Bob Dylan At Budokan is a double live album by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released in April 1979 by Columbia Records. It was recorded during his 1978 world tour and consists mainly of the artist’s “greatest hits”. The performances on the album are radically different from the originals, using the same musicians who played on Street-Legal, but relying on a much larger band with a stronger brass and backing vocal presence. In some ways, the arrangements are more conventional than the originals, for which the album was criticized. For some critics, such as Janet Maslin of Rolling Stone, the differences between the older and newer arrangements had become less significant.

The recordings were from performances on February 28 and March 1, 1978. Columbia Records released this double LP in Japan on August 21, 1978. It was released in Australia and New Zealand later that year. On April 23, 1979, with widespread imports and at least one counterfeit European edition, Columbia released the album worldwide. The performances were the fourth and fifth of eight shows at the Nippon Budokan Hall in Tokyo, Japan.

Bob Dylan At Budokan reached No. 13 in the US, where it was certified platinum, while also reaching No. 4 in the UK.

In a sarcastic review published in the Consumer Guide column, Robert Christgau gave the album a C+, writing: “I believe this double LP was released so that our hero could boast that he is ahead of Cheap Trick, who had released a live album there, but only one.”

However, the album received better reviews in Europe, with Janet Maslin, then a music critic for Rolling Stone magazine, strongly defending it, writing: “The method here is either high or low, with correspondingly tainted results. The fire and brimstone are behind Dylan, but that doesn’t mean things have escaped him, with the album being a highly controversial but mostly victorious effort.”

Music website Stereogum published an article to coincide with Dylan’s 80th birthday on May 24, 2021, in which 80 musicians were asked to name their favorite Dylan songs. Steve Gunn chose “Shelter From The Storm” from Budokan, noting that “the performance is striking and minimal, with a steady line that gives the song a different life than the original.

“Milk & Whiskey” will, however, will select another song from this live album, our favorite “Ballad Of A Thin Man”.
 
Tracklist

Side one
1. Mr. Tambourine Man 4:54
2. Shelter From The Storm 4:30
3. Love Minus Zero/No Limit 3:52
4. Ballad of A Thin Man 4:47
5. Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right 4:55

Side two
1. Maggie’s Farm 5:06
2. One More Cup Of Coffee (Valley Below) 3:19
3. Like A Rolling Stone 6:31
4. I Shall Be Released 4:12
5. Is Your Love In Vain? 4:02
6. Going, Going, Gone 4:22

Side three
1. Blowin’ In The Wind 4:25
2. Just Like A Woman 5:03
3. Oh, Sister 4:44
4. Simple Twist Of Fate 4:15
5. All Along the Watchtower 3:20
6. I Want You 2:34

Side four
1. All I Really Want to Do 3:37
2. Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door 4:00
3. It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding) 6:04
4. Forever Young 5:38
5. The Times They Are a-Changin’ 5:31