Rough and rowdy ways is as good as anything Dylan has ever released.
I loved Tempest, but Murder Most Foul takes commemorative song-writing to a level it has never seen before. I Contain Multitudes is ballsy as fuck, and Goodbye Jimmy Reed just rocks. No idea if it’s an unpopular opinion. #Dylan
110% agree!
And it sounds great. I saw Bob a couple years ago in concert (probably for the last time) and while I enjoyed the concert, the sound was mostly crap. Overly loud, every instrument mixed to the same level, muddy, no ambiance. Likely a consequence of having to play large venues.Poor Dylan’s voice was mostly drowned out on the louder songs, but at least we could tell no auto-tune was used and he wasn’t lip syncing.
Anyway, hearing the RARW songs live really made me appreciate the sound of the CD.
I saw him in Oslo a few years ago and the sound was actually pretty good. Maybe he had a good day, maybe it was because it was a smaller venue. Seeing him again in Copenhagen this October - crossing my fingers it’ll be good.
Its far from the lowest Dylan has fallen. But where is the energy, the connections, the reasons why any of it matters!
I think some of the greatest folk songs ever written recount events that have happened, and sometimes ties them together with some interpretation of whatever it might mean.
You could argue the assassination of JFK is such a monumental event that it doesn’t need a song - just as I guess you could argue the same about the Titanic for -Tempest. I’d disagree - I’d say it would need an ever the greater song, and I think Dylan delivered perfectly in Murder Moust Foul.
I think most people would agree Blood on the Tracks is among Dylan’s strongest, though it’s hard to find an obvious meaning why it matters in most of the songs. They are incredible songs that take us along for the ride, and while it’s sometimes interesting to ask “what”, there’s rarely any point in asking “why”.
The whole album is full of crazy connections. Crossing the Rubicon has an insane amount of parallels to unpack. And I wouldn’t say Goodbye Jimmy Reed is lacking in energy!
I love Blood on the Tracks, Desire, and Street-Legal.
But his personal brilliance decreased. Brain damage and fame have bereft him of much relevant to say.
Cynicism and pride lead him to idolatry. Joey Gallo or Frank Sinatra arent worth remembering.
JFK is relevant. Murder Most Foul is an unlistenable 17-minute slog, coming from the same genius who wrote Subterreanean Homesick Blues. I am glad he listed all that stuff he thinks is relevant, its a censorship-resistant way to transmit the background of the time. Pretty clever actually… horrible though.
EDIT: If I ever manage to listen to the entire thing without falling into a coma, I will write an analysis.
