Dylan Download Of The Day
Dylan may have left the most outspoken part of his so-called "born-again period" behind in the early 1980s, but he continued to perform many of the songs from his three most religious albums well into the 1990s. Today's selection from the vaults is a 1994 performance of "In The Garden," off "Saved," an album of explicitly-Christian gospel songs that has been received with everything from harsh criticism to glowing praise since it came out in 1980. Even if you aren't a believer, however, you should still be able to appreciate the sheer naked honesty of Dylan's vocal performance of the song, as moving to my ears as any choral hymn ever composed by Isaac Watts or Charles Wesley. Get the MP3 of the November 1994 performance at the link found here. Buy the original album here.
(The Dylanologist should add that readers will never find copyrighted versions of Bob Dylan songs available on Maggie's Farm: everything we provide is taken from audience recordings of live performances or else unreleased studio work. Our hope is that hearing these commercially unavailable recordings will expose the listener to a vitally important side of Dylan's craft and encourage the purchase of albums and concert tickets.)
