BOOTLEG: circus in palette town; (Tambourine Man Records TMR 187/188), received as flac files [derived from cdrs], Dylan has toured Japan five times since his first arrival in 1978, performing at large halls and arenas. But on this tour he played in three cities at the Zepp arenas which have standing room for just 1,700 to 2,700 people. Fans were given a intimate look at Dylan during the performances for the first and, has been rumored in the Japanese press, the last time., Circus In Palette Town utilizes a very sharp and detailed stereo audience recording which isn't as bass heavy as other Dylan tapes that have been booted of late. The title refers to the location of the venue. Zepp Tokyo is in a part of Tokyo called Palette Town, which is a shopping and entertainment complex., The show starts off with Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again, the fourth time it's been played in Japan so far and second as the first number and is followed by a dour rock version of It Ain't Me Babe., Mr Tambourine Man makes a rare appearance in the set. And like many of the older songs in the set of late one can discern the ancient melody in the arrangement. Charlie Sexton's return to the band lends more creativity. But also there is a more basic attitude in the arrangements, what one reviewer calls a stripped down feeling. It is refreshing to hear the classic song in a recognizable setting, lending familiarity., Two epics appear in the middle of the show. Desolation Row conveys the gloom of the narrative it presents, but Dylan's elastic voice is able to reinterpret some of the verses to emphasize that feeling which comes to a crescendo in the final verses. Blind Willie McTell is another masterpiece of performance. Dylan performs this piece standing in the middle of the stage armed only with the harp and weaves the tale around Sexton's guitar., The closing songs form a strange group. Highway 61 Revisited is the most consistently played hard rocker of the repertoire. It's very aggressive this night, but is followed by a lame performance of If You Ever Go To Houston. Thunder On The Mountain is then followed by Ballad Of A Thinman with Dylan at the center of the stage. The encore are the expected three of Like A Rolling Stone, Jolene and All Along The Watchtower., The bonus tracks are a generous seven songs from the following night at the same venue. The sound quality is also very good and clear, much like the other night. These songs were performed consectatively in the middle of the show.