Cheap Trick: Robin Zander (vocals); Rick Nielsen (guitar); Tom Petersson (bass); Bun E. Carlos (drums).

Producers: Cheap Trick, Jack Douglas.

Reissue producer: Bruce Dickinson.

Recorded live in April 1978.

All tracks have been digitally remastered.

Cheap Trick: Robin Zander (vocals, guitar); Rick Neilsen (guitar); Tom Petersson (bass); Bun E. Carlos (drums).

Recorded live at the Budokan, Tokyo, Japan in April 1978.

Cheap Trick: Robin Zander (vocals, guitar); Rick Nielsen (guitars, background vocals); Tom Petersson (bass guitar, background vocals); Bun E. Carlos (drums, background vocals).

Audio Mixers: Mike Beriger; Robb Williams; Danny Kadar ; Tim Patalan; Bill Kozy.

Audio Remasterers: Jack Douglas; Jay Messina; Vic Anesini; Lawrence Manchester.

Recording information: Budakon, Japan, 1978.

Strangely enough, Cheap Trick's big breakthrough, 1979's AT BUDOKAN, was almost never released stateside. The band had become superstars in Japan on the strength of their first three studio albums, and when they toured the country in '78, several of their shows were taped for a Japan-only live release. When the resulting album began racking up impressive sales in the U.S. as an expensive import, Epic wisely released it domestically, where it peaked at #4 on the Billboard charts and spawned the top ten hit single "I Want You To Want Me."

One of the reasons for the album's success is that it resembles the raw, direct approach of their self-titled debut, rather than their other two more produced releases. Add the energy of a concert setting, and you have one of the greatest live rock albums ever. If you were to own only a single Cheap Trick release, AT BUDOKAN would be the one (the entire AT BUDOKAN was merged with BUDOKAN II for 1998's 2-CD set CHEAP TRICK AT BUDOKAN: THE COMPLETE CONCERT).

Spin (p.86) - "[T]hey were a great power-pop band whose records still sound fresh today."