As one can easily tell from this high quality recording, the New York City audience, mainly comprised of fans of the headliners, The Cars, certainly embrace Cheap Trick. The former would eventually get the studio treatment on their Dream Police album in 1979, while the latter would soon be issued on the band's next album, Heaven Tonight, generally considered to be the band's strongest studio effort of the era, where their music culminated in some of the most perfectly realized hook-filled hard rock with plenty of attitude.Īll of these songs, as well as the set-closer 'Goodnight Now' and the encore 'Clock Strikes Ten,' would become critical elements in the success of the Budokon album, but fans will be delighted to hear these alternate live versions, when the group was forced to compress their monumental energy level into a half-hour opening slot performance. The set begins by emphasizing material from the band's recent In Color album, with the triple whammy of 'Hello There,' 'Big Eyes,' and 'Southern Girls.' They follow with an extended romp through 'Need Your Love,' which serves as the centerpiece of this set and then their classic re-make of Roy Wood's 'California Man,' originally cut in the early 1970s by Jeff Lynne's old band, the Move. But the band would never have seen the success they did, however, without the monster rhythm section of drummer Bun E. He was Pete Townshend to lead singer Robin Zander's Roger Daltrey. Guitarist Rick Nielsen was the Harpo Marx of this band, usually silent, but incredibly funny and enormously talented. By this time, the band had perfected the material that would soon be immortalized on the Budokan album, and with several years of relentless touring behind them, they were tight as a drum. This short but highly energetic set from Cheap Trick was recorded for the King Biscuit Flower Hour just days prior to the release of the Budokon album, when Chaep Trick opened for The Cars at The Palladium in New York City.

One of those 'omg how did I miss this one' bootlegs

Notes: absolutely blasting on all cylinders on this evening in New York City, just a killer performance, thankfully captured by the King Biscuit Flower Hour.

Cheap Trick Live At Budokan Rar