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Cheap Trick - Live in Australia
Warner Vision/Warner Vision . R4 . COLOR . 66 mins . E . PAL

  Feature
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Since forming in Rockford Illinois in 1974, Cheap Trick has shown a longevity in rock and roll that few bands can match. Although they haven’t maintained continual chart success throughout this period, they have retained the original line-up, well for the most part anyway. The unmistakeable vocals of Robin Zander have been an ever present, as has the eccentric guitar playing of Rick Nielsen. Bun E Carlos has continually pounded the drums and although he took a seven year break from 1980, bassist Tom Petersson has provided the backing on his unique 12 string bass ever since.

From early on, the band became known as one of the hardest working in the business, touring extensively. They supported bands such as Kiss and Queen while establishing their own following. Unwittingly they became huge in Japan, selling out records within hours of release, but it wasn’t until the release of their Heaven Tonight album in 1978 that they achieved chart success in their home country with the hit single Surrender. The band decided then to record several shows they were performing in Japan and released the classic Live at Budokan album. The single from the album, I Want You To Want Me, helped the band achieve a worldwide following.

There have been many tours over the years and some major chart success with singles such as Ain’t That a Shame, Dream Police, If You Want My Love, The Flame and the Elvis cover Don’t Be Cruel. They celebrated their 25th anniversary in 1999 by performing a terrific show in their hometown of Rockford with special guests and released the subsequent DVD Cheap Trick - Silver. The band continues to tour to this day and although never reaching the chart success of the late '70s and early '80s, they maintain a strong following throughout the world.

Cheap Trick Live in Australia is a concert recorded in Sydney in 1988 in rather a small venue. For a band that has filled stadiums and at the time of this recording were touring the hit album Lap of Luxury this venue did seem a bit small to me, more of a pub gig if you like. As far as the performance goes, well the band sounds as good as ever. They are obviously good friends to maintain the longevity they have and this shows in their performance. The wonderful guitar playing of Rick Nielssen is here, this is on the numerous guitars he has in his collection. The band play a collection of their biggest hits and include many of their early songs.

Track listing:

Just Got Back
Top of the World
Dream Police
If You Want My Love
Clock Strikes Ten
Big Eye
Never Had a Lot to Lose
Ain’t That a Shame
California Man
The Flame
Don’t Be Cruel
I Want You to Want Me
Surrender
Auf Wiedersehen

This is a great performance by Cheap Trick. It's obvious that they both enjoy what they do and like each other a lot. Due to their extensive touring over the years, they sound very tight and seem to be able to play their songs effortlessly. The audience are very enthusiastic, although some of the screaming does sound added on, and the venue also seems very hot due to the amount of sweat coming from guitarist Rick Nielssen. Now before you Cheap Trick fans get too excited, I must state that while the performance is terrific, not necessarily the video and audio, but more about that later.

They were never the biggest band in the world, and never will be, but Cheap Trick have had major chart success and, more importantly, have stood the test of time. They have influenced many bands since and continue today doing what they do best. One last item of interest is that they actually turned down the opportunity to be the support band for the Kiss Farewell Tour of 2000, however seeing as Kiss are again planning a tour of the US with Aerosmith later this year, they may one day again share the bill.

  Video
  Audio
  Extras
Contract

Being filmed in the late '80s, this transfer is not great but is reasonable. It is presented in full frame and therefore it's not 16:9 enhanced. The biggest problems are grain, saturation of colours and cometing. The grain is not a constant and can be excused because of the age and more likely the source material. The colour saturation can also be excused due to concert lighting and again the age. The cometing, which is where lights leave a trail across the screen, is a major issue and a real annoyance. These can also be excused by the age, but they are so prevalent that viewers should be warned beforehand as to their extent. Shadow detail is also a problem, it's generally OK on the band but faces are easily lost in the audience shots. The direction and editing are very good, showing the band in every angle imaginable and capturing the performance well. The stage is very small, so it would be hard to give variation to camera shots, but this has been done masterfully. Overall this is a satisfactory transfer, but in comparison to most concert releases these days it is very average and many will be disappointed.

Audio is supplied in Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo and is thankfully a lot better than the video. Audio is clear for the most part, although there is a major sound change during the song Never Had a Lot to Lose where sound is decidedly muffled for the whole song, obviously a different source track was used here. Apart from this instant the sound is reasonable, offering clear and audible lyrics as well as a good spread of sound. A DD 5.1 mix would have been nice for this release, but the DD 2.0 does a sufficient job. There are a few instances of feedback on occasion, but these add to the whole theme of the concert, giving more of a pub gig feel.

Only a couple of extras accompany this release and neither is what you would class as mind blowing. Firstly is a biography, which is a series of text pages that gives an in-depth look at the band's history. Secondly there is a collection of eight pictures from the show.

Overall this is a good performance, but it's lacking in the visual department. The sound quality is better, although still not the best compared to most recent concert releases, but its age is a justifiable excuse. Extras are minimal, but fans will still want to own this release as it shows the band put on a great show. As there are currently two Cheap Trick DVD releases on the market, the preferred choice would be the Cheap Trick - Silver rather than this one, but if you already own that and are a diehard fan then this is worth a look simply for the performance of the band.


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  •   And I quote...
    "The band is in fine form for this 1988 concert filmed in Sydney..."
    - Adrian Turvey
      Review Equipment
    • DVD Player:
          Sony DVP-NS305
    • TV:
          AKAI CT-29S55AT 68cm
    • Receiver:
          Sony STR-DE685
    • Speakers:
          Sony SAVE815ED
    • Centre Speaker:
          Sony SAVE815ED
    • Surrounds:
          Sony SAVE815ED
    • Subwoofer:
          Sony SAVE815ED
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