What Are Your Thoughts On 'Bob Dylan At Budokan'

It's been many years, but I seem to recall reading in a book at one time in the early 1990's that 'Bob Dylan At Budokan' made the top of the list as the worst rock album of all time, followed closely by 'Having Fun With Elvis On Stage' (which I never considered a rock album... more of a novelty). What does everyone think about the 'Budokan' album?

 

That, and Before the Flood are the only two Dylan releases I don’t own. Terrible. Awful vocals.

 

I should revisit but Budokan left me cold and I enjoy the later legs especially when bassist Jerry Scheff joined the group more. The arrangements are a fun departure--as they always are as you go from tour to tour.

 

It's not as bad as its reputation, but I've heard a number of bootlegs from '78 that are much more enjoyable performances. Like Before the Flood, it could have been better if tracks from different shows had been professionally recorded. Someday I'll make my own live albums from those tours.

 

Do you remember which book you read that said that?
And what is your opinion of Budokan?

 

Not as good as Cheap Trick's but a fun listen

 

I wanted to like it.

 

It was the first Dylan album I heard. I was 14 then. While it's not one of his best live albums, it's not the worst either. I still like listening to some of the song interpretations today - especially the budokan take of mr. tambourine man, which reminds me a lot of the Byrds Version.

 

I love it, along with Street Legal. I skip the Reggae though.

The tragedy of the 78 tour is that the official live recording was made too early. (I recall reading it was only supposed to be a limited release in Asia but someone got greedy.) The late 78 shows are amazing, but you wouldn't know it.

 

It's ok... I think they should have waited and released a later show.

 

Not as good as The Beatles, but a fun listen

 

I remember “Creem” review of it compared Dylan to Igor Stravinsky as a genius constantly reinventing himself. In this case Dylan reinvented himself as Neil Diamond.

Hey, Diamond was talented enough to be in “The Last Waltz”

 

Street Legal is one of Bob's Best and the Nassau Coliseum show I attended later in the Tour was Great!!

 

It's marvellous and one I keep going back to.

 

I think the consensus is that the Fabs at Budokan '66 was not their finest hour, so not that fun of a listen

 

Bob Dylan, from his interview with writer Jonathan Lethem:

“I’ve heard it said, you’ve probably heard it said, that all the arrangements change night after night. Well, that’s a bunch of ********, they don’t know what they’re talkin’ about. The arrangements don’t change night after night. The rhythmic structures are different, that’s all. You can’t change the arrangement night after night – it’s impossible.”

 

Jimmy Guterman's THE WORST ROCK N' ROLL RECORDS OF ALL TIME. The fifty worst albums, fifty worst singles and the worst rock n' roll rollers. The latter would now be called trolling.

It's a fun book, but it's the sort of thing that's now published as an online listicle. Once upon a time such opinions about the discographical minutiae of established acts was the sole provenance of GOLDMINE trainspotter articles. Nowadays such lists merit five pages on this board before moving on to the next list and everyone has already heard the records in question.

 

Yup. A lot of bootlegs are much better performances, later in the tour. Although none of these boots (to my knowledge) are of really great sound quality unfortunately.

 

Uneven.

 

Bought it when I first got into Dylan and I think I've only listened to it once.

 

Love it. At least tied as my favorite Dylan live album.

 

Not impossible, but it would be a heck of a lot of work.

 

How about a shootout with another maligned live album, Real Live. Now this album, regardless of the flack, I love. Great performances on there and one I revisit more often than Budokan.

 

The reworked version of “Tangled” is pretty amazing on Real Live!

 

I remember reading that book in the studio while recording. The entire band would debate if he was on point
or not. It was a very fun read.
Thanks.