Reviews (page 7 of 9)
yeah some enjoyable stuff like aint that a shame but the clock song really made me retroactively dislike the music more. 3/5
Fun rock album! My favorites are "Want You to Want Me" and "Surrender". The rest of the album is just fine but these two songs shine through.
Not for me.
Hello There - 9/10 Come On, Come On - 8/10 Lookout - 8/10 Big Eyes - 8.5/10 Need Your Love - 8.5/10 Ain't That a Shame - 8/10 I Want You To Want Me - 10/10 Surrender - 9/10 Goodnight - 8/10 Clock Strikes Ten - 7/10 TOTAL - 84/100
Only *that* one song that's any good
Listening this album, and reading about it, you can understand why it's so high regarded. It's fun, well recorded, and it's a good way to listen to the band for the first time
One of those bands and albums I probably should like but don’t. I hate the crowd screaming between every song. 2 decent songs the rest filler
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!
Couldn’t find a version that wasn’t live
As someone who thinks Surrender is one of the best pop songs ever written, this has long been on my "to listen" list. Sadly I have to agree with many of the other reviewers, I don't think I've really missed out. Other than Surrender it's pretty vanilla rock'n'roll.
I like it, goodbye is a gopd song.
So... I listened to this three times today and it really doesn't do anything for me. It's not bad. It just doesn't excite me. I do really like "I Want You to Want Me"
Rock setentero. Un megahit. Un 4.
Pues me han gustado bastante. Hard rockpower pop. 1978.
Mainstream late 70s glam rock. Nothing special really
Two live albums in a row. Ooof.
Woeful. Boring, artless dad rock. The biggest mystery is how much they paid the crowd to cheer between each song. Maybe they told them they were allowed to leave? The saving grace was how low the appalling singer was in the mix, so you couldn't hear whatever turdlets he was singing about.
It's fine, a few decent pop bops. The live element of it isn't too annoying
that one song.
Great music
I liked the music. Absolutely hated the constant screaming and clapping from the crowd. Concert noise is horrible. Would probably be four without it, I already knew and like a handful of the songs and probably would like the rest if only it was a studio or at least quieter version.
Live album, old rock. I know one track, rest is decent.
Yes great songs of course and this album has a big reputation, but it is a live album. And as such, not so appropriate to rate: how to compare it with studio albums? The "Cheap Trick" and "In Color albums are 5 star. Let me just leave At Budokan at 4 star, my current rating average, but just due to the "live album issue".
This is an enjoyable hard rock show, including the classics I want you to want me and Surrender.
Back goes down easy, as I suppose is traditional. But this is a live recording that packs almost no punch for this one.
Pff weer een rock album. Ik vind de live versie hier heel weinig aan bijdragen als ik eerlijk ben. De Muddy Waters live versie vond ik juist prettig wegluisteren, je hoorde hoe goed en strak alles was, maar dat vind ik hier sterk tegenvallen. Kwaliteit valt me zelfs nogal tegen, en daarnaast is de muziek an sich ook niet goed genoeg om de aandacht af te leiden. Dit word geen hoog cijfer, dat is zeker. Aint that a shame - dit is een verkrachting van het origineel van (volgens mij) Fats Domino en heb ik eerder afgezet. Wat een matige versie zeg... Het nummer dat daarna komt - I want you to want me - is voor mij tot nu toe het enige nummer dat er wel positief uitkomt. Dat is een prettig nummer, maar ook nu lijkt het geluid beetje meh? Helpt ook niet om constant het publiek te horen. Het voegt voor mij niet zoveel toe aan deze live opname Surrender is ook nog wel een prima nummer. Good night daarentegen is gewoon dom. Muzikaal niet heel interessant, tekstueel nog erger. Is dit punk? Clock strikes ten, ook nog wel een prima nummer. Iets interessanter dan Goodnight in elk geval. Denk dat de 2e helft van het album/set het 'red' van een 1 ster review. FAVO: I want you to want me, surrender
Hoewel het wederom Rock is, hebben live albums altijd wel een streepje voor bij mij. En pottome dit klinkt echt fantastisch. Gillende meiden daargelaten, er wordt hier een fantastische show neergezet. Met toegift! Al met al een vermakelijk albumpie hoor! Favorieten: I Want You to Want Me, Clock Strikes Ten
Um show de pop empolgado, mas datado.
Cracking live account of the band.
They were at their best in the live performance.
Les tengo manía a los directos. Y en esta lista hay un montón, muchos más de los que esperaba. Vamos con este. Pues mucho mejor de lo que esperaba: "Come on, come on" "I want you to want me","Goodnight", "Clock strikes ten" y por supuesto "Surrender".
I've never been a fan of Cheap Trick, and live albums are very hit and miss. This album was better than I was expecting, but then again I was expecting a 1/5. In fairness, I'd say that it's between a 2 and a 3, but there's not enough quality here to push it up to a 3 for me.
This would be a 1 but I Want You To Want Me exists to it's a 2.
Enorm goed gitaargeluid, leuke vrolijke poppy nummers, het plezier spat er vanaf (of ze weten het goed te faken). Ik keek niet uit naar 12.000 gillende Aziaten maar dit valt alleszins mee. Leuk (live)album!
Cheap Trick at Budokan is the first live album by American rock band Cheap Trick - their fourth album overall - and their best-selling record. This live album showcased the high energy of Cheap Trick's tours and rocketed the band into popularity after this album received lots of radio airplay. This rock album is critically acclaimed, being certified triple platinum in the US, quadruple platinum in Canada, and regarded as one of the best live albums and a classic in the power pop genre. Fun fact: the live recording on this album comes from Osaka, Japan instead of the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo, because Osaka was a smaller venue which resulted in less screaming fans that would drown out the band (the fans in Osaka still tried though). Cheap Trick is well known for the world famous single on this album "I Want You to Want Me". At Budokan sent tidal waves through the music industry. At a time when disco and soft rock was popular, Cheap Trick paved the way for them and additional hard rock bands to be back on top of the charts in the upcoming decade of the 80's. It's a true underdog story, in which an American band that was performing mediocrely at home could travel abroad to Japan and become a viral sensation; this success then followed them back home to America and Canada. The album has since been inducted into the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress, and is still rated highly on best album lists to this day. Although the venue and fans on the live album can make it hard to hear the band's music at times, it's this energy that makes the album even better. You get to really feel like you're there in Japan, rocking out to some classic hard rock/power pop music. I'm so glad I got the chance to listen to this album and I hope many others do the same.
Wish the vocal mixing was a bit better
Damn. I'm pretty sure I still don't really like Cheap Trick (wrong generation), but I have to say that the live version of them is pretty good.
Not a big fan of live albums, hopefully gonna come across a studio album from them. Not bad but not my thing
Fairly generic 70s rock
Most of it wasn't the most captivating for me, but there were 2-3 songs that were really good. 3.5
Very fun
There's a lot of tracks on here that you won't have known are by this band. This live album sounds fantastic. Would be a great gig.
Just don't see it- nothing special live album of a reasonably middle of the road rock band.
Not a big fan of Cheap Trick and I do not generally like live albums. This, being both of those, was not for me.
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'
Really great live performances
It was alright!
2-3
It might actually be better than my 2, but it’s a live session, and that always muddies my listening experience
This is not good. Although the history of how the record label was forced to release the album in the US, which is how we even know these songs, is interesting.
This album only makes this list because of this recording of I Want You to Want Me and Surrender.
Decent album, has the 2 best versions of their 2 best songs
Cheap Trick should be a better and more important band than they are. I’m not quite sure what the issue is. They’re great musicians. Great songs. Yet there’s something missing. Surrender is a really great song. 3.5 rounded up.
fun . much more enjoyable and familair than I expected. because I thought I woudl compeltely hateit. but it felt like caracature rock for Japan to thrash out and headbang to... who is to say? belong? no idea. Love? not especialy. and I in a bad mood now form all this mediocrity and obscuranus on this list today? yes.
Mid west America in the 70's, spawned a lot of good stuff, Wayne's World, Freaks and Geeks, Kiss and Rick Neilsen and the boys in Cheap Trick. What a strange tale this is, completely stiffing in the US, but their singles getting picked up by Japanese youth, for whom these records had something to say. I don't want to spend too long thinking about that, you've just got to let it happen. I found the album that has the original version of I Want You to Want Me in a cruddy market about ten years ago and the difference between that version and the live version is astounding, which again makes me wonder what those Japanese kiddies...no stop don't think about it. Another double live album from the seventies, I'd be pulling the chain of the terminally ill if I said here put this on before you cark it, it is pretty mediocre across the board, Bun E always had a lung buster in his chops as to be frank he didn't have a lot to do. What leaps out of this are the moments Rick has something to say. All great tunes demand and sustain covers and Dwight Yoakam's cover of I Want You to Want Me stands testament to the brilliance of the song. Surrender speaks to all the disillusioned and scared, great shift to the chorus this is a song with a dynamic that was made to be played in front of an adoring crowd. Rick goes on to pen a couple more classics, in particular his homage to While My Guitar Gently Weeps, the brilliant If You Want My Love You Got It. But this curio? Not worthy of death bed experience.
Even though I’d seen grainy footage of The Beatles live in Japan (1966) over the years, I wasn’t aware these performances were filmed at the Budokan. I don’t think I’d heard of the venue until the double album, Bob Dylan at Budokan was released in August ‘78, about six months before the American release of the Cheap Trick at Budokan in February ‘79. (Of course, by now it’s a matter of who hasn’t released a live at Budokan album - even Sheryl Crow & Willie Nelson). As for Cheap Trick, I totally missed their first two releases (both 1977), but I was all over the third, Heaven Tonight, released in April ‘78, the week before they flew to Japan & recorded the album at Budokan. Generally regarded as their best album, it’s surprising that only one track from Heaven Tonight made it onto the live album - the iconic Surrender. Especially because I find some of the material here less than inspiring (particularly on Side 1). The band, however are in good form. Among the highlights are their hit single from ‘77, I Want You To Want Me & their very respectable cover of Fats Domino’s Ain’t That A Shame. Obviously Budokan was used for recordings so often because of the acoustics. The clarity is really good compared to a lot of live rock albums.
I was chatting with my mate Dave Lewis a few years back about how I didn't really like live albums... except then I started listing off some of my favourite live albums, and I realised that, actually, I do quite like live albums. I don't mind the rough recording, or flubbed notes, or the crowd noise. What I really like is the sound of a band really tearing it up, playing with a real edge. And Cheap Trick At Budokan is a classic example of just that. This is exactly what power pop should sound like: melodic, tuneful, catchy, and (above all) rockin'. This record was something of a "guilty pleasure" amongst the grunge-leaning musos I hung around with int he early 90s, and Surrender would regularly pop up as the obligatory cover for a number of local pub bands around that time. I confess that I don't find the songs particularly memorable (except for Surrender, of course), but I LOVE the way they deliver this set. it's fast, loud and almost out of control. The tunes are catchy as hell, and you can rock out to it. This really is the archetype of everything you could possibly want in a live rock album. I should spin this more often.
JUSTE WOW QUE DE DÉCOUVERTE !
I'm a fan of live albums. The 1st half of this album is ok mid-70's rock. The last 1/4 was really good, especially Surrender.
Not bad. I thought I'd only be familiar with "Want You to Want Me," but I recognized "Surrender" as well. I didn't realize Cheap Trick had so much punk sound to them, but I only knew their one hit and it is the least punk on the album.
Really a great live album! I think the sum is bigger than the whole
Eipä tuo maailmaa mullistanut. Ihan hyvää rokkii 2/5
No tää oli kyllä yksi huonoimmista levyistä tähän asti. Mitä ihmettä.
Aika tyhjänpäiväinen livelevy, enkä tiedä onko Cheap Trick bändinä hyvä juuri muussa kuin Top Gunin soundtrackina. Menköön nyt kuitenkin 3/5.
An album that inspired thousands to start rock bands and chase the dream. Unquestionably one of the greatest pop rock live albums of all time.
A powerhouse of a live album. This version of I Want You To Want Me is guitar rock perfection.
classic rock
Wow I’m surprised this record gained the popularity it did in the late 70s. It’s just boring and stagnant. I typically look for live shows to have a ton of energy. This is just coked-out nonsense.
Can’t say this one grabbed me. Seemed run of the mill stadium rock.
I quite like Cheap Trick but never been a big fan of live albums.
Meh. I'm not a fan of live albums at the best of times, but give me a live album of a band i know nothing about and my interest wanes fairly quickly.
4/5 The full concert is much better thank the selected tracks for this album. Still classic.
Cheap Trick es de esas bandas históricas y respetadas que nunca les di bola, quizás porque dentro del Rock Americano, no hay nada que me llame mucho la atención. Lo primero que me vino a la cabeza cuando escuché este vivo es Pearl Jam, especialmente las guitarras y algunas cuestiones vocales. Es muy loco pensar en los 70 y en lo prendida que están los ponja, creo que por eso habrá tenido mucha relevancia este disco. No suena bien, pero se deja escuchar y se nota que tenías temas pegadizos. Les doy un puntito más por la influencia notoria en bandas que me gustan, pero no es para mí y no me llama para seguir sumergiendome en su discografía. Otro disco que no hacía falta escuchar antes de morir.
No entiendo el motivo de la inclusión de discos que suenan tan mal. Además tampoco me aportó nada musicalmente hablando.
Maybe I had to be a teenager in the 80s to love this
A sloppy sounding mess. It’s why I usually don’t like live albums.
Probably the most influential power pop album of the 70s, but not necessarily the best. Their style had resonated with both 80s indie rock and 90s power pop revival more so than any other band, if no reason other than this was a huge selling sensation. Where Big Star had a more folky vibe to it, this was large and energetic with huge glam rock influences, and I'm sure punk to based on those lyrics. Features catchy choruses to sing along to and fast guitar solos. Album started to stand out to me with "Big Eyes." I really enjoyed the patient, extensive melody of "Need Your Love." "Ain't that a Shame" has my favorite chorus, super catchy and shows how cool power chords can be. And then we have our two massive hits, although I do much prefer the studio versions. Last two tracks don't do much for me but are fine. At no point did I ever get tired, especially since my favorites are in the middle.
Couple good songs but mostly forgettable.
This is really good, obviously Cheap Trick are great but live albums can be a problem for the best bands. This has enough punch and energy and just the right amount of over-indulgence to be memorable.
I don't think I'd ever heard a Cheap Trick song before, and I'm not particularly minded to seek out more of their work, but this was a really fun album. Tonnes of energy, sounds like them (and the fans) are having a really good time, and that's infectious. It's a little bit samey, and doesn't really get going until right near the end, but a solid enough album (particularly for a live one. 3/5.
Liked it more than I thought I would.
Ok
Whoops messed up and put this review under Nebraska. Here’s one for Nebraska: I like the folkier side of the boss- pretty cool when an artist can do a whole album with mostly just guitar and voice. Didn’t love all the tunes on here though. Atlantic City is a good song. A lot of these seem like old country songs. Pretty cool that he released an album of acoustic demos during the height of his popularity and that he was writing and recording songs for born in the USA this way at the same time. Would be interesting to hear. 3?
I felt nothing listening to this.
For me to listen to a live album, there has to be something that makes it special ( a la S&M). I’m sure it was fun to be there but I don’t know what’s special about it.
Pues bien rock setentero. Animoso (LNB)
Arguably the greatest 42 minute concert 1 million 12 twelve year old girls ever attended.
Over-all a very good power pop album. The most important part is good, the songs. Except maybe the 2 long songs in the middle. Favorite song: Goodnight.
I really wanted to love this album when I was a teenager, on the 80s but I did not. I really wanted to love it 40 yrs later but alas, I still did not. Live albums are just NOT my thing and I don’t understand why live albums are on a list like this. Seeing a band live is amazing. Feeling the energy of the crowd, seeing your favorite musician expertly play their instrument right before your eyes, front man to crowd banter. It’s all so fucking good…it does NOT transfer to a live album, like even a little. Sorry, it just doesn’t.
I haven't heard much of Cheap Trick's non-live stuff, other than their biggest hits, so I went in with a pretty clean slate. I'm not sure why this is supposed to be groundbreaking, as some other live records are stunning in comparison (see: Johnny Cash). It was fine but just that. Vocals were a little messy. Then again, I haven't heard these songs recorded, so uh...it's possible it's supposed to sound messy? Hm. Thought of the day.
zzz
Badly recorded and mixed, and the song writing is pretty dull too. Sounds like a lot of the screaming girls has been deliberately added on in post.
It sounds like you had to be there to enjoy it. 3/5.
More Sabbath than I expected. Sounds like a hell of a show
Now that’s what I call music
Nunca me llamaron la atención, pero tengo que reconocer que tiene un par de hits que no sabía que eran de ellos y al menos uno de ellos es icónico para su época.
This is exactly what you want from a live album. It’s crackling with energy
I'm a very casual fan of Cheap Trick but this live album really showcases what made them special. Super high energy and equal parts catchy and noisy. So many bops.
Eh.
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
Not sure why this album exists - Cheap Trick have about 3 good songs (1 on this), pretty basic rock fare with no significant enhancements discernible in the live delivery captured here, the record itself wasn't supposed to be released in the US in the first place, and it wasn't even recorded at Budokan! The record-buying public are weird..
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
Fuck Cheap Trick
Not a big fan of live.
This sounds like it would've been one helluva great concert to be at. I don't know half of these songs, but I'm completely in...
It was ok
This Album is other worldly, historic and amazing.
A good fun live album - some good songs too - and it feels like it's a good snapshot of the specific show - but on the other hand it does not stand up to the greatest live records.
Feel-good backstory, but don't like the music.
2.5
As live albums go, this is pretty solid. A couple of real strong performances right in the middle there with I Want You To Want Me and Surrender. Doesn't out-stay its welcome. The little bit of backstory that the audio in this is not from Budokan but from a smaller show in Osaka is a nice little touch.
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.
Had a lot of fun with this one. Good Lord did they pump the ever-loving-hell out of the crowd volume in the mix. It's practically louder than it would be at an actual concert, lol. But hey - why else would you bother with a live album if you're not going to at least make an earnest attempt to make it feel like an experience in some way? Anyway, this is all about "Surrender" for me. Never get tired of that song and it's especially fun here.
The band doesn’t really start cooking until two or three songs in, but an enthusiastic Japanese audience and increasingly loose and playful vamping make At Budokan one of Cheap Trick’s essential albums. Drummer Bun E. Carlos in particular is a delight to listen to.
Rating: 7/10 Best songs: Need your love, I want you to want me, Surrender
I like I want you to love my
I'm still not sure live albums should be in the book. If they are, I suppose this is one of the most famous and important but, for me, that's another argument against its inclusion. As an album, it is sloppy and messy, with only a couple of good songs. The band are clearly having a whale of a time, as are the audience, but it just makes me want to go to a show (probably not Cheap Trick tho!)
So this is supposed to be a huge live classic and I can understand why: this is a hard-hitting take on what you can find on their studio albums. You can hear the fun they had playing this and you have fun hearing it.
Some hits here and there, but I just don't get how this could be one of the best albums of all time.
Nice energy, couple hits, crowd seems hype.
I'm not a Cheap Trick fan, their songs feel a little kitsh and easy to me, but I must admit they had an efficient power pop/rock sound and this live is done right : we feel a contagious energy from the crowd.
It's a great live album. They're clearly a great live band. I find it really interesting that this version of Surrender is their canonical version. Way overplayed on the classic rock stations of my youth, but there you are.
Hårdprock?
Live album is cheating
This albums great, it’s in the Mount Rushmore of live albums. Every song is great.
Only knew two tracks: I Want You to Want Me and Surrender. Interesting that I only knew the live versions, which both still hold up. The rest of the album is similarly rocking, with great energy and screaming fans.
The audio quality is horrible and makes the songs very hard to listen to. Other than that it just didn’t interest me and I found myself wanting to skip a lot of the time.
Genre: Rock Review: I'd heard of Cheap Trick before, but never quite listened to any of their music. Reading up about them briefly before sinking into this album, I found that they were popular in Japan quite early on in their careers, and this popularity carried them to cult fame over the years in the US and the UK as well. This album, a live production recorded at the famous Budokan arena in Tokyo in the late '70s, was their biggest claim to fame. And it didn't disappoint. Review: 8/10
Energetic live album with breathless drumming. Good old 70s rock.
fínt stúss
‘..I’m a dirty great big Five Nations fan, I’ve got Cheap Trick Live At The Budokan..’
Quite fun for a live album although many of the tracks passed me by. I Want You to Want Me is pleasant enough and buzzes along with a warming euphoria. The band have a swingy air-headedness which brings a smile. I listened while on a long run and it motivated me to chomp up the miles quite happily. Whether it leaves a mark, I dunno
I recognize this as a classic must-have album I'd never fully experienced, so I was glad to listen today. Being new to it, I was a bit surprised that all through Side 1 it just sounded like generic 70s guitar rock to me, which has never really been my thing. Oh, then Side 2 got to the good stuff. Partially probably because I recognized so much more of it, but it also seemed more interesting and varied.
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.
3.5 really
Damn, now I have FOMO about never seeing Cheap Trick live.
Such a cool surprise that the only song I knew from this album was not even close to the best one.
This was their big breakthrough, but times have changed, and this just doesn't hold the same appeal it may have had once upon a time.
nope not my thing
Rock de los setentas grabado en vivo en Japón. Si esa premisa te llama, dale una escucha.
More 70s rock.
I don't really need to listen to this - I grew up on it. My uncle played it once, recording it onto cassette from the vinyl. I loved it... Later on I'd pick up a copy on yellow vinyl all for my own. Then I'd move to Japan and sing Surrender or I Want You To Want Me at karaoke; visit the budokan, but never actually be inside. This album wove it's way into the fabric of my life, and I can't imagine not knowing it.
One of the best live albums ever!
I'm not a fan of live albums, and this is no exception. I've heard this recommended plenty of times, but I just couldn't get over the fact that the recording wasn't always great and the crowd just served to distract from the music rather than enhance it. I will admit that by the time I Want You to Want Me came around I was singing along in my car
bien aimé Need Your Love suivi de Ain't That a Shame
I’m neither a hard rock nor live album fan, but this was not bad considering!
Zelfs live-registraties van bands die ik super vind kan ik niet luisteren op een album. Helaas dus CT
Ik kan nooit helemaal opgewonden raken van een live album, maar echt slecht kon ik het ook niet noemen.
Lekker rockplaatje hor
Lekkere energie! En een paar erg goeie nummers. Surrender kan ik elk moment van de dag meebrullen :-)
Ik ben aan het bij-luisteren. Ai, ai, ai.
Last two tracks stop this from being perfect, but it's still very good.
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.
It’s ok
A little too AOR for me.
Absolutely and amazingly average album. Apparently, I'm not a fan of Chrap Trick, so their live recording from Japan doesn't really impress me that much. The vocalist was honestly unbearable to listen to, almost singlehandedly he made this album unlistenable. Fortunately, even though most of the riffs and motifs were lacking in anything interesting, some of the moment in the concert full of guitar solos, fast bass line and atmospheric drums were really cool. You could feel like you're one of the fans at Budokan for a moment, somewhere around the middle of the set. But anytime else, really underwhelming. Moving on.
Kananlihhoa ei syytä ole piilotella LÄTKÄSTÄÄN VITOSTA!! SORI JOS ON PASKAA!!! Ei voe mitään
Haha. Ok
Surprisingly dull for a live album
Decent.
Some good hits, but not "one of the greatest live rock albums of all time."
This is the definition of okay. I understand giving my other two 3s so far 4s, but I feel like 3 is the sensible option here. It’s okay, but did we really need a live album by Cheap Trick over other, better records left off?
Great rock album despite being live. 80s rock sound but without the cheese. Surprisingly good
Strangely enjoyable
another live album i will not be listening to. (only rating because i accidentally saved the comments for another album to this entry and its bothering me. so it gets a very middle of the road 3).
Pretty good. Solid buildup and pay off.
classic rock sounds good nothing crazy
good
Highlights: "Lookout," "Big Eyes," "I Want You To Want Me" Good mix of a strong performance and unbelievable crowd energy -- "I Want You To Want Me" is a surreal, idealized arena rock moment. Not sure how much of the sound is owed to Cooper, but either way we can call this a milestone in calibrating metal to pop sensibilities for the '80s. Cheap Trick can be more menacing than I realized, with "Big Eyes" basically being an Alice in Chains song, but they also carry sunny melodic pop ideas with that same relentless beat. It is taking resolute strides away from the blues backbone of the '70s metal standard.
They came out swinging and put on a solid live performance recorded mostly true to sound. Sure it was a good night at Budokan. 3.4
Pretty cheesy and dull
I did not enjoy this sorry
Who is screaming this loudly for Cheap Trick? The songs are boring and the album sounds so messy
Live hard rock album. Sounds muddy. Probably fun if you were there. Some very cheesy programming decisions on the first and last tracks. Mostly made me want to listen to Beastie Boys.
Riveting lyrics: So you missed some school You know that school's for fools Today money rules
I like the part where they say “didn’t I didn’t I didn’t I see ya cryin” but I could do without the rest
This is a repeat for me as I got this album before we turned this into a group thing. Album is just generic stadium rock but there was some appeal with the live rendition.
Bien cabeza y rocanrolero cortito y al pie, pero también sensible. Tiene algunas partes oscuritas a lo Blue Öyster Cult. En general bastante copado. Me encantó haberlo conocido.
No soy muy fan de los álbumes en vivo ni de la banda así que no me movilizó mucho.
Este album es mas importante por su contexto y trasfondo que por su contenido.
In my opinion - other than I Want you to want me and Surrender…it’s about overrated…
I can see why people held this album in high regards. Classic rock. I'm still in my rock fatigue stage though so I can't give it 5 stars.
Not into live albums
I will never understand the hype of this album or Cheap Trick in general. They are a fun band at the least. I forget that I've seen them live and what I do recall is that they were fun. But I don't see them as much more than that. I had to give this album 2 listens and that's that I've given it 2 listens prior, I know my parents played the shit out of this too, and It doesn't click for me. Ive tried to see the greatness of this album, and I can't. Perhaps I had to be there? At the very least, I'm glad that I gave it a listen so that I can give an opinion on the hype, but this albums borders a 3 for me.
Like listening to XRT
What an unbearable waste of time. Live albums, just in their nature of being live, take so much away from the music whether it’s sound quality, energy, talent, whatever. I already am not the biggest fan of Cheap Trick, though I do like some of their songs. There’s no diversity to these tracks, each one is just like the last. I don’t want to go on too long about this album, though I could, because I’d rather just forget the whole thing (except I Want You to Want Me, that one hit for some reason). 1/5
A decent live album, definitely worth a listen
Not a fan of Cheap Trick, they have one good song, I don't care about a live performance.
rocks the boat
Wow… gansk aswag
Come to Finland plz
Ok
A rockin good time
I’ve listened to noise of crowd!
extremely forgettable k-mart rock with a lot of cheering girls
Power-pop hits the gym. Today is never leg day.
This was an interesting album to listen to as a more formal introduction to Cheap Trick. I really didn't know much about them aside from a few hits like 'Surrender' and 'I Want You to Want Me'. This is definitely an energetic live album and it's cool to hear the reaction they're getting from the crowd. That being said, I could personally just listen to the few hits on this one and leave the rest. It's cool to hear 'Surrender' played for an arena of super fans the week it was released. I don't think I'll be coming back to this one again. Not bad by any means, just not as impactful for me. It mostly just made me want to listen to another live album, like 'Stand In The Fire' by Warren Zevon. Standout Tracks: Hello There, Come On Come On, I Want You to Want Me, Surrender
Það eina sem heldur þessari plötu uppi er I want you to want me.
Probably a great show but there is really no point to this live album. I like Cheap Trick (or at least the hits) but the sound quality on here was pretty bad and all the crowd participation was just annoying for me as someone who is not in the crowd.
Most of the album is exactly what it says: a classic rock band live in concert. It sounds a bit muffled, like a bootleg tape. But for some reason, “I Want You to Want Me” is crisp and clean with just the right amount of fans screaming peppered in. I remember my brothers listening to this a lot in the late 70s.
You can definitely feel the spirit of the concert, but it's just an okay album to me in the end.
Eh idk, its bland generic rock n roll. 2.5 really, but i can only give it 2 or 3. I think I might be a bit kind since it seems like they had a nice time at that concert. I am probably way to kind. 3/5
It was pretty solid, enjoyable live album. 3/5
16th December 2022 Listened while removing wallpaper in the living room. Mum, dad and Seb round for chicken pie before going skiing. I love cheap trick, don’t know why but they’re just fun!
First one I'm surprised is here. Unless I don't know the historical significance of either the show they played or cheap trick in general I'd just call this dad rock. The albums alright, the songs were alright, they just seem a little weird. 3 stars
Fun enough
I didn't like it
Full of energy, verging into heavy rock in places. Good couple of tunes
Competent, catchy hard rock but the songs kinda blend together.
Meh?
Decent
Not a big fan of live albums. This is no different, nothing out of the ordinary or special on here. I’ll give it a 2 with no playlist adds. I’d rather add the non live versions if they pop up later.
Directo con mucha intensidad. Rock clásico de finales de los 70. Alguna canción muy conocida. Para no parar de moverse
7/10
8/10. This was pretty enjoyable right off the bat, got even better towards the end, and didn't go on too long.
A fun listen, if lacking in variety. 7/10
Didn't knock my socks off, but it improves as the concert progresses. There are definitely worse ways to spend 45 minutes than listening to Cheap Trick.
I wanted to be vowed, but I was bored instead. Their two hits are good, but this album just didn't do it for me.
Live albums suck, why do they even exist? I may like it if it appears to expand the tracks and give the audience/listeners a new experience with it, but they did not. These tracks are just the louder version of their studio counterparts, and apparently, critics liked it because their "energy" is apparent here. In other words, their studio songs probably suck. Also, while it has some decent, headbanging moments, the sound as a whole is still that annoying, generic, glam rock nonsense. Can't believe it's preserved at the Library of Congress. Some say that they pioneered hard rock and maybe power pop. Which is wrong, Led Zeppelin introduced hard rock to the world around a decade ago, power pop is associated with '60s acts such as The Who, while glam rock is seen as a fruit of some early '70s art rock acts such as David Bowie. Apparently, what they did pioneer are live albums, and like I said, live albums suck.
Un album live correct... avec les hits a la fin. 3
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!
The American Status Quo
I quite enjoyed the first song, mostly because I was taking off over the skyline of New York and it seemed to appropriately match the energy. The entire album felt like a great summer road trip song to me. I’ll remember this one next time it’s warm enough to have the windows down.
Their live album is SO much better than the studio album - why did the studio album sap all the rock out of them? There's so much more energy in this live performance. The difference is kind of remarkable. Didn't really discover any net new songs here - everything that stood out for me I had already heard. Standouts: I want you to want me (though I might still give Letters to Cleo cover the edge although this is, again, SO MUCH BETTER than the horrifying plodding and passionless studio version of the song); Ain't that a Shame; Surrender. I think this might be a 2.5 rounded up to 3 for me.
One of the most popular reviews on this site is an absolutely savage flaying of this album (which was very funny to read, I should add). That being said, I really expected to hate this. I didn't. It wasn't remarkable, but there were parts of it that I actually really enjoyed. Wonder why that guy hates Cheap Trick so much (outside of all of the stuff he says in the review, I guess). Standouts: Hello There, I Want You To Want Me, Goodnight
Allt í lagi gítarrokk.
I only know like 3 Cheap Trick songs and I'm not a big fan. My perception of Cheap Trick was bs 70s pop rock. I listen to a ton of 70s rock and this band never came up on my to do list, so I didn't think it would enlighten me too get to know them. To make the best of this, I grabbed a can of beer and a joint and set out to my yard to listen to this album under the stars. I was surprised by the exuberance of this band and for the first couple of songs I had some hope. But that feeling waned as it just went downhill from there. They had me in the groove for Need Your Love until I noticed that it wasn't ending. I'm tired of I Want You To Want Me. That song has always annoyed me. I didn't skip it, but I did go inside to get another beer. I came back to Surrender, which is a song I do like, and Goodnight was interesting. So... this album really wasn't horrible, but then the Clock Strikes Ten and wtf is this? It should have ended at Goodnight, this was burning my ears. Really closed this on a bad note for me and overall I'm not impressed.
Pretty seminal record. Maybe the only live album that I feel like is being worthy of being on this list. Cheap Trick rules and are underrated.
Anthem rock. Kinda good…
Rock and fucking roll man. 4/5
A live album by what appears to be a radio-friendly rock band. To break that down a little: the songs sound like absolutely uninspired, dime-a-dozen AOR. No particularly memorable hooks and not that much technical prowess either. I never really got the appeal of live albums either. Maybe it got cut out of the mix, but there doesn't seem to be much crowd interaction going on. That means the only thing the live-ness adds to the album is worse sound quality and some cheering to break up the track flow. It wasn't horrible, but I could have done without this one.
I guess I've heard all the songs overplayed so much it wasn't really a new experience. Still a really god album.
I've probably said this before about live albums but I feel they are better if you have seen the band live yourself. On first listen the screaming fans got to me but by the end of the record I was enjoying the experience so the second listen was more enjoyable. I'd say favourite tracks would be Surrender and Clock Strikes Ten.
Seems weird to include a random live album (when none of the band's other albums are on the list) but wikipedia filled me in with the why, I guess. This was ok. Was hovering at a 3 but then those two big famous tracks came on, and "Clock Strikes Ten" nudged it up to a 4. Fave track - gotta be "Surrender", but I did enjoy the clock one too...
Stop. With. The. Live. Albums. I literally don't know a Cheap Trick song, this is useless to me. Actually, I knew I Want You to Want Me and Surrender. Those were probably the best songs here, but that's not really saying much. Really don't like most of this. Very bland poppy hard rock. No thanks.
I get why they included this album, even though it's a live album. It's their breakthrough album and was a massive hit. There are a couple of good songs on here, but as with many other live albums a lot of the songs are expanded upon and drawn out. Which isn't necessarily a good thing if this is your introduction to the band. The Fats Domino cover is really not for me. Cheap Trick are competent, but often uninspired hard rock. They aren't exceptional but they are better than many others in the rock genre that were big at the time and that was also included in this book. If that says anything at all.
Nothing exciting
Incredible live album, would’ve been a killer show to be at
Has some great songs and the performance is good but let down by the recording and some bland songs. If you like power pop/rock you may enjoy this.
Neat live album
Captures the mood of a love performance well
Forgot how many good songs are in this album
Usually, I'm not a big fan of live albums, and I'm also unaware of "Cheap Trick." I heard about the band, I know a few songs, but this is all. And after listening to this album, I must say, "wow." Their energy is contagious even in a record. I'd love to have the opportunity to watch a real live presentation of this band after this album.
Alright 70’s rock. To me, it sounded typical of the 70’s rock vibe and didn’t stand out to me lyrically or musically
The full concert is great, the original edit of the live concert is good but feels incomplete…. 4/5
J’aime beaucoup cet album. L’énergie est vraiment cool. Le public semble composé majoritairement d’adolescente et elles sont en feu du début à la fin. La musique donne envie d’y revenir. C’est accrocheur et le band à vraiment l’air de s’amuser.
Man this sucks. I never liked their music, especially I Want You to Want Me. The rest of this was difficult to sit through. Apparently the crowd was into it but I guess there are a lot of people who enjoy shitty music.
Don't love the live versions of stuff. Them talking about their new record and that "this is off the new stuff" is off-putting to me. Music itself is fine.
Don’t often listen to live albums but it’s always a nice change. Good songs, would probably listen again!
Some hit/recognisable songs, pretty decent album, would listen again
Average Rock. By the time it actually gets interesting, the album’s over.
Solid live album
Good vibe, not really for me, but a lot of fun
Really hits the middle of that road...
Great chemistry and performances. Songs are just okay though. Would see live, they put on a good show
Good vibe. Would see live. However didn't tick a the boxes personally
Period piece - weird acoustic quality - a couple of interesting songs but mostly completely forgettable
For a live album it really lacks the energy and connection to a listener you would expect. My least favourite of these albums so far. Felt boring and repetitive lyrically and musically. Honestly nothing very interesting to note.
Classic! One of the greatest live albums of all time.
I’am not a massive fan of live albums but I think that this album strives with the messiness and the raw intimacy that comes with a live album. I don’t know this bands discography at all really but without it being a live album there wouldn’t be this unique combination of songs that all actually fit quite well together like if it were a studio album just with the occasional fan screaming. However, other than the 9 minute post punk esque epic I need your love and big hits I want you to want me and surrender both of which I think are fairly weak amongst the pantheon on 70’s classics (especially the studio version’s). I only realised after the listen but they also booked the album with a duo of tracks hello there and goodnight now they’re both good songs but like the rest of the album it lacks specific notoriety. I think it’s a 3 because everything was digestible and enjoyable but nothing was striking in the way I was hoping.
I remember when they were really big when I was young and I tried but I just didn't really like them. 40-ish years later, I tried again. Sorry, still don't.
Rock setentero. Un megahit. Un 4.
As far as live albums go, there's really nothing significant about this. It's certainly no At Folsom Prison, you know? It even sounds like much of what makes Cheap Trick's music fun was stripped away from this record. The songs are still good, but I spent much of my time wishing I was listening to the studio versions instead. Then again, I was never huge on live albums unless they were groundbreaking.
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!!
2.5 This was pretty good. There were definitely high points on this but I feel like it’s too early in their career to have the real heavy hitters on here. There were times especially near the end that I was getting major Queen vibes but it just never quite got there for me. I’ll probably come back to a few of these songs but a lot of the middle stuff isn’t doing it for me. Favorites: Big Eyes, Need Your Love, I Want You to Want Me, Surrender
4.5 "This next one is the first song on our new album. It just came out this week, and the song is called... Surrender." One of my most-spun vinyl records, and one of the greatest live albums ever recorded (though Nirvana's MTV Unplugged holds the crown). Cheap Trick was the definition of being "big in Japan", and the way the audience reacts to the band's every note is the stuff musicians dream of. This album also undoubtedly holds what is the definitive edition of I Want You to Want Me - hearing the studio recording without the echoing screams of Japanese fans just feels so hollow and lifeless. To be honest, I actually haven't heard the studio recordings of most of the tracks on this album, and I'm not sure I want to... not sure they could live up to the energy levels at Budokan. Blast from front to back. Favorite songs: I Want You to Want Me, Surrender, Hello There, Come On, Come On, Lookout, Need Your Love
I saw Cheap Trick live at Download Festival many years ago. I remember the singer was dressed as a sailor, and the guitarist had a guitar with 4 necks. They were excellent live. I have already heard a couple of songs from this album, so am excited to hear the rest! Songs I already knew: I Want You To Want Me, Surrender Favourite after listening: I Want You To Want Me, Surrender This was genuine excellence. Live albums don’t tend to be as good as studio albums but this was perfection throughout, and with a good set of headphones you can imagine being there with them. Every single song gave me goosebumps at one time or another. Everything was very tight, no voice cracks, no duff notes. And most importantly, each song was catchy and very enjoyable. I would recommend absolutely everybody listens to this album.
Decent live
late British Invasion, early inspiration to 80s pop rock has "I want you to want me" 3.5
I believe that for a live album to be good it has to be iconic or a performance to remember (or both) but this is not that, I mean, it’s not bad and the audience clearly likes it but I don’t know, it’s quite a generic rendition. I went in to investigate further about why would this be included on the list and found that it actually should be called live at Osaka… and that it sold a ton shit of copies… well I really like “quiero qué me quieras” and this list is big into including records solely for one song so I guess that’s it. “Yo te vi yo te vi yo te vi yo te viiii lloraaaaandooo!”
Not a cheap trick fan I guess..
Enjoyable live album if not a little messy at times. Recognise a few songs that other bands had covered
I'm beginning to think that there isn't a place for live albums on this list (bar a couple of exceptional exceptions to the rule).
Chill classic rock, it's decent
Good rock not hard rock tho just fun rock.
It was fine. It’s very strange to hear the crowd go wild for what was a very lackluster performance. Cheap Trick are not the most technically proficient nor the most creative group but apparently being an American band in Japan will get you an over enthusiastic response. The one positive thing I got from this album is an interesting use of melody especially over such straightforward chords and rhythms.
Better than i expected tbh 3
It's classic rock! I think this is better live than it would be if it wasn't live, which I normally wouldn't say. Some songs are great and others are forgettable. This is better than it should be for any live album of this era. The guitar sounds good, there is some energy and I think the screaming women add to that. It ranges from a 2 at worst to a 4 at best. I don't feel I'm better off for having listened to it but I don't feel disappointed for having done so. For me, its a 2.5 but I'll land it at a 3 in these rankings. On my scale a 3 isn't that it's bad at all, just that I'm likely never going back to listen to it in full again. I have had "Surrender" and "I Want you to Want me" stuck in my head for a few days since listening to this though. Otherwise, this would be a 2.
I liked the lesser known songs better, maybe some inspiration for Motley Crue and the like. Not that excited about dank lame-rock ‘I want you to want me’, but Surrender is ok.
fun live album. love surrender
Fun and enjoyable album that feels more like pop-rock than anything else. It does lack a bit of energy for a live performance but it was a nice listen.
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.
I don't mind Cheap Trick; they have some good tunes, and a couple of them are on here. But what's this live album doing on the list? The sound quality isn't great, it's not wall-to-wall bangers and the concert itself doesn't seem particularly legendary. The audience seem to enjoy it, though.
Was alright, I suppose. One famous hit and the rest average.
I’m sure this was fun to see live but unfortunately it just doesn’t translate. Boring and repetitive.
I mean, it was aight
number 3 gets a 3. its okay
Great quality of sound, a crowd that is alive and adds energy to the performance, good guitarplaying; what more can you ask for in a live rock-album? Maybe greater variety in songs - but that may have more to do with catalogue. Some would argue less variety is a positive - ”it shows the bands ability to have vision and realise it”. I, however, enjoy being surprised, especially when surprises are found in the tight limits of a genre such as power rock.
Inoffensive enough. Not sure what's so special about it though.
Was very fun and cool.
Of course, you have to love I Want You to Want Me.
I quite like some of these songs but: 1. Fuck live albums. If you weren’t there, tough. Get over it. 2. It sounds like shit
Don't love live albums but this was good inspite of that
I have heard of Cheap Trick - probably from Guitar Hero 2? but I'm pretty sure that's it. Never heard anything else they have done. This is a live album so a bit of a different vibe, but yeah, not sure what else to add. The music itself feels a bit dated. Not the worst, but I'm pretty sure if I was alive at the time, Cheap Trick wouldn't have been my first pick. Stand out tracks: Surrender, I Want You to Want Me.
Live albums are rubbish
Like bubble gum, the flavor wears out soon and one is left feeling a bit sticky. Still, what we sensed on first listens in 6th and 7th grade – the newness and power and freshness; the screaming shininess – is not entirely lost on us even now, all these productive and cynical years later.