Cheap Trick/London, UK 1980 FM Broadcast Edition

CHEAP TRICK, whose fifth studio album was produced right after Tom Peterson left the band, welcomed Pete Komita as the new bassist through Rick Nielsen’s connections, and performed at “Japan Jam 2” in August 1980. The new album “ALL SHOOK UP” was released in October 1980 with Tom’s playing still intact (Tom’s departure was also officially announced at this time). The band went on the “ALL SHOOK UP” tour with Pete still in the lineup. This work includes the November 5th performance at London’s Hammersmith Odeon from that precious tour when Pete was still in the band, recorded from a BBC radio broadcast. This recording was previously released, but this time it is available as a remastered version in response to requests from fans who “wanted to hear it.” It’s a bit short at 58 minutes, and it’s unfortunate that it’s not a complete recording of the live performance, but the sound quality is excellent enough to satisfy fans. If we just consider the brightness of the sound and the flashy entertainment value, it is as fulfilling as the masterpiece “JAPAN JAM 2” from the same period (there is some noise due to the master reception at the beginning of the live performance, but it has been mitigated as much as possible during the remastering stage). After the opening “Hello There” starts with a bang, you will be overwhelmed by the succession of the band’s representative songs, such as “Clock Strikes Ten”, “I’ll Be With You Tonight”, “Southern Girls”, and “California Man”. Robin’s energetic vocals, Rick’s guitar that is as lively as his character, and the band’s performance are very powerful. Pete’s bass is also mixed loudly, and together with Bun E. Carlos’ drums, you can enjoy a tight and groovy rhythm. In particular, the middle part of the live performance, which features “California Man”, “I Love You Honey But I Hate Your Friends”, and the new songs “Stop This Game” and “Baby Loves To Rock”, is an interesting sample of the CHEAP TRICK sound of that time. The CHEAP TRICK versions of “Day Tripper” and “Gonna Raise Hell”, which were partially missing from “JAPAN JAM 2”, can be enjoyed here in their entirety. In particular, the latter is a medley that continues to “Big Eyes” after a passionate performance of over 9 minutes, through Carlos’ drum solo and Rick’s guitar solo, and the incandescent play will knock out all CHEAP TRICK fans. At the end, the familiar “I Want You To Want Me” and “Surrender” pop out, closing the live performance with a lot of fun. The early to mid-’80s, when Tom left the band, was a period of divided opinions in CHEAP TRICK’s career. However, that is why it is a period that we would like as many fans as possible to listen to. Live at Hammersmith Odeon, London, UK 5th November 1980 STEREO SBD (58:42) 1. DJ Intro. 2. Opening 3. Hello There 4. Clock Strikes Ten 5. I’ll Be With You Tonight 6. Southern Girls 7. California Man 8. Stop This Game 9. Baby Loves To Rock 10. I Love You Honey But I Hate Your Friends 11. Day Tripper 12. Gonna Raise Hell 13. Drums Solo 14. Guitar Solo 15. Big Eyes 16. I Want You to Want Me 17. Surrender 18. DJ Outro. Robin Zander – Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitar Rick Nielsen – Lead Guitar, Vocals Pete Comita – Bass, Vocals Bun E. Carlos – Drums FM BROADCAST RECORDING