#274: It's Like You're In A Rock 'N' Roll Museum's Choir
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Rolling Stone's Brian Hiatt, reviewing Dylan's just released "Murder Most Foul", writes that it reminds him of Van Morrison's Astral Weeks session. For me, that, along with the soundtrack to Ken Burns' Civil War series, plus add in the element of surprise found on Dylan's XM radio show, and you'd have a secular feel for the piece. But that would understate the impact, since there's perhaps nothing as timely, artistically, as a look back at what went wrong, considering where we are now.
But, our's is a springtime moment, with the dread of winter sure to be brought down, defeated, and escorted offstage. Dylan's is one more invocation, calling upon a 60's promise yet to be redeemed. That return, to a blessed present, is as certain as each of us imagining it, indeed, happening. I'm cautiously optimistic.
Are you? The above link includes the song in its entirety.
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A follow-up article, also at Rolling Stone, explains 20 allusions found in Dylan's song.
And another look, again at R.S.
The New Yorker publishes a more critically balanced piece by Kevin Dettmar, dissing the song's first half, which focuses on Kennedy.
A Salon article, by David Masciotra, that embraces the song's Kennedy theme, making the case that Kennedy was killed because he was ditching the cold warriors in the CIA and military.
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