Cheap Trick

Is it just me or is everyone else fed up with the GreeNazis and their jihad to force "green" orders on all of us from the constant propaganda to the regulations of our damn toilets!
Now I can't even enjoy the discs from one of my all time favorite bands because Algore's GreeNazis have taken over the packaging?!?! It's time for a backlash, folks. Boycott anything that pushes a "green" Eco-Scam agenda.
To you disciples of the Green Religion: HANDS OFF MY ROCK AND ROLL!

If you're looking for a new hobby, then by all means buy this package. Then you can spend the rest of your days trying to procure 4 scratch-free discs. I have NEVER seen such a poorly packaged product.
The discs are just jammed/crammed(and stuck!) into die-cut slots in the package-no mount, no poly sleeve, no paper sleeve-NOTHIN'! As such, all 4 discs are terribly scratched with the one looking like it was wire-brushed.
I can't believe that a label like Legacy which has such a great record of releasing quality(some of the best) product would issue something so inferior. Well, off to the Post Office to send this stinker back.
This should make a very dissapointing Christmas gift for many a Cheap Trick fan. Shame on you Legacy. It was supposed to Cheap Trick, not just cheap.

Well, I'm certainly not going to buy this whole package of one DVD plus 3 CD's that I DO NOT need. Hopefully, they'll have the good sense to just release the DVD of the concert in Budokan as a single DVD release.

I can wait. I'm not gonna fall for this obvious trap of wasting a lot of money, buying the CD's AGAIN!

Basically, all you get is three CDS with the same songs over and over again. If you want it buy they Budokan original and Complete Concert. Frankly, I can't tell a difference in the clarity and sound improvement what so ever! The DVD rocks, lets face it no matter how are they try, Sony can't screw up Cheap Trick in their zone.

Buyers beware: Just get DVD, CD is just eh

Love Cheap Trick but the record company needs to recall this set!! All discs are scratched right out of the box. I'll try and return it and get another but I sent an email to Legacy Recordings to tell them this needs to be recalled and repackaged. Cheap trick is a great band and deserves better than this.

What can I say. I've been a Cheap Trick fan for longer than most fans out there. This Rockford, Illinois band has been rockin' forever. These are good tracks. I like the other 'greatest hits' too though. Put the best of the 2 together, and you have the best of the best. Southern Girls is one of my all time favorites.

This is not a bad collection. I'm sure there have been worse. My main complaint is the alternate version of "If You Want My Love." To me it's a major letdown because that is one of my favorite Cheap Trick songs and I really was expecting to hear it when I bought this. Now I wish I had not even bought it.

I don't think "authorized" versions are the way to choose songs, the band is always too subjective. They should have taken a poll from amongst their fans, and chosen the results that way. Plus, the omission of one of their greatest recorded songs will potentially lose new listeners who are not as familiar with the band's music.

The Authorized Greatest Hits by (formerly) the best Rock N' Roll band of alltime, 'The Noise Boys from Rockford, Illinois', is beset by one basic problem - not enough songs from when Jon Brant helped Cheap Trick put out four of the Anglosentric(k?) LPs of alltime! Why isn't Y.O.Y.O.Y or Take me to the Top on here? Tom Peterson (or is it still Petersson?), that's why!

I'm sure Rick, Brad (Carlson, i.e. Bun E.) and Robin had many
fights with what's his name about the 'set list' here as well.
I half way expected the wretched "I know what I want" to show
here like it did to tick me off on the Sex, America and Cheap Trick disc. [It sounds better with Rick signing it anyway - Just
like World's Greatest Lover]. I still love though - 3/4's of 'Em that its!

CHEAP TRICK: AUTHORIZED GREATEST HITS: Cheap Trick successfully mixed a Beatle-esque power pop sensibility with crunchy guitar riffs, its tongue planted a mile in its cheek. Two guys that LOOKED like pin-up boy rock stars, and two that looked more like a Bowery Boy and a used car salesman respectively, the Tricksters managed a handful of radio-ready diehards in SURRENDER (complete with klassic Kiss reference), the LIVE AT BUDOKAN rave-up I WANT YOU TO WANT ME, and, much later, ballad biggie THE FLAME. This overview also trots out slick staples such as a rowdy rendition of Fats Domino's AIN'T THAT A SHAME (though, strangely, not their percussive treatment of Elvis' DON'T BE CRUEL, nor their Fab Four clone cover of MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR), bouncy shoulda-been-a-hit SOUTHERN GIRLS, and the theme to THAT 70'S SHOW (THAT 70'S SONG). As with any compilation, certain worthy tracks ('ELLO KIDDIES, VOICES, CALIFORNIA MAN) are missing in action, but this is due more to the boys' wealth of decent material than to careless selection. All in all, a pretty neat trick. FIVE GUITAR NECKS

Cheap Trick's Authorized Greatest Hits is an improvement over the earlier greatest hits album from the 90s. First of all the Authorized Greatest Hits contains more songs than the earlier hits complation. Second, Cheap Trick themselves, were involved in the compling of this collection.

If a single disc, is all the Cheap Trick that you are looking for I recommend this over the other greatest hits. Really, Authorized Greatest Hits will probably please fans, who do not want to buy the individual albums, but like all hits collections there are always a couple of personal favorites missing. I think "Hot Love" from their first album should've been on here. Also, there is a live version of "The Flame" in place of the studio version, but still if you're looking for a single disc of Cheap Trick to add to your collection this is a good choice.

Hits include: Southern Girls, I Want You to Want Me, Surrender, The 70's Song, etc, very good stuff. A good cd to listen to in the car.

Cheap Trick was a moderately successful band in the late 1970's that was a regular resident of the rock charts, but it hadn't yet translated into major mainstream success. They had, however, achieved success in Japan and decided in 1979 it was time to try to capture the energy they showed their audience...and it was brilliant to do this in Japan. The album captures the manic showmanship of guitarist Rick Nielsen and the power and presence Robin Zander's flexible voice provides. Even the rhythm section takes it to a whole new level live, aptly displayed on their fun take on "Ain't That A Shame" and the then-new song "Surrender". Oddly enough, my favorite moments are the ones added by this expanded set - the bluesy, powerful "Can't Hold On" (originally released in a 1980 EP called "Found All The Parts") and the high energy of "Auf Wiedersehn" and "California Man". The manic opening "Hello There" and closing "Goodnight Now" always make me smile and remind me, that I'm listening to a band that LOVED performing. And on this night, they felt their audience like few bands ever did - Zander and Nielsen in particular fed from their hysterical audience, seemingly kicking up their energy as the night went on. The live album is not a big deal anymore, and this album reminds us why it used to be - because in the 1970's, some rock artists really cared if their audience was having a good time. Cheap Trick really, really, did - and if you can't hear it on "Budokan", you're deaf.

I bought this as a gift. I was very happy with the price and the speed of delivery.
My friend, a HUGE Cheap Trick fan was estatic to get it. It is in perfect condition and made him very happy.

A killer live album from a band that seems to be summarized by only a couple of songs, this one shows the type of dynamic live show that Cheap Trick could put on, and the quality of their material beyond "Surrender" and "I Want You to Want Me."

Man...this is a great double live! Nowhere is Cheap Trick better than they are on this one!

This is the album that should have been released in 1978. Would it have changed Cheap Trick's career for better or for worse? I don't know, maybe. In 1978 I bought the At Budokan LP and there began my love affair with the band. Soon I had In Color and Heaven Tonight, then several others followed. Then decades later they released a CD called Budokan II and I was thrilled! These were the "lost" songs from the old album! Cool! Now, 30 years after picking up that first record, I picked up the two-CD set Cheap Trick At Budokan: The Complete Concert. Finally, the double-album I would have loved to have the whole time! Yay! Now I can enjoy the whole concert in the correct running order as it was played on stage. This is Cheap Trick live and at the top of their game, although I have seen them in concert recently and they haven't lost a step at all. They were and are fantastic musicians, showmen, and just a great rock n' roll band. I have sentimentalness for the original single record At Budokan, but this new version is way better. I will not discard my CD of Budokan II because it contains three tracks from their '79 Japan tour that are not on Cheap Trick At Budokan: The Complete Concert - Stiff Competition, How Are You, and On Top of the World - and those three songs make the price of a used CD worth it to me anyway. But I did buy Bukokan II new... oh well. So, anyway the point is that Cheap Trick At Budokan: The Complete Concert is a classic, and a must have for any Trickster, and a great introduction if you don't have any Cheap Trick CDs at all yet (so is the Sex America box set!). The more-famous live version found on Budokan of "I Want You To Want Me" blows away the studio version. It's like a whole different song when played live. Also the pre-Dream Police release version of "Need Your Love" is spellbinding- the vocals and guitar are both just jaw-droppingly good. I always loved the song "Lookout" and waited for a studio release that never came (that I know of). My favorite tracks from disc 1 include the intro into Hello There into Come On Come On, Big Eyes, Downed, Surrender, Auf Wiedersehen. Disc 2 favorites are Need Your Love, I Want You To Want Me, Aint That A Shame, and Clock Strikes Ten. Get this CD if you have a clue about rock n' roll, seriously.

I am giving this CD 4 stars because it's an excellent concert, and Cheap Trick fans will be very pleased to have the extended concert in their music library. The title is a bit of a misnomer though. Let me explain:

I own both 'halves' of the Budokan concerts. The famous "At Budokan" and the rest of the concert that was released in 1993 titled, what else? "Budokan II". All the songs that are on their first live album, "At Budokan" are here on this extended CD "The Complete Concert", however there are three songs on "Budokan II" that are NOT on this CD. Those three are "Stiff Competition" (one of my favorites!), "How Are You" and "On Top of the World." This means one of two things:

1) Either the three songs I mentioned above were not REALLY performed during the band's Budokan shows, or
2) The claim that this CD is the 'complete concert' is deceiving.

I have to go with option 2 here, folks. While this is, indeed, a much larger compilation of their Budokan shows, it is not, as advertised, the complete concert.

This may be splitting hairs to some of you, but I'm for a little truth in advertising, and the truth is, this is NOT the complete concert. Sorry, just my take. This CD would have gotten 5 stars from me, had this been the complete concert. I would also have given it 5 stars had the title been something like, "The Extended Budokan Masters". Since neither is the case, I am giving it 4 stars. It's still a worthwhile purchase, as it's a great CD! It's just that I don't like being snowed by deceptive packaging. Peace.

Catching just about everyone by surprise Cheap Trick's "Live At Budakon" album, released early in the year, vaulted to the top of the charts and became a smash hit. All of a sudden the band went from opening act / club status to being able to headline arenas. "Dream Police" was actually already in the can when the live album was released, and was pushed back to the end of the year in order for the live album to run it's course. I don't think that "Dream Police" is quite as good as the previous studio disc "Heaven Tonight", but it has some great songs on it. The title track is an all time classic and still gets played on classic rock radio to this day. "The House Is Rockin" is a great rocker. "Gonna Raise Hell" is a track that is cool, but features a rather dated disco beat to it. "Voices" was the other hit from the album and was a rather nice ballad. The album closer "Need Your Love" was a 7 minute plus tour de force that features some killer guitar work from Rick Neilson. This track almost sounds like something UFO might have recorded. The rest of the album is just ok. Cheap Trick were at the peak of their popularity at this time in their career and "Dream Police" is a great portrait of where the band was at during this time period.

I could pass on all the other Cheap Trick albums. This is the only one I own.

For many Cheap Trick fans this marks the end of the "classic era." While the follow-up to this one, All Shook Up, is arguably their best work, it also marked their decline in the pop music industry and fall from the top of the charts for a few years until they returned with a couple of power ballads. Anyway, Dream Police is a must have for tricksters and contains some of their best songs. Like the album before it, Heaven Tonight, Dream Police kicks off with a pop rock masterpiece as the opener and doesn't really contain a bad song all the way through. Some are better than others but there's nothing to skip on this CD. Standout tracks include: Way of the World, Gonna Raise Hell, I'll Be With You Tonight, Need Your Love.

This is my favorite Cheap Trick record! Saw them in concert on the Dream Police tour! Awesome!!!

I love this album. Probably my favorite in the CT catalog. I was so happy to hear that they were finally remastering this. What took them so Long?!! Anyway I'm glad they did because they do it justice. It sounds way better than the original version released on CD in 1990. No matter how many times I hear the title track I never grow tired of it. It rocks!! But I really enjoy "Gonna Raise Hell" for it's quirky CT approach and Robin really stretches his vocals here. Pure genius!! Not to mention the pop rock perfection of "Voices". This is truly a calssic! I love it!! Oh, yeah! And there's bonus tracks too! The live version of "I know what I want" sounds great!

Cheap Trick have always been a band I have deplored over my long and varied history as a music listener, largely because of the pompous character of their 1980s hits. Listening to "The Essential Cheap Trick" gives one the further impression that this group - often seen as underrated - really represents in reverse the history of pop music during the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s at its worst. Only, Cheap Trick went in reverse order from the actually popular music of that period, thus only having a few - though big - hits.

The earliest work of the band, which was never commercially successful, is remarkably reminscent in sound of the noisy grunge of the 1990s that weaned me off commercial radio. Although it is certainly more emotional than their later work, the first album is still childish in tone. Moreover, the lack any sense of melody or even genuine sharpness means it does not sound that different from the worst aspects of hard rock. From their second album "In Color" onwards, the band became less a metal group and owed more to the annoying poper pop of the early 1970s. Already by the time of "I Want You To Want Me" the band sounds very shallow at best, and by the time of 1980's "Dream Police" they were truly gimmicky - a state Cheap trick were to remain in for a long time.

"If You Want My Love" is a tuneless pseudo-ballad that I have often though should be among a list of "50 Worst Songs", especially with Zander's voice - which at first at least tried to be passionate - already sounding incredibly thin. By "Standing on the Edge", the band specialised in the worst kind of power ballad no different from REO Speedwagon, and "The Flame" and "Can't Stop Falling Into Love" are just as bad.

All in all, Cheap Trick's history is like pop music's in reverse and one that should be a warning more than anything.

these guys have made a bunch of tunes for movies but i cant seem to find any on cd, spring break, up the creek, must be dreamin(from heavy metal). maybe its time to do that one! all of the flick songs!

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!

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.

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.

I remember the day that this album came out and it was the best album on the market to date. Today, it's still a great album.

I guess Mr. Danny Eccleston, who wrote your online review, wouldn't know a real rock band if it hit him in the face!!!!...Cheap Trick At Budokan is a classic recording by a band which to this day still delivers on all counts! Highly recommended! Danny boy!..give yer' head a shake!..too much Backstreet Boy's has rotted yer grey matter!!!!! Long live Cheap Trick!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

All their best songs and a few I had forgotten they sang. Definitely a great addition to my MP3 library of songs.

I agree with most of the reviews here. Cheap Trick- Greatest Hits gives you most of their chart hits but doesn't give you their best stuff. The fact that there are no studio tracks from either of their first two (and best albums) underlines the problem with this collection. To be fair, there is still a lot to love here. You have the excellent "Voices" and the awesome title track from Dream Police. You have their signature track in "Surrender" along with the two big singles from At Budokan ("I Want You to Want Me" and "Ain't That a Shame"). You also have some golden nuggets from their inconsistent `80s albums, most notably "Tonight It's You", "She's Tight", and "I Can't Take It." Then you get "The Flame", "Can't Stop Fallin' Into Love", and their mediocre version of Elvis Presley's "Don't Be Cruel." Big hits? Yes. Their best songs? Not even close. To top it off, you have the unnecessary cover of the Beatles' "Magical Mystery Tour." Your best bet? Pay an extra 6 bucks and pick up The Essential Cheap Trick which gives you a generous portion of their great early stuff (the first four albums) as well as the aforementioned nuggets and even the schmaltzy big hits.

Cheap Trick was one of the finest rock bands of the late 70s. However, their best material is omitted on this CD and the greatest sin of all is that there is not one song pulled from their phenomenal, yet under recognized debut. Skip this CD and fork out the extra cash to buy either all of their first five albums or a compilation that presents Cheap Trick as they truly were in their golden years, prior to the embarrassing 80s tripe; you will not be disappointed.

Cheap Trick always seemed like three bands rolled up into one, and most of their career has been spent trying to find a balance between the different styles. You have your Beatlesque power pop tunes, which brought the band deserved hits in the 70's and a place in the heart of indie rockers from Nirvana to Guided by Voices. You have the 80's AOR years, filled with ballads that are musically pleasing with great choruses but artistically less interesting, and often heavily produced. And finally, you have the side of the band that was capable of cranking out menacing rockers with dark lyrics such as "Auf Wiedersehen" and "I'm Not The Only Boy".

While the third side of Cheap Trick is pretty much ignored here, the first two are covered pretty well. There's a decent cover of "Magical Mystery Tour" here, though it seems like the boys are rocking by rote rather than adding anything new to the song. All of the big hits are here, including the two songs that guaranteed Cheap Trick their place in the classic rock pantheon - "Surrender" and "I Want You To Want Me".

If you're looking for a disc that captures Cheap Trick as you heard them on the radio, this is a good single-disc encapsulation of their biggest hits. But if you really want to find out what Cheap Trick was all about, and still get most of their big hits, splurge for all five of their first records - Cheap Trick (self-titled), In Color, Heaven Tonight, At Budokan, and Dream Police. While Dream Police is the weakest of the bunch, all of these albums are absolute classics and really cover ALL sides of Cheap Trick - one of the most misunderstood bands of all time.

This basic collection is good no doubt, but as always it's what's missing that's the problem. The biggest hits are here, but where is "Southern Girls", "Ghost Town", "Mandocello", theme from "That 70's Show", and countless others? In short, if you're looking for a single disc collection I suggest "Authorized Greatest Hits" which is longer and better. There's also the 2-disc "Essential" collection if you really need a healthy dose. Either of those should do the "trick".

By 1997 Cheap Trick had a career that resembled a roller coaster ride. They became huge stars in the late 70's with their "Live At Budakon" album. Sales slid during the 80's until another big comeback with the more polished commercial sound of 1988's "Lap Of Luxury". During the 90's the band had only put out two albums, "Busted" in 1990 and "Woke Up With A Monster" in 1994. Record sales (and quality) again began to fall. During this time period the band switched record labels and by 1997 they were recording for the independent label Red Ant Records. Although their profile was not as high, recording for Red Ant enabled the band to take back some of the creative control that had been lost with the majors and put out one of their most immediate and best albums in many years with the self titled "Cheap Trick". Unfortunately Red Ant went belly up just a few weeks after this album came out which pretty much stifled any promotional effort to put behind the disc. Too bad as this is probably the best album the band had put out since "Dream Police" in 1979. Gone were the overproduced synthesized laden slop from the band's 80's era. In its place was a return to guitar oriented power pop rock which has always been the band's strong suite. Rick Nielson had not sounded this engaged in years, and the snarl was back in Robin Zander's voice. I pretty much like every song on this disc. For the single "Say Goodbye" their Beatles influence comes shining through, just like in the old days. "Eight Miles Low" could have been written by The Who with its heavy guitar crunch and biting lyrics. In fact just about every song on this disc finds the band wearing their influences on their sleeves. For some this would be a turn off, but Cheap Trick always manages to make these songs their own and sound like no one else. This is a really strong Cheap Trick album that was sadly overlooked. If you are a fan and don't have this one you owe it to yourself to pick it up. You can find this album used from Amazon for only 50 cents!

Cheap Trick's 1997 "second" self-titled release is an excellect album. There are only two songs I tend to skip because they are "slow" songs and they don't maintain the power and energy of the others. I love the false-start drums on the opener, and "Anytime" is one of my favorite Cheap Trick songs from their entire career. "Carnival" should have been a huge hit it's very catchy yet also rockin. I have the version with the extra bonus CD containing two more songs, and they are both very good I highly recommend the two-disc edition if you can find it. So, I really enjoy 11/13 songs on this one. If you like albums including the debut, In Color, Heaven Tonight, Dream Police, and All Shook Up get the '97 self-titled it's another solid CD full of great songs from Cheap Trick. My favorite tracks: Anytime, Hard To Tell, Carnival, Wrong All Along, Eight Miles Low

This record rocks with energy and focus on par with any great rock record I've heard in the 32 years I've been a rock 'n roll fan. That may sound like an overstatement but there's not a weak track on here. There's a nice balance of rockers and ballads and a flow to the record that never loses it's intensity. If you are a true rock fan you will love this CD. I would say you don't even need to be a Cheap Trick fan. I've got to give the band credit here. It's sounds as if they dug down deep and recaptured some of the magic and quirky angst of say, "Dream Police". It's as if they're 27 again. Wonderful rock record. I highly recommend it!!!

"Anytime" is one raucous, biting, driven song. None of the over-produced gloss, just pure ROCK. The remainder of the songs are decent in and of themselves, perhaps diminished by the virtuosity of "Anytime". "You let a lotta people down" and "Yeah, Yeah" all solid. And "Eight miles low" rocks with youthful anger, and these guys are not youths.... Buy this, get yourself a 600 watt stereo, and enjoy!

Nice to see the CT boys back to writing more on their own. I know it was their downfall in the mid 80's but they do it better by themselves. Only a few tracks here have outside influence.
That said, Cheap Trick (97) is a solid entry into their discography. Most say it's a return to rock form from their late 70's albums, but in my opinion, Woke Up With A Monster was that.
The Tracks:
1. Anytime is a muddled heavy opener. Harsher than usual. Robin screams like he's never screamed before. All in all it's a good song, not a great one and not the kick off the album needs.
2. Hard To Tell follows with the whiny lead in guitar. CT are showing their class here and it's one of the highlights from the album.
3. Carnival Game is a nice change from the heavier first two tracks. It too is a hightlight from the album, if not the highest of them.
4. Shelter is lovely. Perhaps one of the softer songs they've done. Another hightlight. that's 1, 2, 3 so far!!
5. You Let A Lot Of People Down is one of the lesser tracks but still rocks nicely. Nothing new from this song.
6. Baby No More is a fast paced winner. Rick's guitar is wonderful. The overdubbed vocal (featured on most tracks) really works here.
7. Yeah Yeah is a lesser track. A bit lazy perhaps. They could have done more with this one by changing the lyrics to something more interesting. Closest thing to a 'filler track' on the album.
8. Say Goodbye is one of the best singles they've released. Lyrically there's not much on offer but the song blends many elements, each flowing seemlessly together. Should have been a hit.
9. Wrong All Along is another highlight. Fast and heavy. Great guitar.
10. Eight Miles Low is a good song. Not one of those highlights but another good rocker. Interesting harmonies - if you can call them that.
11. It All Comes Back To You is a nice ballard. Interesting vocal.
12. Baby Talk (for those who have it) is a great song. Nice and heavy. Should have featured on the 'normal' version of the album.
13. Brontosaurus (for those that have it) is a good cover of the original. I'm a Move/ELO fan so was happy for it to take its place here as a bonus.

All in all, CT (97) is a return to form after their return to form of Woke Up With A Monster...... Not quite as good as the former, perhaps lacks the variety or songs, but nestles nicely below Cheap Trick(77) and above Busted (90) in CT album rankings.

The title of this album refers to the band's hometown of Rockford Illinois. After the rather bland "Special One" three years earlier "Rockford" was a nice return to form. This album garnered high praise from the music press and although I don't think it quite lives up to the hype it is a very nice album from the veteran band. "Welcome To The World", "If It Takes A Lifetime", "Come On Come On", "O Claire", and "All Those Years" are all great songs. The rest of the album is pretty solid as well, although for latter day Cheap Trick I don't think this one quite stacks up against the self titled "Cheap Trick" album from 1997. Overall though "Rockford" is a very good Cheap Trick album and a big improvement over the band's last outing "Special One". These old guys can still sound fresh and they can rock as hard as ever.

I bought Rockford on somewhat of a whim after seeing them perform "Perfect Stranger" on Conan O'Brien's show and then noticing that I could pick up this new album for a mere $9 at the local Wal-Mart.

I really really liked it and soon bought their first four albums, a Greatest Hits and At Budokan.

I don't know how their music fared in the 80's and 90's (though I'm told its not so hot), but this album sounds just as good to these ears as those great albums from the 70's. Plenty of loud guitars, good melodies, and a ton of energy (these guys sound way more vibrant than most bands 30 years into their career). Plus, unlike some of those overly-glossy 70's albums, Rockfords production really lets the band kick it loud and proud.

Fans should be happy with these catchy loud rock songs, and folks new to Cheap Trick will probably find this album to be so good that they just might want more (I know I did!).

I admit to having a bias in favor of the boys from Rockford but this is really a tremendous effort. Better accolades were deserved.

This is the album we have been waiting for. I'm buying "Rockford" and "Budokan the complete concert". I should have done this 2 years ago. I have rediscovered Cheap Trick. I was a huge fan when I was 13 back in 78. I saw them live at the Sunken Garden's show in San Antonio back in 79....it was simply the best concert I have ever seen to this day. I then saw them on the Dream Police tour(w/out Tom P.). I have become highly disillusioned when it comes to the current music scene. The "American Idolization" of the biz has made it a joke. Cheap Trick has managed to survive and thrive in this mess. All of today's young power pop/punk bands owe it all to Cheap Trick. I prefer to listen to the original!!!! Thanks guys....keep it up!

Okay, how many more decades does this highly respected quartet have to go on before ever truly getting the respect they deserve?

Now don't get me wrong as I am a fan of the Beastie Boys as well, but having to see them get inducted into the 2008 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame before legends like Cheap Trick tells me that those who vote on the inductees are perhaps the same clueless dopes who spent time as executives at commercial radio stations or record labels.

Keep up the great work Cheap Trick. Your fans know how relevant you are and will always be!!!

No doubt most of us old enough to have purchased vinyl records when they were the primary media choice for music have more than few old albums we're a tad embarrassed to admit to owning. Given their post-"Budokan" efforts, Cheap Trick could fall into that "hey- I was only nine" excuses category. Not this one. Cheap Tricks best album effort ever, there's no embarrassment here. Catchy, bristling with energy, this album rocks! I play my music loud in the car. When Surrender plays, I always get someone yelling "Whoo!! Cheap Trick!!" or a thumbs up from someone who can hear it. This and Prince's "Purple Rain" are the only albums I've purchased in all three major formats (vinyl, cassette tape and CD).

Love your Rock?
Like it Real?
Like it Pure?
Like it Live?
Like it Loud?
Like it Energetic?
Want to feel like like you are there?
This is the album for you.

No option for 6 star. ?

This is the best live album of all time by a country mile and it showcases Rock Music for all it is and all it should be. It is about the music, the songs , the band ( and yes, these guys are a team, a band, and a real fusion of talents that total to more than the sum of the individual components). The year was 1978, a shocking year for music really (except for Blondie and others that saved the day) but Cheap Trick stands the course, not bowing to disco or quiet ballads that ruled the radiowaves.

Its an album that brings the roots of rock classics( Fats Domino Cover, Aint That a Shame) into the present and they set the course for Arena Rockers of the upcoming 80s decade.

'On the drums...Mr Ben 'E' Carlos', .. true history in the making.

This is simply live rock n' roll at its best on record. No other live recording even comes close to this. This is a must-have in your record collection even if you're not a Cheap Trick fan. This is also the best album that the band recorded. They sounded better on stage than in the studio.

The time was the late 70's when hog wash Disco was around and everybody was getting influenced by the bad aspects of it. Cheap Trick came around to save the decade from decadence. This proves that a new feel and wave was done right. While people like Sex Pistols and The Clash were ridiculing the grandioseness of rock. Cheap Trick was bringing it back the flavor that it had lost.

This album is about rock and roll to the grind. It's about people who were hungry to be different but in a good way. They disguised themselves as outcasts who didn't even fit together in a band , yet are some of the most versatile musicians around even today(2005).
This album can always be played and it takes me back to a time when "Ah who gives a F*() !" Roll up my sleeves and play air guitar to one of rock's most underated axeman. And to the god on vocals ,Zander. Play it again it's magic dudes!

You should see Cheap Trick in concert, awesome band. This release is what we originally had prior to the whole Budokan concert being released later. I don't have the whole concert cd but I would recommend it based upon what I have heard. This release has most of the high points and more popular songs from the concert. "Ain't That Ashame" with the intro is worth the price alone as this has become an opening song during some Cheap Trick shows. Energy is high from start to finish, highly recommended for any rock fan.