CHEAP TRICK – Heaven Tonight +5 [Japan BluSpec CD2 remastered miniLP]

Reaching the end with the excellent CHEAP TRICK Japanese BluSpec CD2 remastered versions including loads of bonus tracks, here’s their third studio album ”Heaven Tonight” augmented with five extra songs.
”Heaven Tonight” is considered Cheap Trick’s best album by many fans and critics. Like the band’s previous album, it was produced by Tom Werman, but the difference between the two records is substantial. Where ‘In Color’ often sounded emasculated, ”Heaven Tonight” regains the powerful, arena-ready punch of Cheap Trick, but crosses it with a clever radio-friendly production that relies both on synthesizers and studio effects.
And it has “Surrender”, perhaps Cheap Trick’s best song ever.

Even with the fairly slick production, Cheap Trick sound ferocious throughout the album, slamming hard rock & power pop together in a humongous sound.
Any album that kicks off with “Surrender” has a head start to greatness. It’s lyrically brilliant and musically unforgettable. Nielsen came up with a genuine classic in “Surrender” that has lost none of its punch decades later.

And the remainder of the record is a roller coaster ride, peaking with the sneering, a top-flight hard rocker “Auf Wiedersehen,” the dreamily psychedelic title track, the roaring rocker with a killer hook “On Top of the World,” the high-stepping, tongue-in-cheek “How Are You,” and the pulverizing cover of the Move’s “California Man.”

”Heaven Tonight” is the culmination of the group’s dizzying early career, summing up the strengths of their first two albums, their live show, and their talent for inverting rock&pop conventions.
A timeless classic

ＳＯＮＹ ＭＵＳＩＣ ＪＡＰＡＮ 【SICP～31063】
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01 – Surrender
02 – On Top Of The World
03 – California Man
04 – High Roller
05 – Auf Wiedersehen
06 – Takin’ Me Back
07 – On The Radio
08 – Heaven Tonight
09 – Stiff Competition
10 – How Are You?
11 – Oh Claire
BONUS TRACKS:
12 – High Roller (Alternate version)
13 – Stiff Competition (Alternate version)
14 – Surrender (Alternate version)
15 – Lookout (Live at Osaka ’78)
16 – Ain’t That A Shame (Live – Single edit)

Robin Zander – lead vocals, rhythm guitar
Rick Nielsen – lead guitar, harpsichord, cello, mandocello, backing vocals
Tom Petersson – bass, 12 string bass, backing vocals
Bun E. Carlos – drums
Additional musicians:
Jai Winding – keyboards

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www.cdjapan.co.jp/product/SICP-31063