Track Listing

1. Mr Tambourine Man
2. Shelter From The Storm
3. Love Minus Zero (No Limit)
4. No Limit
5. Ballad Of A Thin Man
6. Don't Think Twice It's Alright
7. Maggie's Farm
8. One More Cup Of Coffee
9. Like A Rolling Stone
10. I Shall Be Released
11. Is Your Love In Vain
12. Going Going Gone
13. Blowin' In The Wind
14. Just Like A Woman
15. Oh Sister
16. Simple Twist Of Fate
17. All Along The Watchtower
18. I Want You Woman
19. All I Really Want To Do
20. Knockin' On Heaven's Door
21. It's Alright Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)
22. Forever Young
23. Times They Are A Changin'

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #11498 in Music
• Released on: 1996-06-03
• Number of discs: 2
• Format: Live

CD Description
This live double album, recorded in Tokyo in 1978, is practically a best-of in disguise. Dylan focuses on the older material in his repertoire, reaching back to the '60s for such tunes as "Blowin' In The Wind", "All I Really Want To Do" and "The Times They Are A-Changin'". Wisely, he also includes a couple of songs from his finest '70s album, BLOOD ON THE TRACKS. These tunes, "Shelter From The Storm" and "Simple Twist of Fate", differ radically from the original recorded versions, as has always been Dylan's wont in a performance situation.
One thing that differentiates BUDOKAN from Dylan'sother live albums, is the approach toward arrangements. Both earlier and later concert recordings present Dylan as the leader of a ragtag gang that blazes its way through the tunes in a spontaneous manner. Here, backed by studio vets like Ian Wallace, Alan Pasqua and Steven Soles as well as a three-woman choir, Dylan takes a much more thought-out, even "professional-sounding" approach, to the extent that this could almost pass for a studio re-recording of some of his finest compositions.

Customer Reviews

Very Bob
OK, this is not Bob's greatest concert recording. However, it does showcase his amazing ability to radically rearrange some of his most popular songs and do most of them justice in new musical contexts. Some of these rearrangements are so outrageous that only Dylan could have come up with them. 'All I Really Want To Do' is rendered as a quite brilliant and bizarre 'marching band' type of song, and it works well. 'Knockin' On Heaven's Door' is done as baffling reggae. 'Maggie's Farm' is virtually heavy metal (and sounds more like it should be on Cheap Trick's At Budokan LP). These versions might not be better than the original ones, but most fans will own those already. If you have an open mind - and want to hear some of the greatest songs of all time bashed into mind-boggling new shapes - this album is well worth hearing. The songs don't always escape unscathed but it's exhilarating to hear what Bob does with them. Some people find the flute annoying. I think it adds texture and whimsy. Highlights include 'Mr Tambourine Man' (played as if The Byrds wanted to be Wings), 'I Want You' (slowed down and turned into a tender ballad) and 'Love Minus Zero/No Limit' (on which the flute is allowed to run wild). If you are only going to buy one Dylan live album, get Live 1966. But if you are curious about his later years, and seeing a bit more of the essence of his approach to music, try this one.

excellent
This album had always seemed to generate opposing opinons. It was originally released in 1978 in response to the popularity of the Japenese import that was available at the time. The only new song here was the light-weight 'Is Your Love In Vain?' which was recorded in the same year on 'Street Legal'. ['Forever Young' was first released on 1974's 'Planet Waves' with the Band.] The concerts in Japan were the warm ups for the '78 world tour. The large band enabled Dylan to rearrange the songs. With a large pallette available, backing singers, a sax player, percussionist old songs were reinvented. 'Don't Think Twice' was done reggae style. 'Blonde On Blonde' s 'I Want You' was slowed to an evocative ballad that drew out a different meaning to the lyrics. I've always loved this album, it gives you a good idea of the Earl's Court concerts in '78. I suppose you could call it a greatest hits with a twist. Highly recommended.

My most played tape/CD over the last 30 years
I first heard this whilst driving around Snowdonia as a teenager. The tunes and riffs entered my brain and have never left.
If I had to take one album on a desert island - it would be this one. Why? Because like the best pieces of music, it catapaults you to a different world; a different time; a different life. The purists will correctly complain its not the essential Dylan - so what, its a glorious album and the reworking of some of his older songs are melodious, energetic and exciting.
If you are new to Dylan, get this album - its brilliant.
If you're old to Dylan - get this album unless your a son/daughter of Pete Seegar and have no direction home.