Comment of the Moment: Bob Dylan's "Masterpiece" Song "Murder Most Foul" + 17 Minutes of The TRUTH
Earlier this week, Neil Young wrote about Bob Dylan's song "Murder Most Foul" saying: "This song is a masterpiece."
The Comment of the Moment is from the post "This song is a masterpiece": Neil Young on Bob Dylan's "Murder Most Foul": 17 Minutes of The TRUTH by Dan:
As musical cinematic wordplay goes, this definitely falls under the label “masterpiece”.Thanks for the supporting arguments Dan.
I am conflicted about the label, as it certainly falls into the realm of opinion. Everyone has one, and rarely do we all agree. Longevity will always be one way to identify a masterpiece, and this being a relatively new release, not much time has passed. Dylan has already become a living legend by way of his prolific and inspirational output over the past several decades. Therefore his releases tend to come with much higher expectations than most of his contemporaries. As we all know; expectations are typically unrealistic when directed towards a gifted artist such as Bob Dylan, or Neil Young for that matter. Expectations sometimes have a negative impact not only on the listener but the song itself. Both Dylan and Young have been victim to unrealistic expectations. Fortunately neither one seems to be concerned about it.
I approached Murder Most Foul without any expectations, and found it to be a brilliant use of wordplay to communicate its subject matter. The musicians were able to elevate the intention with restraint and articulation. Taking its time to create a visual landscape and using a clever mixture of references to articulate not only the event itself but the emotions stirred by the event. By succeeding in combining the emotional experience and connecting it with musical references, Bob has created yet another example of his genius. The pace of the song may feel arduous to some, but for me that 17 minutes flew by as the lyrics and the delivery just drew me into Bob’s universe.
Masterpiece??? Maybe. Epic musical genre buster??? Definitely.
Peace
"Then they blew off his head while he was still in the car
Shot down like a dog in broad daylight"
U.S. President John F. Kennedy
Whether Dylan's song "Murder Most Foul" is a "masterpiece" or "genius" is secondary to the song being the single most important artistic release statement thus far in the 21st century. Full stop and we challenge anyone to suggest another song since 2000.
For to understand the truth of Dylan's "Murder Most Foul" is to understand the truth of what happened that day in Dallas in 1963. And therefore, it is to understand the truth of virtually everything in the history of the American 20th century. JFK's assassination (a murder most foul, if ever) is literally and metaphorically "The Rosetta Stone" to untangling what has happened there, what is happening here, and what will happen later. Profound and prescient doesn't begin to come close as an understatement of the century.
Frankly, for us here at TW calling the song a true "Rosetta Stone" essentially constitutes "masterpiece" status for us by definition. Whatever you want to call the song, it is a magnificently powerful emotional song that strikes at the heart of the truth as we revealed in our initial analysis (see ANALYSIS: Bob Dylan's "Murder Most Foul" | Why Bob Dylan's "Murder Most Foul" Is 17 Minutes of The TRUTH). About as pure of 17 minutes of the truth anyone of this generation will ever find and hear, we are beyond stunned while deliriously delighted about what this song means to us going forward all together.
The song is pure TRUTH for those with open eyes and minds. It names names. Gives dates, locations, colors and players. The song explicitly details who did NOT kill U.S. President John F. Kennedy and obliquely references the true plotters of "The American Coup of 1963" (which we explained in detail back on the 50th anniversary in 2013).
"The day that they killed him, someone said to me, “Son,
the age of the Antichrist has just only begun.”
From Bob Dylan’s New JFK Assassination Epic Couldn’t Be More Prescient | Vulture by Craig Jenkins:
The image of a nation huddled around the radio looking for solace in times of tragedy is a mirror on the present, as American cities in lockdown wait for good news about the end of the current crisis.From Bob Dylan’s Midnight Message to JFK’s Ghost | Dissident Voice by Edward Curtin:
We are all, for the first time in years, facing the same foe.
But we’re not all on the same page. Shoppers are hoarding precious supplies, and shops are ramping up the prices. People continue to gather in crowds in spite of orders from doctors and epidemiologists. Will this be a decade where we set aside our differences long enough to serve the greater good, or do we pry the union apart thread by thread, drunk on the myth of exceptionalism and the siren song of individualism?
While speaking the unspeakable truth about President John Kennedy’s murder might seem hopeless, it is actually a sign of great hope. For our only hope is in telling the truth, which Bob has done.More on ANALYSIS: Bob Dylan's "Murder Most Foul" | Why Bob Dylan's "Murder Most Foul" Is 17 Minutes of The TRUTH.
This is art, not theory, and art of a special kind since Dylan is an artist at war with his art.
His songs demand that the listener’s mind and spirit be moving as the spirit of creative inspiration moved Dylan. A close listening will force one to jump from line to line, verse to verse – to shoot the gulf – since there are no bridges to cross, no connecting links. The sound carries you over and keeps you moving forward. If you’re not moving, you’ll miss the meaning.
The full lyrics of Bob Dylan's "Murder Most Foul" can be found at Lyrics to Bob Dylan's "Murder Most Foul" + 74 song references + review links + sub-title lyrics video.
ANALYSIS: Bob Dylan's "Murder Most Foul": 17 Minutes of The TRUTH
— ThrashersWheat (@ThrashersWheat) March 29, 2020
See https://t.co/0VEyOVwGmY
☮️♥️@NeilYoungNYA @bobdylan #BeTheRain #NoFear #StayCalm #AllTogether#TurnOffTheNews #WT1sWBWO #BigShift #disCERNment pic.twitter.com/2anmBBphEU
"Will The Circle Be Unbroken" - A Tribute to Elliot Roberts
(NOTE: Font on Neil Young's shirt matches font of "Murder Most Foul")
REVIEW: Neil Young Bob Dylan - Nowlan Park, Kilkenny, Ireland - 14 July 2019
COMMENTARY + ANALYSIS: Bob Dylan and Neil Young: Tangled Up in Blue and Out of The Black
U.S. President John F. Kennedy & His Son John F. Kennedy, Jr.
(See The Day The Music Died: 50 Years Ago Today and Why It Still Matters More Than Ever .)
So, keep separating the Wheat From the Chaff, while Liberty + Comfort + Mercy Arrive + Eagles Soar, Wolves Retreat. Afterall, this is for The Kids: Our "Children of Destiny".
Labels: #AllTogether, #BeTheRain, #BigShift, #disCERNment, #NoFear, #StayCalm, #WT1sWBWF, bob dylan, kennedy, neil young, song
3 Comments:
Thank you Thrashers for correcting my minor spelling error. And for the “comment of the moment “. Obviously this song has garnered much attention over the past week, and rightfully so. Not sure exactly when it was recorded but to me anyway, feels like something from the Time Out Of Mind period. On the Dylan website it just says it was recorded a ways back. Although I imagine someone has figured it out, I just haven’t heard anything yet.
Peace 🙏
And thank you Dan, of course for all of your valued thoughts which you have shared here with us.
Your insightful contributions -- along with all of our fellow rusties -- once again demonstrates that Neil fans/rusties are some of the most knowledgeable, articulate and kind music fans out there.
we are honored and blessed.
thrashers
Thank you for the article. This is Jeremy Ryan Holloway, or J.r. Wylie. I am here because what Bob has written troubles me not only for myself, but for him, as well as, the President.
It is hard being in these roles. There is an enormous amount of pressure.
For me I am not as weary yet as Bob if he ever was..
He once said, "Happy? Anyone can be happy!"
Thank You for your time and consideration.
- J.r.
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