Bob Dylan’s new song, “Murder Most Foul.”

[The Dean]

3 hours ago, Rico said:

So if David Palmer sang all of Steely Dan's songs instead of the incredibly weak Donald Fagen, would the band be respected more than being just a footnote in music history?

 

 

No because while Palmer has a stronger (and probably technically better) voice than Donald, Fagen is by far the better singer. Dylan never had a good voice, but he was a good singer nonetheless. Alas his voice as deteriorated a bit, and he also seems to be less interested in his singing these days, from what I've heard from him in recent years. Compare that to a guy like Prine. Another guy with a marginal voice, but who knows how sing. Even though his voice was ravaged by cancer and surgery, he seemed to become even more interested in his singing.

 

Mostly though, I  find this tune is just boring. It's funny because it sounds just like a song a friend of mine many wrote many years ago about our yearly cottage vacation in Canada. But my friend is a doctor, not a songwriter. The song is about our group of friends, so we tend to like it a bit. And quite honestly, there is more going on musically in my buddy's tune. This just doesn't seem like a great Dylan tune to me. I'm sure it's making him some cash, so good for him.

 

For the record, I don't think it would be a good tune even if Van Morrison sang it. It might make a decent poem, though.

Edited April 12, 2020 by The Dean

[Buftex]

The song is a masterpiece...an (good) American Pie for the end-times. You can never count Dylan out.

[Simon]

Only heard about 4-5 minutes in the truck and thought it was so bad that I turned it off.

[Buftex]

1 hour ago, Simon said:

Only heard about 4-5 minutes in the truck and thought it was so bad that I turned it off.

Good art isn't for everyone!

[Simon]

1 minute ago, Buftex said:

Good art isn't for everyone!

Yeah, it's all subjective.

I like Dylan up through about Slow Train Coming but after that it just hasn't clicked for me.

[Buftex]

24 minutes ago, Simon said:

Yeah, it's all subjective.

I like Dylan up through about Slow Train Coming but after that it just hasn't clicked for me.

He is very hit and miss at this point, I agree.

[The Dean]

24 minutes ago, Buftex said:

Good art isn't for everyone!

 

Neither is bad art.

 

I'm a Dylan fan. So I gave the song a few more listens. Still think it's a lousy song, and nowhere near Dylan standards. But I may have been a bit too harsh on his singing. Don't get me wrong, Dylan's voice has deteriorated badly in recent years. But I now actually think he is trying to sing on this one.  It's just a brutally boring tune, IMO.  I'm also wondering if Bob just found out about the JFK assassination. The 60's were a wild time. He could have simply forgotten.    (And obviously I'm only kidding. Every tune doesn't have to be about current events.)

[Buftex]

14 hours ago, The Dean said:

 

Neither is bad art.

 

I'm a Dylan fan. So I gave the song a few more listens. Still think it's a lousy song, and nowhere near Dylan standards. But I may have been a bit too harsh on his singing. Don't get me wrong, Dylan's voice has deteriorated badly in recent years. But I now actually think he is trying to sing on this one.  It's just a brutally boring tune, IMO.  I'm also wondering if Bob just found out about the JFK assassination. The 60's were a wild time. He could have simply forgotten.    (And obviously I'm only kidding. Every tune doesn't have to be about current events.)

I think the song is extremely relevant to the current state of the world. I think that is part of the reason it was released now, in the middle of this global event. 

[Rico]

Another midnight release.