Back with his first LP of originals in eight years, the iconic Bob Dylan is superb throughout his 39th studio album, Rough and Rowdy Ways.
Bob Dylan is not only a musical icon â heâs an icon, period. One of the greatest singer/songwriters of all time, Dylanâs illustrious career has far extended beyond his heyday in the 1960s and 70s. Honestly, Bob couldâve âcalled it a dayâ years ago and he would still be iconic to the nth degree. But, thankfully, he didnât do that.
Now, at the ripe young age of 79, heâs released his 39th studio album, Rough and Rowdy Ways, his first album of originals since 2012 (Tempest). Many 79-year olds are retired, but thatâs just not Bobâs style. And judging by just how great Rough and Rowdy Ways is, you hope that the legend never hangs it up.
1
âI Contain Multitudesâ
â âI Contain Multitudesâ commences Rough and Rowdy Ways in utterly sublime fashion. A superb song title, itâs comes directly from a line from the classic, transcendentalist poem, âSong of Myselfâ by Walt Whitman. Indeed, Dylan âcontains multitudesâ referencing countless things including cinema, history, and music such as âThem British bad boys, The Rolling Stones,â and âPlaying Beethovenâs sonatas, and Chopinâs preludes.â Not only are the lyrics excellent, but âI Contain Multitudesâ is a legit, gorgeous ballad that perfectly suits Dylanâs distinct voice. How do you follow up such an accomplished record?
The answer is, â âFalse Prophet.â âFalse Prophetâ marks a stark contrast to the reflective âI Contain Multitudesâ embracing blues rock and a more assertive sound. Bob Dylan showcases ample personality here, continuing to bless us with masterful songwriting. FYI, the false prophet (or lack thereof) is mentioned explicitly for the first time on the third verse, reappearing on the seventh and the tenth and final verse. Dylan is on autopilot.
âMy Own Version of Youâ
Two gems, and Bob doesnât stop there! âMy Own Version of Youâ continues the marvelousness of Rough and Rowdy Ways without missing a beat. This subtle, compound duple meter cut provides another contrast to whatâs been served up so far, maintaining Dylanâs virtuosity in the songwriting department. The focal point is always the narrative, though there are some undeniably great musical aspects that occur as well.
âIf I had the wings of a snow-white dove / Iâd preach the gospel, the gospel of love / A love so real, a love so true / Iâve made up my mind to give myself to you.â Sigh, just breathtaking! âIâve Made Up my Mind to Give Myself to You,â the esteemed fourth track, is in no rush where tempo is concerned. I love the way that the music lays back, serving as a fitting accompaniment to Dylanâs sophisticated pen, as aforementioned. The slower pace certainly matches the theme of the record: L-O-V-E.
âBlack Riderâ
You can make a legit case for either âI Contain Multitudesâ or âFalse Prophetâ as the crowning achievement of Rough and Rowdy Ways â both are epic. That said, the chilling, dark, enigmatic, minor-keyed â âBlack Riderâ has an equally strong case. Hereâs the deal about âBlack Rider.â Even if the lyrics werenât potent and Dylan had âfallen offâ his storytelling game, the music alone would earn this record accolades. The production is spare, allowing Dylan to be the focal point, yet, the harmonic progression â the chords â are absolutely gorgeous. Of course, itâs Bob Dylan, lyrical master, so it only requires one lyric to confirm the elite nature: âBlack rider, black rider, hold it right there,â he sings on the fifth and final verse, âThe size of your cock will get you nowhere.â How awesome is that? âBlack Riderâ is subject to interpretation, including references to mortality â perhaps Dylanâs own â and perhaps, more subtly, politics.
â âGoodbye Jimmy Reedâ rightfully accelerates the tempo, opting for a livelier, more bluesy sound. The bluesy sound also makes sense considering Bob Dylan references the late blues musician, Jimmy Reed, throughout the song. Furthermore, there are a number of clever spiritual references, beginning on the first verse. Lyrics like âI can tell theyâre Proddie from a mile awayâ and âGive me that old time religion, itâs just what I needâ are top-notch.
âMother of Musesâ
âMother of Musesâ slackens the pace once more, marking another contrast. Bob Dylan dabbles in Greek Mythology, Homer Odyssey style, seeking, well, the mother of the nine Muses. The mother of the Muses in Greek Mythology was Înemosyne (Zeus was the daddy). The only Muse that Dylan explicitly references is Calliope, âthe superior Muse,â who Homer supposedly asked to inspire him to write Iliad and Odyssey. Dylan seeks the same inspiration. A moment worth noting is when Dylan references five generals, Elvis Presley, and Martin Luther King.
Song length never concerns Bob Dylan, with the final three songs of Rough and Rowdy Ways all surpassing seven minutes in duration. The shortest of the trio is the moderate paced standout, â âCrossing the Rubicon.â Although it runs seven-and-a-half minutes, itâs a chill, laid-back, easygoing experience. Comprised of nine verses, Dylan always caps off each verse with the titular lyric. The Rubicon, of course, is a river in Italy. In Bobâs hands, itâs the source of another compelling narrative that many a songwriter wish they could lay claim to.
âKey West (Philosopher Pirate)â is the penultimate record, concluding the first disc of the album. Nine-and-a-half minutes long, Dylan continues to have plenty to say. Perhaps it doesnât quite achieve the highs of âI Contain Multitudes,â âFalse Prophet,â or âBlack Rider,â but itâs another great piece of songwriting and storytelling. If you view this the end of the album (âMurder Most Foulâ as a bonus cut), then itâs a strong, reflective coda.
2
âMurder Most Foulâ
The 17-minute-long âMurder Most Foulâ, the first single released prior to the album, rightfully concludes Rough and Rowdy Ways. Honestly, where else could âMurder Most Foulâ effectively land? Place it at the beginning, itâs totally ineffective. Place it in the middle, it takes away from the remainder of the album. Itâs definitely a work of art, albeit a work of art thatâs is a lot to digest, and best examined as its own entity by my estimations.
It was a dark day in Dallas, November â63 / A day that will live on in infamy / President Kennedy was a-ridinâ high / Good day to be livinâ and a good day to dieâŠâ The concept and idea behind the record is awesome. Bob Dylan sings about the assassination of JFK. His words are poetic and thoughtful, as we all expect from a Dylan record, and have heard consistently throughout Rough and Rowdy Ways. Beyond covering JFKâs âmost foulâ demise, Dylan makes a number of cultural and social references. Check out the Genius page, and 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.
âPlay âPlease Donât Let Me Be Misunderstoodâ Play it for the first lady, she ainât feelinâ any good Play Don Henley, play Glenn Frey Take it to the limit and let it go by ...Play another one and âAnother One Bites the Dustâ Play âThe Old Rugged Crossâ and âIn God We Trust.ââ
Final Thoughts
All in all, Rough and Rowdy Ways is by far the best Bob Dylan album in years. Perhaps that goes without saying considering his last album of originals prior to this was Tempest (2012), but Rough and Rowdy Ways just feels special. If this is the last album Dylan ever releases, it feels like the perfect way to cap off a legendary career. Why? Great songwriting and storytelling, first and foremost, but also, great productions the fit the icon well. Also, the order of the track list flows well, commencing with âI Contain Multitudesâ and closing out with âMurder Most Foul.â One of the best albums of 2020? You bet!
â Gems: âI Contain Multitudes,â âFalse Prophet,â âBlack Rider,â âGoodbye Jimmy Reedâ & âCrossing the Rubiconâ
Bob Dylan âą Rough and Rowdy Ways âą Columbia âą Release: 6.19.20
Photo Credit: Columbia