Shot of Love (1981)
1. Shot of Love
2. Heart of Mine
3. Property of Jesus
4. Lenny Bruce
5. Watered-Down Love
6. The Groom's Still Waiting at the Alter
7. Dead Man, Dead Man
8. In the Summertime
9. Trouble
10.Every Grain of Sand
By the dawn of the 1980s, Bob Dylan's once-oracular presence in popular music had grown uneven. Where the 1960s had framed him as a generational voice and the 1970s solidified his mythos, the 1980s began with a curious sense of disorientation. Shot of Love, released in 1981, often finds itself stranded somewhere between conviction and confusion—an album caught in transition, marking both the conclusion of Dylan’s Christian trilogy and the tentative re-entry into more secular ground.
Unlike the gospel purity of Saved or the polished evangelism of Slow Train Coming, Shot of Love adopts a more rugged and erratic musical palette. Gone is the tight session precision; in its place is a looser, louder, occasionally clumsy band sound. Tracks like Trouble and Dead Man, Dead Man aim for urgency but often lapse into cacophony. Dylan’s signature vocal abrasiveness, so effective in folk or blues, here adds little clarity and often detracts from the musical drive.
Lyrically, however, there is evolution. While still clearly written from the vantage point of faith, the tone has softened; the evangelical fervor that dominated previous efforts has been tempered. There is less preaching and more reflection, and in some moments, a refreshing ambiguity creeps in—an artist no longer merely testifying but wrestling once again with his inner landscape.
The high point—indeed, the indisputable jewel in this otherwise uneven collection—is the final track, Every Grain of Sand. Quiet, contemplative, and exquisitely constructed, it stands shoulder to shoulder with Dylan’s finest work. It is a meditation of startling clarity, a song where the spiritual and the poetic converge in perfect balance. One could argue it is the first post-Christian Dylan song—still faithful, but now nuanced.
Elsewhere, there are flashes of inspiration. The Groom’s Still Waiting at the Altar, a late addition to some versions of the album, crackles with wit and urgency. Heart of Mine and Property of Jesus each manage to strike compelling grooves, even if the lyrical content doesn’t always sustain repeated listening. But for every peak, there is a misstep. Lenny Bruce, a slow and awkward tribute to the late comedian, fails to evoke pathos and sits uneasily among more energetic material.
Taken as a whole, Shot of Love is a transitional work—less a bold statement than a sketchbook of conflicting impulses. The spirit is willing, the execution inconsistent. It is neither a return to former glory nor a complete fall from grace. Rather, it stands as a document of change: an artist in flux, edging away from dogma and inching back toward poetry.
Go back to the main page
Go To Next Review