Cheap Trick - Budokan‪!‬

In America, despite glowing accolades from the music press, Cheap Trick’s first three albums, Cheap Trick, In Color and Heaven Tonight, failed to make a dent on the charts. Halfway around the world, the story was altogether different. Enamored by their catchy tunes and cartoon image, Japan embraced the band with Beatle-like fervor. Looking back, no one could have predicted how the group’s first Japanese tour would inexorably transform their career. 


Bolstered by the hit singles, "I Want You To Want Me" and "Ain't that A Shame", 1978's Cheap Trick at Budokan is the album that catapulted the Rockford, Illinois quartet to international superstardom. Originally intended as a souvenir for their Japanese fans, the album's unprecedented import sales paved the way to its eventual domestic release. A picture perfect document of the band's thrilling live shows, the album was a massive seller, soaring to #4 on the Billboard charts and achieving triple platinum status. Voted by Rolling Stone magazine as one of the top 500 albums of all time, Cheap Trick at Budokan stands as the group's crowning achievement, its classic songs forming a bedrock of the band’s live shows today.


The Budokan! book includes 85 minutes of video encompassing the historic 1978 Japan concert, aired only once on Japanese TV.  Audio clips include all tracks featured on At Budokan: The Complete Concert, newly remastered, plus additional clips from the audio counterpart to the filmed concert and bonus songs not included in the original film.  Rare photos, memorabilia, and an insightful essay complete the legacy of this historic performance.