Bob Dylan, Murder Most Foul | Track Review 🎵

Although “Murder Most Foul” is well-written and thoughtfully conceived, the Bob Dylan record is ambitious in length, nearing 17 minutes.

Bob Dylan is an icon, period.  The singer/songwriter is among the best at his craft.  On March 27, 2020, Dylan released his first new single in post-Triplicate (2017), “Murder Most Foul.” “Murder Most Foul” is a brilliant name for a single to say the least.  Clearly, Mr. Dylan has a lot to say – “Murder Most Foul” runs nearly 17 minutes in duration! Instrumental music is no stranger to longer run times but 17 minutes for other genres is definitely ambitious.  Is “Murder Most Foul” a worthwhile 17-minute listen?

“It was a dark day in Dallas, November ’63 / A day that will live on in infamy / President Kennedy was a-ridin’ high / Good day to be livin’ and a good day to die…” Here’s what I would say about “Murder Most Foul.” I definitely like the concept and idea behind the record more than the record itself.  The big takeaway thematically is that Bob Dylan sings about the assassination of JFK.  His words are poetic and thoughtful, as we all expect from a Dylan record.  Narratively driven, Dylan is clearly in his wheelhouse from a writing standpoint. Beyond covering JFK’s ‘most foul’ demise, Dylan makes a number of cultural and social references.  If you check out the Genius page, there are a plethora of annotations.  The references that stuck out most to me were musical, as Dylan seems to explore his entire album collection.

“Play ‘Please Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood’
Play it for the first lady, she ain’t feelin’ any good
Play Don Henley, play Glenn Frey
Take it to the limit and let it go by
…Play another one and ‘Another One Bites the Dust’
Play ‘The Old Rugged Cross’ and ‘In God We Trust.’”

Final Thoughts 

So, again I ask the question, is “Murder Most Foul” a worthwhile 17-minute listen? I think that anything Bob Dylan does is worth highlighting – he’s an icon.  That said, “Murder Most Foul” is a lot to digest, even with its brilliant songwriting and a respectable performance by Dylan.  Still, after listening to it once, I can’t honestly say that I will relisten to “Murder Most Foul.” It’s not because of quality, but it’s just really long.

Bob Dylan • “Murder Most Foul” • Columbia • Release: 3.27.20

Photo Credit: Columbia