Rough And Rowdy Ways
by Bob Dylan

Well, Bob's back for the first time since 2012 (excluding three covers releases) and while this album features some of Dylan's finest work in years it is, as often with Dylan, being completely overrated by critics. Yes, it does feature some lovely songs (and a sublime epic) but it also includes the usual generic blues rockers which have been filling up Dylan albums for decades. Anyway, opener 'I contain multitudes' is a fairly harmless introduction, a fair track to be honest and featuring predictable generic rhymes (another latter day Dylan habit) but it's okay. 'False prophet' is a bluesy rocker but it never really picks up and just goes round and round without anything approaching a chorus in sight. Things improve with the acoustic based 'My own version of you' and hit a tremendous high with the beautiful 'I've made up my mind to give myself to you'. Absolutely lovely. 'Black rider' is another strong and atmospheric cut. 'Goodbye Jimmy Reed' is enjoyable enough but it's a just an average twelve bar blues. Dylan has thousands of these. 'Mother of muses' though is wonderful, one of Dylan's best songs since 'Mississippi' back in 2001. 'Crossing the rubicon' is another twelve bar blues. A bit dull. Then we get the superb 'Key west (philosopher pirate) probably the best track on the album. Excellent stuff. Then, on a second disc for some reason, we get the epic 'Murder most foul'. It's a brooding masterpiece and will undoubtedly become a Dylan classic. A review of the Kennedy assassination featuring a wealth of cultural references from Queen to Nat King Cole And there we have it. Altogether 'Rough and Rowdy ways' is a very good record. Two thirds of it is great but it's just let down by three average blues tracks. So, will it be Dylan's final album? Who knows. But if it is it's a decent lp to end his stunning career on. Just not as great as the usual over praising critics tell you.

From RockyRaccoon TOP 100 COMMENTER 06/19/2020 15:38 | #253921 | TOP COMMENT Vote up your preferred comments and the comments with the most votes will be flagged.

Best thing Bobby D's released since Modern Times, easily. I Contain Multitudes and I've Made Up My Mind To Give Myself To You are both excellent additions to the Dylan catalog, and Murder Most Foul just feels like classic Dylan. Of all the later-stage Dylan (when does that start? The 2000s?), this is one of the best

Absolute masterpiece. Key West and I've made up my mind may be two of the best songs of the last 20 years. Lyrically a perfect album.

Solid enough album but it's not the classic that it's being made out to be. Good enough to be in my top 50 albums of the year. I'm hoping that it grows on my more than it has so far.

There‘s not a song on this album that‘s not a standout. The depth, coherence and consistency of lyrics, melodies and arrangements are unmatched in his late career. While its restrained, reflective yet defiant tone place it on a different part on the emotional spectrum than Time Out of Mind or Love & Theft, it achieves its effect masterfully while leaving plenty of layers to unravel over repeated listenings. Any of these would have been among the best tracks on his late albums, and several, including Goodbye Jimmy Reed, Key West and Murder Most Foul, stand higher still above the rest.