Gotta Serve Somebody is a well-produced music documentary that showcases highly-skilled and creative artists in studio recording sessions. Individually, and inter-dependently, they attempt to reach personal pinnacles of expression in their interpretations of some well-chosen Dylan `gospel' songs. Opportunities to view musicians recording in a studio are rare; recording sessions produced with such attention to technical details of filming are even rarer and Gotta Serve Somebody may be in a class all its own. Some of the vocalists are well-known; others are probably known to followers of gospel music; their performances are strong and triumphant - even delicate and powerful, at the same time - as they react to the lyrics and the other musicians. Each and every musician, not only the vocalists, is emotionally invested in this music; their collaboration during recordings is a focus, in itself. The interviews with musicians are enlightening but the film is mostly about Bob Dylan's music. Dylan obviously chose gospel as the most easily identifiable and naturally adaptive style to express his words and sentiments in these songs. The music, lyrics excluded, is worthy of reflection to anyone who is interested in what constitutes `great artists' - their development through time and their exploration of nearly every possible genre as a means of personal expression. The lyrics reflect Dylan's personal longing for salvation and joy in the mystery of his own transformation, in contemporary Christian religious vernacular. For those who think that his gospel songs are best left to people with similar religious beliefs, adjust your attitudes. These songs represent each and every descendant of humanity who thinks, wonders, stumbles and falls, and seeks direction outside of what is only obvious and potentially disappointing. It isn't the target of salvation, but the act of seeking it that is, in itself, redemptive.
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