Description
Gotta Serve Somebody: The Gospel Songs of Bob Dylan is a multi-artist compilation featuring gospel artists covering selected songs from Bob Dylan‘s gospel oriented albums, released on Columbia Records in March 2003.
This collection features new interpretations by several Gospel and R&B luminaries of songs from Bob Dylan’s Gospel-themed albums, Slow Train Coming (1979) and Saved (1980). Shirley Ceasar turns in a tent-shaking performance of Slow Train Coming’s «Gotta Serve Somebody», fronting a soul band akin to Booker T and the MGs. Gospel quartet The Fairfield Four visit Saved’s pre-apocalyptic «Are You Ready» as a stirring acapella. Organ luminary Billy Preston accompanies Helen Baylor’s soulful turn on «What Can I Do For You?» The rousing jump of Mighty Clouds of Joy’s «Saved» is perfect accompaniment for cartwheeling down the aisles.
Not all the tracks scale such peaks; Sounds of Blackness’ choral rendition of «Solid Rock» is a bit slick and sugar-coated to appeal to most Dylan aficionados. The choral format isn’t the problem as the Chicago Mass Choir and soloist Regina McCrary raise goosebumps with their take at «Pressing On». Dylan himself and his band join Mavis Staples for «Gonna Change My Way of Thinking», leading with some amusing and casual banter between the lauded songwriter and stellar Gospel singer. [Jeff Elbel, The Phantom Tollbooth, 10/14/2003]
Executive producer Jeffrey Gaskill assembled a wide-ranging assortment of the hottest talent in the gospel arena, both past and present, to perform the songs from Dylan’s Slow Train Coming and Saved albums, and producer Rob Moss extracted phenomenal performances from Shirley Caesar, the Fairfield Four, the Sounds of Blackness, Rance Allen, the Chicago Mass Choir fronted by Regina McCrary (who sang backup for Dylan on the 1978 and 1979 tours when these recordings were originally done), the Mighty Clouds of Joy, Helen Baylor (with Billy Preston), Aaron Neville, Dottie Peoples, Lee Williams & the Spiritual QC’s, and Mavis Staples and Dylan himself (performing a duet on a completely rewritten version of «Gonna Change My Way of Thinkin’»). In addition, a reunion of Dylan’s touring band from the period, which included Tim Drummond, Jim Keltner, and Spooner Oldham, performs on «Solid Rock» with the Sounds of Blackness…This is no tribute, however, but a showcase of Dylan as one of the great gospel songwriters – albeit 25 years after the fact. If you buy one gospel record in 2003, let this be it. [Thom Jurek, AMG]
> Apple Music (https://music.apple.com/us/album/gotta-serve-somebody-the-gospel-songs-of-bob-dylan/193118068)
CD tracklist:
01. Shirley Caesar – Gotta Serve Somebody – 5:48
02. Lee Williams & The Spiritual QC’s – When You Gonna Wake Up – 4:43
03. Dottie Peoples – I Believe In You – 5:24
04. Fairfield Four – Are You Ready – 2:33
05. Sounds Of Blackness – Solid Rock – 4:22
06. Aaron Neville – Saving Grace – 4:41
07. Helen Baylor – What Can I Do For You? – 4:53
08. Regina McCrary & Chicago Mass Choir – Pressing On – 8:05
09. Mighty Clouds Of Joy – Saved – 4:42
10. Rance Allen – When He Returns – 5:53
11. Bob Dylan and Mavis Staples – Gonna Change My Way Of Thinking – 5:17
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