Rough and Rowdy Ways: the preview

By mr tambourine

Finally.

A new album announced. June 19 is the day to wait for.   10 tracks, including “Murder Most Foul”, “I Contain Multitudes” and the newly released “False Prophet”.

Looks good to me.

My take so far on these three songs is – they’re all different. They don’t have anything similar. Which means we could expect a very well rounded album, with very different themes.

There are some similarities of course – the many similar references and some similar phrases here and there – but all in all, so far I’m very impressed.

I have already announced on multiple occasions that if Bob releases a new album this year, we need to be careful – ’cause it’s gonna be good. So far, I still stand by that.

Two songs have a lot of humor in them and very well could be Dylan playing with his own persona which we’re really not that used to – “I Contain Multitudes” and “False Prophet” – while the only other song so far released (and known) is “Murder Most Foul” – a sad song about a very tragic event.

So far , I have seen Bob reflecting on his entire career – “Murder Most Foul” lyrically resembles his material from his most famous sixties period, “I Contain Multitudes” musically is Bob writing his own “American standard” after three albums of mostly Sinatra covers and “False Prophet” musically is everything Bob Dylan was doing between Time Out Of Mind and Tempest, in fact, musically, it’s Time Out Of Mind 2.0 with some hint of Together Through Life.

I won’t talk about these songs yet. As singles they are good, but with Bob, it’s always about listening to the entire album and seeing how the story in the songs progresses. I think all three would be amazing live, but that’s not important now.

This is my preliminary review of the album.    I hope to write two more parts of it after this.

The next one, I will write after June 19. (What’s interesting to me, June 19 reminds me of Covid-19 for some reason…).

I recommend this album already, no matter what it turns out to be. We have seen many sides of Bob in just three songs. And these are just singles. The other 7 songs must be hiding something amazing as well. And knowing Bob, he’s gonna put the songs very well together.

The only negative review I can give so far is the cover. If it’s the cover around the internet surfacing… I don’t know what to say.

It kind of reminds me of Together Through Life and Bob’s official video for “Unbelievable”. Although, those two have some much brighter colors.

I really hope they give it a different cover than that. The cover that’s on the video of “False Prophet” is very interesting. It could’ve been similar to that.

But don’t mind me.

Bob is turning 79 soon.  I hope he lives to be a hundred, just like Allen Ginsberg said.

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6 Comments

  1. Don´t worry. It is very simple. He wants to go on, and nobody (even not the fortune telling lady or false prophet) knows how long.
    The key words are:
    The past, the present and the future.

    Do you remember:

    Don’t fall apart on me tonight
    I just don’t think that I could handle it
    Don’t fall apart on me tonight
    Yesterday’s just a memory
    Tomorrow is never what it’s supposed to be
    And I need you, yeah

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_1l8xbm_3s

  2. Dylan is anything but simple….the candle is going to burn out eventually , though no one knows for sure when it will fall apart .

    So there’s room for worry.

    Telling yourself or somebody else “not to worry, be happy” may work some of the time, but it is not going to work all of the time:

    ‘Today, tomorrow, and yesterday too
    The flowers are dying like all things do”

  3. I can only answer with Bob Dylans words:
    “I’m nothing like my ghostly appearance would suggest”
    so I think it is too early and disrespectful to suspend him in a basket in a public place and say:
    “I will show you fear in a handful of dust”
    The evidence of his non declining power is the new album.
    I am looking forward to hear the rest of the songs.
    You can read about The Cumaean Sybil here:
    http://www.spectacle.org/0309/sybil.html

  4. Great joy for me when I read about coming the new album. I am looking forward and curious about other songs from that album. I like the side of cover with dancing couples.
    I remember. I wish I could change it.
    Thank you mr tambourine. And thank you Babette for your link to The Cumean Sybil.

  5. mr. tambourine,

    Good overview of what to expect from Bob’s new album and how it has some similarities to Time out of Mind. I like your take on how his time with the old standards have influenced the three songs released so far. I would say that the influence is more in the way of style than in content. I am also very excited about this new album and I agree with you regard to it being a real hit! His three releases are a good indicator that Bob has once again come to do business with his musical and lyrical genius. He is not wasting any time getting to the bottom line of things. However, unlike you, I see these three songs very linked in the sense that they are all dealing with a type of reckoning! Its like cut the BS already I am ready to expose the falsehoods and come and deal you some straight up truth and it might not be all that pretty! These three songs are formidable, graphic, and arresting; presaging a powerful album with both social and moral impact! I think it is something that has been fermenting in Bob’s mind and soul for a very long time and now the wine it produces with be choice and be remembered as a very good year.

    Look forward to more of your articles mr. tambourine.

    denise

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