Bob Dylan – Things Have Changed: Volume Three Review

Post-Tempest tales from Bob Dylan carried his live performances for six years. Things Have Changed: Volume Three is not just a wordy title but an unofficial compilation of his efforts from the stage around this time. A pruning of recordings from 2014 rounds out the Things Have Changed compilation trilogy, an unofficial assembly of some fine live performances. Crank the volume up and revel in a sound which would guide Dylan through a solid decade of touring. Watching the River Flow serves as a suitable opener, a welcome instrumental change, a punchiness which has lasted long into the Rough and Rowdy Ways tour cycle. The river, indeed, keeps on rolling. Things Have Changed hopes to highlight the sporadic instrumental changes, and the vocal differences of now and then. It is a success.  

What helps is a fixation not just on the classics but on the rarities of the studio which are staples of the live environment. A veteran track like Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright, is as magnificent here in the gruff approach as it was all those decades ago in its slick style. There is still a professional edge to each performance, though Dylan is not interested in regurgitating the sound and style of his earliest years, nor should he be. Covering material note for note as it was made in the studio is far less entertaining than a performer who can shift the goalposts, who can entertain the idea of an alternate song on stage, forming this unique experience with the track. That much is crucial and it is what sets Dylan apart from his contemporaries. Things Have Changed: Volume Three gets to grips with that best of all. There is the familiarity which comes from passive listening and the shock and awe of new arrangements.  

Tempest tracks are still the mainstay of this tour, as they would be four years on from these performances. Duquesne Whistle has a warmly received swing to it, some slick guitar fretwork and a laudable Dylan vocal lead. All of it comes together, as most of the live rips featured on Things Have Changed do, perfectly. Deep cuts like Huck’s Tune and Forgetful Heart are delightful additions, as is Time Out of Mind rip High Water (For Charley Patton). Contemporary tracks still feel fiery, and the performances they are handed, the vocal flair and percussion-heavy motions of these songs, suggest Dylan’s interest lay in these post-comeback sounds, rather than the songs which made him a household name.  

Yet there are formidable performances of Desolation Row, All Along the Watchtower and Blowin’ in the Wind to be heard in this compilation. They elicit some extreme reactions from the crowds, reciprocated and replicated by the constant hammering of fresh instrumentals, and flickers of new life in decades-old songs. Things Have Changed is a fine collection, a magnificent showcase of Dylan’s power as a vocal presence in the latter stages of his career. His dedication to the older hits and the subtle, unknown tracks of his current discography is unmatched. A genuine and often overlooked care comes for the songs featured on this compilation, a generous helping of smooth instrumentals, crushing vocal clarity and a series of performances which highlight Dylan’s power on the stage.