Description

The Bob Dylan World Tour 1978 marked the artists first international concert dates since 1966 and his first live shows since the Rolling Thunder Revue blasted through North America in 197576. A major international musical event, the yearlong tour found Bob Dylan performing 114 shows in Asia, Oceania, North America and Europe, to a combined audience of two million fans. The tour launched in February 1978 with eleven historic performances Dylan firstever concerts in Japan which included eight shows at the revered Nippon Budokan Hall in Tokyo. Two of the Budokan showsFebruary 28 and March 1, 1978were recorded on 24channel multitrack analog tape with 22 performances excerpted from those shows appearing on Bob Dylan At Budokan, a 2LP set first issued on Columbia Records as a Japanonly release in November 1978, followed by a global release in April 1979 in response to widespread demand. The Complete Budokan 1978 marks the first time any of Dylans complete performances from his 1978 world tour have been officially available. For his 1978 performances, Dylan rhythm guitar, harmonica, vocals led an ensemble featuring Billy Cross lead guitar, Ian Wallace drums, Alan Pasqua keyboards, Rob Stoner bass, vocals, Steven Soles acoustic rhythm guitar, vocals, David Mansfield pedal steel, violin, mandolin, guitar, dobro, Steve Douglas saxophone, flute, recorder, Bobbye Hall percussion, Helena Springs vocals, Jo Ann Harris vocals, and Debi Dye vocals. The original Bob Dylan At Budokan album was produced by Don DeVito, who also helmed Dylans StreetLegal, recorded and released during the 1978 world tour, featuring the same musicians. According to Tetsuya Shiroki, coproducer of The Complete Budokan 1978, the newly restored, remixed and remastered recordings hellipcaptures two days of this historymaking tour. Nothing has been removed or altered in any way. Many individuals involved in the original Bob Dylan at Budokan album reunited for the new release. Under the supervision of Heckel Sugano, the CBS Sony product manager for Bob Dylan in Japan at the time, the engineer responsible for the 1978 recording has worked on the new 2023 remix using the original 24channel multitapes, while the album cover showcases artwork by the same photographers as the original. Chief engineer Tom Suzuki says, We mixed the record with the keyword passion in mind. The result is a mix that surpasses the original 1978 release, providing a crisper and clearer sound where each instrument and Bob Dylans voice are distinctly audible. Heckel Sugano says, The completed album documents the remarkable sound of the legendary Budokan shows that are forever etched in history. We tried to faithfully reproduce the sound the Japanese audience would have heard in the concert hall.. Presented in a luxurious deluxe box, The Complete Budokan 1978 includes newly remixed complete live recordings from the two Budokan concert dates featuring 36 previously unreleased tracks facsimile memorabilia such as concert tickets, pamphlets, posters, and flyers 60page fullcolor photo book of previously unpublished photos of Dylan onstage and behind thescenes at the airport, press conferences and more exclusive liner notes. The 2LP Another Budokan 1978 features 16 previously unreleased tracks from the Budokan box. In her liner essay for The Complete Budokan 1978, music critic Edna Gundersen notes that the original Bob Dylan At Budokan album has undergone a sober reappraisal over the decades as consumers and critics grew to admire its adventurous arrangements and provocative performances. She heralds the new restored and remastered release, writing that Captured at Budokan, Dylan is in good spirits and fully engaged. He sings with brio and urgency, his voice clear and melodic and his phrasing impeccable as ever….The band crackles with careening energy…. Dylan saw the stage as a proving ground that brought his tunes to life. Bob Dylan Boxset is available for home delivery from Vinyl Records London, only £180 +P&P