Bob Dylan At Budokan: Opinions?

See "Has Bob Dylan Ever Released A Bad Album" thread.
This one's 'bad'.

 

I hate it so much I've only listened to the full album a handful of times. Every time I decide to give it another chance I just can't get any furthur than side 1. A laughable version of "Mr. Tambourine Man", a reggae version of "Shelter From The Storm" (complete with horrible sax solo) and flutes on "Love Minus Zero/No Limit", really too much for me to handle. He has released other disappointing live albums, but I think this is the most unlistenable one.

 

cocaine hubris.

 

Well, at least Dylan didn't hire Clarence Clemons!

I'm with the OP in finding Budokan one of Dylan's more intriguing live albums--the official ones, that is--until the advent of The Bootleg Series. Look, it's by no means one of my go-to Dylan albums, but it's nice to hear Dylan with a full band--emphasis on full.

I know that the "there's nothing else like it in Dylan's catalog" claim isn't necessarily a reason to embrace Budokan, but this was my first exposure to many of these songs (this album being one of my first 5 Dylan purchases), so I do enjoy hearing these particular arrangements from time to time.

 

It wasn't even supposed to be released anywhere EXCEPT Japan originally.

 

True. If they'd left it at that we'd view the album as possibly exotic and interesting,a glorified bootleg, instead of bloated and failed. It's certainly of historic and biographic note. This is when Bob hired Jerry Weintraub as his manager and decided he could be the better Neil Diamond. I guess both were sort of Fat Elvis. If I had to give up one Dylan album from my collection, this would be my first choice.

 

You could consider this a bit like the "Dylan" album from 1973.
Not really official and not at all essential.

 

I did see this show in Rotterdam in the Spring and then later in Oakland in the Fall 1978. Loved them both.

 

I enjoy the album. I'd rather have a few swings and misses intermingled with successful reinterpretations than an album of the same old hit songs in the same old arrangements.

That being said, the very lengthy '78 got much better as it wore on (so this album is not the best document of the tour). The June shows at the Universal Amphitheater are my personal favorites. The Fall shows have plenty to recommend them as well, as Dylan started doing some lengthy spoken introductions to "Ballad of a Thin Man" and "Senor". We also get the only live performances ever of the magnificent "Where Are You Tonight?"

The '78 versions of "It's Alright Ma" (on the album) and "Tangled Up in Blue" (not on the album) are daring and highly rewarding reinterpretations.

 

It's phenomenal. No other artists would take the risks Dylan has.

 

The "Tangled Up in Blue" performances from the 1978 tour are NOT TO BE MISSED. Performances of a lifetime! The song is completely reinvented as a torch ballad, and.... unbelievably... it works!

 

I have a nice white label promo of this album because, well, none of the staff at the record store where I was employed at that time wanted anything to do with it. I think I only played it once. Seems like that was enough. It 's probably still better than the first time I saw him - the 1988 tour with G.E. Smith in the band. At least Steve Earle opened.

 

There are some excellent shows and fairly good bootlegs from later in the tour, but the Budokan album is terrible,

 

I believe that Steve Earle opened for Dylan in 1989.

 

I thought that myself as we saw them at The Kingswood Music Theatre that summer. My friend took one look at Steve Earle that night and said that he thought he might have become a junkie. He was right.
They both were not in their finest form that summer.

 

I saw 5 of the summer '89 shows and I enjoyed them. Kudos to Dylan for playing a Steve Earle song in his set to honor his opening act. The 4 night stand at the Beacon in NYC after "Oh Mercy" came out was incredible. 10-10-89 is at the top of my list for Dylan concert performances. But then again I'm the guy who likes "Budokan", so who can say.

 

It's interesting to note that this song got a new and very different arrangement for the fall shows.

I think Real Live and Dylan & The Dead are much worse. Dylan's ****tiest backing groups ever.

Before Bootleg Series started Bob really wasn't lucky with official live albums. Of those I really only enjoy Hard Rain.

 

I saw him twice in the summer of 88.
Then in the summer of 89 with Earle.
Then a 3 night stand at The Okeefe Centre in the summer of 1990.
Then again in 91 at the same venue as 89.

The 3 1990 shows were probably best out of them all.

 

I liked the poster, had it on my wall for years. I think I listened to the album twice.

 

Hard Rain is excellent!

Budokan
Real Live
and Dylan & The Dead are not.

 

I actually kind like the reggae version of Don't Think Twice, although I'd never prefer it to the original Freewheelin' version or Live 1975. In a career that is defined by curveballs, that is one truly wtf moment.

 

Bob ain't no Cheap Trick.

 

I'm going to have to go back and find some recordings from that tour. I saw a September show at Nassau Coliseum -- a hideous concert venue -- and don't remember much about it (and I saw a bunch of shows that year which I remember almost like it was yesterday, Springsteen at MSG, Ray Charles with The Staple Singers opening at Carnegie Hall really stand out in my mind all these years later). I remember not being particularly knocked out by it.

 

I've always loved Real Live. Mick Taylor sounds like he's having fun, & though its not a great band by any means, it makes a good summation of that tour. I actually prefer I & I and License to Kill to their studio versions.