To me, "Bob Dylan At Budokan" is Dylan's least interesting live offering. That doesn't make it a horrible album, and it does have its moments, but it certainly doesn't live up to landmarks like "Live 1966" or the intense and powerful "Hard Rain".

The arrangements are much too keyboard-heavy for my taste, and the constant synthetic swirls ruin an otherwise excellent "Mr Tambourine Man" a little (fine vocal performance, though). "Shelter From The Storm" isn't too good, though. Dylan delivers it in a monotone chant with barely any hint of a tune, and "Ballad Of Thin Man" suffers a somewhat similar fate, ruined by annoying backup vocals and saxophone breaks(!).
"Love Minus Zero / No Limit" fares a lot better, though, and it's sort of a relief to hear Dylan's familiar harmonica at least try to compete with the awful keyboard noises.

A heavily syncopated "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right" is better than feared, but the Las Vegas-arrangement doesn't suit "Maggie's Farm" (horrible horn section!), and the same can be said for "Valley Below".
"Going, Going, Gone", "I Shall Be Released" and "Like A Rolling Stone" aren't half bad, although I'll never learn to like that horn section, and the excellent "Is Your Love In Vain" is a nice inclusion, horns or not. Still, there is more bad than good on CD I.

The second CD opens with "Blowin' In The Wind", complete with a chorus of female backup singers and tinkling piano fills. I don't have to tell you what I think of that, do I?

Well, then comes "Just Like A Woman", and you breathe a sigh of relief. The low-key rendition is quite pleasant and relatively uncontaminated, except for annoying backup vocals on the chorus. "Oh, Sister" is unreconizable, however, and not in a good way.
"Simple Twist Of Fate" is very good, though, with an excellent vocal performance by Dylan, and even the saxophone is bearable here.
A very slow, re-arranged "I Want You" is actually quite interesting, but "All Along The Watchtower" and "All I Really Want To Do" have been given the full Vegas-treatment, which is a shame, since Dylan's vocals, particularly on "All I Really Want To Do", are very good.

"Knockin' On Heaven's Door" is bearable, in spite of the weird keyboard fills which sound nothing like "real" music, and the backup singers. "It's Alright, Ma" is heavily altered, and had Dylan been backed by a decent band, and left the choir at home, it could have been pretty good.
Fortunately, the album ends on a high(er) note, with a good rendition of the lovely "Forever Young", and a fairly good "The Times They Are-A Changin'", but "Bob Dylan At Budokan" is ultimately a forgettable album, mainly due to the horrible arrangements.

This is a matter of taste, of course, but I think it's safe to say that this album completely lacks the nerve of most of Dylan's other live releases, and I don't think too many Dylan-fans can listen to this record and honestly say that they prefer these Vegas-arragments to the originals. Another reviewer, Mr Sinclair, warns you not to listen to "pseudo Dylan-fans", by which he apparently means anyone who doesn't love everything Bob Dylan has ever put out. Well, that would make me a pseudo-fan, 'cause I only love most of it, and there is not a whole lot to love on this album.
2 3/4 stars.
To me, "Bob Dylan At Budokan" is Dylan's least interesting live offering. That doesn't make it a horrible album, and it does have its moments, but it certainly doesn't live up to landmarks like "Live 1966" or the intense and powerful "Hard Rain". The arrangements are much too keyboard-heavy for my taste, and the constant synthetic swirls ruin an otherwise excellent "Mr Tambourine Man" a little (fine vocal performance, though). "Shelter From The Storm" isn't too good, though. Dylan delivers it in a monotone chant with barely any hint of a tune, and "Ballad Of Thin Man" suffers a somewhat similar fate, ruined by annoying backup vocals and saxophone breaks(! ). "Love Minus Zero / No Limit" fares a lot better, though, and it's sort of a relief to hear Dylan's familiar harmonica at least try to compete with the awful keyboard noises. A heavily syncopated "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right" is better than feared, but the Las Vegas-arrangement doesn't suit "Maggie's Farm" (horrible horn section! ), and the same can be said for "Valley Below". "Going, Going, Gone", "I Shall Be Released" and "Like A Rolling Stone" aren't half bad, although I'll never learn to like that horn section, and the excellent "Is Your Love In Vain" is a nice inclusion, horns or not. Still, there is more bad than good on CD I. The second CD opens with "Blowin' In The Wind", complete with a chorus of female backup singers and tinkling piano fills. I don't have to tell you what I think of that, do I? Well, then comes "Just Like A Woman", and you breathe a sigh of relief. The low-key rendition is quite pleasant and relatively uncontaminated, except for annoying backup vocals on the chorus. "Oh, Sister" is unreconizable, however, and not in a good way. "Simple Twist Of Fate" is very good, though, with an excellent vocal performance by Dylan, and even the saxophone is bearable here. A very slow, re-arranged "I Want You" is actually quite interesting, but "All Along The Watchtower" and "All I Really Want To Do" have been given the full Vegas-treatment, which is a shame, since Dylan's vocals, particularly on "All I Really Want To Do", are very good. "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" is bearable, in spite of the weird keyboard fills which sound nothing like "real" music, and the backup singers. "It's Alright, Ma" is heavily altered, and had Dylan been backed by a decent band, and left the choir at home, it could have been pretty good. Fortunately, the album ends on a high(er) note, with a good rendition of the lovely "Forever Young", and a fairly good "The Times They Are-A Changin'", but "Bob Dylan At Budokan" is ultimately a forgettable album, mainly due to the horrible arrangements. This is a matter of taste, of course, but I think it's safe to say that this album completely lacks the nerve of most of Dylan's other live releases, and I don't think too many Dylan-fans can listen to this record and honestly say that they prefer these Vegas-arragments to the originals. Another reviewer, Mr Sinclair, warns you not to listen to "pseudo Dylan-fans", by which he apparently means anyone who doesn't love everything Bob Dylan has ever put out. Well, that would make me a pseudo-fan, 'cause I only love most of it, and there is not a whole lot to love on this album. 2 3/4 stars.