UAWIL #117: Cheap Trick - At Budokan
Cheap Trick's biggest selling record is a live album that was intended to be released only in Japan
In 1978, Cheap Trick were much like their friends from KISS - they were working hard on the road, putting on great live shows but their studio albums weren't making much of a dent in the charts. However, thanks to opening for bands that were doing well in Japan, Cheap Trick amassed a nice following there and earned a #1 hit with the studio version of I Want You To Want Me (which didn't chart in the US). So the band decided to release a live album in Japan only to reward their fans in The Land of the Rising Sun.
However, thanks to I Want You To Want Me's inclusion as a b-side from a single on their 3rd album Heaven Tonight and imports of At Budokan coming from Japan to the US, they released the live album worldwide and the rest is history. The live versions of tracks like Ain't That A Shame, Surrender and I Want You To Want Me are the quintessential versions of those tunes on US rock radio. Plus, Cheap Trick set up their next album for success as it included songs that would be included on Dream Police. For kids growing up in the late 70s, Cheap Trick At Budokan was in the air, on the turntables and sung along to everyday. This was a fun one to go back and give a listen as you can hear some of the punk influence on their riffs while maintaining that pure rock sound that helped get them into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame. But make no mistake, without this album we wouldn't be talking about them today.
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