Back in 2013, Legacy, Epic Records and Sony released a CD box set that contained all albums in Epic Records from the band’s debut album all the way up to 1990’s album ‘Busted’. In 2022, the box set was reissued on Music on CD, Legacy, Epic & Sony and that is the box I have in my collection. You get 14 CDs in all including the full Budokan show on 2 CDs along with the E.P. ‘Found all the Parts’ that was only available on Vinyl and cassette until 2003 when there was a Japanese release on CD.
The albums from the debut up to ‘All Shook Up’ were original remastered and reissued back in 1998 with bonus tracks and that is what we have here with those albums. If what I am reading is correct, the remaining albums were remastered for this box set but there is a debate on whether or not that is true as the sound quality isn’t as great as the earlier albums. For me, it doesn’t bother me one way or the other as I’m not going to sit and listen to all 14 discs in a row where I would notice and differences. I am just happy to have all the albums on CD as I had them all on vinyl, so I needed the CDs.
For those of you that need to know this, Cheap Trick is from Rockford, Illinois and consists of Robin Zander on Vocals, Rick Nielsen on guitar, Bun E. Carlos on drums and there are two different people on bass. First is Tom Petersson from Discs 1 – 8 and then back again on 13-14 while Jon Brant is on Discs 9-12 as Tom left for a spell and thankfully returned. They have been labeled as the American Beatles which is high praise especially considering the band was heavily influenced by The Beatles.
The first half of their catalog is amazingly strong and they have one of the best live albums of all time with ‘At Budokan’. The last half of their catalog is a little weak at times, but still some great classics on each album. The band is still going strong today and still frequently releasing quality material that any band would be proud to call their own. They have not rested on their past and always strive to be better. This is a large taste of the band if you aren’t familiar and unless you buy the Vinyl, this CD set is pretty reasonable as I picked it up for around $45. Not bad for 14 CDs. Let’s take a look.
‘CHEAP TRICK’ (1977)’:
The album was released on February 3, 1977 and the album went all the way to #207. Yep, the album basically flopped. It didn’t break in to the Billboard 200 Album Chart. Not a good start. Although they had some muscle behind the album is it was produced by Jack Douglas who was the engineer on numerous albums in the 1970’s for Aerosmith. He knew what he was doing.
This is a solid start and I don’t understand why this album was ignored upon its release. This thing is fantastic. I love the raw energy, the power pop sound, the punk attitudes and the fact they didn’t shy away from any topic on the album. When you really listen to this album, you really hear the fine guitar playing of Rick Nielsen as it sounds so simple, but there is more meat on the bone than you realize. Tom Petersson’s bass smoking and when you pair him with the finesse of Bun E. Carlos, you have one of the great rhythm sections out there. And then the Voice Man himself, Robin Zander, who I think has one of the greatest rock voices to every come along and he still sound great today. This band is special but the world wasn’t ready for them yet. But they didn’t have long to wait. I give the album a 4.5 out of 5.0 Stars as it wasn’t perfect, but it was damn near close to it.
‘IN COLOR’ (1977):
After the disappointing sales of their debut, the band quickly jumped back in to the studio to work on their second album, ‘In Color’. By September of 1977, the album was done and released. The album was far more polished than the rawness of the debut. I am sure they were hoping for a more radio-friendly sound and hoping for a big single. Which sadly, they did not get in the U.S. However, the band became superstars with this album in Japan. Yep, Japan. When they went and toured that country the next year, they were welcomed with a whole Beatlemania type vibe and the country just loved them. But we will get to that later.
It is pure magic. Yes, the band lost some of the raw feel that I loved on the first one, but there is no denying that power pop magic they have with this one. And this album has the songs. So nothing was a big hit, it doesn’t matter. The album was wrongly overlooked by the buying public. Japan got it right as this album is fantastic. I can drop a needle on this and not want to skip anything but only want to hit repeat again and again. Robin, Rick, Tom and Bun E. delivered a career defining album for me. Well, until maybe when we get to another of my favorites down the road. Score on this one is 5.0 out of 5.0 Stars.
‘HEAVEN TONIGHT’ (1978):
The band finally started to catch on to the world with the release of their third album, “Heaven Tonight”. The album was released on April 24, 1978 and is the band’s third album, which in some circles is considered the best, but it is way too early to make that call. This one though does bring the best of the first two albums in to focus. It has some of the first albums raw sound and then it takes some of the power pop sounds of the second and makes a pretty damn fine combination. The album did well as it charted at #48 on the Billboard Charts and going Gold a year later. By 1995, it has since been certified Platinum.
If you liked the rawness of the debut and the power pop of the sophomore release, then this album will take both those sounds a deliver a stellar album for everyone. They seem to be finding who they were with this one and although not perfect, it is pretty damn close. Robin hasn’t sounded better, Rick’s guitar riffs and solos were getting better and better, Bun E. was tearing up the skins and always giving just the right touch to the songs and Tom’s 12-String bass was a thing of beauty laying down great grooves and the driving force on all the songs. Overall, I Score the album a 4.5 out of 5.0 Stars as it is a personal favorite, but I don’t know if it is their best. We will have to wait and see won’t we. The band was coming together and finding their sound and what was coming down the line is something to be heard.
‘CHEAP TRICK AT BUDOKAN: THE COMPLETE CONCERT’ (1978/1998):
After the release of Cheap Trick’s second album, ‘In Color’, the band was getting quite a bit of recognition in Japan. So, a week after third album, ‘Heaven Tonight”, was released, the band did a quick tour in April of 1978 and they didn’t waste any time playing those songs. The band’s reception was nothing short of amazing. It was Beatlemania 2.0 as the Japanese fans went…well…fanatical. While in Japan, they decided to record the shows at Nippon Budokan in Tokyo and release the album in Japan only.
The original release was only in Japan on October 8, 1978 and it saw tremendous success, so much so that 30,000 copies of it were sold as imports to the US which prompted the label to finally release it in the US in February 1979 under the name ‘Cheap Trick at Budokan’. The album would go on to be one of the biggest selling albums in the band’s career selling over 3 million copies and go to #4 on the Billboard Charts. Rolling Stones said it was one of the 500 greatest albums of all time in 2003 where it ranked at #426. The album here in this set came out on April 8, 1998 which was only 20 short days from the release of the official album which makes me wonder why they didn’t just wait a few more weeks. But what do I know. The concert was completely remastered and fully restored with all the tracks.
The original ‘Cheap Trick at Budokan’ is a short compact masterpiece of a live show. This re-release with the entire set list is in my humble opinion just as good. This is 70’s Cheap Trick so there isn’t a bad song in the bunch. The crowd energy is electric and the band is giving the electricity right back as they are busting their ass delivering a stellar show. Oh to be there for that magic would’ve been great. This is as close as you’ll get so take it in, absorb it all and sit back and enjoy!! Crank it to 11 and you will not be disappointed. This is another 5.0 out of 5.0 Stars.
‘DREAM POLICE’ (1979):
The success of the live album, ‘Cheap Trick at Budokan’, kept delaying the release of the band’s fourth studio album, ‘Dream Police’. And that was a great problem to have. The band recorded the album during ’78 and was ready to be released, but the label thought since ‘Bodokan’ had been imported so much in to the US, why not release the live album domestically. And it certainly paid off. They cleaned up a few things in early ’79 and it finally got a released date on September 21, 1979 as Budokan was blowing up the charts. That momentum set the band up for what would become their biggest commercial album to date. Heck, it only took the album a few months to go platinum. The album spawned four singles across the globe and gave the band two Top 40 songs on the Billboard Charts. Yes sir, Cheap Trick had made it to the big time. An audience that wasn’t ready for them a few short years earlier was finally on board.
This album sees the band come in to their own. They are exploding on to the world stage and at the same time they are exploding creatively. They tried so many things with this album from their power pop to heavy rocker to orchestration to Tom singing to everything in between. No matter what they threw at you it stuck and it sounded perfect. This is a band hitting on all cylinders that could do no wrong. Overall the score is simple…it is 5.0 out of 5.0 Stars and I have no hesitations with that score. This has always been a favorite and will continue to be forever. But, how long will this new found greatness last. We will wait and see.
‘FOUND ALL THE PARTS E.P.’ (1980):
The 70’s were a huge decade for Cheap Trick. In just three short years, we were blessed with four studio albums and one of the greatest live albums of all time with ‘Cheap Trick at Budokan’. Not a bad run. Now we are in to the 80’s and this album was sort of a way to end the 70’s with a nice little bonus. The four-song E.P. was released on 10″ Vinyl and was part of Epic Records series called Nu-Disk, but that series was rather short-lived and I don’t know if I’ve found another album from that series. The album was released on June 2, 1980 and contained only four tracks.
This is a fun release thanks to the label, which probably explains all the lies on it. And because of those lies, I will deduct a point and only give it a 4.0 out of 5.0 Tracks. I think if you see it out in the wild, grab it! It is a great addition to the Cheap Trick Collection.
‘ALL SHOOK UP’ (1980):
The band was still in tact with Robin Zander, Rick Nielsen, Tom Petersson and Bun E. Carlos. They finished up the album, but by the time it was done, Tom Petersson was exhausted. He was done as well. The non-stop touring and add to the fact he was not thrilled with the direction of the band and he didn’t even bother showing up in London when it was time to mix the album. And by August 26, 1980, Tom left the band to go record his own album with his wife. Who I think the band feels was part of his problem. Maybe she was their Yoko. The band pressed on and the album saw its release on October 24, 1980.
I did enjoy this album and the experimentation. Sometimes I do feel they play the Beatles influence too much on their sleeves but at the same time, why not. They do it well. The first half of the album was really strong and one of the most enjoyable sides for me. The back half slogs along with more misses than hits and brings the album down for me. I can’t say for sure of George Martin helped or hurt as producer, but I am sure he taught them a lot. Overall, I will give the album a 3.5 out of 5.0 Stars is it is an above average album, but no where near the level of what they are capable of doing. Is this the end of the glory years with the band now that Tom is gone? We will have to wait and see.
‘ONE ON ONE’ (1982):
his time around, producer Roy Thomas Baker was brought in to produce as the George Martin experiment was that well received. We are now in 1982, MTV was starting up and getting more popular and the sounds of the radio were changing. Cheap Trick went back to what they do best and that is being themselves. There is some new wave, there is a little Beatles and I also hear a little Glam as well in the vocals and some of the styling of the songs, but regardless, it still sounded like Cheap Trick to me and this one has a couple of my favorites thanks to getting a lot of play on MTV. If you think the 70’s were their peak, think again. The album dropped on April 30, 1982 and peaked at #39 on the Billboard Charts. Not their best ranking. None of the songs broke the Top 40 despite favorable feelings on the singles. The album was certified Gold, but not until 1992 a whole decade later. I think the album was sadly, overlooked by many and it shouldn’t have been.
I do love the variety on this album. You get hard rock, you even get a little metal, you get some Beatles sounds, some Queen and then they go and incorporate some new wave on a couple to keep current with the times. The album also has two of my favorite Cheap Trick songs with “If You Want My Love” and “She’s Tight”. With all those things, it should get a high score, but it won’t. It won’t get a bad score either. My issue with it was it was a little too inconsistent and even felt like it had some filler. They would have a really great song and then the next song would pale in comparison and it was noticeable at times. Still, I don’t think they had reached their peak and there was still a little gas left in the tank. I will always like this one as it was some of the first songs I remember seeing on MTV and loving. Overall, I am going to give it a Score of 3.75 out of 5.0 Stars.
‘NEXT POSITION PLEASE’ (1983):
The album was recorded back in December 1982 at Utopia Sound in Lake Hill, New York which I am guessing is Rundgren’s studio as he has an album called Utopia which I own. But the album didn’t actually see the light of day August 15, 1983 which to me is quite a long stretch between recording and releasing back then. The band went back to their earlier Power Pop sound using producer Todd Rundgren. The album charted only as high as #61 and the two singles on the album didn’t break the Top 40 and in fact, not sure if they even charted at all. The album didn’t even go Gold. This was not turning out to be a very shining example of the who the band were.
The first half of the album is really sketchy for me. I love some of the songs, but too much filler which is normally reserved for the back half. Except the back half is actually pretty good. This album was a very slow grower. I was not digging this thing at all but over the last few listens it finally started to hit home and connect with me. Still, not a favorite of mine for that reason but not near the bottom either. Overall, My Score is 3.5 out of 5.0 Stars as I think it is a little underrated, but only a little. As strange as I though this might be with Rundgren on the boards, I was pleasantly surprised that Cheap Trick was Cheap Trick on the album and they didn’t stray too far down any weird path. Check it out.
‘STANDING ON THE EDGE’ (1985):
The band worked on the album during 1984 and 1985 and it finally saw its release on July 19, 1985. The album ended up not sounding like the album intended by Jack Douglas because he was unable to mix the album. Due to some legal complications he was having with another artist (Yoko Ono), he couldn’t mix it so Tony Platt was brought in. Tony didn’t have Jack’s vision of a harder, rawer sounding album, but instead went with the sound of the 80’s and added some keyboards and drum machines much to the dislike of Bun E. As a result, I think we get an album that doesn’t have the edge, the pizazz that we needed from Cheap Trick. The band ended up only releasing one single off the album and it didn’t even crack the Top 40. Cheap Trick were starting to be forgotten.
There is no heart in this album at all. Yes, it does have one of their best songs with “Tonight It’s You”, but outside of that there is nothing up to the level of previous albums. Jack Douglas might have had a vision of a much rawer and edgier Cheap Trick, but Tony Platt’s mix and Mark Radice’s song writing and keyboards really wimped it out and lost any passion or even Cheap Trick out of it. It sounds a little dated and it sounds like an album that won’t get pulled out very ofter. My Overall Score is a wimpy 2.5 out of 5.0 Stars. Cheap Trick is better than this.
‘THE DOCTOR’ (1986):
The band line-up was unchanged from the prior as we still had Robin Zander, Rick Nielsen, Bun E. Carlos and Jon Brant. However, this would be the last album to feature Brant as the band’s next album would see the return of founding bass player Tom Petersson. And not a moment too soon. The album finally saw its release on November of 1986 and it didn’t do well at all. It peaked at #115 on the Billboard Charts and only had one U.S. single which didn’t even chart. That says all you need to know right there. The band had probably hit rock bottom at this point in their career which would make you think that after this, there was no where to go but up. We will see if that happens.
Thanks to the production by Tony Platt, Cheap Trick came out with an album that had no balls and sounded so dated with the massive keyboards that you just throw your hands up in the air and say “what is this crap”. It was someone who’s vision for the band that does not fit the band. The keyboards were way too much and when you have someone like Bun E. Carlos on drums, why the hell do you need electronic drums added. It is beyond me. Okay, I’m beating a dead horse here, which might be more fun actually…no…it wouldn’t…sorry…bad comment. My Overall Score is a 2.0 out of 5.0 Stars and that might be too generous.
‘LAP OF LUXURY’ (1988):
By 1988, Cheap Trick’s popularity was dropping fast. Their last few albums didn’t really light the charts on fire and the record company you could say was quite unhappy. As a result, the record company forced the band to work with outside writers or song doctors. This was 1988 and all bands were now doing that. The gang of Robin Zander, Rick Nielsen, Bun E. Carlos and Tom Petersson were back which made the world think of this as sort of a comeback album for the band. The album was produced by Richie Zito and was released on April 12, 1988. It did really well and went all the way to #16 and had three of their four singles chart on the Billboard Top 40 and all four going to the Hot 100.
The album might have done well for the band going platinum, but for me overall it is a lackluster affair that has some winning moments but misses the mark. We have two lackluster covers, one lackluster ballad and a back half of an album that isn’t as impressive as the front. You get three solid opening tracks that makes you think this is going to be a great album, but falls quickly as that middle part of the album almost makes you turn it off. Thankfully it is saved by “All Wound Up” and “All We Need Is A Dream”. My Score on this is not going to be as good as people probably expected as I only give it a 3.0 out of 5.0 Stars. It was close, no cigar.
‘BUSTED’ (1990):
With the help of the success of “The Flame” from the bands prior album ‘Lap of Luxury’, creative control of the bands next album was given back to the band. As result, the help of outside writers was extremely minimal. This time around, the band, with Robin Zander, Rick Nielsen, Bun E. Carlos and Tom Peterrson, would get some help from friends like Mick Jones of Foreigner and Chrissie Hynde from the Pretenders. Producer Richie Zito was also brought back to man the boards. Creative control and famous guest was a recipe for success…or was it. The album came out on June 27, 1990 and did spawn one Top 40 hit with the first single, but the following two did only #50 and not even chart. The album sold poorly and within one year after release, the band was dropped from Epic Records.
The first half of the album was extremely weak. It was lifeless and dull. Things finally picked up with the second half as we saw more of the band we love, however, they stuck 4 ballads on this thing and it totally ruined the flow. Too many lifeless songs and not enough energy and that old power-pop sound. When they finally did have the rockers, they were great and all keepers, when they didn’t, it was hard to get through. I felt they were still lost and trying to figure out where they fit in to the world at this point in their career. My Overall Score is a 2.5 out of 5.0 Stars as it is not a favorite of mine but still some killer songs worth checking out.
32-PAGE BOOKLET:
The Box Set also included a 32-Page Booklet that included numerous pictures of the band as well as track listings and credits on each album in the set. It also included the list of the bonus tracks on those discs that had them as the album sleeves they used were reproductions of the original albums with only the original album track listing.
And that is everything. If you want to get all their albums on Epic Records, this is a cheap way to do it and you even get a bunch of bonus tracks. I had all these albums on vinyl so I needed to get the CD set and I am happy I did as I can pull these out in the car, plus I get the bonus tracks. Cheap Trick is one of the best American bands of the 70’s even if they sound like the Beatles. Not a bad influence. They hit a rough patch in the 70’s, but as I said earlier, they recover nicely in the 90’s up to today and still chugging along. I hope you enjoyed the walk through this set.
The Cheap Trick Collection Series:
- Cheap Trick (1977)
- In Color (1977)
- Heaven Tonight (1978)
- Cheap Trick at Budokan (1978)
- Dream Police (1979)
- Found All The Parts (1980)
- All Shook Up (1980)
- One On One (1982)
- Next Position Please (1983)
- Standing on the Edge (1985)
- “Tonight It’s You” (1985) – 7″ Single (Bonus Edition)
- “Mighty Wings” (1986) – 7″ Single (Bonus Edition)
- The Doctor (1986)
- Lap Of Luxury (1988)
- “The Flame” (1988) – 7″ Single (Bonus Edition)
- “Ghost Town” (1988) – CD Single Promo (Bonus Edition)
- Love to Rock (1988) – Cassette Only Compilation
- Busted (1990)
- Woke Up With A Monster (1994)
- Sex, America, Cheap Trick (1996) – Box Set
- “I Want You To Want Me” (Alternate Version) (1996) – 7″ Single (Bonus Edition)
- Cheap Trick (1997)
- Cheap Trick at Budokan: The Complete Concert (1998)
- Music For Hangovers (1999)
- Special One (2003)
- Rockford (2006)
- The Latest (2009)
- The Epic Archive, Vol. 1 (1975-1979) (2015)
- The Epic Archive, Vol. 2 (1980-1983) (2015)
- The Epic Archive, Vol. 3 (1984-1990) (2015)
- Bang, Zoom, Crazy…Hello (2016)
- We’re All Alright! (2017)
- Christmas Christmas (2017)
- Are You Ready? Live 12/31/1979 (2019)
- “Gimme Some Truth” (RSD Black Friday 2019)
- Out To Get You! Live 1977 (2020)
- In Another World (2021)
- The Complete Epic Albums Collection Box Set (2022)
- The Albums Ranked Worst to First
- Cheap Trick – The Best & Worst Song of Every Album
2 Loud 2 Old Music 