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.

This is an Enhanced CD, which contains both regular audio tracks as well as multimedia computer files.

CHEAP TRICK AT BUDOKAN: THE COMPLETE CONCERT includes the original album's ten songs plus nine other tracks from the same concert, one more from a show in Osaka recorded on the same tour, multi-media content and lavish packaging.

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

Producer: Cheap Trick.

Reissue producers: Bruce Dickinson, Cheap Trick.

Recorded live in Budokan, Tokyo, Japan in April 1978. Includes liner notes by Greg Siegel and Rick Nielson.

All tracks have been digitally remastered.

This is an Enhanced CD, which contains both regular audio tracks and multimedia computer files.

Audio Mixer: Danny Kadar .

Unknown Contributor Roles: Tom Petersson; Bun E. Carlos.

While their records were entertaining and full of skillful pop, it wasn't until At Budokan that Cheap Trick's vision truly gelled. Many of these songs, like "I Want You to Want Me" and "Big Eyes," were pleasant in their original form, but seemed more like sketches compared to the roaring versions on this album. With their ear-shatteringly loud guitars and sweet melodies, Cheap Trick unwittingly paved the way for much of the hard rock of the next decade, as well as a surprising amount of alternative rock of the 1990s, and it was At Budokan that captured the band in all of its power. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

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).

Remember that rush you got from hearing Robin, Rick and the boys tear into "I Want You To Want Me" from Cheap Trick's original LIVE AT BUDOKAN album? Their ballsy but breathlessly effervescent power pop was the very essence of summertime in late-'70s America, rock and roll in its purest form. You don't remember? Okay, well, maybe your mom does, then. In either case, you'll be pleased to discover that the entire Budokan concert is now available for your edification. With nine extra tracks that stretch this recording out to two discs, the rock and roll magic that was Cheap Trick in their heyday is both reiterated and further illuminated. If you're an old fan, you'll want to hear the rest of the story. If you're a newcomer, this is the place to begin.

At Budokan was the pivotal album for Cheap Trick, the one that made them stars. The louder, harder-rocking versions of such Rick Nielsen classics as "I Want You to Want Me" and "Come On, Come On" connected with a wide audience in a way the studio recordings didn't, and the record consequently became a smash. Given its enduring popularity, it wasn't surprising that Epic and Cheap Trick celebrated its 20th anniversary by releasing The Complete Concert, a double-disc set that contains all of the 19 songs the band had performed. Much of this material was released on Budokan II, but this set restores all the music to its original running order, making it an entirely unique album in its own right. There's no question that the music is terrific and it certainly is interesting to hear all of this the way it was actually performed, but The Complete Concert doesn't have the punch of the original album, which hit hard at only ten tracks. The length of this set might make it frustrating for some fans, but any hardcore Trick fan will need this comprehensive, detailed document of the band's most celebrated concert. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

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

Entertainment Weekly (5/15/98, p.103) - "...Now, in correct sequence, with digitally remastered (and apparently amplified) audience shrieks, one of rock's crucial live documents just got a little livelier." - Rating: A