While no work of art should be judged on the basis of what it isn’t, no album is more defined by what isn’t on it as much as Infidels. At first this was a good thing, because what isn’t on it are any songs with an overtly Christian message. Except for “Man Of Peace” which everybody chose to ignore (maybe the blatantly pro-Israel “Neighborhood Bully” canceled it out). Another outtake, "Foot Pride" was also equal in its obscured lyrical references to religion, but if "Death Is Not The End" and "Lord, Protect My Child" were included - Infidels may have been perceived as another Shot Of Love-style hyrbid of born-again and sceular. As it was Infidels was initally praised, but as reports surfaced of even greater songs being recorded and not released on this record, its reputation sank. While there are rumors of superior versions of almost every album Bob recorded languishing in the vaults, from the most beloved (the original pressing of The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan, the New York version of Blood On The Tracks) to the most despised (the Argentinean misprint of Down In The Groove with “Important Words” on it) none have suffered so much in comparison to what it could have been as Infidels. And it’s not hard to see why. Not only is “Foot Of Pride” easily the equal of anything on that album, but “Blind Willie McTell” is as superior to the rest of Infidels as “Knocking On Heaven’s Door” is to the remainder of ­Pat Garrett & Billy The Kid. Although, I suppose it could always be worse, the few good songs that did make it on to Infidels could’ve been replaced with “Julius And Ethel” or “Death Is Not The End” or “Lord, Save My Child”. In fact “Blind Willie McTell” and “Foot Of Pride” manage to be some of the best things on The Bootleg Series 1-3 on which they finally do appear. “Blind Willie McTell” is now played live far more often than anything that did end up on the album (which didn’t even get the same sort of historical revisionism that added “The Groom’s Still Waiting At The Altar” to Shot Of Love). But, what of the actual album that was released? “Sweetheart Like You”, “Don’t Fall Apart On Me Tonight”, “Neighborhood Bully”, and “Man Of Peace” are all about as unremarkable and pedestrian as anything on Planet Waves. “License To Kill” actually is a good song, but I had no idea until I heard Tom Petty singing it at the 30th Anniversary Celebration. This version does it no justice. Regardless if you agree with the politics behind the rather trite and simplistic lyrics of “Union Sundown” it is actually fairly good rocking tune from a musical point of view. The only track on here that can go toe-to-toe with “Foot Of Pride” (if not “Blind Willie McTell”) is “I And I”. I have no idea what it’s about, but I like it. I don’t know why “Jokerman” was picked to be the single, and is still used in all the subsequent compilations (Greatest Hits Vol. III, The Essential Bob Dylan). The whoa-oh-oh-ohs that Bob sings before the title are not only completely off, which isn’t a horrible or surprising sin for Bob, but it doesn’t even sound like he’s missing the same notes each time. Maybe he’s going for that kind of vocal extemporizing I don’t even like in the R&B singers who can really do it. Whatever it is, it ruins the song for me. And like the rest of Infidels, it’s a disappointment.