Reviews (page 2 of 8)
Love Cheap Trick so much. Such an underrated band. Anyone who gives this anything lower than a 4 is getting blocked.
In the old days, I found pop culture wherever I could. Doodles on paper bag book covers and school notebooks. Best pop culture was when my brother’s girlfriends came over and I could glimpse their style, their book cover art. I still remember Cheryl Kirstein letting me sit with them while she doodled on her notebook: Cheap Trick Cheap Trick Cheap Trick Cheap Trick What did it mean?! It was all so mysterious and so alluring. It wasn't like I could just play Cheap Trick back then. All my albums were Beatles and Dylan and Greg's were Kiss and Rush. When I FINALLY heard Cheap Trick, I'm sure I didn't know it was them. I just knew the song Surrender and thought "that's cool." As I aged they were more in my periphery but I just tossed them into the rock bucket of sounds I probably would not like. And then I met Andre. While his enthusiasm was as sexy as watching Cheryl doodle Cheap Trick on her notebooks, I still didn't quite get the greatness. But one day, Andre had me watch Cheap Trick perform Sgt Pepper in Vegas. It all crystallized. I don't know all the history around this---why Japan? The audience sounds so into it. And of course...it's all their great hits and Surrender's live debut. What a time for rock and roll. Viva Cheap Trick!
"Cheap Trick at Budokan" is first live album by Rockford, Illinois rock band Cheap Trick. Hard rock and power pop are the Wiki-listed genres. Yep, to a tee. The album was recorded at Nippon Budokan in Tokyo and kickstarted the band's popularity. Cheap Trick is Robin Zander (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Rick Nielsen (lead guitar, backing vocals), Tom Petersson (bass, backing vocals) and Bun E. Carlos (drums). Commercially, the album is their best selling recording reaching #4 in the US and #29 in the UK and, critically, it is considered one of the greatest live rock albums of all time. In 2019, the album was inducted into the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress for its artistic significance. Fans screaming and a guy with a deep voice asking "Are you ready?" begin the album and "Hello There." A blazing guitar, pounding drums and Zander's screaming vocals. A driving song. The sound is kind of muffled though. A short Nielsen guitar solo and a Carlos drum outro. Get used to that cause it's in most of these songs. Zander opens the side one closer "Need Your Love" by saying "I need your love." A slower start with echoing guitars. Nielsen gives a great shredding guitar solo. This overly long 8-minute song might be the only misstep on the album. I guess even classics gave way to 1970's rock indulgence. There are no missteps on side two which opens with the cover of Fats Domino's "Ain't That a Shame." An extended drum intro which leads to a looping guitar riff and guitar solo. This is a guitar and drumming prowess showcase. Robin Zander states " I Want You To Want Me." Another drum intro and the classic guitar riff. Melodic and probably Zander's best vocal performance on the album. It's funny when this live version is the version of the song that you know and the studio version sounds different. It's also funny when Zanders introduces "Surrender" as the first song from their new album just released last week. The drums, that looping background guitar and they give a nod to Kiss. I guess this is the Baby Boomer rebellion song. At least the Gen Xers have "Loser." A nice, clear recording. This album showcases a tight band that was playing 200 concerts a year. The guitar and drums are the highlights. Nielsen's riffs, solos, power chords, short breaks, shredding and urgency. The drums are in the intros, outros, fast and in the forefront. The music is great. There is one long song and the singer announcing the next song before the previous song cut are my only two critiques. Well, you can get the whole concert if you really want. Anyway, a classic album any way you slice it with versions of songs played more and probably better than their studio versions. A must listen-to album.
a big swirling candymeat gumbo Something! really is the ideal power pop blueprint, with sweet and sour melodic ideas delivered in the most sweaty muscly way possible,,,its not druggy music rly, but there is smth ab it that makes me feel like im lifting out of my body a bit. rick and robin especially whip things into an absolute storm. gonna have to listen to this more before im satisfied with pinning down what it is that just made me fall in love so fast and hard but with something this fun its not like im groaning at the homework! just a rly rly incredible rock outfit turning already bouncy songs into a roaring jet engine. ive liked surrender for a rly long time but im starting to wonder if its actually one of my fave songs ever FHJFSHJFS
loved it
What is not to like about this album? So much energy, so much love from the crowd. The set list is great, the 3-song run of "Ain't That a Shame", "I Want You to Want Me", and "Surrender" is one of the best, and "Clock Strikes Ten" is such a good ending ... Brought me back to high school and nights out do high school stuff, a great listen.
I think i like live albums and this one was done well
Just a great live album
This is pure dynamite, incredible energy
um, cheap trick expert here! this album doesn’t even crack my top 15 cheap trick albums so I am providing help if you actually want to open your mind to this weirdo band if you want their best album: listen to Dream Police if you want a proto punk, heavier album: listen to their debut Cheap Trick if you want quintessential power pop, the genre they helped form: listen to Heaven Tonight if you want their 80s power ballad, some slight hair tease: listen to Lap of Luxury if you want a christmas album: listen to Christmas Christmas if you want a taste of how they transformed their sound into a modern era: listen to The Latest I could go on. If you want a better version of Live at Budokan, listen to the 30th anniversary edition CHEAP TRICK 4 EVERRRRR
One of the greatest live albums ever
Klasse! Kannte die Band nicht, als ich die Platte erhielt. Aufgelegt und begeistert. Gefällt mir heute noch besser als alle Studioplatten von CT!
Still have this on vinyl!
Some of this felt very same compared to other stuff, but it Is done well. "surrender' and "I want you to want me' were obvious highlights. I feel like if I heard the studio version of this album I would give it a four, but because this is live and it is done so well, and indistinguishable from the studio version, It gets bumped to a five. Classic rock done well.
Utterly top notch, forgot that it was a live album at times!
This was really good! I get why they are so highly rated as a live band.
Album 638 of 1001 Cheap Trick - At Budakon (1979) Rating : 4.5/ 5 One of my long time favorites. Well...Side 2, that is. I give S1 a 3.5 and S2 a 5. Received this as a gift on my 14th birthday and still have it today. Love this one.
fantastic live album!
This is a solid 4, until the second side, and then it turns it up a level. “Ain’t That a Shame” through “Surrender” is shear bliss. Then we add the bookends of “Hello There” and “Goodnight” before the encore and we have a perfectly packaged concert. The constant cheering of the fans added another layer of energy to the set. This is what I want in a live album.
A great album and definitely a fan of the best version of WYTWM
As live album this really slaps, I might just be in a good mood but I think I'll listen to this again
Awesome! Awesome! Awesome!
Power pop kings at the height of their game.
They are what I classify as a "Great Guitar Band". Other bands clearly have guitars, but there just some bands that really utilize thier guitars as a driving force. I've had the pleasure of seeing them live(unfortunately not in there prime) and they killed. I can't imagine what that show must have been like in the 80's. I know this album well and it ages well. "Live at the Budokan" never gets old.
Sometimes LIVE is 'better' than studio. Tracks 'come alive' and this is prime example as well as Peter Frampton. The energy and direction that the band feeds off of creates an historic album.
Although I loved this album, I found that there was a 30th anniversary edition with way more songs from this concert. So this album was just the best songs from the concert and that left me kinda bummed from not hearing the full show. But then again, maybe it wouldn't score so high.
I’d heard of this album and am grateful for it being recommended because it was awesome.
Cheap Trick rode a wave that was departing the Disco era, when most bands were transitioning to Soft Rock. These guys turned up the heat and brought some heaviness back to Rock music. This was a great listen and an album you must hear before you die.
Great recording. Tight performance and ecstatic crowd
I had been looking forward to this one. It’s one I had heard a lot about but never listened too. Such a great live record. Would have been great to see performed live.
YES! What an album for hump day! This album more than holds up and really cooks! Especially the second half. I really needed some in-yo-face driving drums and guitar to get my blood pumping today. There is something magical about a solid timeless hit like “Surrender” when it is captured live so close to the release date. The energy and enthusiasm of the band is so fresh and tight, like lightning in a bottle. This may be getting a slight artificial bump from me after the last handful of rap, art rock and indie albums we have had, but if it is, it isn’t by much. 4.5/5 rounding up
When a 9-year old kid rides his BMX bike up to the used record store with the intent of buying this album and KISS Alive…and succeeding, I’m not sure what else matters. As one of the greatest live albums of all time, Budokan became the musical foundation for so many youths including myself. It’s hard to be brief when discussing this album given its incredible influence, and because it would set the stage for bucking tradition and offering such a large alternative to the disco and yacht rock of the time. The live versions of “Surrender” and “I Want You To Want Me” upped the irons more than their studio cuts. And the fact that “Hello”, “Big Eyes” and “Goodnight” still get played today with the same freshness only solidifies this band as leaders in the power-pop pantheon. This record simply speaks for itself and is a true banger knowing it was performed by four dudes in their late 20s. The Beatlemania these guys experienced in Japan is so strange given that they were only together 5 years by the time of this recording. And then only to have their success boomerang back to the US who didn’t give them much attention to begin with. A perfect story for a band carving their own new territory. Robin Zander’s pipes were and always will be amazing. And Bun E. Carlos’ drumming is clinical. There is not a weak song on it which is why Cheap Trick remain to this day one of the most fierce and tight touring bands.
Many people don't like live albums because, the performances might be loose and may vary from the studio versions and oh, that crowd noise can be so distracting. For me, what makes a great live record is that the songs don't sound exactly like the album and the band can elevate the songs through the energy and enthusiasm of a live concert. The screechy, screaming Japanese girls in the crowd only add to the sheer excitement of the show. After this album was released it took a good, solid power-pop rock band from Illinois from near obscurity to worldwide superstardom. There's a reason this is Cheap Trick's best selling album and even today when the band plays live, at least half of these songs continue to be mainstays on their setlists. The live version of the song, I Want To To Want Me, became one of their biggest hits, even though it was previously released on their second album, In Color, to little notice, as a bland, flat sounding studio version. Really, if you need to hear one Cheap Trick album, this is it. As a teenager, I was blown away and saw the band live during era and it remains one of my most memorable live concert experiences.
Energy top to bottom. It's amazing this band is not more worshipped in the US. Just Awesome Ramalama. People that don't dig this are lying or dead inside
In the golden age of the live album, there would have been many candidates who would have been considered for approval in the pantheon of essentials. Cheap Trick's At Budokan is surely amongst them. A lot had changed since Liverpool's Fab Four made their way up East in 1966 and becoming big in Japan was as synonymous with making it as having a gold or platinum record in the States. Cheap Trick and their finely precise and excitable rock and roll was indicative of that change and its intoxicating barrage is what makes this live document a classic to this day. The fans that are heard throughout are just as much of a backbone. Far from the reserved, respectful folk that they're often characterized as, the Budokan audience give their all for the songs offered, most notably and poignantly on I Want You to Want Me. Silence and/or indifference would have rendered this dead on arrival. Thankfully, it was anything but. Perhaps the Cheap Trick album for one to sink their teeth into in order to understand the hype.
j'aime bien Soyon généreux 5/5
Love cheap trick
Definitely a surprise. I didn't expect that a live concert album from the 70's was actually good beyond the notable hits (I Want You to Want Me and Surrender), but this one really delivers. Though nothing else is quite as good as those, the whole album from start to finish does maintain a great energy and I enjoyed the whole trek. Big Eyes, Need Your Love, Come On, Come On, Aint that a Shame... pretty much everything put a smile on my face. Very enjoyable.
Great Live album in every way. Underrated band. Great set list and they played to the audience Loved listening to this. As everyone my age I wore this album out
In a decade of great live albums, Budokan is one of the greatest. Screaming Japanese fans who finally let it out after sitting on their hands during Beatlemania, Bun E.’s great drumming, Robin’s voice, Rick’s guitar and Tom’s seventies bass made me a big big fan. Part of the soundtrack of my existence. And one of the greatest Fats covers ever.
One the best live albums. Right up there with Frampton Comes Alive
•Owned •Thee Live Rock Album. Cheap Trick turns the Budokan into a cauldron with an inferno of a set. Even when they swing with Fats Domino’s “Ain’t That a Shame”, they also rock. I would, indeed, like to do a number with them. (I saw them live about 20 years ago, at the Date Festival of all places, and they still played their hearts out then.) •4.5/5
One of the biggest things I’ve learned from doing an album a day is that I actually have started to really like live albums, where previously I avoided them for no particular reason. I just assumed they would be annoying to listen to compared to a studio recording, but really many of the ones I’ve done so far are high energy and I can absolutely see the appeal. Really loved these tracks, and found them to be even more exciting with an audience and that live concert sound.
Good stuff
10 Things I Hate About You was probably the first time I became aware of Cheap Trick thanks to the Letters To Cleo cover of I Want You To Want Me. I never really listened to Cheap Trick properly until I was in my early 20s when they became a mainstay in my music rotation especially when drinking with friends. I love every minute of this album and it’s easily one of the best live albums of all-time!
The only relevant power pop live record. And one of the greatest live albums of the second half of the 70s. OK, it is not one of those bombastic gatefold double records with lots of songs and solos. They had just released their third album a few days before after all. But no filler here. And all songs sound better than the studio ones, specially the iconic 'I Want You to Want Me'
JUSTE WOW QUE DE DÉCOUVERTE !
Arguably the greatest 42 minute concert 1 million 12 twelve year old girls ever attended.
Now that’s what I call music
This is exactly what you want from a live album. It’s crackling with energy
I desperately wanted to know and love Cheap Trick because they were Billy Corgan’s favorite band and I was desperately in love with Billy Corgan. Ah, youth! The memory is faded, but perhaps I once bought a box set of their top three albums and proceeded to not listen to them. Was Budokan among them?
Easy one for me: a fab five. Immediately felt happy when I saw this cover appear on the screen. I am ashamed that before I knew them, I gave them short shrift at a music festival. Someone I don’t know stayed and wrote something one of the best pieces of forum writing I’ve read about them: http://www.premierrockforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=879&p=56759 “…As I heard more and more songs in the concert I thought about how the band Cheap Trick had played big stadiums and had girls screaming at them and been very famous and probably had lots of drugs and other things like that but now they were here playing to some people who didn't know them or really care about them like I didn't know them and some of the people watching probably wanted to see The Fall instead. But they did not get sad and instead they played like they did not want to be anywhere else or be doing anything else in the whole world” Simon, this IS the Greatest Hits. And I’m reviewing the deluxe 2 CD full gig, not the short version linked on the page. Even the otherwise throwaway “Can’t Hold On” has enough conviction in the chorus to elevate my puny fist up in the air. And the best is as powerful as pop and rock can be x
One of the best live albums I have heard. Live albums can be hit or miss. They often feel a bit sterile and remove you from the action. What sets this album apart is the immersion of it. The excitement builds as the album progresses and it is hard not to feel like you are in the crowd. It also helps if you like Cheap Trick which I do
Cheap Trick at the height of their powers. I like how 'Need Your Love' acts as the gravitational centre of the collection, a sprawling, prowling epic around which the zippier material orbits. And what material! It's banger after banger. The likes of 'Surrender' and 'I Want You to Want Me' are established classics, but 'Big Eyes', 'Clock Strikes Ten' and 'Come On, Come On' are comfortable bedfellows. Robin Zander is a superb singer but it's guitarist Rick Neilson who stands out. His playing is all broken shards and wiry little tangles of noise. The epitome of power pop, then - yet no-one quite sounds like Cheap Trick, now or then.
This albums great, it’s in the Mount Rushmore of live albums. Every song is great.
This was a rockin' awesome album!! I want to be there!
I love this band. Surrender is one of my favorite songs. This album is exhilerating and fun!
I’m not going to talk about how I don’t care for live albums. This project has finally put that notion to rest for me. I wasn’t familiar with anything on side 1 - but I really enjoyed it and wished I was at Budokan. Or Osaka rather. On side 2 I recognized three in a row. A great rendition of Ain't That a Shame, then the beloved classics I Want You To Want Me and Surrender. I really noticed the drums on this... Cheap Trick knows how to rock. So much energy in this performance! I really loved this album.
One of the best live albums ever!
I see quite a few negative reviews for this album and I disagree with them. The complete Budokan concert is even better because it (naturally) includes more songs and removes some of the overdubbing that was present on this version. Robin's voice was cleaned up a little in parts and a synthesizer was added to "Surrender." I recommend the complete concert version. Otherwise, this is one of the best albums of all time. Hello There and Come On Come On are great concert openers and there isn't a bad song on this album. This album introduced me to how good live music can be and to Cheap Trick. Highly recommend.
Kananlihhoa ei syytä ole piilotella LÄTKÄSTÄÄN VITOSTA!! SORI JOS ON PASKAA!!! Ei voe mitään
This is a classic vinyl record. This has a live debut of surrender and is very classic rock. Enjoyed it a lot!
Hells yeah! 8 stars!
Yes!! My very first album as a kid. I remember my father walking with me to K-mart ( yes, K-mart!) to buy. Hello There is a great way to start a show. Every song is fantastic. Big Eyes reminds me of my 6th grade girlfriend, Mary G. Great album, great memories. My son was in a stroller, only a couple years old and he got to experience these guys at the Plainwell island city festival on July 24th, 1999. They played 5 songs of this album. Put my niece, Kaylee, on my shoulders and Rick Nielsen handed her a guitar pick. She was only 5 or 6 at the time! Should be noted, there were only a couple hundred folks in the crowd, so easy to get right up and see the band. Just a wonderful album. My first 5!!
This could be the definition of the right thing at the right time, from 1978, the era of this kind of rock, this album, even if you don't know this band, will give you the feeling of that era. I don't like much albums recorded from concerts, however this one it's just the right choice.
10/10, super fun rock
This album rules!
One of the all-time great live albums. The set is perfect, and there's a reason this is the prime version of I Want You To Want Me!
Sonzao massa
Amazing live album from an awesome band. No wonder they took off after this.
If you look up rock music in a dictionary, it just says this album.
Epic
Bob in Nippon dess
Awesome, great vibe, and I even recognized a few tracks! I want you to want me is legendary
Just so great. I think in most cases a live recording in which the listener can hear the screaming fans during the actual songs might get old really fast, but I would argue that in the case of "At Budokan," the fans are what make this such a fun, energy-filled live album. They make "I Want You to Want Me" better, that's for sure. This version of "Surrender" is so much better than the studio version that they might as well be different songs. This is the high water mark for Cheap Trick.
Good album, lots of Classic songs
This made me happy. The end 5/5
This album made me buy Spotify Premium. A solid 5/5.
Best live album EVER!!! Cheap Trick RULES
Just some amazing live 70s rock. Easily relistenable. I actually didn’t know that much about Cheap Trick besides their singles and I really like everything on this album.
ILKAYYYYYYY!
What an amazing rock n roll experience! I loved every aspect of it!
Great album. Songs sound even better live
I’ve never given cheap trick the time of day. This album is legitimately great.
Really damn good
ARE YOU READY TO ROOOOOOCK!?!
I liked this a lot, however…I found the crowd noise to be incredibly annoying. It sounds like faked dubbed-in screeching of about a dozen junior high girls. It really detracted from the album, at least for me. If I ignore this flaw, and I will, it gets four stars.
Fun live rock experience
Went into this feeling very sceptical with it being a live album, but loved it. Last 4 songs are all absolute bangers.
One of the great "live" albums.
Classic 70s live album, it brought the band to a much wider audience. I remember that we were fascinated with Rick Nielsen's five neck guitar! It's been decades since I heard this so I'm enjoying it's fun hard rock vibes this morning
energy. rock and roll. fun.
Primer disco en vivo que me toca. La verdad que me gustó mucho. No conocía a la banda.
Cheap Trick rule. Where exactly is Budokan? I’d prefer it remain a mystery. Bonus points because I then put on ‘He’s A Whore’
I'm not gonna say 5 BUT it's good fun. People that don't like live albums on principle are narcs.
Good crowd and energy. 3.8/5
This is a great live rock album and I thoroughly enjoyed it. 'Need Your Love' in particular had a great groove
I liked it, I liked need your love and surrender a lot
Yeah this was a great live album, mixed well and just a fun listen overall
not the best live album out there, not the best at the Budokan either. However was a very good listen. Would go and see them again
This is a fun album, there's a lot of energy from both the crowd and the band. As far as live albums go, this one is solid. The production is a little rough though, and I'm disappointed that this is Cheap Trick's only showing on this list.
I bet this concert was cool as fuck.
They are really good and letting know what they want, which of course is our love, and for us to want them. Despite it being a live album, I can't help but give it to them!
Absolute gem of an album. The guitar in this is pretty nuts. Will listen to this again for sho
My first ever live album in this journey I’m listening to so this better be lit. I’ve always been a fan of live performances of songs ever since I went to the Kesha tits out tour concert last year. Hello there was a great way to introduce the concert cause it was like a greeting to Japan in a way introducing themselves and getting the audience hyped for the performance. Really feels like I’m a concert of there’s fr with the crowd cheers. Big Eyes def a fav song from this. The vocals especially are great here.
Ännu mer live-musik. Åh fan om det inte är rätt bra. Å då menar jag både musiken å att det är live. Känner ju igen "i want you to want me" men i princip ett okänt band. Tycker just den låten inter bäst heller. Det är skön, melodisk rock som har feeling (extra pga live...)
Great live album, at least half.
huh its ok and its nice to hear all the teenage japanese girls screaming 4.5/5
Cheap Trick is a weird, weird band. The sort of power ballad-y pop-rock group they became in the 80s ("The Flame" - UGH) isn't visible here at all, and that's a great thing. These dudes can straight up rock, and it's really a testament to weird ass, dress-like-a-dork-on-purpose Rick Nielsen's songwriting. The live setting also serves them well, as the greater vocal fry, the raw screams on some of the songs ("Hello" & "Goodbye" "Clock Strikes Ten") ups the intensity. Really good album from a band that I'm not usually over the moon about.
Yeah pretty good rock in general, performed well. Basically just a greatest hits of this band I guess. Specific rating - 4.1 Fav song - surrender Least fav - hello there
Something about Cheap Trick that just rules, it just sounds like they enjoy playing music which I appriciate very much. Honestly this album was slow at the start as i feel most live records are until the crowd and band has seemed to warm up, but by the mid point they are firing off. They just had a such a distinct sound, good stuff.
Because it is Cheap Trick- 5 (love them) Because it is live- 2 Quality and sound- 3.5 (rounding up)
This is a hell of concert! So much energy and drive. I Want You to Want Me Surrender
Dette er bare good vibes. "I Want You To Want Me"-liveversjonen er jo mye bedre enn studioversjonen og "Surrender" sparker. Cheap Trick høres ut som sjablongen for 70-tallsrock og det er ganske kult. Har "Age of Pamparius" en liten musikalsk referanse til "Clock Strikes Ten"?
Cheap Trick’s At Budokan is a power-pop amalgamation with a firework shoved up its ass - all sugar, sparks, and guitars deployed with one clear objective: DROP PANTIES. And if the high pitch screams of the crowd are any indication: MISSION ACCOMPLISHED. Blending in styles from across the hard rock spectrum, there's a lot to enjoy here, with an element of fun that's very inviting. Taking yourself too seriously has always been a turn-off for me, and while there's accomplished musicianship and cheeky cleverness afoot, this performance is just a good time, no egos. Huge hooks, bratty swagger and a dash of glammy theatricality. I don’t know if it’s profound - but god damn this one feels ALIVE!
wasn't expecting a live album to be on this list. great live album. Favorite Songs: Hello There, Lookout, Big Eyes, Need Your Love, I Want You to Want Me, Surrender, Clock Strikes Ten
Honestly, one of the best live albums ever recorded. Hands down a fantastic, lively set.
Listened to before? No Context: Considered to be a classic power-pop album and a perfect example of raw rock n roll energy; Cheap Trick's best selling record. This is so so so so so rock n roll. There's no other way to describe it. Just absolutely rock n roll. This is one of those live albums that I actually enjoy. It has great energy to it and the recording is solid. It also captures the—once more—rock n roll energy of Cheap Trick better than their studio stuff. I'd be thrilled to be at this concert. It sounds like a hell of a good time. That said, it's hard to give a live album a perfect rating. There's little cohesion to it, as most live albums are just the best sellers mixed with some new material, and hearing the crowd is annoying at times. That said, this album comes sort of close, I guess. Just absolutely rock n roll—not much else to say.
This is a great live album. I’ve never been huge into Cheap Trick, I know the hits, but I’ve never delved deep. And I really still haven’t, but I really enjoyed this and it makes me want to explore further. Great energy, great guitar work, and I liked the songs and writing.
Deserves the hype. Top 5 all-time live rock concert recording (but just a notch down “seminal”, at 4.5 stars, because C.T.’s first three studio albums proper are still the ones to beat).
Pretty good just my taste of music so that's why I like it
Very fun live album, from someone who never heard of Cheap Trick’s music before.
I’m biased because I grew up with this album. I still love it and I rarely enjoy live albums. Starts off great, and “I Want You to Want Me” is pure rock perfection for me. Bun E.’s drumming is great. “Need Your Love” (even if it’s long) and “Surrender” are also fun. I like that it starts with hello song and a goodnight song.
Firstly, didn't even know this was on the list, but I am not complaining. Second of all, this is the biggest trip down memory lane this list has given me so far. This record was such a big deal to me at 13. "I Want You To Want Me" being one of the most overplayed songs on classic rock radio hasn't killed any of its power, and at 13 it was a sort of bible for me. That being said, because I was constantly finding new things and never keeping track of the music I listened to, this record has fallen by the wayside until I'm finally hearing it again 10-11 years later. The definition of fun.
quite cool even though it's a live album.
Never quite understood the 70s obsession with live albums. Why live albums sold when the studio versions of songs didn't. Maybe if I had been part of it I would understand. Always thought of live as a once in a while listen at best, something to collect of your favs, not the go toas a record, This is fun and all the things the positive reviews say, it's also muddy loose and the things in the negative reviews. As live albums go I like it. But then I like classic period Cheap Trick, they are fine disciples of the Beatles, and definitely a bands band of a lot of US music, nivarna, green day, etc. Still Rather have the studio versions, but if this is what I have, it's still a great power pop record 4.5 Stars, rounded up.
Halpoja temppuja. Vaikka on halpoja niin oikein kivoja temppuja tarjoavat. Hyvää meininkiä, oli kiva kuunnella. Yleisössä paljon tyttöjä ääntelystä päätellen.
En oo suurin live-levyjen kuluttaja, tällä levyllä oli kova meininki ja hyvän kuulosta soitantaa. Tuttuja biisejä löyty jonnin verran, oikein menevä levy.
В целом хорошо, инструментал сногшибательно
I loike it I loike it. They’re not all winners but the highlights are great. A few like Big Eyes that I had never heard with jammin’ riffs. Much prefer this version of Surrender over the studio version imo.
So much fun to get a live album. The energy of that audience is CRAZY.
These guys pitched and thought “ah this is what it was like when the Beatles played here” then proceeded to bring the house down with some outstanding rock n roll! Despite the low quality recording apparatus of the time they come across well, credit to Cheap Trick keepin’ it simple yet effective.
Fun as far as live albums go
Pleasant surprise. 3.5 or so.
I’d be outraged if I went to a massive stadium concert in Tokyo and the band played like seven songs for a half an hour. Still, there’s something about the tone here, the excellent drumming, the way the guitars smudge colors onto the night, that transports me back in time, right into this concert. I mean, I Want You To Want Me and Surrender, what more do you need? This is one I do return to from time to time.
Cheap Trick at Budokan is one of the quintessential live albums of the 1970s. I Want You to Want Me is a decent song, but the crowd's enthusiasm is what really puts it over the top. Surrender is the clear standout here for me. The rest is not bad. I'm not a huge Cheap Trick fan, but this was fun to listen to.
Great live performance, high energy makes it a personal favorite
The first side wasn’t 5 star worthy but the 2nd side sure takes me back to July 1979. The album came out in the US in Feb. 1979 and was a huge hit. I lived in South Dakota and I guess Cheap Trick had booked a concert there before the album got big since it was rare to get a big name act to play in Sioux Falls at that time. So my 4 friends and I made a 2 hr roadtrip to go hear them in concert and was a fantastic concert. As an added bonus, the opening band was AC/DC who didn’t release their Back in Black album until that fall and Bon Scott was still alive at the time. I concert I will never forget!!!!
“I want you to want me” and “Surrender” … all day. The rest of this, meh.
This rocked harder than I thought it would having basically only heard the CT hits. I do feel this is kinda cheating though because its just a curated live show. There arent any album tracks to get through.
I was pessimistic when I saw this as I don’t typically enjoy live albums as much, and saw decent hate in the reviews.. but it was better than I expected. Hearing ‘I want you to want me’ in the past, with them announcing the song title at the beginning I always thought was a bit weird, but they did that throughout. Overall was a pretty fun listen, 4/5
I was surprised to see a live album / compilation here as Cheap Trick's only (so far) recording on this list, but reading more about it it does make sense. Apparently they had been touring for a while without seeing themselves move up into that next level- and apparently this performance, recording, and response was a big boon to their popularity. "I Want You To Want Me" is the big one, but I think one of my favorite classic rock songs from this era is "Surrender". It feels like a really special song to me, something about the composition makes it feel like a really great piece of songwriting at it's core harmony + melody, and it just happens to sound good in this style. I also have some kind of personal nostalgia tied to it but I can't really put my finger on it. 4/5 record for me. Great energy, great tunes. I saw Cheap Trick about a decade ago and they were great.. it probably wasnt the original members but they rocked.
Great Cheap Trick
This is a great record with good energy. That said, I can't get beyond the terrible production. Some of the songs have basically no bass, and the drums sound like they were recorded at the bottom of a well. It's too bad, this has five star potential, but I can't do it with the way the drums are mixed.
Not t my favorite kind of music, it’s a good album to listen to occasionally.
Fun to hear their classics in the live recording
2/9/26: 8/10
Enjoyed this - wish people did more live albums. This show was a week after they released their album with surrender on it - you can feel how much the crowd responded. Album feels big but also warm and cosy didn’t expect to enjoy it as much as I did.
another album that i loved a lot in the past, but i don't know how this will hold up for me. it's still pretty damn great power pop. and yeah, it's still great. my early ears are still alive in this old head
42 min live album is wassup, not 2 fucking hours of orchestral Metallica so that’s a plus. Opening song is good. Didn’t know I want you to want me was by these fellas, nice. Oh shit and surrender? Fantastic song, like gives the album an extra half star alone. Nostalgic for me (THPS anyone?) Very very straight pop/arena rock that appeals more to teenage girls (as is apparent by all the annoying audience screaming) than headbangin fellas, but dammit listening to surrender made me feel like a teenage girl a bit. I get it tho, this album was their breakthru album as I understand it, so this isn’t their best stuff but also has some of their biggest hits. It’s enjoyed but I have listened to a lot of music like this and it can get tired pretty quick. Some very drawn out vamps were a smidge gratuitous. I can imagine having fun at this concert for sure, it’s amazing what live music can get away with when you’re actually there seeing it live. Great vocals. Tight band behind them. Real professionals. The recording on this live recording is a lil dated tho? Can’t fault them for that, it’s prolly the best there was at the time. A generous 3.8
Cheap trick has always been good, I’m still not sold on this being a masterpiece though. The I want you to want me live version is perhaps more famous than the recorded version and that’s probably an important consideration here. Obviously they sound tight, Rick Nielsen is about as tight as it gets, but this is like on par with any good live performance from any band I like. I’ve talked to Liam ad naseum about this album and I do vibe with him that this is just good loud rock music, I think it’s the live album part that’s still holding me back. I want a good cheap trick album, not a good recording of them playing what they wanna play from their discography.
Nice live album. Can see how it would influence Foo Fighters and other alt rock bands of the future with all the power chords on top of the catchy melodies. Standouts are the two fun hits "I Want You to Want Me" and "Surrender".
Cool stuff, no wonder it has a jojo Stand commemorating it. I Do think the Live at Kinda detracts from these albums as I don’t wanna hear the hooting and hollering of the probably very dead crowd. Quite a big fan of big eyes, couldn't tell you why but I think its pretty cool. I have no clue why "I want you to want me" Is the most popular, its just not particularly interesting.
I *love* Cheap Trick. They are part of the trifecta (The Beatles, Led Zeppelin) I was raised on. I don't love this album more than Heaven Tonight or even In Color, but there are some sizzling performances here; I suspect this is the reason Budokan was picked and not a studio album. I was negative sixteen years old when this concert happened, so who knows how good it actually was, but "I Want You to Want Me" was apparently a real face-melter. "Surrender" is an obvious classic. Not that anybody gives a shit, but I do wonder why, stacked against Heaven Tonight, for example, this album was ultimately selected. I don't have the book, so I can't check. My rating of this album is colored a lot by my love for the band and by my appreciation for their live sound, even though I would probably rate a few studio albums higher. I think divorced from my affection for Cheap Trick and my love for their studio sound, I'd probably drop this a star. I have some really great memories of being like seven and my dad and I belting "Surrender" and some others in his '94 camry. Good shit. Glad to see Cheap Trick on the list, even if it's just this album.
This one was fun. This version of I Want You To Want Me is the version I'm most familiar with. It doesn't feel the same without "I want you.... to want... ME!" at the beginning for me. I first heard it in one of those MX vs. ATV video games that I would play nonstop as a kid, so it hit kinda hard in the nostalgia a bit. Same with Surrender, but it wasn't the Budokan version. Surrender bangs as well though. Those two stood out to me the most when listening, but everything else was just as fun to listen to for me. Cheap Trick really isn't a band I think about a lot, but every time I listen to them I enjoy it. I might end up throwing this one on my list of "Live Albums I Find Listenable" shortlist and throw it on every once in a while.
I never gave these guys the credit they deserved after seeing their song was so early in the Guitar Hero set list. Could be there's extra charm of this being a live album
Straight up classic!
All very good songs
So enjoyable, loving that type of music and it’s a very very solid album. Old school bangers 🔛🔝
Enjoyed good vibe
I don't love a live album, but this one's pretty good.
It's pretty fun and the energy is entertaining, not an incredible level of difference from some of the songs on studio recording but the atmosphere helps make the songs feel more exciting, or at least it did when I briefly compared "Come On, Come On" to its studio album version Not worldchanging but I had a nice time
One of my first favorite albums and also the first concert I went to live. So, yah. I'm biased. I haven't listened to this whole album altogether in at least 25 years though, so it was fun going back. The first half is just Ok. Nothing really great, but not annoying. Well, some of the audience screaming is a bit piercing. I like "Hello There" the best of this half. That second half rocks! Now I remember why I loved this and wanted to see them so much. Such great songs. Good songwriting! Rick is a goof, but he writes cool hooks. Robin really has a great voice all around. Good range, nice tonal changes and variety. People make a big deal about Tom's 12-string bass, but I don't hear anything special about it. He and Bun E. hold down the fort really well though. Every time I talk about Cheap Trick, I recommend "Baby Loves to Rock" from All Shook Up. I LOVE the call and response guitar/bass/band thing they do in that. Worth checking out. It's a good album whereas most live albums suck, a lot. This launched them in the US and I'm glad it did. They put out some great tunes over the years. Giving it a 4. I like it, but it's not life changing or a tentpole rock album.
This was one of the better live albums I’ve heard. Super curated with the hello and goodbye songs and the energy they captured is infectious, though only 42 min?!
Need your love was great
I don’t usually love live albums but this one was great. Also my introduction to Cheap Trick
“I want you to want me!”
never heard of this band before, its a good live album for an intro to their music
Really dig the songs, but I feel like they would’ve been better as studio versions. 4/5
Better than most of their studio albums. More energy.
couple of bangers, classic rock and roll i can’t be mad. but lyrics are rather uninspired
Took me forever to work out that I recognised them from the Guardians Of The Galaxy soundtrack. First time listening to them properly and I will definitely check out more
Classic
Cheap Trick songs sung live feels only right. Hearing an early performance of Surrender was awesome
Ugh, a live album. I love live music. I not only play live music myself but also go and see other bands perform live. I do have issue with recordings of live music, generally. I just don't think live albums can capture the magic of being at a live performance. Some gets glimpses of it, but I think it's pretty rare. I don't think the live aspect of this album does anything extra to elevate it. Even without that, though, this is a really good hits album. I'd rather listen to studio recordings of each of these songs, is kind of what it ultimately boils down to. Even a decade ago, though, the only way to listen to all of these songs in a row was by listening to this album. Now, I can just make a playlist. I really liked it. It kind of escapes a penalty that I would maybe give a live album, just because it's really solid, and I don't think it's notably missing out on anything from being a specific live recording. I think if this was released as a studio recorded best hits album, I'd like it more, though. Favorite Song(s): Need Your Love, Want You to Want Me, Surrender
It’s a good record but not perfect. A solid 4 stars!
Great jams on here
A great Midwest rock n roll band. Nielsen's the best.
Surrender is a superhit! I Want You To Want Me is perfect!
Pretty fun album, had a good time with it
Unfortunately it's a live album so it maxes out at 4 but it's a great one
Really good album. Such a banger!
Always fun getting a live album on this list. Cheap trick is has a few songs I really enjoy but this live version is great. Although I don't recognize the songs the energy from the crowd makes me feel like I could sing along.
Cool live album, fun to recognize a song from guitar hero
Very solid, the first live album I've actually liked.
Very cool live album. Some nice hits and good sound overall
The big hit from this album is one of those overplayed songs that really started to grate on me growing up. So I was turned off to Cheap Trick for a long time. Never listened to this, but for the most part it's good and that one song is a little more enjoyable in this context. Still don't see myself getting into Cheap Trick at any point.
A super solid live album. I was a fan when I was 10ish or so! Good band.
it was cute
this was fun. the energy was felt throughout
Bom, gostei do Álbum! Morria e não ia juntar essa banda com Surrender kkkkkk Foi espetacular? Não, mas foi bom ouvir algo novo!
Brief but pretty good
I liked cheap trick before this but this helped me get it more. I would even go on to say that there are moments on this that channel the Beatles in a way I couldn’t have expected. Wish I could have been there myself, fantastic.
Fun and energetic. A good live album.
I Want You to Want Me rolling right into Surrender is sick.
Excellent. Solid classic rock
Ok I’ll admit it, this kinda slapped. They’ll never be my cup of tea, but what a fun, energy-packed live album!
I want you to want me feels out of place- many bangers here. Some classic buttrock
nice but i’d have to be in the mood to listen to it
So good.
Thoughts before listening: I was just reading up on Cheap Trick yesterday and was wondering if I had gotten them on this project yet. Really good live album from classic rock band that leans heavily into a power pop sound. Fun band. Review: Part of my research into the band was to find out that, to my surprise, Cheap Trick's debut album came out in 1977. These guys feel like they should be contemporaries of the 70s hard rock bands like Zeppelin and Aerosmith, but they were putting out their early albums at the same time that punk and new wave were taking off. That makes sense with their sound which comes off more akin to pop punk with a rock sheen than any sort of arena rock. This is definitely a fun album that I'll give 4-stars.
Damn. Cheap Trick can rock pretty hard man. This is just some by-the-book quintessential Classic Rock, but I think a rather good example of it. Clearly Tokyo was creaming their pants over it, and in a way I was too. Memorable songs, quality musicianship, and a willingness to get lost in the sauce. Vibes. Fave songs: - Lookout - Big Eyes - Need Your Love - Ain't That a Shame - Surrender - Clock Strikes Ten
Great live album
Great live album. One of the few cases where the live recordings surpass the studio ones as the definitive versions of the songs.
Slaps.
Really captures the energy the band has. Solid from beginning to end.
This album was a prelude to listening to Punk Rock bands for me. 4 stars or B+.
Cheap Trick is always a fun band, rocks but kinda poppy. I'd love to have been there for this show.
Can you honestly tell me that you forgot? Forgot the magnetism of Robin Zander? Or the charisma of Rick Nielsen? Well I didn't forget. This one rules.
Essential late 70's power pop that broke this deserving band into the mainstream and influenced rock bands everywhere. Plus it asked the question, "where the hell is Budokan"?
Great live album. Done very well.
8/10
Most likely, the version of 'I Want You To Want Me' is from this album. Cheap Trick were heavily influential in the realm of writing lovely, catchy melodies and then layering them atop loud, driving guitars -- something that just sounds like a thousand bands in 2025. However, they hadn't achieved significant popularity in their home country until this particular record. This is a document of a band that had honed its craft for most of a decade (honestly, eight years isn't that long to toil on the cusp of making it big but I guess it seemed like it in the 70's, when music was everything and radio was music) and the skill is on display. You might think there are some corrections or some overdubs in post, but there aren't. Cheap Trick are what they are: power pop or melodic hard rock, however you want to slice the pie. They're the Foo Fighters, thirty years before there were Foo Fighters. Or Weezer. Or Nickelback, I guess. It's worth remembering that the dominant music of the 70's was a blend of soft rock (think America or Carly Simon) and disco, so an act breaking through with music based around pentatonic scales, power chords and ubiquitous distorted guitar is noteworthy. It's why Alice Cooper seemed shocking and why Kiss still has some real respect in elitist rock circles (despite being open, unabashed sellouts; this is kind of a hot take). It's also a fun listen. It functions as a bit of a greatest-hits up to that point, the recording is actually good (and has enough crowd noise to feel real) and Cheap Trick were genuinely a good band. It might sound kind of trite as I reach the first-quarter mark of the 21st century but that's because of almost fifty years of people building on this foundation. Great hits and the rest is also pretty good. Surrender is an absolutely excellent song and it's kinda halfway between Kiss and pop music -- and that's a remarkable innovation. Give this a listen. It's a 4/5 if you're predisposed to enjoy this sort of rock music (you probably know what I mean, at this point) but in the spirit of my electronic-hater-adjustments, it might be a 3/5 for people who aren't me. Still: well worth your time, if only to hear how live albums really took off at this point in history.
Not a fan of live albums, but this one is really good and the sound quality is not too bad.
4.4/5 really great live album haven’t listened before but very good 70s rock
Hell yeah
Nice, iconic album/performance. I never realized I’ve heard the live version of “I want you” so many times that I knew the introduction of the song.
There’s a certain rawness to the recording of this that I really like. It’s what I enjoy about live records. It’s what the band actually sounds like which is actually really taboo these days.
Classic
3.5/5
I won’t be listening to the live versions , no time for that. Catching up after being sick but I like all these songs.
4/5. This was actually a lot heavier than I was expecting it, it went pretty hard especially for the first side. Then the second side comes exploding with hit after hit. The production is pretty bad with vocals but the guitar comes through nice and clean. The roaring audience adds to the excitement for sure, almost tricking me into thinking this was the best music of all time. As the songs go, this isn't anything crazy, but the recognition they received can be felt. Aura alone shoots this up to a 4 but it's definitely not perfect. Best Song: I Want You To Want Me, Need Your Love, Big Eyes, Ain't That A Shame
A good set by a decent band, and all the Japanese screaming from the crowd added a nice layer of energy. The music was simple but effective
Power. Nice.
Rating: 9/10 Have not listened to a lot of this band but this feels like the only album worth listening to: has all of their amazing hits, great energy, and overall catchy and fun to listen to from start to finish. My favorite live album so far.
I think this is good. I think this is REALLY good. This might be the best live album I've gotten so far. "ALRGHT TOKYOOO. ARE YOU READYYY??"
Funner than expected
7/10. 70s rock is awesome. Favorite song - surrender, GOTG throwback
It’s a live rock album. The guitar flows well with the singer. Drums and bass slap. I liked most of the songs. I’d rank Ain’t That a Shame at the top.
Great live set. Some obvious classics, but some more run of the mill songs too.
Un poil pop pour mon goût, mais quand même fun.
Good energy
classic concert rock album
I want you to want me
Had a great time with this! I didn’t realise how many of these songs I knew, mostly from Guitar Hero and the soundtrack to Daddy Day Care. Surrender is probably my favourite but they’re all kind of bangers and you gotta respect a band with deliberate opening and closing (Hello There and Goodnight) songs. I still don’t love a live album but otherwise I find this hard to fault, at least in my current good mood. (4.5 stars)
Day588 - i’m a fan of live albums and this is a good one. the beastie boys are the coolest for sampling the opening to surrender on check your head
A good album, I liked Come On, Come On, I Want You To Want Me and Surrender the most.
I have always had a respect for Cheap Trick but never would consider myself a true fan. This album made me want to build a Time Machine to go back and see them. The energy radiating of this album is incendiary, and I don’t know if there is a bad track. Obviously, I want You to Want Me is a Gen-X ska-remake classic due to Letters to Cleo, but the original is poppy fun. A-ha moment came at the end with the “this next song…” which I did not realized was a sample used by the Beastie Boys on Jimmy James. I think my favorite track was the slow-grinding Need Your Love, with is long camp and guitar breaks. Rethinking about this album and relistening to tracks as I’m writing this, hell with it: I’m getting my Einstein Physics book and a Dolorean! Let’s do this!!.
Excellent live album. Cheap Trick aren’t my fav, but this is so easy to listen to. Also has THE version of I Want You To Want Me
banger
Really really good live album. Only knew two songs (all timers Surrender and I want you to want me) but enjoyed the whole thing.
Great guitar solos, loved the rhythm, Surrender is 10/10. Probably will never listen to it again tho
This live album is incredible. I want you to want me is literally transformed into a completely incredible song and it was incredible. Very pleasantly surprising
Mike Damone loved these guys and would sell you the best tickets to see them. Sure it's basic power pop and they're not the best or most creative musicians but it's dumb fun and goddamn this album was massive (if memes existed in the 80s/90s it would have been everywhere) - that's why it's on this list, kids. Pro tip: side 2 (...2nd half) is way better than the first - if it feels a little light at the top of the lineup, once you get to the heart of the order the cleanup hitter will bring you home. Man have you heard the studio version of "I Want You To Want Me?" I bought that record when I was about 14 and it was not the droid I was looking for - this version's the shit. Also I haven't listened to the album in about 30 years but I swear this streaming version is totally different than the original CD I grew up with - drums sound more raw yet...better than I remember? 8/10 4 stars.
An old friend that brings back sunny feelings. A great listen, even if you hate the shrieking girls. A great rock and roll live album.
maybe my dad made a few points with this one
this was so fun! i loved that this was in tokyo and you hear the screams and fanchants and fans!
Fun fun fun
Sounds like quite the evening! Love the energy, not so much the lyrics.
Low 4, enjoyed everything until the last track and the cable tv guitar riff
I saw that they only had three albums out when they dropped a live album, so I was skeptical about it. I think that you can only do a live album only after releasing at least five albums, but this was a pretty fun show
Realizing that I enjoy live albums. Honestly considering 4 or 5 for this. Also rare that a live album song version is the definitive recording (I want you to want me).
Every live album at Budokan I’ve heard sounds like a great time.
Dang, this get a whole star boost for goodnight ladies and gentlemen. More bands need to play themselves off. The vibes were a blast throughout. Minus a star cuz I’ll just never vibe with jam-y sounding bands I don’t think.
Hahaha, a long time fave, actually since I was a kid. it is fun to listen to, and I love „Surrender“.
I'm not much of a fan of these guys. I'm not sure why. They like a lot the same bands as I do. And they can play and sing really well. But I find myself wanting to like them more than actually achieving it. But I liked this album. Aside from the two hits, all of these were new to me. Not sure i need to hear I Want You to Want Me ever again, but Surrender is an all time classic. (Funny: I accidentally started this in shuffle mode and I was kind of down on it. I thought, Christ, these guys don't know how to make a show flow. But once I realized my mistake and started over again, things worked out perfectly.)
Bunny is among the most underrated drummers in rock
I was alive when them album came out. I loved it then and still do.
Hardrock vom Feinsten. Ja, es gibt Konzerte die hat man verpasst. Zum Glück dachte jemand daran, eine Aufnahme zu machen.
Fun, loud, and energizing. The background sounds of charmingly naive crowd added to the experience.
A fun live album. If Cheap Trick wasn’t the densest talent band ever, they were excellent at performing and creating their product and this album reflects that. I think it’s great to keep in mind that it’s a Japanese audience while listening to this: the great vibes in the audience come through while listening regardless of language barriers and being recorded -47 years ago. Also it’s always hilarious to point out that Cheap Trick’s album art always featured the two good looking guys and not the other two guys in the band
It felt like hearing the evolution of Cheap Trick in the album, very cool to hear I Want You to Want Me and Surrender back to back here
At Budokan doesn't really do anything all that special or unique but it does what it does pretty well. I'm pretty sure that i have never heard any of this band's studio songs (If the version of I Want You to Want Me that plays on my local classic rock station is this version) but i still think that these guys definitely sound really good when they are performing live. The songs themselves are also enjoyable listens with them mostly being your typical late 70s sounding hard rock songs. There wasn't too much of a difference between any of the songs but i still thought that this album didn't drag. This album isn't perfect but it is still a very good listen. Best Song: Surrender Worst Song: Hello There
Always meant to listen to this album because BIG 100.3 plays the Live at Budokan version of "I Want You to Want Me". Pretty good album.
joyous power-pop - great energy and swagger
I was expecting punk for some reason, but this is gnarly and riff-heavy. One of the few live albums that really works.
I enjoyed this album and experience. This is the first live album I have encountered on the list. Surrender represents the best of the album. It has a bounce in the bass line that the other songs in their line up are missing that really completes the sounds. Very enjoyable overall.
Good live album. Didn’t know any songs by name, but then I heard and recognized them.
Let's get my one criticism with this album out of the way - the sequencing of these tracks feels deceptive. Of the 19 tracks that Cheap Trick played at each of their Budokan arena shows in 1978, only ten made it onto this release. It could be argued that these ten were chosen as the best tracks representative of those performances, and I'm not against such an argument. But then, they changed the track order around from what actually happened. The new song "Lookout" was placed before "Big Eyes" when it was the other way around. A similar case with placing "I Want You to Want Me" before "Surrender". The most egregious example of this trend was after playing the second iteration of "Hello There" known as "Goodnight" to close out the main set, frontman Robin Zander comes back out for the anticipated encore, saying, "This one, I'm sure you all know..." In the actual set, the band went into their cover of Fats Domino's "Ain't That a Shame", which made sense because that's a big song from a more well-known artist people would be familiar with. On the album, this went into "Clock Strikes Ten", as "Ain't That a Shame" got placed before "I Want You to Want Me". "Clock Strikes Ten" was their second encore song and the final song of the night, which is fine. But making Robin sound as if this was the track people should know feels wrong. The band would later provide the full unaltered performance of their Budokan shows for the 30th anniversary version of this album, but that's not the version that made the books. Which is a shame, because this is still a fun romp. Everyone in the group gave their all in a high-octane performance that got the crowd screaming, especially the well-timed chanting in the second chorus of "I Want You to Want Me" before launching into Rick Nielsen's jaunty guitar soloing. Not a dull moment could be found on Cheap Trick's At Budokan record, and its legacy as a live album that revitalized a band's career cannot be ignored. I may wish the people who arranged this album had stayed more true to the performance itself, but I can't deny I had a fun time with it.
I loved this! So fun, would definitely revisit. “Ain’t That A Shame” was a surprise, I didn’t look at the track list as I listened
Heavy but good
Ok, I think I finally get Cheap Trick. A big, bright rock and roll party which veers from hook to hook via bursts of melody, riffage, pounding drums and joyous harmonies (vocals and guitar!). Great crowd! Mega bass, that 12-string does a great job of filling the sound right out. Rocks harder than I expected. Favourite tracks: Lookout, Need Your Love (bass!), Surrender
Sometimes you just need big dumb rock and roll. This album satisfied that need. Good stuff that’s only a little downgraded by some age.
Great power pop album by a band having fun with a crowd that's loving it.
Great energy, wasn't bored at all throughout. The two big singles back to back are the main highlight.
very good introduction to Cheap Trick, love this album very good
Quintessential power pop music. It's got all the power you'd want - not only from the band itself, but even the audience play their part flawlessly - along with earworms for weeks. They don't let up for even second, even on the nearly 9-minute song. Very infectious stuff.
Surprisingly good, especially for a live album. I knew a handful of cheap trick songs, but this fits right in with the best power-pop/melodic rock stuff. Great melodies and harmonies, riffs galore, and a real feeling of "being there"
Alright, some Cheap Trick finally! This concert rules; they're not the best rock band in the world but they certainly sound like they're having the most fun. 4/5
Fun! 3.5
Pretty good, good sound a great song selection.
Solid album with some good songs. Good energy and an interesting listen!
I'm pretty surprised by the negative reviews on this one. What more do people want? It's straightforward, uncomplicated, great live rock n roll. And I say this as someone who usually really prefers eclectic studio albums, but this one just has such infectuous energy.I find something very charming about the idea of a Western band using their "we're big in Japan!" street cred to break into the charts in the UK and America. Every song is great and the whole album is a tight 42 minutes. There's no bad song here and "Surrender" is a classic. Many other people are hearing something awful that I've missed, but I'll enjoy my blissful ignorance.
Good vocal harmonies, fun live atmosphere
I don't normally love live albums, but this one is so legendary, I guess it kinda gets a pass. Funnily enough, when discussing my dislike for live albums, the version of I Want You To Want Me on this album is my number one offender. So many people quote this as one of the best live tracks ever, and it is very good, but one day years ago, I thought about the fact that the audience sings along to the song, so I reasoned that it had to exist before this recording was made. So I searched for the studio album that was released before this concert, and found Cheap Trick's album, In Color, which features the studio recording of this track (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWDGv0L1HfI), and bought it on CD (this was before the days when YouTube had everything available to listen for free) from Amazon. I absolutely loved the quieter, more subdued sound of the studio track, and I will die on the hill that the studio version is vastly superior to the Live at Budokan version. Okay, putting away the soapbox. I did listen to this twice, so I give it four stars.
I immediately entered this album with a negative bias as I do towards all live albums. Poor sound quality and usually it's just a compilation of well received songs as opposed to a crafted piece of art that a good album should be. While this live album does have some of those flaws, it really won't me over. It feels like Cheap Trick really excels at live music and that's why this live album was chosen. There were some killer guitar and drum solos on this set and the vocals are very energetic. Funny that the two most famous Cheap Trick songs I Want You To Want Me and Surrender were probably my least favorite on the project. Overall it was a great listen.
Fantastic. I remember hearing this when I was young and the guitar and beat just keeps it being awesome
Super fun
Concert albums aren’t really my thing but otherwise a solid album.
Fun to have an opening song that you can close the show with by changing the lyrics. Always a nice listen.
Catchy songs and excellent live performance
I’m really glad live albums are on the list. This is also a great one. I heard it first on xrt fr their Friday night lives (or some shit). The energy just courses through your veins. The Cheap trick hits sound great and the other songs can be pretty good too.
Great album. Great genre. Great decade for music.
Always love a good live album 4/5
It’s funny - just a few days ago, I derisively rated an album one star and commented that ‘big in Holland’ wasn’t a reason to be on this list. But ‘big in Japan’ is something else entirely. Or so the song goes. This album answered a puzzle for me about why I Want You To Want Me sounds like that on the radio - the single came straight from this album, straight from Tokyo (or Osaka). Cool!
Very nice
Much better than the Beatles
редко слушаю лайв альбомы хотя это ощущение себя на концерте мне нравится я классно провела эти сорок минут мне прям очень весело и здорово было,понравилось короче,визжащие японки я с вами
Awesome! Such great songs and hooks.
Surrender is the first song I ever liked on Spotify and I want you to want me just makes me feel warm and fuzzy. Don’t have much opinions on cheap trick outside of that