It's baffling that any critic can call 1983's "Infidels" a return to "secular recording" for Bob Dylan. After three straight Christian albums, the record was certainly more broad in its horizons, at least when compared to its predecessor, the rollicking "Shot of Love" or the second Born-Again album "Saved," but its attitude is still as straightforward and uncompromising as Dylan's first Christian release, "Slow Train Coming."

He may look ticked on the album cover, but in truth, Bob Dylan sounds musically and lyrically comfortable all throughout the wittingly titled "Infidels", and artistically he is still as free as he sounded on his Born-Again albums. But his lyricism here is much more deliciously complex than on the three predecessors; a glance at 'Don't Fall Apart On Me Tonight' may suggest that its a cliched song about sex, but it's not, it's much deeper and much more creative than that. 'Jokerman' boasts a slight reggae influence and Dylan's alluring attempt to try and reveal false prophets, as he does elsewhere when he clearly states that sometimes Satan disguises himself as a 'Man of Peace.' The driving 'Neighborhood Bully' reminds one of the rocking "Shot of Love," but with a much more complex political message, unlike the straightforward social statements of 'License To Kill' and 'Union Sundown.' And like 'Don't Fall Apart On Me Tonight,' the second track 'Sweetheart Like You' may have a cliched title, but the content within is bursting with originality and mystery, much like 'I and I.'

Ironically titled, this album is a must-have in Dylan's cannon and arguably the last great album he made for years, as critics claim he went into an up-and-down spin throughout the rest of the 80s. The different spiritual elements that make up "Infidels" (Christianity and Judaism among them) would put many other artists in a creative pretzel-twist, but here Bob Dylan handles them all with integrity and delivers one of his most effective albums.

Infidels took me a few listens to fully appreciate, but now I really love it and listen to it often. Of course, it doesn't compare to the heights of Blood on the Tracks or Desire, nor is it as stunning as the subsequent Oh Mercy, but it is a fine album that makes a very enjoyable listen. Right from the opening song, the excellent Jokerman, you realize that this is going to be a bit different from Dylan's usual sound. However, Dylan has reinvented his sound so many times that he really can't be said to have a distinctive sound. With its Caribbean rhythm, Jokerman is a distinctive song in Dylan's oeuvre. I particularly like that little bass thing right before the chorus kicks in. Another thing I like about this album is the "rambling" songwriting style. On songs such as Jokerman, Dylan just seems to ramble on and on about these completely unrelated scenarios and you often have no clue what he's talking about. That's not a criticism though, I find it very interesting. You never know what he's going to talk about next. There is a bit of political content here, yes, but I really don't think of Infidels as a political album. I think it's more cynical than political. I think Dylan is basically saying that the world sucks, and he wishes to wash his hands of it. Whether or not this is from a religious perspective is debatable. There are certainly religious references here, but they're not blatant like on Slow Train Coming and Saved. To be honest, I'm not quite sure what most of these songs are about. A couple are pretty obvious, such as Union Sundown and License to Kill, but I don't have a clue as to what Jokerman or I and I are about. It's okay though, Dylan doesn't often spell out the meaning of his songs. The music is great with Dylan getting support from Dire Strait's Mark Knopfler and former Rolling Stone Mick Taylor. Just like on the earlier Slow Train Coming, Knopfler's guitar is a musical highlight of the album. The rhythm section consisting of Robbie Shakespeare and Sly Dunbar is very tight as well. Excellent bass and drum work.

To get the complete picture, be sure to pick up The Bootleg Series Volume 1-3 which features several songs that were cut from the album. Those songs are just as good as the ones on the album, if not better. Particularly Blind Willie McTell, which any Dylan fan should hear as it is one of his finest songs. Foot of Pride and Lord Protect My Child are also great songs that were recorded for Infidels but left off. Of course, people will always say that Infidels would have been a much better album with these tracks included, but it's really pointless. Just appreciate the album for what it is, not for what it could have been. The missing tracks are all available now anyway so with the proper technology you could reconstruct the "better" version of the album if you so desire.

Infidels is one of Dylan's best albums of the 1980s. The songs are memorable and the music is great, even though the drums sometimes have that annoying 80s echo that I dislike. The lyrics are potent, the band is great and Bob's singing is quite good, though his lovely '70s voice was gone by this point. I wouldn't recommend it to a beginner, but if you're looking to explore Dylan's later years, Infidels is a great album to check out.

I don't get why people don't like this more. Maybe it's because, even though he ditched the born-again attitude, there's still a very Old Testament vibe running through it. There is a lot of finger-pointing on this album, but unlike his early 60's work the finger is pointed the wrong way. "Neighborhood Bully" and "Sundown on the Union" are CONSERVATIVE songs, and Dylan fans can't handle that. Now mind you, I'm a dyed-in-the-wool liberal. But this album transcends politics. Those songs aren't great because they espouse a reactionary viewpoint - they're great because they ROCK. This is one of the rockinest of all Dylan records, and it sounds great, thanks to Mark Knopfler, Sly and Robbie, etc.

I also don't get those people who say that this album should be criticized for what it's NOT. Yeah, sure, it would have sounded better with Blind Willie McTell, Foot of Pride, etc., but what album wouldn't? I have no earthly idea why Dylan chose to leave those great songs off (maybe he just wanted to stir up controversy, or secure his reputation as the most bootlegged artist in the world). But that has nothing to do with what Infidels IS: another in a string of masterpieces.

As some reviewers have indicated, this is likely the first album brought up in conversation when people speak of Dylan's 80's work, and for good reason. It has some really powerful songs (Jokerman, Neighborhood Bully, and Sweetheart Like You, to name a few...). It also has some less-than riveting stuff. Some do consider this a perfect album, but most I've encountered give it somewhat mixed reviews. I agree that song-for-song, there are stronger collections of of Dylan's material out there (Highway 61, Freewheelin', etc.) That said, I'd still have to single this work out as the most convincing of Bob's electric albums up to that point in his career, just in terms of sheer musical compatibility, and balance between singer, song, and band. Knopfler and crew play behind Dylan with a sensitivity and an awareness of his style (particularly his singing) that is second to none. And for Bob's part, he seems to feel right at home in this musical setting, as he rides the band's beat with some of the most graceful (his scruffy timbre notwithstanding) and playful phrasing I've heard him do in a while, singing (and swinging) off that backbeat like he'd worked with these guys all his life. The way they all seem to breathe together every single second of each song is just beyond belief. Trust me...if THIS had been his backup band at the 'infamous' Newport fest gig back in the 60's (or a band exactly like this one), he probably would have gotten a much different reception than well...what he actually got. Certainly before the end of the first song many folks would have settled down, and by the second, everyone would be listening. Speculation, yes, but...

So forget about whether or not every single song is gonna knock you over the way some of the older classics do. There are still enough bona-fide gems on here to remind you of why this album is still potent all these years later. If you're interested in Bob Dylan's electric work, this is an absolute must-have, and if you simply want to make sure you have all of his greatest songs, then you need to include this album as well, for the first three cuts alone rank right up there with his very best. And there are at least a couple others that come close.

You will never see Infidels listed among Dylan's classics which is a shame. Lyrically and vocally this is one of Dylan's hardest hitting albums. Jokerman, License to Kill, Man of Peace, Neighborhood Bully and Union Sundown all take aim at corrosive social problems. Unlike many political protest songs, the songs on Infidels are just as relevant now as when they were written. Sweetheart Like You and I and I are among Dylan's best ballads.

So why only four stars? Well, frankly the overproduction takes a lot of the bite out of Neighborhood Bully, Man of Peace and Union Sundown. But, pretty much every album ever released has flaws. So if you like Dylan, but do not have this album, get it now. If you are a neophyte, get Blood on the Tracks, Blonde on Blonde, Highway 61 or any of his masterpieces. Then purchase Infidels, you won't be disappointed.