Things Changing

Found myself mildly thrown by a review of the Dylan concert in The Straits Times asserting that the stuff from Tempest sounded pretty much like the original recordings. Since I failed to recognise either Pay It In Blood (for a good thirty seconds or so) or Early Roman Kings (got it quicker, but it still sounded different) I wondered whether my powers of recall were severely failing me. Then I came across a review of the show in Perth (comprising an identical set-list), from a distinctly more savvy reviewer, that pointed to the differences, somewhat to my relief. However, the Perth reviewer threw me by asserting that Things Have Changed, the concert opener, could be found on Modern Times when I was pretty sure that wasn't the case. I was fairly certain I'd only ever heard this on-line as it's not on any album I own.

I had a highly enjoyable time checking. It only took a glance at the CD cover to establish it wasn't on Modern Times, but then I simply had to play the album, only to discover that what I personally rank bottom of the run of 'late-Dylan' albums, from Time Out Of Mind onwards, is chock-full of wonderful songs. I realised that if the great man (and his great band) had played any one of Spirit On The Water, When The Deal Goes Down, Workingman's Blues #2, Nettie Moore, Ain't Talkin', I would have gone into minor ecstasies. I suppose that's why Dylan in concert can't disappoint: it's all good and since he's bound not to play easily over a hundred songs you'd love to hear, there's just no point in disappointment.