I Want You to Want Me (4/28/79) #7 US, #29 UK, sales: 0.5 m
Ain’t That a Shame (8/4/79) #35 US
* This is the chart information for the original studio version; the other two are live.
Notes: The 1998 Epic/Legacy rerelease stretched out the track listing to 19 cuts over 2 CDs, adding “ELO Kiddies,” “Speak Now or Forever Hold Your Peace,” “Downed,” “Can’t Hold On,” “Oh Caroline,” “Auf Wiedersehen,” “High Roller,” “Southern Girls,” and “California Man.”
Awards:
At Budokan
Cheap Trick
Review:
“While their records were entertaining and full of skillful pop, it wasn’t until At Budokan that Cheap Trick’s vision truly gelled.” E1 This “was the pivotal album for Cheap Trick, the one that made them stars.” E2
“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.” E1 “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.” E2
“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.” E1
“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.” E2
“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.” E2
Review Sources:
E1 Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide (original release)
3.0
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3.0
