1979: Slow Train Coming

John Wilson looks back to 1979, when, once again, Bob Dylan marked the end of a decade by making some major changes in his life and career. He embraced Christianity, spent several months in Bible School and recorded a Gospel album, Slow Train Coming. When he tried to evangelize Jerry Wexler in the studio, the wily producer replied 'Bob, you're dealing with a sixty-two-year-old confirmed Jewish atheist. I'm hopeless. Let's just make an album'.

To the frustration of some of his fans, subsequent concerts were all-Gospel events. Dylan refused to play any of his old material, tended to give sermons between songs - even dismissing hecklers who demanded rock-n-roll with the words. 'You wanna rock-n-roll you can go down and rock-n-roll. You can go see Kiss and you rock-n-roll all your way down to the pit.'.