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50 of 53 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Legendary Live Performance: Lives up to its billing, August 3, 2004
It is usually a rare feat when a band hits it big as a result of a live recording. Normally a band will release a live recording to sustain the momentum of the band without having to record new material. Such was the case in 1978, when Cheap Trick released "Live at Budokan". Cheap Trick hadn't had any major success in the U.S. up until this point - but it was "Live at Budokan" that put them on the map. "Live at Budokan" is a legendary live album. Back in the late 1970s, live albums were very much the "in thing" on the music scene. Some have even gone as far to say that "Live at Budokan" might be one of the greatest live albums in the history of the music business. Regardless on where "Live at Budokan" stands, one can't deny its impact - it was a huge commercial success for Cheap Trick and put them on the map. This CD isn't the 1978 "Live at Budokan" - this is an expanded set called "Cheap Trick - At Budokan: The Complete Concert". It actually is a take of the original Budokan album and 9 of the 12 tracks from a 1993 "Budokan II" album (the 3 remaining songs not included were actually from 1979 - a follow-up tour. As a result, the 2 CD set "Budokan: The Complete Concert" is a much better product than the 1978 album - this due to the inclusion of the "Budokan II" material and the power of digitial remastering.
I think it is appropriate to discuss the liner notes early on. Although there are no lyrics included, the liner notes go into amazing detail of the story of Cheap Trick's performance at the Budokan. For such a legendary live recording, the liner notes do an outstanding job at telling the story. The interesting part is how they went to Japan and never planned on this album being the worldwide success that it turned out to be. Another interesting story is that the original Budokan album featured the songs that were more "pop" in nature and preferred by the Japanese audience. The less pop (or now called these days 'alternative' side of the band) wasn't released until 15 yeas later on "Budokan II". It is also worth noting that this CD does a nice job with the production credits - including a comparision to the 1978 original "Budokan" album.
So if you are new to Cheap Trick - what is the legend of Budokan? For starters, I think Cheap Trick doesn't get a lot of credit as being a bridge from the early 70s sound to the new-wave 80s sound. As a band, they have always been underrated in their careers. You'll hear the old Hendrix-style guitars of Rick Nielson in "Can't Hold On", yet hear the almost altenative type sound in "Elo Kiddies" to the 80s anthem-like rock in "High Rollers". As a result, they were able to come up with a very unique sound. This unique sound translates brilliantly into a live performance. You will feel the full energy of this concert - from the band's standpoint and from the fan's standpoint. There will be times when either: Robin Zander's vocals will shine (such as "I Want You To Want Me"); Tom Petersson's Bass will be in the limelight ("Speak Now or Forever Hold Your Peace"); Rick Nielson's Guitar will roar (like in "Can't Hold On"); or Bun E. Carlos drums will be as loud as thunder (such as "Elo Kiddies"). The digital remastering even does better to make a 3 dimensional effect with the sound. This is also a full concert. There won't be breaks between the songs - the whole concert flows real nice - from the opening band, to the 2 song encore. Live albums such as Bon Jovi's "One Wild Night" which don't encapsulate a single performance are sorely lacking because they don't have the continous flow. Finally, Robin Zander does a great job at connecting with the audience and this is very evident as you listen to the tracks.
The 2 CD set also features some video footage. The first CD contains the video performance from Budokan of "Auf Wiederschen" while the second CD contains the video performance of "Surrender". The first CD also features a short video interview clip from Bun E. Carlos and Robin Zander, while Rick Nielson and Tom Petersson are on the second CD. The videos can be played on either the Mac or PC. They do use some dated Quicktime technology, but they do get the job done in terms of bringing a visual element to Budakon that wasn't available on the original CD. I kind of wish they included some other videos or even released the DVD or VHS or the Budakon concert. Perhaps that is something to come in due time.
I've heard Cheap Trick live and studio - the live version is the way to go with this band. If you've heard about the legend of Budokan, I'd strongly advise just getting this 2 CD collection - you'll do much better here as opposed to buying the original and the "Budokan II" CD. All of the great things you'll hear about this collection are true and it will become a cornerstone of your collection for years to come.
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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Absolutely Essential, May 17, 1999
There are just some albums that everyone must own. "Cheap Trick at Budokan" is one of them. This is one of the 3 best live recordings ever (The Who's "Live at Leeds" and "Frampton Comes Alive" being the others). Now it has become even greater, and all the more essential, in this new version including all the material off of "Budokan II" and re-arrainged in the original set-list from the concert. The sound quality has never been better (even rivaling the gold edition floating around); Columbia/Legacy have built a good reputation in their fine remasters. And this is no exception, especally with the added material. You are THERE, in the crowd. Tom's bass sounds positivly chunky, Bun E.'s drums are crisp & deep, Rick's guitar soars & Robin is truly amazing. From the opening scorch of "Hello There" thru the all-out assult on "Clock Strikes Ten", the crunch of "Auf Vedershen" & "Surrender" and the pop jump of "I Want You to Want Me", it's all here. The defining pop/rock sound that is often imitatded, never been duplicated. This is the sound that all of the 90's wanna-be alt-rockers have been trying to emulate (Billy Corigan & Kurt Cobain freely admitted it). If you're a serious rock fan, you need to own this. If you have the original, time to trade up. It all starts here. Truly timeless kickin' rock & roll.
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19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best Live Rock'n'Roll album ever, October 26, 1999
I always thought "Live at Budokan" seemed incomplete from the time I bought it--the sound, the songs were great, but it just felt like there should have been more. "The Complete Concert" is quite simply the best live rock'n'roll album by any band, even the Ramones. Period. I saw these guys in Boulder last year on two consecutive nights and they hadn't lost a thing from when I saw them at least 18 years before. The performances kicked massive ass and so does this album. If you're a Cheap Trick fan (even if you only occasionally listen to them or already have "Live at Budokan"), you should go out and buy this album, crank it up to wall-shaking, neighbor-bothering levels, and listen to it as it was meant to be heard--in its entirety. "The Complete Concert" is real rock'n'roll from a great band with great songs, not some lame imitation thereof (like so many other 'live' albums).
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