A really good review John. Earl’s Court 1978 was my first live concet of Bob’s. It was for me his best concert although I wouldnt fault the next 41 concerts I went on to see following that. Met him in ‘91 & had a conversation with him. At 13 my parents said “he’ll grow out of it. I’m 65 now but dont seem to be growing out of Bob & his music/lyrics. 😄 It’s great to hear someone who knows very well what he is talking about. Thank you for your knowledgable piece here.
I completely remember the first time I saw this album. I must have been about 18 and was in a Target store with my dad. Target had an unusually large display of this album for some reason. I can't remember whether I bought it with my own money or whether my dad bought it for me, but I did get it immediately and took it home and played it that evening. I pretty much agree with everything you said about the album and the songs. To me, it's a very weird album, but very adventurous. When an arrangement on the song works, it really works. I wonder how much Rob Stoner had to do with the arrangements. I believe he was the musical director of the band on that tour. It's completely different than the "Hard Rain" album. Weird, but adventurous and stellar in places.
Great review, John. (How did I miss this?) I never cared for the Budokan album and wasn't planning on listening to any of the expanded release, but after listening to your superb review, I may just have a listen. (btw, I really do wish Dylan was as interactive with his audiences as he was in the past) Thanks. Jeff
I have been listening to the new release today and thoroughly enjoying it; Budokon was my gateway album to Dylan back in the early eighties and I am thrilled to be able to have this extra material to digest. I never understood the animosity towards this album and being younger than the first wave of Dylan fans maybe I saw things differently, reminds me of the big deal made over Phil Collins in Genesis, they couldn't have gotten a more suitable replacement if they had recruited for years IMHO.
I remember when this record came out, but I never listened to it. But your review has peaked my interest, I will give a listen today. Great video, and thanks for sharing John.
He certainly played it later on in the tour but there are reasonable quality recordings from Paris and Blackbushe (UK) on youtube with a lot more Street Legal material including your favourite!
My favorite Dylan album! I've never understood the critical lambasting it took. His voice was the strongest here that I have heard on anything else. The versions of One More Cup of Coffee, and Shelter from the Storm are absolutely fantastic!
This was his best ever tour, and his best ever band. Sadly, the tour was recorded too early - the European shows, particularly the british ones, were off the scale brilliant.
Totally agree. The tour got better as the year went by. Unfortunately, I’m guessing that Columbia only recorded the Japanese first two shows. Fortunately there are some great sounding bootlegs out there.
This tour was so extensive because it was his "paying for my divorce" tour (which correlates with that lyric change at the end of "I Threw It All Away"). He returned to Japan in 1986 and 1994.
I don’t think that’s the truth. If he’d been determined just to make money, he would’ve toured with a much smaller band. Or he could have toured solo. But, instead, he chose to tour with a large band of some of the most expensive musicians he could find, including people like Steve Douglas and Bobbye Hall, who were stars in their own right.
Critics dubbed it the “alimony tour” because of his recent divorce. It may be true. Dylan toured from February until December of 78, and really only took a few weeks off to record Street Legal. Prior to this, Dylan had never toured so much in one year.
I think all the reviews I’ve seen are fantastic, lots of depth and interesting content. Almost takes me back to the whispering Bob Harris days👍 Blood on the Tracks was the first album I purchased as an art student in the seventies, along with dark side of the moon and tubular bells…happy days in brum
Bob Dylan stopped talking to the audience in 1987 starting with the Dylan & The Dead shows. It's also when he started substantially varying his setlist night to night. It's also when he started touring every year (well, he had toured in '86 so strctly speaking that was when his touring every year started). He learned at least the former two from them, and I prefer both practices. I never needed a rapport with the artist beyond music, or a "show" as such. And on occassions where I would see multiple shows on a tour, it was nice to get a varierty of material.
One of the few Dylan albums that I've never really explored. Gave the new version a listen, and enjoyed it a fair bit. I can understand how the arrangements and overall tone would of put people off at the time, but I think it's a lot easier digest now, especially when you consider how many different versions of songs he's released on his bootleg series. Not everything hits the mark, but there's definitely a good 10/15 songs that I like quite a lot.
John, I think the March 1st performance of Love In Vain is the one originally released... the new (previously unreleased) one is the Feb 28th recording.
Hi John. Good video but I would have liked you to tackle the elephant in the room, namely that a 2CD version of the new set seems to be missing this time around, which contradicts the usual Bootleg Series releases. I for one cannot cannot afford the 4CD version! I should add that I absolutely love Budokan - it was the first Dylan album I heard so has always been special for me!
@matttokley8215 Fair point. I think the focus goes on vinyl and digital/streaming, these days. Not enough people purchase CDs now so I think they worry a lot less about providing for a decreasing market. All the effort nowadays seems to go into the vinyl side of things.
The 75 and 76 tours was american affairs. 78 was a global affair. Promoter was new and a greatest hits and reworked versions of deep cuts. What to be critical about? Its just a great product.
I've also owned the Budokan album since release when I was at art college. Although very accomplished as live performance I always thought it a bit schmaltzy and much preferred the rawness, urgency and immediacy of Hard Rain from a few years previously, even though the sound left something to be desired. I have to say I rarely play Budokan. Maybe it's time for a revisit.
I believe I have all the official bootlegs but I really am not sure about this. I’m 72 and I have followed him from when I was 17 but I really couldn’t reconcile this album with the 98% of the others. I’ve been able to get into self portrait even but this and the American songbooks albums are to me are not on my listening list. After your video I might give it a chance. Still it’s hard to reconcile a poet in a Vegas type setting
Dylan’s atypical audience interactions during this concert probably reflect the requests of his Japanese promoters, who authorised his setlist, the only time (afaia) that Dylan has allowed himself to be dictated to.
Fair point but my only complaint about the set list is the lack of Street Legal material but it's perfectly possible he'd not written most of the tracks at that stage!
Wait. The promoter told Dylan what to play? Was he paid more for obliging? Did he not have the same condition on future Japanese tours? If not, why in '78 but not in '86 and '94? Thank you.
Upon original release I was disappointed with it after loving "Hard Rain". The horns, backup singers and flute were a bit off-putting. Now that I'm over 60 I can appreciate the mellow tone of the arrangements. Great song choices just jarring to my ears back in '78. I downloaded all 58 tracks from YT yesterday.
I worked at the Bob Dylan 78 concerts at the Melbourne Myer Music Bowl in March of that year. I thought he was great live but on reflection, hearing this, I think some of the tracks might be a bit overdone. With the instrumentation I mean. However, overall they were great concerts and seeing Bob close up was special
I remember reading somewhere that set lists for Budakon. Was promoters picks only. Since a pretty penny was paid for dylan. 99% hits. Sprinkled with dylan picks.
sorry for me it is a bit too much! Dylan plays vegas, ive had it since it came out, ive listened to it more than a few times, i want it to be good and grow on me. but it sounds like Dylan attemps Elvis at vegas but falls short greatly somehow.. the rearanging of all the sungs to an easy listening palletable format. and at times to over the top dramatic.for instance on "Maggies Farm". it feels so smultsy 70s. and at a time when punk had just been and new wave prevailed. then this. Of course the musicianship is very capable and polished that might be the prob here OK Theres maybe two or three tracks on here that lend themselves to that treatment. and i know that band loosed up greatly has the tour progressed. but i have to agree with most of the critics on this one. Nashville skyline and self Portrait had a similar critical mauling but both those albums have stood the test of time. for me Budokan and all the mid 80s albums after infidels are unispiring. unless you love Dylan for just being Dylan. Then anything goes.
i have a soft spot for the Street Legal album so this is a good release for me albeit he may have been better later in the tour with more material from the album for starters!
Unfortunately, this is when Bob started to go down in concert. Before the Flood was the peak for me live. This album was the beginning of the end (live) for me.
well at least he had a voice here!! it's been growing on me and great to hear the full concerts note for note....pretty rare to have that on official release
I've always thought the Budokan album sounds like someone singing Dylan songs who has a complete lack of understanding of the material or perhaps a deliberate parody. I've seen Dylan a couple dozen times, including December 1978 on this tour. I've always liked his revamping of the arrangements of his songs, but not those on Budokan. His band was stellar, but the arrangements they had to play were awful. Steve Douglas was one of the top LA brass session players, but his flute on this album is plain awful and schmaltzy. By December 1978 the worst aspects of Budokan's arrangements had been dropped and I loved the concert. Recently, I listened to the album for the first time in years to see if my memory of it was overly harsh. It wasn't. I own every album and single the man has released, including all of the Bootleg series and more than 100 actual bootlegs. At $160 for the CD set I don't think I'll be buying this new release.
I don't Bob or anyone else reworking songs they wrote and re interpret them, but the new arrangements are just dreadful, as if a Dylan interpreter is doing Dylan in Vegas, except it's Bob doing Bob in Vegas. It was conceived as a money making cash grab tour and that it was. A shame they didn't release a live album from further in on the tour in Europe which were much better shows.
