Customer Reviews

Essential Cheap Trick

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4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

In typical Sony fashion, they leave their Essential collections just shy of definitive, so they don't make their prior hits releases completely obsolete. This Cheap Trick set features a disc one barrage of cuts from the 70's, including a couple of live versions (two from 'Budokan'). It suffers from the lack of "Oh, Candy" and "On Top of the World," two of CT's best songs.

Disc two scoops up the 80's, 90's, and show off the band's range and eclectic nature. Great to see "This Time Around" and the solid post-Epic tracks included. Missing in action are the great covers of "Don't Be Cruel" and "Magical Mystery Tour," the only unique inclusions on the original Greatest Hits package.

This is a great primer course on Cheap Trick, but since Sony fails to make it definitive, fans still need several more discs to have a rock-solid Cheap Trick collection.

The Essential Cheap Trick is a fine compilation with both the classics ("Surrender," "I Want You To Want Me," "The Flame" etc...) and a lot of really great songs that aren't as widely played in the mainstream and have been somewhat forgotten (of these I recommend "Tonight It's You" and "This Time Around," which is a really beautiful song.) This album covers a period of almost thirty years in the history of one of rock's best kept secrets. It is refreshing and a real treat, and I highly recommend it for both the old fans and the newly curious alike.

This album gives you the best of both worlds. It gives you the famous/most played favorites (Surrender and I Want You to Want Me [Live]), but also gives you a wonderful combination of other songs that are less played at concerts and other venues (Auf Wiedersehen and ELO Kiddies [Singles Version]).These tracks are interspersed between the other tracks . But then, there are those "rockin' middle ones" (Hello There and ELO Kiddies [Singles Version]). This clean cut system adds up to one rockin' album!

This is a pretty good collection of Cheap Trick but really this isn't a band that satisfies with a greatest hits collection. I think you'd do better to decide which of their hits you like and buy the albums from that era. It's the hidden gems on the albums that you'll be listening to for 20 years.

But, if you must, this is a good collection.

This is a great CD but I strongly recommend that you just go ahead and purchase Cheap Trick, In Color and In Black and White, Heaven Tonight, Dream Police and Rockford. You'll also want Everything Works If You Let It in one form or other. If you don't have all of the music on the aforementioned CDs, you're truly missing out. The first time I saw them live was 30 years ago. The last time was last month. They are phenomenal live and, unlike most bands, their recordings capture that energy.

Don't ever let anyone tell you that you can't rock after 50. These guys will ROCK YOUR SOCKS OFF!

Though not perfect as always, it is roughly 36 of their best tracks. Most casual fans might be happy with the single disc "Authorized Greatest Hits", but if you need more, here it is. All the "Cheap Trick" you know, and then some. Included are the hits "Dream Police", "Surrender", "The Flame", and a live "I Want You To Want Me", among many others. With so many songs here, I don't know why only one is from the "Lap Of Luxury" album. Where is "Ghost Town" or "Don't Be Cruel"? Also no "That 70's Song". Otherwise this is pretty sweet. It's definitely their most essential 2-disc collection.

THE ESSENTIAL CHEAP TRICK is a great 2-disc summary of Cheap Trick's entire career, with songs spanning from their self-titled 1977 debut to their 2003 album SPECIAL ONE. However, CHEAP TRICK (1977) and HEAVEN TONIGHT, as well as BUDOKAN: THE COMPLETE CONCERT, are absolutely essential. The first disc and part of the second disc are a masterwork, but the last part of the second disc is a bit of a bore. If you only have it in your budget for one anthology, get AUTHORIZED GREATEST HITS, but if you can, by all means buy this one. Or better yet, get the debut and HEAVEN TONIGHT, plus BUDOKAN: THE COMPLETE CONCERT.

Don't get me wrong--most of the music here is great. I'm just disappointed that several chart hits are missing. It's not like there wasn't enough room! And where is "Up The Creek"? Will that ever see the light of day on a Cheap Trick disc? If you already have their two other greatest hits cds, what's the incentive to shell out for this one? Yes, I understand the first disc of this set concentrates on their 70s heyday, but most fans probably have the first 4 or 5 albums on cd anyway! If this set had included all the chart hits, key album cuts & some nice rarities, I would've bought it without hesitation. Unfortunately, this collection doesn't quite live up to its title.

Cheap Trick is an interesting band. I was not very familiar with their music until I bought this album. I knew of "I Want You To Want Me" of course and I also loved "Surrender." The rest I had no idea if I would like or not. I had listened to a live perormance they did and every single song was so good and so original. I was just like "Wow, these guys are geniuses!" Unfortunately, I coudn't remember the names of the tunes. But when I heard them again on this album I knew I had found them. I was like "Oh yeah! That's "Surrender" and the "Dream Police!" You know how when you buy an album for just your several favorites and you don't listen to other songs for awhile. Well that's how I was. Then I ventured out and made myself listen to all the other songs. I discovered "Dream Police" first and it is now my new favorite song by CT. Disc 1 offered some great songs like "Auf Wiedersehen, Ain't That a Shame, Clock Strikes 10,Voices, and Southern Girls." It wasn't until Disc 2 that I really caught the Cheap Trick vibe. The first 10 songs are just as original and memorable a tunes as you could imagine! Just listen to "If You Want My Love." Zander's powerful voice just gets to you.
I also found "Tonight It's You" and "This Time Around" to be up there with the best. I couldn't stop humming the tunes and going over the lyrics in my head. When you get tired of their energetic style you can turn to "The Flame" another hit and just relax and enjoy.
Cheap Trick has been compared to the Beatles and now I see why. They really have a similar approach to their music. I think it was Rick Nielsen's ability to write original songs and then have Robin Zander blow your mind away at a concert. Like the Beatles, Cheap Trick's songs are not rocket science. They're just songs to enjoy and remember...simple, full of life, and catchy. Sometimes I grow weary of Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd because their songs are so deep and mysterious and you never know what the heck they're talking about. Cheap Trick brings the fun and flare of the Beatles into the world of heavy metal and punk rock. The heavy metal kings have nothing on Cheap Trick. They know how to rock out without the jazz of glam rock. Anyway, yes I do recommend this album. A true Cheap Trick fan will go above and beyond this album and I intend to eventually. The Essentials are a great way to learn about a band and see what they're famous for but they have so many other great songs to discover!

Like most other people I agree that there are several tracks missing on this 2 disc collection that surely deserve their moments in the sun (again). Up The Creek )from the movie of the same name), Reach Out (from the Heavy Metal Soundtrack), Oh Candy (from the first CT album), Might Wings (from the Top Gun Soundtrack) and maybe even Heaven's Falling (from Next Position Please) should have been considered. Just because the band aren't fond of the songs from Lap of Luxury doesn't mean that the fans do not want to hear them again (especially if the remastered editions of LOL hail from Japan and are reasonably expensive). I purchased the Japanese edition of Essential Collection as it includes their covers of Magical Mystery Tour and Don't Be Cruel but I would have liked to have seen Ghost Town, Never Had A Lot To Lose, Let Go and even It's Only Love from The Doctor included as well. Let's hope that reissues of Standing On The Edge, The Doctor, LOL and Busted are released, remastered of course, this year with a few of the harder to find soundtrack cuts included although I doubt that they will considering that the new reissue of One On One/Next Position Please is bare boned :-(