Bob Dylan/Tokyo,Japan 3.1.1978 Upgrade

The most regrettable thing about Bob Dylan’s live album “BOB DYLAN AT BUDOKAN”, which Japan is proud of to the world, is that it was not a complete recording of the concert. However, at the time this album was released, there was no concept of a live album that contained a complete concert, and the 1976 live album “HARD RAIN” was released as a single LP, so it can’t be helped. The most regrettable thing about editing “AT BUDOKAN” is that the opening number “Love Her With A Feeling” was cut. The 1978 world tour opened with a blues cover every night, but this was an exciting opening. If that part wasn’t included in the album, the whole picture of the live performance wouldn’t be conveyed. In the first place, this album is a composite compilation of two days of recording at Budokan on February 28th and March 1st, and it was far from a complete recording of one show. It was in 1999 that a masterpiece was quietly released that would make such enthusiasts happy. The title “MARTIAL ARENA” was released by Reel Masters, an old label that released performances from Japan in the past from master cassettes that were not even available among traders. Although this was the first appearance and a stereo audience recording with excellent sound quality, it surprisingly did not attract attention. I can’t help but think that this was due in part to the recording of March 1st, which formed the core of “AT BUDOKAN.” In other words, it was not conveyed at all at the time of release that “MARTIAL ARENA” had a great significance in that it completely recorded the same day’s events unlike a live album. It is true that most of the takes were adopted for the live album, but there are also many songs and takes that were cut for the reasons mentioned above. Of course, the opening is the example, but after “The Man In Me” at the end of the live performance, it is cut or the recording from the previous day is adopted, and it is a part that is not heard at all in “AT BUDOKAN”. And above all, it has great value as a document that vividly recreates the night at Budokan on March 1, 1978, even more than a live album. What’s more, the sound quality is excellent. Although it is different from the so-called sound board sound image, it is still a fairly close sound image, and the freshness of the tape is outstanding. Probably because the cassette was in good condition, the reality of breathing in the air at Budokan on March 1, 1978 was exceptional. From the opening instrumental of “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall” to the beginning of “Love Her With A Feeling”, the microphone is delayed and the sound is muffled (but you can still feel the freshness!) From then on. A wonderful view… or rather, a sound with a texture that makes you want to call it the Budokan itself. In addition, it is said that the gap between the impact of seeing the charismatic Dylan for the first time and the first performance of Dylan in 1978 style at his first performance in Japan confused the Japanese audience, but no matter where Dylan was, it was rolling.・There was no way to recreate the Thunder Review, and it is truly a shame that the charm of this tour was not reported in real time. More than 40 years have passed since then, and the 1978 world tour has finally begun to be properly evaluated, but the biggest attraction of this tour is “Dylan as a singer”. Dylan enjoyed (and then got tired of) the rough rock sound of Rolling Thunder Revue, and was conscious of his maturity as he approached his 40s. So, aiming to become a singer and entertainer, he signed a contract with the company that managed Frank Sinatra and others. This fact alone made it clear what direction Dylan was aiming for, but it was not fully understood at the time. Similarly, a large band with a gorgeous sound that is completely different from Rolling Thunder Revue, includes masters such as Steve Douglas, who was active in Phil Spector’s sessions. It was only natural that Dylan would later look back and say, “They were such a gorgeous group of members that I would never be able to team up with them again.” On the other hand, arrangements that were far removed from the original songs caused mixed reviews, such as the slow ballad arrangement of representative songs such as “Blowin’ In The Wind” and “Just Like A Woman,” in which Dylan sings slowly. Com. That is where the charm of the 1978 tour appears. Both are great performances that were also used in “AT BUDOKAN”, but especially in “Blowin’ In ~”, the excitement of warm applause when Dylan starts singing is very typical of Showa Japan, and it comes across realistically. This is the scene where audience recording comes into its own. Also, the R&B-like slow ballad arrangement of the short-lived repertoire “I Threw It All Away”, which was not included in “AT BUDOKAN” and was only performed on dates in the Far East from Japan to Australia, is also exquisite. Since it was the starting point of the tour in the first place, it is the first performance in Japan that conveys a more careful performance than the later stages, but that is why Dylan’s singing in the ballad arrangement repertoire shines. Moreover, “I Threw It All Away” is wonderful. The good manners of the Japanese audience who watched Dylan for the first time with bated breath (though they certainly lacked excitement) are now helping to make Dylan’s singing easier to listen to. So I guess it’s having a positive effect. And the best part is the recording that perfectly captures the unique atmosphere of a Budokan concert. When “MARTIAL ARENA” was released in 1999, Dolby-type equalization was added to eliminate the hiss noise of the cassette, but 20 years have passed since then, and they have deliberately taken advantage of the natural and warm sound of the master cassette without suppressing the hiss. The construction is completely different from “MARTIAL ARENA”. The upper feeling makes me want to declare that we have finally succeeded in containing the original charm of the sound source within the CD. If you play this outstanding listening experience at high volume from the speakers, you will be transported back in time to the Budokan on March 1, 1978! Uses the master cassette of “MARTIAL ARENA” (Reel Masters, released in 1999). Live at Budokan, Tokyo, Japan 1st March 1978 TRULY PERFECT SOUND(from Original Masters)*UPGRADE Live at Budokan, Tokyo, Japan 1st March 1978 TRULY PERFECT SOUND(from Original Masters)*UPGRADE Disc 1 (62:40) 01. A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall 02. Love Her With A Feeling 03. Mr. Tambourine Man 04. I Threw It All Away 05. Love Minus Zero / No Limit 06. Shelter From The Storm 07. Girl From The North Country 08. Ballad Of A Thin Man 09. Maggie’s Farm 10. One More Cup Of Coffee (Valley Below) 11. Like A Rolling Stone 12. I Shall Be Released 13. Is Your Love In Vain? 14. Going, Going, Gone Disc 2 (66 :28) 01. One Of Us Must Know (Sooner Or Later) 02. Blowin’ In The Wind 03. Just Like A Woman 04. Oh, Sister 05. I Don’t Believe You (She Acts Like We Never Have Met) 06. You’re A Big Girl Now 07. All Along The Watchtower 08. I Want You 09. All I Really Want To Do 10. Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door 11. The Man In Me 12. Band Introductions 13. It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding) 14. Forever Young 15. The Times They Are A-Changin’