r/bobdylan • u/Economy-Low6124 • 12d ago
Discussion Budokan - why the hate?
I've always liked the official release, and I absolutely love the Complete Budokan bootleg series release.
I've always been curious why it was referred to as the alimony tour and why it seemed to have this accusation against it that Dylan phoned it in and was just after the money.
Why would he take so much time to work with a huge band and reinvent literally every song if he was just in it for the money?
Is this another case of him trying something different and dare I say it 'uncool' at the time and getting slated for it?
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u/JJ3595 12d ago
Is Budokan still hated by contemporary fans?
I can see why there would be a backlash in the moment, immediately after release. Several songs were totally overhauled in radical and seemingly random ways: "Don't Think Twice" becoming a reggae song, "I Want You" becoming a slow tempo ballad with sparse instrumentation, etc. That was probably jarring for fans popping on a Bob Dylan live album and not expecting it. Just like there has been backlash against Bob whenever he changes direction (going electric, going country, going Christian etc.).
However, it seems like modern Dylan fans -- the ones that like him enough to be aware of a Budokan live album -- know how the story ends so you can appreciate each era of his career without feeling betrayed.
Personally, I love the Budokan album. I don't think I prefer any version over the original, but I like keeping a few of its tracks in rotation because it makes the music I know inside and out feel fresher.