Desire (Bob Dylan album) McGuinn, Joni Mitchell, and Joan Baez who not only contributed during Dylan's set, but also played mini-sets of their own. Bruce Springsteen was invited to perform, but declined when Dylan informed him that he could not use the E Street Band to back him. The fall of 1975 would ultimately produce a widely criticized film, "Renaldo and Clara", but the concerts themselves were well received. Often regarded as one of Dylan's finest series of shows, this first leg of the tour was eventually documented on "". On January 5, 1976, "Desire" was released, garnering a fair share of critical acclaim.
Bob Dylan two albums of contemporary gospel music. "Slow Train Coming" (1979) featured the guitar accompaniment of Mark Knopfler (of Dire Straits) and was produced by veteran R&B producer Jerry Wexler. Wexler said that Dylan had tried to evangelize him during the recording. He replied: "Bob, you're dealing with a 62-year-old Jewish atheist. Let's just make an album." Dylan won the Grammy Award for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance for the song "Gotta Serve Somebody". His second Christian-themed album, "Saved" (1980), received mixed reviews, described by Michael Gray as "the nearest thing to a follow-up album Dylan has ever made, "Slow Train