‘Later version’ of Bob Dylan classic hailed as ‘gritty, driven’ improvement

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Bob Dylan is no stranger to reinventing or rewriting his classics. He has done so consistently from 1989 onwards with the Never-Ending Tour and has offered vastly different instrumental stylings of some of his greatest hits. Notably with Shadow Kingdom, Dylan has managed to reinterpret his greatest hits without losing their core identity. His rendition of Watching the River Flow and When I Paint My Masterpiece from the Shadow Kingdom live album, for instance, is Dylan at his re-examining best.

But the songwriter has not stopped there. Dylan has adapted the likes of Shelter from the Storm, Mississippi, and Cold Iron Bounds to the point of making completely different songs. The lyrics often change too, with When I Paint My Masterpiece most frequently receiving updated lyrics when on the road. Fans took to the r/BobDylan subreddit to share their favourites from the stage and studio, with a song featured on Masked and Anonymous hailed by listeners.

One fan asked: “What are your favourite Dylan songs where his later version is better than his original version?” There were plenty of songs named by fans, but the standouts include an electric version of Shelter from the Storm and the Masked and Anonymous version of Cold Iron Bounds.

The Masked and Anonymous fan wrote: “Cold Iron Bound – the movie version. It is more gritty, driven, and in-your-face.” Another added: “The atmosphere on the album one is really great though.” Some believed the Rolling Thunder Revue, one of Dylan’s best-ever tours, features some of his very best adaptations of his work. Hard Rain and Shelter from the Storm were singled out by fans.

One wrote: “Hard Rain electric on Rolling Thunder Revue. Tangled Up in Blue on the same tour.” Another added: “The electrified version of Shelter from the Storm during the 1976 tour improved on the original.” A third shared: “I remember when that came out. I liked the Hard Rain version better than the original at first, but later I went back to preferring the Blood on the Tracks version.”

Others were keen to praise Forever Young, and the huge instrumental changes Dylan made between Planet Waves and The Last Waltz show just two years later. They wrote: “Forever Young in the Last Waltz ’76 is better than both versions on Planet Waves in my opinion.”

Another added: “I prefer the Live ’75 versions of It’s All Over Now Baby Blue, Love Minus Zero, Isis, Hard Rain and Romance in Durango.” While there was plenty of love for the Live ’75 tour, Shadow Kingdom received plenty of love too.

One listener wrote: “I think the Shadow Kingdom version of When I Paint My Masterpiece is the definitive version! Forever Young, too.” Another added: “What Was It You Wanted? was much better on Shadow Kingdom.”