocre. Heart of Mine is solid, as is Shot of Love, but agree with Mr. Sevey that the Trouble No More versions of almost all the songs are better. However, I believe Every Grain is excellent , a brilliant song with wonderful lyrics. Perhaps the best of the entire trilogy, which is saying something. And of course The Groom’s Still Waiting at Altar is fantastic (yes, B side of Heart single) included on Greatest Hits Vol 3…just love it, love it, perhaps my favourite Dylan song of the Eighties. Better version than the live version on Trouble, for once. With this album, you are beginning to see bored Bob…going through some contractural motions…I read he was feeling that no matter what he did, he sold the same number of albums (about 400,000 in the US, a million total throughout the world). So he just stopped over much worrying about what songs to select. But the absence of Angelina, You Changed My Life and Caribbean Wind is so frustrating…but it also demonstrates that Bob’s catalog of in- or under released songs (rarities) is unparalleled. Thank God (or the Bob) we have them now! Love all of them. And love the series, thank you! Cheers, JPE
There’s some bad albums coming up, but I hope you guys talk about the 30th anniversary Columbia Records tribute concert from MSG from 1992. There are some incredible performances there!
I got the cassette of Shot of Love in the fall of ‘81( I also bought Ozzy’s Diary of a Madman at the same time, I was the unusual 17 yr old that liked both Ozzy and Dylan lol). I can tell you, the Grooms still Waiting at the Alter was on the cassette at the time, and was my favorite song on the tape. Shot of Love for me is his second best of the 80’s, after Oh Mercy. I do think Every Grain of Sand is a bit overrated lyrically, but Bob has never played better harmonica than on that track.
Yet another excellent show again! Jason a fan of the trilogy with SoL #12 and Infidels and especially Street Legal too. I still don't like Slow Train but fine with Saved and this one. 2nd side in particular stands out. While typical repetitive reggae, I'm fine with Dead Man. Dig the Groom with the Leopard Skin Pillbox Hat's Still Waiting at the Alter.
"you changed my life" could have replaced any of a number of songs on the actual album. only someone who has worthy opinions about bob would pick such a number. the fact that "knocked out loaded" was released definitely has kept some fans and critics needing to get blind drunk for 38 years. i don't have that problem. who would want to be expected to write a dozen perfect songs per year for a quarter century?
Has anyone pointed out that the mixes on this album were actually monitor mixes, not the actual properly mixed masters? Dylan didn't like any of the 'real' mixes and insisted that it be published with the monitor mixes. Have to totally agree with Lenny Bruce. However, there is a great version of Dead Man on the bootleg Trouble No More, number 60 on the YT music album. The one with the weird harmonica on it. One of my favourite tracks off that set.
"Shot of Love" the album has never been a favorite. I've just never connected with much on it. I prefer the demo version of 'Every Grain of Sand' on the first Bootleg Series box. Bob's voice sounds strange on that version, and you hear dogs barking in the background, but it is such a delicate performance and suits the lyrics really well. I know Joe can't stand PJ Harvey, but, for me, her live version of the song 'Shot of Love' is actually my favorite take on the song. Highly recommend searching for that clip on RUclips.
I think it’s certainly justified for people like yourselves to look back on the Christian trilogy and feel the reception was a little harsh, as I do too. Our opinions definitely matter, however I also can appreciate his fans at the time having trouble getting into these albums/shows and condemning them in the way they were. For me the biggest difference between our experience and theirs is that we know how many Christian albums there are, we know what’s to come and we can look back on it as one of his many phases. Imagine being a Dylan fan through the 60s and 70s and then he suddenly makes Christian rock albums with no sign of it ending! It’s maybe how I felt when Triplicate came out and I just wanted some new Dylan songs.
Hi guys, with so many 60's /70's albums available to listen this album lags far behind the others. I've listen to it not more than 4/5 times, i may have a try again
“ neighborhood bully” was the only song played on FM radio when Infidels came out, and it’s a pretty good rocker. These days, due to controversial subject matter, I doubt it would be played, and strange he never played it live. I didn’t hear Jokerman or License to Kill until years later.
For me the title track "Shot of Love" doesn't sound alot different than the other songs. What's funny is that producer Chuck Plotkin apparently spent many weeks creating mixes for the songs, but Bob always prefered the rough monitor mixes.
I think the Christian trilogy is overhated. Wasn't really sure what to expect from it the first time I heard it because of its reputation but I found I liked all three albums to varying degrees and I still do. In the time since the last episode I revisited Saved and Shot of Love and I found that I do prefer Saved slightly to Shot of Love when I actually thought it was the other way around from memory so it was good to reassess. I didn't get to go back to the outtakes but I really should - I own both the sets that cover this period and the period we are going into so it's due time to take them out and give them a spin. Or at least relisten to Dylan's playlist because as always they are impeccable.
I don’t want to raise Joe’s expectations too much, but I honestly think he is going to love Infidels. Mick Taylor and Mark Knopfler are on every song on this album and as a result, the album is filled with amazing guitar work. This is the closest Bob ever sounded to the Rolling Stones. Also, If you thought the production on Shot of Love was too messy, Infidels will be right up your alley. It is very well produced. The songs themselves are all great. Lyrically Bob delves into topics he’s never touched on before, so it is a really unique and special record that I think Joe will find a lot to enjoy. The way I would conceptualize Infidels is rather than as some sort of break from the Christian trilogy, it is the application of Bob’s worldview (which is still Biblical in nature) to the material world. He sings about politics, economics, war, and love, but is still infused with Biblical references. Some people act like this album is a recanting of the Christian trilogy, but that’s untrue. The songs on Infidels are still fundamentally from the perspective of the man who wrote “Slow Train.”
At the time, Lenny Bruce was like a breath of fresh air. First non-Jesus song to appear after two-and-a-quarter albums of that drivel. I still like it (though I agree there are some cringe-worthy lines) -- a return to singing about a real person, like he did with Hollis Brown, Davey Moore, Hattie Carroll, Hurricane Carter, Joey Gallo, and even placing himself into the narrative this time. And what I think is a very moving melody.
back then, i had been relieved, after the dreary Saved: just a mixed bag of songs. i love this special version of Heart of Mine for the music, this extremely stumbling groove, always on the brink of falling apart. i like Every Grain of Sand, though it always felt a bit onedimensional to me. i do not even hate Lenny Bruce: yes, it is a throwaway song, but very openly so. i like the late night piano performance, and the voice. a feature, not a bug. but of course, it is not a great dylan album.
Dylan, you and your horrible Genesis hate😮 Apart from that, thanx for your shoutout to one of my absolute favourite Bob songs, "Every Grain of Sand". A very cool episode again, reasonable musings on an interesting album and the ending of the Trilogy.
The Rolling Stone magazine was - in the absence of social media- our source of Bob gossip at the time Shot came out. Vignette stories told us that Dylan was recording with Wood and Ringo, that he was going to punk concerts with Jesse, that he was coming out of the Christian phase. So we EXPECTED different and were disappointed that SoL lyrics were still deep into Jesus. Our disappointment killed any enthusiasm or serious reaction to the record. It sounds better now but sucked then.
I’ve always liked Lenny Bruce to some degree. My take was always that the lyrics are in homage to Bruce’s comedic style. If it was a bootleg song left off the album it would have been more endearing to me.
I didn't know Angelina, Let's Keep it Between Us, Caribbean Wind and all those great songs could have been on this record. Still many of the songs are great like Trouble and certainly Dead Man: "The glamour and the bright lights and the politics of sin, The ghetto that you build for me is the one you end up in, The race of the engine that overrules your heart, Ooh, I can't stand it, I can't stand it, Pretending that you're so smart." It's a little unclear what the criteria is to judge a song without just saying "Oh I like this song". Because what is the point of articulating anything if it's just a matter of preference. But there is something called criticism and there are some rules to speak of but I'm not sure if you are familiar enough to apply them or even if I am. By the way Lenny Bruce was there because he's a symbol of anti-orthodox religion. Personally I find it a great song.
Dead Man Dead Man is lyrically really good, perhaps not as concrete as something like Slow Train, but the message is still there. Really enjoy the live version from London ‘81
@@MikeVernonProd I am perfectly happy to admit the mix was not the greatest. But I don't think you ever want a Dylan album that is overproduced so that the life is mixed out of it.
I think with this album we are really entering "Hugh Laurie's Protest Song" territory. (Before he got famous in the US as Dr House, he was a comedian.)
Emmylou Harris covered Every Grain of Sand on her Wrecking Ball album. I think that her cover in some ways surpasses the original, which is saying a lot.
I think Neighborhood Bully and Union Sundown have incredible rhythms, just kick ass songs. But there's a lot of pushback against that opinion in our TLM community.
In my previous comment, I mentioned that I had never really connected with the "Shot Of Love" album. Well...thanks to this installment of the Discovering Bob Dylan series...I think I've had a breakthrough. Now, there are still some songs and versions of songs that don't work for me from the original release, but, after some additional listens, I've come around on the bulk of the record. And when I played producer and modified some of the song selections, I was able to come up with an alternate version of the album that really works for me. It's bluesy, funky, spiritual, and an overall rock leaning collection of songs. I should note though that I don't have a problem with Reggae Bob. I get that it is a reggae rhythm, but to me it has always sounded more funky than a full on reggae exploration. Spotify doesn't have the tracks from the Deluxe version of the "Springtime In New York" Bootleg Series entry, which is a shame. 1. 'Shot Of Love (Outtake)' - The Bootleg Series, Vol. 13: Trouble No More, 1979-1981 [Live] [Disc 4] 2. 'Heart Of Mine (Live)' - Side Tracks (Disc 2) 3. 'Property Of Jesus' - Shot Of Love 4. 'Borrowed Time (Outtake)' - Springtime In New York: The Bootleg Series, Vol. 16 / 1980-1985 [Deluxe Edition] [Disc 2] 5. 'Caribbean Wind' - Side Tracks (Disc 2) 6. 'Watered-Down Love' - Shot Of Love 7. 'The Groom's Still Waiting At the Altar' - Various Comps/Later Issues of Shot Of Love 8. 'Dead Man, Dead Man' - Shot Of Love 9. 'I Wish It Would Rain (Outtake)' - Springtime In New York: The Bootleg Series, Vol. 16 / 1980-1985 [Deluxe Edition] [Disc 2] 10. 'In The Summertime' - Shot Of Love 11. 'Every Grain Of Sand (Demo)' - The Bootleg Series, Vols. 1-3 (Rare & Unreleased) 1961-1991 (Disc 3)
Shot of Love has always been kind of a weird record for me in terms of how I feel about it. Like, I would like to say that I think it's underrated because there's really good stuff on it such as the title track, Heart of Mine, and Every Grain of Sand and I don't even mind Lenny Bruce (believe it or not) but I just don't really enjoy listening to the whole album that much. Overall, I agree with Joe and Dylan that Shot of Love is a good album but not necessarily 1 of Dylan's best. Looking forward to the rest of the 80s for Dylan though, because a lot of these albums I haven't listened to in awhile so I'm sure they'll be fun to revisit
Yeah its the mix that kills this album. So much sounds like it’s underwater. And yes, this would be a far better album with Caribbean Wind and Angelina.
I've always liked Shot of Love except that I had to buy the LP twice: the first pressing without Groom and then the first repress with Groom; and I've always liked Dead Man, Dead Man. Critics were full of shite on their hatred of this trilogy. Looking forward to the Infidels and Empire Burlesque episodes. And will there be a double-stuff creamy filling between those two known as Biograph?
So abhorrent that critics would lambast Saved and Shot of Love merely because they were mad at Bob’s turn to Christianity. Whereas any objective person would recognize the merits of these three records. I consider them to be among his very best, ones that I cherish and return to even more frequently than his 60s albums.
This album could be much better if the Production and Bob's voice was better? That being said, the songs are more interesting than the last two albums! Heart of Mine live off the Biograph box set is much better, but the BEST version is Maria Muldaurs! In fact, her album "Heart of Mine" she does all Bob songs and it's Super Fantastic!
It doesn't bother me at all. Actually find it rather moving. This album is too underrated. Surprised they didn't mention Dylan himself thinks this is the best or one of the best he did and that is saying something.
@@spencerdobkin9479 i think "lenny bruce" was bob addressing lennon's murder in some sense because he famously rode with john in a taxi once and had it filmed and recorded when he was in terrible shape. "in the summertime" was good enough to be interpreted by chrissie hynde. i bought this in august of 1981 and enjoyed it then and enjoyed it now. columbia postponed the album's release which enraged him at the time. right now you can make the track listing of 1981 recordings that you want and do a podcast about your selections. "dead man, dead man" and lesser tracks are going to continue to exist whatever your opinion or my opinion of it's worth is. interesting podcast otherwise.....
Much more interesting than Saved. Every Grain Of Sand is a masterpiece. Coupla other good songs like In The Summertime. Add Carribean Wind & Groom Still Waiting At The Altar & mayb Angelina or Seven Days, u got urself a 3.5 star album. Not the worst album.
Rolling Stone can F off lol..I bet they hated Nashville Skyline too originally! So this album on re-listens recently cracked into my top 10 favorite Dylan albums and overtook Saved for my favorite of the C.T.. I got really into it..listened to it over and over. This album has an incredible vibe/is very poignant/uplifting which is why I think I love it so much. The tracking is great: I really love the title track and also love Heart of Mine, Altar, Grain, In the Summertime and Prop. of Jesus. Dead Man, Dead Man is the only not so good song imo. The outtakes are also great: Angelina and You Changed My Life are absolutely beautiful. If those were was added it would be highly regarded among more people. Again this late 70s through Infidels/Empire era of Dylan is super underrated and over criticized by many critics and some fans. This era is actually close to becoming my favorite Dylan era as I barely like the mid 60s better at this point (which is really saying something). The next one Infidels is one of my all time favorites! Excited to hear your guys take.
@@TastesLikeMusic the reaction to his Christian period is actually similar interestingly to when he went electric in some ways when many of the "fans" felt it was a slap in the face. What's clear to me of being a Dylan fan for over 20 years is that he truly does not care about criticism from fans or the media. I think that's what I respect so much.
The "Christian Trilogy" has some good-to-great songs but woefully subpar albums, made worse by some of the questionable decisions regarding final track listings. Get ready for a bumpy ride, kids!
Hey straighten that picture on the wall out, Dylan! So I had to go and listen to this to refresh on this record. At first with title cut was pleasantly surprised and it was better than I remembered but the production is particularly shoddy for the most part on the whole album. EVERY GRAIN …is for sure the Masterpiece , an amazing song lyrically. Other than that, I like Shot of Love and on the spotify stream they have GROOM… so that is good other wise grade D or C songs for BOB here. As a produced record it is not very good . Since you let the cat out of the bag, INFIDELS up next is one of my faves in the catalog.. a couple of all-time masterpieces on it.
While Shot of Love is lightyears better than Saved, it lacks the tight and polished production of Slow Train Coming, it seems more ingrained in an early 80s rock sound. It has a bit of a edgier, bluesy sound to it and the gospel sound is better than it is on Saved. The Groom's Still Waiting at the Alter, Heart of Mine, Trouble and Every Grain of Sand are really good tracks while the rest of the album manages to hold its own (Lenny Bruce is pretty cringe tho). Dylan sounds like he's ready to get back to secular music.
Lenny Bruce would win in a World Cup of terrible songs by great artists. Always had a soft spot for this patchy, messy, slightly underwhelming album. Angelina is the great missing song here, love that one
The album doesn’t work as an album mixes not great, just doesn’t flow. There are some good songs, and if you hear live versions of Dead Man and Heart Of Mine from this period they are far superior to the album versions. The fact that he had the material to make it better is disappointing Like Mr.Sevey I made my own Shot Of Love album
Not top tier but like this album despite the production many of the songs come across better live. I must have a problem but i like Trouble and Lenny Bruce!!!! (some dodgy lyrics in places but saved by a strong melody) oh well....
I'd heard almost none of this album. His lyrics have fallen off a cliff in comparison to Street Legal. ...So, Lenny Bruce never cut off any babies' heads.... Credit where credit's due, I guess.
Not sure what you were listening to, but there’s no way his lyrics have fallen off a cliff on Shot of Love. Exhibit A: I was in your presence for an hour or so Or was it a day? I truly don't know Where the sun never set, where the trees hung low By that soft and shining sea
Shot of Love is a Fantastic Album. Top Shelf Dylan. The Band he uses are cooking on all tracks. Loose garage feel but still tight as You guys waffle on for too long. Critics have never understood the great man….
Slow train coming 4.5/5 Saved 4.5/5 Shot of love 4/5 I think this one its a mess but I enjoy it a lot (except for the ridiculous Lenny Bruce) and always have in mind that Dylan loved it and said that it would be better appreciated in the future.
Loving the podcast. I used the like Dylan, thinking he was up there with The Beatles and Stones and have caught him a couple times in concert. Then I finally got past the 3-4 Legendary Plus albums of his and took a deep dive.
And once I did I realized Dylan IS the standard on which all else can be judged. Dylan has been elevated in my book to greatest of all time, no questions asked. Now I’ll put The Doors up there with the Stones and Beatles, but nobody is in the same class as Dylan.
And 80’s… Got a few albums to go to get to Oh Mercy, and every decade going forward there being a genre defining album.
And I love the attitude that if Dylan doesn’t meet your expectations then you’re really not a Dylan fan. He’s like baseball, the only thing you can count on is you never know.
Thank you for your closing comments! Dylan is a self directed chameleon. Rock fans laughed at the folkies when Bob went electric, but, when he went Country or Christian Contemporary they were in shock just as the folkies were in 1964...Bob's willingness to forge his own path, IMO, is his best quality.
This was one of the Dylan albums that appeared on Elvis Costello’s “500 albums you need” list 20 or so years ago
Another fascinating episode! Shot of Love really is all over the place. Dylan's normal MO is to work in short intense bursts, he usually gets the tracks down in a few days, sometimes with maybe one outlier that emerges after the main sessions have completed. Shot of Love sessions spanned *8 months* and the lack of focus is self evident. As for the production, Chuck Plotkin was tearing his hair out. "The mixes that got released are all just the monitor mixes we'd get at the end of each night. We'd get a track we liked and run off a rough monitor mix. And those are the mixes you hear. I tried to mix the record, we tried to squeeze in some level of aural finesse. But every time we did a finished mix and took it to Bob he went 'Naw, naw, no. The other mix. The ones I've been listening to - that's the record' (Clinton Heylin, Trouble In Mind).
I love this album so much. I really like the thematic directions he takes with most of the songs. I like the organic sounding production. The opening track would be a great opener to any live concert. "Every Grain of Sand" is one of my top five favorite Bob Dylan songs of all time. I get so choked up whenever I hear it. And Bob Dylan has said in interviews that he is quite proud of this album.
I just relistened to Shot of Love before listening to this episode. I have to say I think both of you are wide of the mark this time. Shot of Love is a damn good album, regardless of what was left on or off. I think it’s beside the point. What is on the record is really good, and all the extra tracks that didn’t make it are great as well because we still have them to listen to! What is a shame is that Shot of Love could’ve easily been a double album. So I think getting distracted by what was left off the album does a disservice to the album itself, which is in my opinion another masterpiece.
Right off the bat, Shot of Love comes on and it just blows you away. Perhaps Bob’s heaviest song, and everything about it just cooks. It is superior to “Saved” which serves a similar function on the previous record.
At this point, I think it’s fair to say The Groom’s Still Waiting At The Altar is canonically a part of Shot of Love. When I first heard the album on CD, it was right there as track 6. It is strange to me to try and separate from the rest of the record when it feels so much a part of the record, like a second even more rocking part to ‘Shot of Love’ with even more rich and brilliant lyrics. Give credit where credit is due, it’s an amazing song that was rightfully included on the album after initially being released as a B-side.
Property of Jesus is really good as well. It propels forward on a great keyboard riff. Joe is right the chorus is great, but the verses are just as good as well. It is another very melodically strong track, which is a reoccurring theme on this album. Bob never gets credit for writing great melodies, but he should!
The deep cut on Shot of Love that I think is criminally underrated is Watered-Down Love. Has Bob ever sounded this effortlessly catchy? This might be his most catchy pop track since “I Want You” from Blonde on Blonde. The song has fantastic drum groove, great guitar licks, and the lyrics are more complex than you give credit. Such a fun, upbeat track. I think you should give this one another listen.
In the Summertime is also very underrated. Bob sings it so well, and it’s lyrically very interesting. It also has a fantastic harmonic part. I don’t think you guys give that song enough credit. Also, Dylan should really not slag on Trouble. That opening riff sounds straight out of the iconic blues sound of Howlin’ Wolf and Muddy Waters. It is a really cool song that we hadn’t really heard Bob do anything like it up until that point. The only thing that it is really missing is an epic harmonica solo.
There are a few tracks that I agree could’ve been recorded better. Heart of Mine is a bit of a shame, since the version with Ringo and Ron Wood is fun but a bit sloppy. The version from Biograph Live in New Orleans is far better and features an absolutely killer organ solo that sounds like nothing else in Bob’s catalogue. The song itself is great though, and I’m glad we have both versions to enjoy. Very spiritual and uplifting lyrics from Bob. I just love his frame of mind on this album as well as his lyrical playfulness.
Likewise, Dead Man, Dead Man is a great song that they just didn’t capture at its peak. The band really nailed it during the ‘81 tour. Listen to the version from Bootleg Vol. 13 (Live in London). The instrumental break is so far superior to the studio version. I thought Joe would enjoy this song more because it’s the ‘fire and brimstone’ Christianity that he enjoyed from Slow Train. Give the live version a chance even if the studio one is a bit underwhelming. It’s great!
The elephant in the room is Lenny Bruce. Maybe it’s controversial to say it, but I think it’s actually a pretty good track. Is it better than Caribbean Wind or Angelina? Not even close. But I also don’t think it’s that out of place on the album. The song has a beautiful melody, great production choices, and Bob sings it really well. Whatever one thinks of Lenny Bruce, I can’t think of a better, more beautiful eulogy to him. In that respect the song is an absolute success. It is clear that Bob really felt an affinity and personal connection to Lenny Bruce. He performed it many times live, with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, and even in recent years, so clearly it was a song he is fond of.
Lastly, Every Grain of Sand is by far the best song on the album. And that’s because of just what an incredible composition it is. It is certainly amongst the best songs Bob Dylan has ever written, perhaps even his masterpiece. From the beautiful lyrics, to the harmonicas solos, the arpeggiated guitar lines, all captured by a sparse understated production. It’s a perfect song. What a closer to the album.
So honestly I really disagree with your assessment that Bob isn’t fully into this record. I think Shot of Love has sharper, better lyrics than Saved and is just as strong melodically. The only thing that I think lets it down a bit is the production, which I agree is a bit claustrophobic which doesn’t work so well on certain tracks but it really does work beautifully on the more sparse arrangements. I cannot in good conscience give this album a less than
5/5 stars
Love your enthusiasm, appreciate your insights, but even if this was the first and only piece of music I had ever heard in my life I couldn’t go higher than 3.5. - Joe
Dylan is on record is he not saying that this album was one of his personal favourites?
@@opinion3742 Not only that he said Shot of Love (the song) was the best song he ever recorded up to that point
Very good album IMO. One of Bob's personal favorite albums apparently. He always says he found this sound exactly what he was aiming for. "Every Grain of Sand" is certainly a classic. I like the performances of songs like "Summertime," "Heart of Mine," title track. He is doing some more standard for-radio rock here than previously, and doing it better than he'd do on some 1980s records. Je ne sais pas!
From His Head To His Heart To His Hands, the Mike Bloomfield box set, there is a blistering 6 min live version of Groom... where Bloomfield joins Dylan on stage at the Warfield Theatre in 1980.
In The Summertime is a deep cut classic. Give it time and it will grow on you. Great discussion, always appreciate and enjoy the videos. Stuart
It's on youtube - and his licks are really good.
ruclips.net/video/kYkLEOiXicA/видео.html
It was during this period (Slow Train Coming, Saved, Shot of Love) that I realized that Dylan had fans as long as he was the Dylan they wanted, needed, demanded. That ain't Bob. He goes where he wants to go, does what he wants to do. And it doesn't appear he is too worried about what anyone thinks.
Shot of Love is a solid 3/4 of an album. A couple of not so hot songs (it is pretty amazing what was left on the cutting room floor that could have made this amazing) but on the whole a very good recording.
Dylan's last show in 2023 on the Rough and Rowdy Ways tour was in my town. He had been closing these shows with "Every Grain of Sand". I couldn't finish this comment with any better words than the final ones he left us with that night:
I hear the ancient footsteps like the motion of the sea
Sometimes I turn, there’s someone there, other times it’s only me
I am hanging in the balance of the reality of man
Like every sparrow falling, like every grain of sand
On his Sirius radio 📻 show , Bob played " You Can't Put Your Arms Around A Memory " by Johnny Thunders & afterwards remarked he wished he'd written something that good. High praise indeed !
I am digging into this series and loving it! Like the re-evaluations and fresh perspectives on these albums.
Another great song that coulda been on Shot of Love, from Springtime in NY: Yonder Comes Sin -- great backing vocals, and Bob puts it over with customary passion.
Hi folks. Thanks for your usual intelligence, insight and good humor. This continues to be a fantastic tour through Bob's unequaled canon. Agree in almost every way with you guys (well, one or another of you, depending on the comment). As first released, the only song I liked -- and I love it -- was Every Grain of Sand. Whereas an album that included Caribbean Wind, Groom's Still Waiting at the Altar, Angelina, Every Grain of Sand, Making A Liar Out of Me, and Heart of Mine would, for me, border on being a great one.
I guess because I dismissed this record when it came out as pretty crappy (except for Grain), I wasn't interested in Springtime in NY and never heard -- or even heard of -- Making A Liar Out of Me. So thank you to Dylan Sevey -- the lyric turns out to be masterful -- a great piece of Bob writing. Just one example:
Well I can hear the sound of distant thunder
From an open window at the end of every hall
Now that you're gone I got to wonder
If you ever were here at all
I say you never sacrificed my children
To some false god of infidelity
And that it's not the Tower of Babel that you're building
But you're making a liar out of me
Echos of his '60's acid put-down songs, but this time instead of an indictment it's more like a plea bargain offer -- "here are the charges, I'm giving you one more chance to try making amends" -- something like that. The brilliant way it relentlessly goes on listing all the charges, but inthe context of the last chance.
Just amazing. The guy never stopped writing off-the-charts brilliant lyrics. Never topped the mid-'60's trilogy, but that's a monument like The Duino Elegies, Shakespeare's Sonnets and King Lear, Blake's Songs of Innocence and Experience, the original version of Leaves of Grass, The Waste Land, Emily Dickinson in the early 1860's, Sophocles Oedipus, Dante...
Infidels is one of my favorites. Saw him on that tour and loved it. Can’t wait to see the opinion of that one. 👍
Cannot wait to hear Joe thoughts on Blind Willie McTell.. dumbfounded it was left off the record. Agree that Slow Train and Saved are very underrated imo
I absolutely LOVE the PJ Harvey cover of 'Shot of Love' (on RUclips) is so raw and angry
Thanks!
You’re the best.
I always loved this album !
It's amazing/fun/uplifting. Has really good replay value.
i still have cassette tape lol! I also have a bootleg live recording of that tour 1981 that is absolutely amazing! Just wish it was better quality!
Shot of Love could have been a really great record for sure. The songs he left off are among his best at the time. Same thing with Infields. Although by itself I think Infields is a great record.
This was a great album I just relistened to it and i still agree with the album's greatness. Thanks for your comments. After the lack of critical acclaim, I believe Dylan was willing to refund albums buyers money at the time but i never took him up on the offer as i liked the album.
For me, this is the only album of the Christian trilogy that works. "Every Grain of Sand" is just beautiful, and easily the best track that made an album from this era. "In the Summertime," "Heart of Mine," and "Watered Down Love" are also quite nice. The only one that really sticks out to me as bad is "Lenny Bruce," which just feels like the kind of joke song most people would leave off an album. "The Groom's Still Waiting at the Altar" is such an energetic rocker, and I'm glad that later releases included it on the album. It needs to be here. On his earlier albums, I wasn't always a fan of his bluesy stuff, but this one sounds incredible.
Still, this album could have been a masterpiece. If it had included "Caribbean Wind" and "Angelina," (as well as Groom) in place of the weaker tracks, it would almost definitely be my favorite Dylan album. I love the slick electric version of "Caribbean Wind," with that crisp Mark Knopfler-esque guitar. It's my favorite guitar sound on any Dylan track, and the lyrics and melody are absolutely gorgeous. One of his best story songs.
As someone who was raised very Christian and grew disillusioned as I got older, "Angelina" is a song that resonates with me immensely. To me, it reads like a goodbye to his Christian period, which may be why he didn't put it on the album. Lyrics like "If you can read my mind, why must I speak?" and "In the valley of the giants where the stars and stripes explode" have so much meaning to me, and the arrangement on the Bootleg Series 1-3 version feels like the band is unsure how long the song will go, kind of like "Sad-Eyed Lady of the Lowlands," which leads to an extremely emotional performance from everyone. The piano, guitar, and organ really create an ethereal experience, like some of the music from "Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid." The last verse is my favorite Dylan ever wrote.
I recall from Behind the Shades (I think) that Dylan more and more preferred songs that were fresh off the pen. Perhaps he was trying to get that old feeling of last-minute inspiration. As for Caribbean Wind, I know he felt he never acheived what he was going for and left it by the wayside for that reason. Blind Willie McTell's omission was done for much the same reason. I saw him in the early 2000s when In the Summertime made a surprise appearance during a tour. It was lovely with that band and that voice.
“As average as Bob Dylan gets”. Joe hits the nail on the head with this one. Nothing terrible, not even Dead Man, but overall rather mediocre. Heart of Mine is solid, as is Shot of Love, but agree with Mr. Sevey that the Trouble No More versions of almost all the songs are better. However, I believe Every Grain is excellent , a brilliant song with wonderful lyrics. Perhaps the best of the entire trilogy, which is saying something. And of course The Groom’s Still Waiting at Altar is fantastic (yes, B side of Heart single) included on Greatest Hits Vol 3…just love it, love it, perhaps my favourite Dylan song of the Eighties. Better version than the live version on Trouble, for once.
With this album, you are beginning to see bored Bob…going through some contractural motions…I read he was feeling that no matter what he did, he sold the same number of albums (about 400,000 in the US, a million total throughout the world). So he just stopped over much worrying about what songs to select. But the absence of Angelina, You Changed My Life and Caribbean Wind is so frustrating…but it also demonstrates that Bob’s catalog of in- or under released songs (rarities) is unparalleled. Thank God (or the Bob) we have them now! Love all of them. And love the series, thank you! Cheers, JPE
There’s some bad albums coming up, but I hope you guys talk about the 30th anniversary Columbia Records tribute concert from MSG from 1992. There are some incredible performances there!
I got the cassette of Shot of Love in the fall of ‘81( I also bought Ozzy’s Diary of a Madman at the same time, I was the unusual 17 yr old that liked both Ozzy and Dylan lol). I can tell you, the Grooms still Waiting at the Alter was on the cassette at the time, and was my favorite song on the tape. Shot of Love for me is his second best of the 80’s, after Oh Mercy. I do think Every Grain of Sand is a bit overrated lyrically, but Bob has never played better harmonica than on that track.
Yet another excellent show again! Jason a fan of the trilogy with SoL #12 and Infidels and especially Street Legal too. I still don't like Slow Train but fine with Saved and this one. 2nd side in particular stands out. While typical repetitive reggae, I'm fine with Dead Man. Dig the Groom with the Leopard Skin Pillbox Hat's Still Waiting at the Alter.
Lets Keep It Between us a lost gem one of his most expansive melodies
"you changed my life" could have replaced any of a number of songs on the actual album. only someone who has worthy opinions about bob would pick such a number. the fact that "knocked out loaded" was released definitely has kept some fans and critics needing to get blind drunk for 38 years. i don't have that problem. who would want to be expected to write a dozen perfect songs per year for a quarter century?
Has anyone pointed out that the mixes on this album were actually monitor mixes, not the actual properly mixed masters? Dylan didn't like any of the 'real' mixes and insisted that it be published with the monitor mixes.
Have to totally agree with Lenny Bruce. However, there is a great version of Dead Man on the bootleg Trouble No More, number 60 on the YT music album. The one with the weird harmonica on it. One of my favourite tracks off that set.
"Shot of Love" the album has never been a favorite. I've just never connected with much on it. I prefer the demo version of 'Every Grain of Sand' on the first Bootleg Series box. Bob's voice sounds strange on that version, and you hear dogs barking in the background, but it is such a delicate performance and suits the lyrics really well.
I know Joe can't stand PJ Harvey, but, for me, her live version of the song 'Shot of Love' is actually my favorite take on the song. Highly recommend searching for that clip on RUclips.
I think it’s certainly justified for people like yourselves to look back on the Christian trilogy and feel the reception was a little harsh, as I do too. Our opinions definitely matter, however I also can appreciate his fans at the time having trouble getting into these albums/shows and condemning them in the way they were. For me the biggest difference between our experience and theirs is that we know how many Christian albums there are, we know what’s to come and we can look back on it as one of his many phases. Imagine being a Dylan fan through the 60s and 70s and then he suddenly makes Christian rock albums with no sign of it ending! It’s maybe how I felt when Triplicate came out and I just wanted some new Dylan songs.
best songs on shot of love for me are; Heart of Mine, Property of Jesus, Watered Down Love, in the summertime and every grain of sand.
Clydie King should be mentioned when revieweing this album.
Hi guys, with so many 60's /70's albums available to listen this album lags far behind the others.
I've listen to it not more than 4/5 times, i may have a try again
“ neighborhood bully” was the only song played on FM radio when Infidels came out, and it’s a pretty good rocker. These days, due to controversial subject matter, I doubt it would be played, and strange he never played it live. I didn’t hear Jokerman or License to Kill until years later.
For me the title track "Shot of Love" doesn't sound alot different than the other songs.
What's funny is that producer Chuck Plotkin apparently spent many weeks creating mixes for the songs, but Bob always prefered the rough monitor mixes.
I think the Christian trilogy is overhated. Wasn't really sure what to expect from it the first time I heard it because of its reputation but I found I liked all three albums to varying degrees and I still do. In the time since the last episode I revisited Saved and Shot of Love and I found that I do prefer Saved slightly to Shot of Love when I actually thought it was the other way around from memory so it was good to reassess. I didn't get to go back to the outtakes but I really should - I own both the sets that cover this period and the period we are going into so it's due time to take them out and give them a spin. Or at least relisten to Dylan's playlist because as always they are impeccable.
I have a suggestion for you gentlemen. Commander Cody and his Lost Planet Airmen
I don’t want to raise Joe’s expectations too much, but I honestly think he is going to love Infidels. Mick Taylor and Mark Knopfler are on every song on this album and as a result, the album is filled with amazing guitar work. This is the closest Bob ever sounded to the Rolling Stones. Also, If you thought the production on Shot of Love was too messy, Infidels will be right up your alley. It is very well produced. The songs themselves are all great. Lyrically Bob delves into topics he’s never touched on before, so it is a really unique and special record that I think Joe will find a lot to enjoy.
The way I would conceptualize Infidels is rather than as some sort of break from the Christian trilogy, it is the application of Bob’s worldview (which is still Biblical in nature) to the material world. He sings about politics, economics, war, and love, but is still infused with Biblical references. Some people act like this album is a recanting of the Christian trilogy, but that’s untrue. The songs on Infidels are still fundamentally from the perspective of the man who wrote “Slow Train.”
At the time, Lenny Bruce was like a breath of fresh air. First non-Jesus song to appear after two-and-a-quarter albums of that drivel. I still like it (though I agree there are some cringe-worthy lines) -- a return to singing about a real person, like he did with Hollis Brown, Davey Moore, Hattie Carroll, Hurricane Carter, Joey Gallo, and even placing himself into the narrative this time. And what I think is a very moving melody.
back then, i had been relieved, after the dreary Saved: just a mixed bag of songs. i love this special version of Heart of Mine for the music, this extremely stumbling groove, always on the brink of falling apart. i like Every Grain of Sand, though it always felt a bit onedimensional to me. i do not even hate Lenny Bruce: yes, it is a throwaway song, but very openly so. i like the late night piano performance, and the voice. a feature, not a bug. but of course, it is not a great dylan album.
Dylan, you and your horrible Genesis hate😮
Apart from that, thanx for your shoutout to one of my absolute favourite Bob songs, "Every Grain of Sand". A very cool episode again, reasonable musings on an interesting album and the ending of the Trilogy.
Totally agree with Joe, the christian trilogy has always been overhated.
Can you guys give me the alternative list that you would like to see as what the Shot Of Love should have been? i will make a spotify playlist ❤
Dylan’s playlist is in the description!
@@TastesLikeMusic thank you!
The Rolling Stone magazine was - in the absence of social media- our source of Bob gossip at the time Shot came out. Vignette stories told us that Dylan was recording with Wood and Ringo, that he was going to punk concerts with Jesse, that he was coming out of the Christian phase. So we EXPECTED different and were disappointed that SoL lyrics were still deep into Jesus. Our disappointment killed any enthusiasm or serious reaction to the record. It sounds better now but sucked then.
I’ve always liked Lenny Bruce to some degree. My take was always that the lyrics are in homage to Bruce’s comedic style. If it was a bootleg song left off the album it would have been more endearing to me.
I think it's a good song. I didn't realize it was so hated.
@@179richThe Bootleg Vol. 16 version is really cool. They bring up the backing vocals in the mix, giving it a more ethereal quality.
I liked it. Especially considering Lenny Bruce was so hated by the church.
I didn't know Angelina, Let's Keep it Between Us, Caribbean Wind and all those great songs could have been on this record.
Still many of the songs are great like Trouble and certainly Dead Man:
"The glamour and the bright lights and the politics of sin,
The ghetto that you build for me is the one you end up in,
The race of the engine that overrules your heart,
Ooh, I can't stand it, I can't stand it,
Pretending that you're so smart."
It's a little unclear what the criteria is to judge a song without just saying "Oh I like this song". Because what is the point of articulating anything if it's just a matter of preference. But there is something called criticism and there are some rules to speak of but I'm not sure if you are familiar enough to apply them or even if I am.
By the way Lenny Bruce was there because he's a symbol of anti-orthodox religion. Personally I find it a great song.
Dead Man Dead Man is lyrically really good, perhaps not as concrete as something like Slow Train, but the message is still there. Really enjoy the live version from London ‘81
@@MikeVernonProd I am perfectly happy to admit the mix was not the greatest. But I don't think you ever want a Dylan album that is overproduced so that the life is mixed out of it.
I think with this album we are really entering "Hugh Laurie's Protest Song" territory. (Before he got famous in the US as Dr House, he was a comedian.)
I love Slow Train and Shot of Love, not to gone on Saved.
Emmylou Harris covered Every Grain of Sand on her Wrecking Ball album. I think that her cover in some ways surpasses the original, which is saying a lot.
I think Neighborhood Bully and Union Sundown have incredible rhythms, just kick ass songs. But there's a lot of pushback against that opinion in our TLM community.
Never really understood the hate for Union Sundown.
In my previous comment, I mentioned that I had never really connected with the "Shot Of Love" album. Well...thanks to this installment of the Discovering Bob Dylan series...I think I've had a breakthrough. Now, there are still some songs and versions of songs that don't work for me from the original release, but, after some additional listens, I've come around on the bulk of the record. And when I played producer and modified some of the song selections, I was able to come up with an alternate version of the album that really works for me. It's bluesy, funky, spiritual, and an overall rock leaning collection of songs. I should note though that I don't have a problem with Reggae Bob. I get that it is a reggae rhythm, but to me it has always sounded more funky than a full on reggae exploration. Spotify doesn't have the tracks from the Deluxe version of the "Springtime In New York" Bootleg Series entry, which is a shame.
1. 'Shot Of Love (Outtake)' - The Bootleg Series, Vol. 13: Trouble No More, 1979-1981 [Live] [Disc 4]
2. 'Heart Of Mine (Live)' - Side Tracks (Disc 2)
3. 'Property Of Jesus' - Shot Of Love
4. 'Borrowed Time (Outtake)' - Springtime In New York: The Bootleg Series, Vol. 16 / 1980-1985 [Deluxe Edition] [Disc 2]
5. 'Caribbean Wind' - Side Tracks (Disc 2)
6. 'Watered-Down Love' - Shot Of Love
7. 'The Groom's Still Waiting At the Altar' - Various Comps/Later Issues of Shot Of Love
8. 'Dead Man, Dead Man' - Shot Of Love
9. 'I Wish It Would Rain (Outtake)' - Springtime In New York: The Bootleg Series, Vol. 16 / 1980-1985 [Deluxe Edition] [Disc 2]
10. 'In The Summertime' - Shot Of Love
11. 'Every Grain Of Sand (Demo)' - The Bootleg Series, Vols. 1-3 (Rare & Unreleased) 1961-1991 (Disc 3)
Shot of Love has always been kind of a weird record for me in terms of how I feel about it. Like, I would like to say that I think it's underrated because there's really good stuff on it such as the title track, Heart of Mine, and Every Grain of Sand and I don't even mind Lenny Bruce (believe it or not) but I just don't really enjoy listening to the whole album that much. Overall, I agree with Joe and Dylan that Shot of Love is a good album but not necessarily 1 of Dylan's best. Looking forward to the rest of the 80s for Dylan though, because a lot of these albums I haven't listened to in awhile so I'm sure they'll be fun to revisit
Yeah its the mix that kills this album. So much sounds like it’s underwater. And yes, this would be a far better album with Caribbean Wind and Angelina.
I've always liked Shot of Love except that I had to buy the LP twice: the first pressing without Groom and then the first repress with Groom; and I've always liked Dead Man, Dead Man. Critics were full of shite on their hatred of this trilogy. Looking forward to the Infidels and Empire Burlesque episodes. And will there be a double-stuff creamy filling between those two known as Biograph?
So abhorrent that critics would lambast Saved and Shot of Love merely because they were mad at Bob’s turn to Christianity. Whereas any objective person would recognize the merits of these three records. I consider them to be among his very best, ones that I cherish and return to even more frequently than his 60s albums.
He has the best left of songs of anybody they are better than some whole albums
This album could be much better if the Production and Bob's voice was better? That being said, the songs are more interesting than the last two albums! Heart of Mine live off the Biograph box set is much better, but the BEST version is Maria Muldaurs! In fact, her album "Heart of Mine" she does all Bob songs and it's Super Fantastic!
Grome still waiting a the alter is so good
I’ve never had a problem with the Lenny Bruce song, although I gather it’s hated by many.
It doesn't bother me at all. Actually find it rather moving. This album is too underrated. Surprised they didn't mention Dylan himself thinks this is the best or one of the best he did and that is saying something.
@@spencerdobkin9479 i think "lenny bruce" was bob addressing lennon's murder in some sense because he famously rode with john in a taxi once and had it filmed and recorded when he was in terrible shape. "in the summertime" was good enough to be interpreted by chrissie hynde. i bought this in august of 1981 and enjoyed it then and enjoyed it now. columbia postponed the album's release which enraged him at the time. right now you can make the track listing of 1981 recordings that you want and do a podcast about your selections. "dead man, dead man" and lesser tracks are going to continue to exist whatever your opinion or my opinion of it's worth is. interesting podcast otherwise.....
Much more interesting than Saved. Every Grain Of Sand is a masterpiece. Coupla other good songs like In The Summertime. Add Carribean Wind & Groom Still Waiting At The Altar & mayb Angelina or Seven Days, u got urself a 3.5 star album. Not the worst album.
Just listened to Angelina...wow! Forgot bout the power of the lyrics on this song.
Rolling Stone can F off lol..I bet they hated Nashville Skyline too originally! So this album on re-listens recently cracked into my top 10 favorite Dylan albums and overtook Saved for my favorite of the C.T.. I got really into it..listened to it over and over. This album has an incredible vibe/is very poignant/uplifting which is why I think I love it so much. The tracking is great: I really love the title track and also love Heart of Mine, Altar, Grain, In the Summertime and Prop. of Jesus. Dead Man, Dead Man is the only not so good song imo. The outtakes are also great: Angelina and You Changed My Life are absolutely beautiful. If those were was added it would be highly regarded among more people. Again this late 70s through Infidels/Empire era of Dylan is super underrated and over criticized by many critics and some fans. This era is actually close to becoming my favorite Dylan era as I barely like the mid 60s better at this point (which is really saying something). The next one Infidels is one of my all time favorites! Excited to hear your guys take.
Rolling Stone was basically Bob Dylan's hype man until the 1970s.
@@TastesLikeMusic the reaction to his Christian period is actually similar interestingly to when he went electric in some ways when many of the "fans" felt it was a slap in the face. What's clear to me of being a Dylan fan for over 20 years is that he truly does not care about criticism from fans or the media. I think that's what I respect so much.
“Lenny Bruce” is better than “Wiggle Wiggle.”
Joe is a comedian lmao
Every Grain Of Sand is 1 of Zimmy's best songs - but the Bootleg Series version is better.
🤠 What would Jesus spin?
Saved.
Bad, Bob! Bad! BLERGH!!
The "Christian Trilogy" has some good-to-great songs but woefully subpar albums, made worse by some of the questionable decisions regarding final track listings. Get ready for a bumpy ride, kids!
Hey straighten that picture on the wall out, Dylan! So I had to go and listen to this to refresh on this record. At first with title cut was pleasantly surprised and it was better than I remembered but the production is particularly shoddy for the most part on the whole album. EVERY GRAIN …is for sure the Masterpiece , an amazing song lyrically. Other than that, I like Shot of Love and on the spotify stream they have GROOM… so that is good other wise grade D or C songs for BOB here. As a produced record it is not very good . Since you let the cat out of the bag, INFIDELS up next is one of my faves in the catalog.. a couple of all-time masterpieces on it.
While Shot of Love is lightyears better than Saved, it lacks the tight and polished production of Slow Train Coming, it seems more ingrained in an early 80s rock sound.
It has a bit of a edgier, bluesy sound to it and the gospel sound is better than it is on Saved. The Groom's Still Waiting at the Alter, Heart of Mine, Trouble and Every Grain of Sand are really good tracks while the rest of the album manages to hold its own (Lenny Bruce is pretty cringe tho). Dylan sounds like he's ready to get back to secular music.
Infidels was every biy as much a Christian album as the previous 3.
I can see that, but just not as overtly as the prior three albums.
I'll even argue it's more politically conservative than the previous 3 albums.
Sounds like Bob was bad at choosing tracks for his albums. Maybe he needed someone with some good outsider input.
Something about people from Minnesota …..
Lenny Bruce would win in a World Cup of terrible songs by great artists.
Always had a soft spot for this patchy, messy, slightly underwhelming album. Angelina is the great missing song here, love that one
The album doesn’t work as an album mixes not great, just doesn’t flow. There are some good songs, and if you hear live versions of Dead Man and Heart Of Mine from this period they are far superior to the album versions.
The fact that he had the material to make it better is disappointing
Like Mr.Sevey I made my own Shot Of Love album
I dont mind this album but not my fave love every grain of sand i agree wih joe about lenny bruce i lke heart of mine
Heart of Mine is great! The live version on Biograph is also fantastic
Not top tier but like this album despite the production many of the songs come across better live. I must have a problem but i like Trouble and Lenny Bruce!!!! (some dodgy lyrics in places but saved by a strong melody) oh well....
I'd heard almost none of this album. His lyrics have fallen off a cliff in comparison to Street Legal. ...So, Lenny Bruce never cut off any babies' heads.... Credit where credit's due, I guess.
😂
Not sure what you were listening to, but there’s no way his lyrics have fallen off a cliff on Shot of Love.
Exhibit A:
I was in your presence for an hour or so
Or was it a day? I truly don't know
Where the sun never set, where the trees hung low
By that soft and shining sea
Shot of Love is a Fantastic Album. Top Shelf Dylan. The Band he uses are cooking on all tracks. Loose garage feel but still tight as
You guys waffle on for too long.
Critics have never understood the great man….
Yah the guy with more books written about his music than anyone in history. Critics don’t get him. Right.
@@TastesLikeMusicthey don’t. Listen to 99% of interviewers
Slow train coming 4.5/5
Saved 4.5/5
Shot of love 4/5
I think this one its a mess but I enjoy it a lot (except for the ridiculous Lenny Bruce) and always have in mind that Dylan loved it and said that it would be better appreciated in the future.