Fans of the legendary songwriter Bob Dylan are hailing a lesser-known song as the “greatest masterpiece” he’s ever recorded.
The veteran musician, famed for iconic tunes such as Mr Tambourine Man, Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door and Highway 61 Revisited, has an impressive back catalogue of hits, but it’s a track from his most recent album that has fans talking.
On social media platform X, an admirer declared one of Dylan’s fresher releases to be not only a crown jewel of his musical career but also one of the all-time greatest achievements in music history.
This song, branded “absolutely insane”, has earned accolades from fans as being one of his most spellbinding creations.
The 2020 release of Rough and Rowdy Ways was met with universal acclaim. Dylan hit the road with the album in 2021 and has not stopped performing since. He is currently playing to audiences across the US, sharing the stage with Willie Nelson and Billy Strings at the Outlaw Music Festival.
After the festival season, Dylan is set to resume the Rough and Rowdy Ways tour, gifting fans performances of his most recent songs.
However, his ‘best’ song to date has yet to be played live, despite igniting buzz online. One fan wrote: “Murder Most Foul blows me away more and more as time passes.
“Absolutely insane to release what might be your greatest masterpiece in your late 70s. Like for me it’s joined the canon of great American art.”
The song, which is 16 minutes and 56 seconds long, holds the record as Dylan’s longest track to date. Upon its release on March 27, 2020, it became the musician’s first original work in eight years.
Fans have praised the song, which serves as Rough and Rowdy Ways’ final track. One enthusiast suggested that the album ranks among the “greatest albums ever.”
They wrote: “The more I listen to Rough and Rowdy Ways the more I rank it not just among Bob’s best, but amongst the greatest albums ever. ‘Key West’ and ‘I’ve Made Up My Mind To Give Myself to You’ are indescribably beautiful.”
Another fan added: “If I’m in the right mood it brings me to tears.” A third fan noted: “Doesn’t get the publicity it would have gotten in past eras. Says a lot about our cultural change.”
Some have even found additional uses for the epic song, with one using it to “meditate”. The fan shared: “It is the most zen piece of rock music ever created. I listen to it while I meditate and it’s a perfect companion.”
The song has received widespread acclaim, not just from fans but also from fellow musicians. Neil Young hailed the song as a “masterpiece” while Elvis Costello admitted that the track brought him to tears.
In a Stereogum compilation of artists’ favourite Dylan songs, both Talking Heads’ David Byrne and Pulp’s Jarvis Cocker named it their top choice.