3 Unconventional Bob Dylan Songs That Simply Don’t Get Enough Praise 

Most people who aren’t devout Bob Dylan fans merely think of the man as a folk musician with a sharp tongue. That is certainly true, but as an artist, the man contains multitudes and has never fit neatly inside one box. He’s elusive, a bit confusing, and consequently, has always left his fans and critics hypothesizing his next move. Some fans of Dylan love this; others don’t. Regardless, many of his tracks fly under the radar because of their irregularity and obscurity. That being said, here are three unconventional Bob Dylan songs that simply don’t get enough praise.

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“Wigwam”

Whether it was in a car commercial or in a movie, you’ve surely heard this song before, and you likely remember it, as its intro is incredibly memorable. Released on his 1970 album, Self Portrait, Dylan’s “Wigwam” is the 23rd track on the album, the second to last one. This single is often not included in Dylan’s greatest hits or even in his more “obscure” list of songs. So, the only people who seemingly know about it are the staunch Bob Dylan fans.

We could hurl a bunch of adjectives your way describing this song, but there is seemingly one that does it best: unique. The song is an instrumental that merely features a guitar, piano, drums, several woodwind instruments, and a humming Bob Dylan. It’s epic, and not in the way Dylan typically is epic, which is often through lyrics, and not solely music.

“Murder Most Foul”

You could call this song a great deal of many things, but at its heart, it is a spoken word poem. A 16-minute spoken word poem that recounts the assassination of JFK and the cultural atmosphere of America in light of the tragedy. Released in 2020, many would consider this a return to Dylan’s political roots. Others might merely consider it an artistic adventure and a very bold risk.

In 21st-century music, a 16-minute spoken word poem is almost a guarantee that not many people are going to listen to it. However, when you’re Bob Dylan, you can seemingly make any creative decision you want. Needless to say, he did just that on this ambitious, lengthy, and unorthodox single.

“Series Of Dreams”

Bob Dylan’s “Series Of Dreams” of dream is a rare and previously unreleased track featured on the album, The Bootleg Series Volumes 1–3 (Rare & Unreleased) 1961–1991. Recorded in 1989, this single very well could be mistaken as a song by U2 or Bruce Springsteen if Dylan’s vocals weren’t gracing the track. In other words, it was a step outside of his supposed comfort zone, but as we stated previously, the ever-changing Dylan did and still does that quite often.

In our memory, there isn’t another Bob Dylan song like this. It is staunchly 80s rock ‘n’ roll and subverts the quiet and intimate folk rock sound that found its way on most of his prior songs. If you’re looking for a song that is Dylan, but also isn’t Dylan, then you’ve found it, per our recommendation.

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