
Bob Dylan has revealed the full track list of his upcoming studio album, Rough and Rowdy Ways, which will be released Friday, June 19.
The album’s 10 songs were unveiled in a video posted on the legendary singer-songwriter’s Facebook and Instagram pages, and include the three released tunes “Murder Most Foul,” “I Contain Multitudes” and “False Prophet,” as well as titles including “Black Rider,” “Goodbye Jimmy Reed” and “Mother of Muses.”
Dylan chats about aspects of his new album with author and historian Douglas Brinkley in a rare interview that’s been published in The New York Times.
The epic, 17-minute-long “Murder Most Foul” finds Dylan musing about the assassination of John F. Kennedy, and seemingly reflecting on a bygone era while referencing various music artists, historic events and more. Of that song, Bob says, “To me it’s not nostalgic. I don’t think of ‘Murder Most Foul’ as a glorification of the past or some kind of send-off to a lost age. It speaks to me in the moment.”
The song includes a mention of The Eagles‘ Don Henley and Glenn Frey. Asked what his favorite songs by the band are, Dylan replies, “‘New Kid in Town,’ ‘Life in the Fast Lane,’ ‘Pretty Maids All in a Row.’ That could be one of the best songs ever.”
On “I Contain Multitudes,” Dylan seems to be discussing the sometimes-contradictory aspects of his personality.
“Obviously, the catalyst for the song is the title line,” he notes. “It’s one of those where you write it on instinct. Kind of in a trance state. Most of my recent songs are like that. The lyrics are the real thing, tangible, they’re not metaphors.”
You can check out the full interview at NYTimes.com.
Here’s the Rough and Rowdy Ways track list:
“I Contain Multitudes”
“False Prophet”
“My Own Version of You”
“I’ve Made Up My Mind to Give Myself to You”
“Black Rider”
“Goodbye Jimmy Reed”
“Mother of Muses”
“Crossing the Rubicon”
“Key West”
“Murder Most Foul”
By Matt Friedlander
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