X2
2010-07-15, 10:02 AM
Why?
Why was this even released? That's a question right up there with "Who shot Kennedy?" or "Is there life in outer space?". Was this part of Dylan's ongoing quest to alienate fans and critics so he would have less pressure? Was he roped into it by musically uneducated friends or family? Was it the record companies fault? Or did Dylan actually think this thing was good?
The problem with being a self proclaimed amateur reviewer is that to derive the most enjoyment from a review the subject in question must be really really bad. But bad albums aren't as easy to spot as say, bad movies or bad video games. But the pickle I was in was that I really didn't own any bad albums, I could rag on some of the mediocre ones I have, but mediocrity is too dull to write. So wandering through the information behemoth of wikipedia I stumbled upon this. Bob Dylan At Budokan. Seemed like a pretty random live album by one of my favourite artists. I hadn't paid much attention to Bob Dylan's live albums much (except for "The Royal Albert Hall Concert" which deserves its own religion for the amount of followers it has) so why should this one by any different? The reviews were a start. Scathing is putting it mildly, one critic went so far as to declare it as "one of worst rock and roll records ever released". Intriguing. But if the reviews didn't hook me in, the concept alone would have cynched it, Bob Dylans folk classics, rearranged and performed with a brass band.
So I bought this album prepared to hate it. And to my absoloute shock and horror I was totally right. Bob Dylan At Budokan is so bad it wasn't even funny anymore. Oh sure, there were parts of it that were interesting. Live Minus Zero / No Limit deserves some award for not being quite as bad as the others. But thats not really a high accolade. It's like winning a beauty contest where your only other opponents are Stephen King and Mick Mars. But for the most part it was pure concentrated musical fail.
This isn't like Dylan & The Dead which had potential but failed on execution. This thing was doomed right from the start. Folk songs, with a brass band. Wanna let that sink in? Seriously? Did no one involved with this during any part of its production raise their hands and ask "Do you really think this is such a good idea?". Were they all afraid Bob Dylan would indifference themselves to death or something? Okay, to be fair to the record company it really wasnt supposed to be sold outside of Japan.
My old nemesis Mr. Saxophone appears throughout this album. Now, Mr. Saxophone is a fickle sir, in some songs he can lift it towards the heavens of cool but in others he can drag it to the depths of cheese known only to Chester Cheetah , the nation of France and the motion picture Titanic. Here, he has a field day destroying some of the best Dylan songs. The biggest casualty is Like A Rolling Stone. I think the original version from Highway 61 Revisited is one of the greatest songs ever written, but where there was once subtle, but incredibly effective organs are now a loud, bombastic and annoying saxophone bit which makes you think a depressing Las Vegas lounge band is covering it rather than the man himself.
http://img534.imageshack.us/img534/3605/budokan.png
Some songs are almost indistiguishable through all the clutter. At one point I was left scratching my head at a song. I thought I recognised some of the lyrics. So I checked and I was gobsmacked. It was Maggie's Farm? How do you eff up Maggie's Farm? Isn't that statistically impossible? Then there's It's Alright Ma which falls flat on it's face in the very first second. The original from Bringing It All Back Home was quiet and atmospheric. The Budokan treatment opts for a different approach entirely by throwing every instrument and backup vocalist it can at you right from the get-go. At this point I was wondering "Is he trying to piss me off?" Blowin' In The Wind. You've all heard this song I imagine? Did you ever think it needed obnoxious female backup singers who apparently dropped out from the "Generic Gospel Backup 101" school? No? Me neither! Man, this track is just lousy.
I can't go on listing every single track and whats wrong with it. Not because I'm not willing, I can literally feel my pulse in my head and I'm afraid it might explode. So, members of the Playground, I offer this review as a warning. As curious as you are, as much of a Bob Dylan fan you may be I urge you, nay beg you to stay away from this. Do not seek the CD out, if you see it at the record shop just look the other way. Don't even download it. It is pure evil.
Thoughts/comments?
Why was this even released? That's a question right up there with "Who shot Kennedy?" or "Is there life in outer space?". Was this part of Dylan's ongoing quest to alienate fans and critics so he would have less pressure? Was he roped into it by musically uneducated friends or family? Was it the record companies fault? Or did Dylan actually think this thing was good?
The problem with being a self proclaimed amateur reviewer is that to derive the most enjoyment from a review the subject in question must be really really bad. But bad albums aren't as easy to spot as say, bad movies or bad video games. But the pickle I was in was that I really didn't own any bad albums, I could rag on some of the mediocre ones I have, but mediocrity is too dull to write. So wandering through the information behemoth of wikipedia I stumbled upon this. Bob Dylan At Budokan. Seemed like a pretty random live album by one of my favourite artists. I hadn't paid much attention to Bob Dylan's live albums much (except for "The Royal Albert Hall Concert" which deserves its own religion for the amount of followers it has) so why should this one by any different? The reviews were a start. Scathing is putting it mildly, one critic went so far as to declare it as "one of worst rock and roll records ever released". Intriguing. But if the reviews didn't hook me in, the concept alone would have cynched it, Bob Dylans folk classics, rearranged and performed with a brass band.
So I bought this album prepared to hate it. And to my absoloute shock and horror I was totally right. Bob Dylan At Budokan is so bad it wasn't even funny anymore. Oh sure, there were parts of it that were interesting. Live Minus Zero / No Limit deserves some award for not being quite as bad as the others. But thats not really a high accolade. It's like winning a beauty contest where your only other opponents are Stephen King and Mick Mars. But for the most part it was pure concentrated musical fail.
This isn't like Dylan & The Dead which had potential but failed on execution. This thing was doomed right from the start. Folk songs, with a brass band. Wanna let that sink in? Seriously? Did no one involved with this during any part of its production raise their hands and ask "Do you really think this is such a good idea?". Were they all afraid Bob Dylan would indifference themselves to death or something? Okay, to be fair to the record company it really wasnt supposed to be sold outside of Japan.
My old nemesis Mr. Saxophone appears throughout this album. Now, Mr. Saxophone is a fickle sir, in some songs he can lift it towards the heavens of cool but in others he can drag it to the depths of cheese known only to Chester Cheetah , the nation of France and the motion picture Titanic. Here, he has a field day destroying some of the best Dylan songs. The biggest casualty is Like A Rolling Stone. I think the original version from Highway 61 Revisited is one of the greatest songs ever written, but where there was once subtle, but incredibly effective organs are now a loud, bombastic and annoying saxophone bit which makes you think a depressing Las Vegas lounge band is covering it rather than the man himself.
http://img534.imageshack.us/img534/3605/budokan.png
Some songs are almost indistiguishable through all the clutter. At one point I was left scratching my head at a song. I thought I recognised some of the lyrics. So I checked and I was gobsmacked. It was Maggie's Farm? How do you eff up Maggie's Farm? Isn't that statistically impossible? Then there's It's Alright Ma which falls flat on it's face in the very first second. The original from Bringing It All Back Home was quiet and atmospheric. The Budokan treatment opts for a different approach entirely by throwing every instrument and backup vocalist it can at you right from the get-go. At this point I was wondering "Is he trying to piss me off?" Blowin' In The Wind. You've all heard this song I imagine? Did you ever think it needed obnoxious female backup singers who apparently dropped out from the "Generic Gospel Backup 101" school? No? Me neither! Man, this track is just lousy.
I can't go on listing every single track and whats wrong with it. Not because I'm not willing, I can literally feel my pulse in my head and I'm afraid it might explode. So, members of the Playground, I offer this review as a warning. As curious as you are, as much of a Bob Dylan fan you may be I urge you, nay beg you to stay away from this. Do not seek the CD out, if you see it at the record shop just look the other way. Don't even download it. It is pure evil.
Thoughts/comments?