Album #20: Saved

 Released June 23, 1980


Halfway through the studio albums! 

This album has even more of a gospel feel than “Slow Train Coming,” with Dylan sounding totally committed to his new beliefs. The backing singers sound great and the musicianship is excellent. If I were a Christian in 1980, I might have been thrilled by this album. Being me in 2025 (not religious and certainly not Christian) I find it a little dull. Every song is basically about the same thing, and Dylan’s lyrics are pretty straightforward. No breathtaking wordplay, no lines that make you just shake your head and say “How does he do that??” 

There are some powerful songs here, though, for what they are, especially “In the Garden” and “Pressing On”. 

The next album has a song about Lenny Bruce, so there’s that to think about! 

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