Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues - Other Appearances and Acclaim

Other Appearances and Acclaim

In addition to its appearance on the Highway 61 Revisited album, "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues" was also included on the compilation album Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits Vol. II (known as More Bob Dylan Greatest Hits in Europe) and on another compilation released exclusively in Europe titled Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits 2. An alternate take of the song, featuring Sam Lay on drums instead of Bobby Gregg, is included on The Bootleg Series Vol. 7: No Direction Home: The Soundtrack.

The song has also been popular live in concert. Clinton Heylin has stated that "as performed live in 1965–66, 'Tom Thumb' became an inferno of pain. As if pain were indeed art." A live version recorded at a concert in Liverpool, England on May 14, 1966, featuring Dylan backed by The Band, was released as the B-side to the "I Want You" single in 1966, and later also appeared on the Masterpieces compilation. The song was also performed on May 17, 1966 by Dylan and The Band at the famous and controversial so-called 'Albert Hall' concert (which in fact took place at the Manchester Free Trade Hall) and consequently it appears on The Bootleg Series Vol. 4: Bob Dylan Live 1966, The "Royal Albert Hall" Concert. Dylan also played "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues" regularly during his 1974 tour, and has played it in concert occasionally ever since.

In a 2005 reader's poll published in Mojo magazine, "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues" was listed as the number 13 all time greatest Bob Dylan song. In 2002, Uncut magazine listed it as the number 38 all time best Bob Dylan song. Music journalist Toby Creswell included "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues" on his list of the 1001 greatest songs of all time and music critic Dave Marsh ranked the live version from Liverpool as the number 243 greatest single of all time and as one of the dozen or so truly great B-sides, noting that it demonstrated Dylan's prowess as a great live performer.