26 December 2023

THE COMPLETE BUDOKAN 1978 presents two full shows originally
recorded on 24-channel multitrack analog tapes at the famous Nippon
Budokan Hall in Japan, 45 years ago.

It includes 36 previously unreleased Dylan performances from these concerts.

Order info here.

UNCUT Mag: “Some fans just seemed to hate the original version released in 1979 very, very much. But listening to this expanded edition – featuring the two full concerts from which the original was compiled – the reaction is, “What’s the problem?” Dylan sings his heart out.”
Score: 8/10.

TUTV: The majority of the songs here are played differently from their original versions. Dylan always loved (and still does, as I witnessed several times ) to turn his songs upside down, play them slower or faster or in another, surprising key on stage.

Add the horn sections here at work and lots of choir vocals and you get quite some riveting interpretations of great pieces from his 17 longplayers, he had released by
then.

It doesn’t work all the time, and there are too many songs – 58 – packed in this reissue
box (many record labels prefer quantity to quality). I picked the 25 best-executed ones, and made me a formidable historic live album.

THE COMPLETE BUDOKAN 1978

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