Various Artists

Gotta Serve Somebody: The Gospel Songs of Bob Dylan
Image Entertainment

Every believer who has defended the Lord’s right to the arts against those who scoff at the notion of Christian creativity has a trump card. And that trump card is the rumor of a born-again Bob Dylan.

The question of Dylan’s faith lands in coffee shops, Internet message boards and even college classrooms with an uncertainty that lends itself to urban legend. But though his is a legendary journey, the rumors are true — Bob Dylan is saved.

At the time, Dylan’s conversion in the late ’70s was well publicized, as evidenced by the DVD’s archival footage of concert hall picketing and the recollection of constant heckling from the audience by former band members. That the fact of his Christianity remains challenged is a testament to the shockwaves it sent and continues to send through circles committed to maintaining the waning integrity of ’60s counterculture.

“Gotta Serve Somebody” is essentially a documentary on the making of the same-titled, Grammy-nominated record, which featured many of Dylan’s unabashed gospel songs performed by all black artists including Shirley Caesar, Aaron Neville and Rance Allen, just to name a few.

The concept that drove that project was the idea that regardless of the subsequent and future controversy surrounding Dylan’s religious orientation, the early expressions of his Christianity stand as exceptional gospel songs in their own right.

Dylan fans need not wonder whether the 82 minutes of other people singing Dylan songs is worth their time; it is — not only from the rare Dylan tour footage at the beginning of the film but also for the analysis and insight into that very important stage of his career.

Those largely unfamiliar with Dylan can enjoy it simply for its spectacular and powerful music.