Rough and Rowdy Ways, Bob Dylan, 2020, 1:10
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
On June 19, the Great One dropped a surprise album, and all anyone could talk about was the 17-minute nostalgia dystopia "Murder Most Foul." I liked that, but aside from its novelty length I don't think it's that much of a standout in the Bob oeuvre. This album is mostly in the vein of his bluesy growler Together Through Life, one of my least favorite Dylan albums. But there's a lot to love here, lots of those Dylan lines that make you suddenly stop, start upright, and say, "Wait, what now?" Like in "Black Rider:" You're digging the tough blues groove about some mysterious death-like figure and then you hear "Black rider, black rider, hold it right there / The size of your cock will get you nowhere." With Bob, you just gotta jump into the wagon, love, throw your panties overboard. If this turns out to be Dylan's last studio album, it will be a definitively apt one, with its looking back at the past through grim-colored glasses. Favorite tracks: "False Prophet," "Goodbye Jimmy Reed," "My Own Version of You."
