A great "It Ain't Me, Babe" closes out a great, great show in Kokura, Japan, February 14, 1994

In February, 1994 Dylan closed out all but two of his 14 Far East dates with "It Ain't Me, Babe." It's hard to imagine any could have been a more impassioned performance this one from Valentine's Day that year, the first of two nights in Kokura, Japan. Dylan had everything humming along on all cylinders - an intense, highly mannered vocal performance; impressive guitar picking; a sharp harmonica solo; and backing by his "incredible string band" with its sweet sound, including John Jackson on rhythm guitar, Tony Garnier on bass fiddle, and Bucky Baxter filling in some awfully tasty filigrees on his mandolin. The Japanese audience was loving the performance, with many singing along on the chorus. It's a memorable rendition of a song played much too often to always be memorable.