Rough and Rowdy Ways (2020)


 

  1. I Contain Multitudes
  2. False Prophet
  3. My Own Version of You
  4. I've Mde Up My Mind to Give Myself to You
  5. Black Rider
  6. Goodbye Jimmy Reed
  7. Mother of Muses
  8. Crossing the Rubicon
  9. Key West (Philospher Pirate)
 10. Murder Most Fowl

 

You could make the argument that the cover of this release is absolutely nothing like the musical content included, but when did Bob Dylan ever do anything predictable? In a sense, though, you might be able to see a connection. The cover shows kids during the 1950s frivolously dancing the night away by the light of a jukebox. What Dylan might be trying to say here, is that this album is about and for those "kids" who have grown up, grown old, and are now well into their seventies. This, like most of what Dylan's output is, is an introspective album.

It's also mainly a "lyrics" album, but then again, so is just about everything else this man released over his sixty-plus years of recording. Would songs like The Times They Are A-Changin' and Blowin' in the Wind had ever been as popular if they contained different, more inconsequential, lyrics? So what we have on this release is Dylan essentially reciting poetry over sparse musical accompaniment. In most cases, such a release probably wouldn't appeal to most. But this is Bob Dylan here, and one can simply listen to the man recite without any music at all and still feel rewarded.

Most of his introspections on this release are from a near octogenarian who is looking back on his life, or life in general and commenting good, bad, and ugly. In order to appreciate this record, you really have to listen and not simply have the music on in the background while doing house chores. S ure enough, the music (although sparse) can interfere with the message when it sounds a tad crude, which we hear on such songs as Crossing the Rubicon and My Own Version of You, but most everything else here is done with a beautiful yet delicate touch.

The best song on this record almost deserves its own review due to the stunning impact it has on the listener. The seventeen-minute closing song Murder Most Foul is mostly about the assassination of John F. Kennedy and the drama and speculation that still occurs to this day. From what I understand, it was actually "released" as a single and managed to top the charts. One might compare the lyrics here to Don McLean's "American Pie", but certainly not the music. Again, you can't really sing along to the Dylan song, and there's no catchy chorus that repeats in one's head. Come to think of it, I'm not sure if there's any chorus in this lengthy tune, but it doesn't matter. It's a beautiful, sad song that manages to say so much more about that November day in Dallas.

At this point, I'm not really sure I would enjoy seeing an artist like Bob Dylan perform on stage anymore. He seems to have gotten too old to be what many consider a "performer", and his advanced age has now relegated him to more of a musical "storyteller". The stories he tells, though, are quite incredible in their beauty. This album is a perfect testament to that.

Go back to the main page
Go to the Next Review