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Each and Every Door is an educational podcast about Bob Dylan, Religion and Spirituality. Arguably the most influential singer/songwriter of our era, Dylan has been making music, in the words of some English folk, for "donkey's years." That means a very long time. During his long, unpredictable career, he has exhibited a fascinating relationship with religion and spirituality, one that extends far beyond his "gospel years." On this podcast, Malcolm Gold, a sociologist of religion at Messiah College and Jay Case, a professor of American religious history at Malone University, explore everything from what Dylan may or may not have believed, to the ways spirituality emerges in his songs and music, to the shifting religious context framing his life, and much more. (Artwork by David Everett. everettdavide@gmail.com)
20 Episodes
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In a periodic feature, "What Was He Thinking?" Mal and Jay try to figure out what might have been going on in Bob Dylan's head when he released the song, "All the Tired Horses." It seems to have something to do with what he was doing with the entire album in which it is found, the much-maligned (at least by critics at the time) "Self-Portrait," which came out in 1970.
In the fall of 2021, Mal taught a course on Bob Dylan to first-year students at Messiah University. Jay asks Mal how the course went. It turns out that Dylan's voice was something of an obstacle. At first, at least. Mal and Jay then go on to reflect on what Dylan's voice has to do with the Christian faith and theology.
Right of the bat, Jay demonstrates why his brother is the mathematician, since Jay says this is Episode 19 and is a continuation of Episode 18. Don't let his absent-minded professor schtick fool you: this is really Episode 18, which is a continuation of Episode 17. On this one (Episode 18, not 19, nor 17) Mal and Jay compare reviews of Dylan's latest tour to reviews of several 70s bands also on tour. They also discuss songs from his "Rough and Rowdy Ways" album, what they think Dylan is up to and, yes, mortality. Let's face it: when one goofs up basic tasks on a regular basis, thoughts of mortality lurk just below the surface.
With Bob Dylan out on tour once again (that old guy just won't stop) Mal and Jay present a couple of tour-related themes. First, we have a "Stump the Dylan Freak" segment, involving reviews of concerts from old 70s bands. Is it a Dylan concert or not? You can play at along at home. Second, we bring on a special guest who attended the very first Dylan concert of her life. She also happens to be Elisa Case, Jay's wife. Mal finds out what the experience was like for her.
Mal and Jay discuss Dylan's 2021 summer event (?), concert (?), music video (?), performance (?), thingy-ma-jig, called "Shadow Kingdom." It came, it went. Maybe it will return some today, but for now, you can hear them talk about it in the weeks after it was released.
1More explorations here into what is going on with Bob Dylan's song, "Idiot Wind." Mal and Jay dive into "alternative tunings" and ancient Jewish scholars, but don't let that discourage you -- there are real treasures here! (How is that for a pitch? "Here is some stuff that doesn't sound appealing at all, but stick with it anyway." It sounds like I'm trying to teach a history class. Or sociology. Oh, well. This is what daily life is like for us professors.) At least you get to hear some interesting Dylan clips to help you see why so many people consider this to be a great song.
No, the title does not describe the conversation Mal and Jay have on this episode. Well, it's not supposed to. It does, however, refer to one of Bob Dylan's most notable songs, "Idiot Wind," which they discuss here. And it is an important enough song that it will take two episodes!
Bob Dylan turned 80 this week and Dylan aficionados held an online academic conference in honor of the event. Mal and Jay, who attended the conference (of course they did) talk about how Dylan freaks respond to online frustrations. Our hosts also examine the revisions that Dylan made in dozens of concerts to just two lines from "Long and Wasted Years." This just might represent a spiritual struggle common to all of us.
A sociologist walks into a Dylan concert with a priest and a rabbi. No, scratch that. It's with a historian and I'm afraid there is no punchline. But in this episode Mal brings his sociological expertise to bear on an event in early 2018 when Bob Dylan, very uncharacteristically stopped in the middle of a song to scold the audience. Why? What was going on that bothered Dylan and what might that have to do with transcendence and God? Tune in to find out.
A major part of Bob Dylan's existence since the mid-70s has been the "never-ending tour" - the live concert tour that has taken up most of his life each year. The pandemic, however, has forced the cancellation of most of that tour in 2020. Now what? Few people know exactly what goes on in the very private life of Bob Dylan. Mal and Jay are no different, but they can speculate. And so, they discuss predictions that they made concerning what Dylan would do with himself during this time.
A depressing topic? Mal and Jay do not think so. Not when the themes are explored as Dylan does on Rough and Rowdy Ways. Mal unpacks the art of the 17-minute epic song, "Murder Most Foul" and Jay adds a few comments about the biblical background behind the opening lyrics.
On June 19th, 2020, Bob Dylan released "Rough and Rowdy Ways," his first studio album in eight years. The album has found widespread appreciation by critics -- though many of them do not mention or notice the abundant religious themes on the album. Needless to say, Jay and Mal find the album very compelling and important work of art. In fact, they have so much to say that they make a valiant (though not perfectly executed) attempt to talk for no more than two minutes about each song on the album.
After some Bob News, Mal interviews Jay about how and why he came to join this strange collection of people known as Dylan Fans, especially given his first Dylan concert experience.
"All Along the Watchtower" is one of the greatest songs Bob Dylan ever wrote, according to many. By that measure, it is one of the great songs of the late twentieth century. But few people recognize the Scriptural inspiration for this song and why that biblical basis may actually infuse it with its haunting power. Mal and Jay discuss these themes and more, with a bit of Jimi Hendrix thrown in, for good measure.
Why would a person become a Dylan freak? And what might it have to do with religion? Mal explains how he got hooked on Dylan as a lad in Hull, England. He also gives insight into his first Dylan concert in London in June, 1981, a concert that made it onto a bootleg album. Maybe you can hear him cheering in the crowd. Finally, are you bothered by the obscure Dylan reference in the title? Well, it's all right, ma.
Fresh from a Dylan concert in Akron, Mal and Jay discuss odd, unsettling, and moving aspects of the evening. Mannequins, mysterious forests, F. Scott Fitzgerald, celebrity affection, mystery, Igor Stravinsky, death -- it's all here. And more. The two decide that concert-goers who attend a Dylan concert simply to experience exciting rock and roll moments must have been frustrated, but those who were willing to go beyond the moment to consider deeper questions beyond themselves were richly reward.
Episode 4 introduces a new segment: "What was he thinking?" They mean Dylan, of course. In this case, it's a song that one critic calls the worst thing Dylan ever recorded. But our hosts rather like it and have a theory for what Dylan was...thinking.
Mal and Jay detail the origins of their intro and what it has to do with Dylan concerts and the Pittsburgh Steelers. Then they make a valiant attempt to figure out what is going on inside Dylan's head with the selection of songs he is performing in his latest concert tour, which started on October 12.
In Episode 2, Mal updates us with some Bob News and Jay explains what he learned from Episode 1. The two also discuss more background to the 1966 "Judas" event, including the appeal and power of Dylan's early political songs, how the British Communist Party acted like a religion, and what Communists and Baptists had in common.
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