A song from every year of live performance between 2000 to 2019. Bob Dylan fans have plenty to choose from when it comes to compiling just one, defining track from each year, and As Fine as Wine does a great job. An exceptional bootleg which puts not the hits into place, but the songs which Dylan had fallen in love with. From Academy Award-winning songs to some of his rarities, the collection highlights not the definitive greatest moments from Dylan on stage but a quality selection of live performances. There is no way of filtering that down to the true moments of brilliance, but As Fine as Wine offers a trustworthy opinion. We must trust in bootleggers with access to these files because they are the ones listening in, tapping into those unique details which provide defining moments on stage. Beyond solid work can be found here.
Opening selection Things Have Changed sets the mood brilliantly. A strong contender for one of the very best of Dylan’s discography. He always sounds fantastic when performing it, but the strength of this version comes from the clearer vocals and the consistent instrumental form, the latter of which is a constant of this compilation. This is not just Mr. Tambourine Man and Visions of Johanna-level songs, though both are featured, and rightly so. No, there is a focus on the deep cuts with this one. Where Teardrops Fall is an inspired inclusion – a nice addition to the flow of the future heard on Things Have Changed. An emotive piece which kicks on with its laid-back sound, the rhythm and blues style of the guitar work is a revolutionary sound for Dylan. It has fit his set for decades, and yet people are still bothered by this adaptation on stage. Rough and Rowdy Ways has made use of this tone, as have the original records preceding it.
There is bounce in Dylan’s step, too, for the likes of Roll on John and Huck’s Tune. The former is a delightful tribute to the late John Lennon, the latter one of those many forgotten offerings from Dylan. Soundtrack work like that is set to be lost to time, and if it were not for the bootleggers keeping track of these performances, we would be without an exceptional performance of a song Dylan has played just a handful of times over the years. Yet those moments still feel as special as a performance of, say, Standing in the Doorway or Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright. Both tracks have featured on the stage more than the likes of Roll on John or Silvio, the latter also well-placed on As Fine as Wine, yet they still have a rare appeal to them. For a man with so many great songs, the chance of hearing your favourite is slim.
What Dylan offers instead is the chance to be reacquainted with a classic. Hearing him perform the Rough and Rowdy Ways album to near completion is a fascinating experience. Each time promises a new moment to latch onto, as do the performances preceding his new tour focus. As Fine as Wine revels in the opportunity to share these deeper moments, the moving occasions where Dylan decides to focus in on sidelined songs like The Man in Me and I Shall Be Released. They do not have the same energy as they did twenty years ago, to perform it and chase such a tone would be foolish. Here is a series of confident, competent adaptations from Dylan. His discography changes once more, and he sounds all the better for it.
