Bob Dylan At Budokan: Opinions?

I saw Dylan in the summer of 1988.

I don't have a strong memory of who opened - but I'm pretty sure I've never seen Steve Earle
(no - I saw Earle open for Jackson Browne about 6 or 7 years back).

My guess is The Alarm opened for Dylan in 1988.

I saw them open for someone but don't remember who.

 

I find it difficult to believe that with an album from the tour already in the can that Dylan would spring for the multi-track recording of another show or show (it's not like he toured with a mobile recording unit). So perhaps simpler recordings do still exist (in mono or 2 track), like the "Am I Your Stepchild" recording mentioned above. I assume that performance was excerpted for the purpose of copyrighting the song, and then it fell into the "right" hands.

 

The Alarm opened for Dylan for a good chunk of "Interstate '88". If you saw him at Garden State Arts Center, you got the Alarm.

 

The Alarm opened for him in Hamilton and Timbuk 3 opened for him in Toronto in 88.

 

Wholly agree.

Blackbushe ranks as my all time favorite concert, would love to hear a professional recording of it.

 

I kinda like Oh Sister from this album.

 

Just picked this up for completist reasons. While some of the arrangements are OK, it really sounds like Bob was intent on becoming a Vegas act or at least streamlining his music for mass acceptance, very odd for him. That the born again period was coming up actually makes more sense listening to this than Street Legal (which I love). (Dang, is that"Gimme Some Lovin'"?...no it's "Oh Sister"!!)

 

Totally agree. I listened to my original Street Legal LP this weekend and it sounds so dull. I actually decided to get the remix version on vinyl (had the 99 remix on CD which sounded exceptional) - if anyone's selling PM me.

I remember hearing the most awful massacre of a version of Ballad Of A Thin Man on the Genuine Bootleg Series from the 78 tour - plus the Budokan album I gave away after one listen - I couldn't believe this was the same Dylan from Hard Rain just two years prior. Now that's a proper live album. Shelter From The Storm is Dylan doing the Clash before the Clash even existed.

 

The only way to get the EQ just right on this record is to listen with your head in an oven.

 

Should the gas be on?

 

I hit the gas when the flute solo starts.

 

I like this album a lot, I love how he rearranges his songs, it makes me wanna listen for more and more!

But everyone should track down the Charlotte bootleg from December that same year. It's just incredibly good, very intense and powerful. It's called Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte.

 

I happen to love Budokan; I don't like Dylan & The Dead though. Budokan is underrated, but then that whole tour is.

 

i confess to LOVING At Budokan...i got this album in college in the 90s (on cassette) and just fell in love with a few of the arrangements, "Shelter From The Storm" chief among them...i am much more well-versed (mildly obsessed) with Dylan now, and have most of the available recordings from the '78 Tour...i also wish for an official release of Blackbushe - it is awesome...the June L.A. shows are killer (and the available recordings are great!), as are Rotterdam, and Nuremberg (Masters Of War!!!)...Charlotte, Columbia,and Seattle are faves from the Autumn leg of the tour, but my absolute favorite '78 show is 9/30 at MSG - it is fantastic, and the copy i have is very well recorded...i'd rather have an official '78 Live release than almost any other period!

 

Just listen to the boots from Paris onwards and two points become clear:

• The shows in the second half of 78 were amongst the best ever performed by Dylan,
• The Japaneses leg lacked the energy, roughness and set list of the later 1978 shows

 

At Budokan has great versions of "Watchtower", "Going, Going, Gone", "Love Minus Zero" and my all-time favorite "I Want You".

I really like the Seattle show 1978-11-10 and also the Mike Millard recording of L.A. 1978-06-07.

 

Couldn't have said it better myself. The June Universal Amphitheater shows are probably my favorites, but as the tour wears on and the raps get longer the performances just keep improving, and then you can start to glimpse that Slow Train a-coming by the time he plays that show (near) Miami in the Theater of Divine Comedy in November.

 

YES - that Millard 1978-06-07 is awesome!!!

 

Hmm, I'm gonna have to go back and listen to some of these '78 shows. The first Dylan show I ever saw was in Sept. of '78, and while I remember very much enjoying "I'm Ready" and "Changing of the Guards" in particular, I don't have a memory of it being one of the most amazing shows I ever saw, or even one of the best Dylan shows I ever saw.

 

I own Budokan but have rarely listened to it…seem to recall it sounding very MOR in places with a flute and stuff

 

I saw this tour in Chicago and sat behind Steven Tyler who asked me for a light. The concert was fantastic. This live album does not bother me at all.

 

Are you referring to the Simply Vinyl reissue that came out in 2000 and 2010? From what I have read that was not the remix version and did not sound great. Do you have other info on that? I would love to have the remixed SL on vinyl too.

 

It's worth having and it's not horrible, but it's not one of my favorite Dylan albums. My son once referred to it as "a Dylan album for Parrotheads."

 

According to Discogs, both those releases are "remastered" - same request as shadow blaster does anybody have either release and can they confirm its the remixed version?

Interestingly enough the 99 remix CD, its also "remastered" according to Discogs, so maybe just maybe . . .

 

Love the way Bob sings "Well there ain't no use to sit and wonder why, Babe" rich and throaty vocals on this lets you know it's for real.

Recording wise, it's the best and most professionally produced live album from Bob. Better sound than heard on "Flood".