Cheap Trick
Live at The Whisky 1977
Real Gone Music
4 CD Box Set
4 CD Box Set
A couple of years ago, RSD released an abbreviated sampler of tunes that were captured at this 1977 weekend stand at The Whisky a Go Go in LA. That album was great, but this is the full meal deal - four complete shows that you can listen to back-to-back to your heart's content.
While this is totally overkill for the average fan, it's an absolute must-have for the die-hard fans of Cheap Trick. The collection paints a picture of a hungry band on the rise, throwing everything they have against the wall in order to see what sticks. They are lean, mean, and tight. Every show is a barnburner, and only a handful of times do they ever miss the mark.
This is not polished. This is not Budokan. This is not a collection of studio-ready tunes that are being politely auditioned for an adoring audience. All the warts are there and completely on display - mics that drop out, missed lyrics, false starts, awkward stage patter, and drunken shouts from the crowd. I would argue that the warts make this more endearing. At heart, Cheap Trick is a live band - a bar band, if you will. They never could capture their true raw energy in the studio, and this collection proves that the stage was where they belonged.
Good luck finding a "cheap" copy of this one - word has it that it sold out pretty quickly.
MISH MASH Mandate: Hold Your Peace
