Amazon.com essential recording: The unexpected success of Live at Budokan (originally available in America only as a Japanese import) in 1978 very nearly overshadowed the band's most accomplished studio album, Heaven Tonight, released just months earlier. In Color's occasionally candy-ass studio gloss isn't entirely lost, just supplanted by healthy doses of the band's awesome raw power. Kicking off with the crypto-anthemic "Surrender," Heaven maintains a level of quality in songwriting, performance, and production rare in a rock album; some lesser band would covet this as its greatest-hits collection. There's another peerless Trick cover choice (the Move's "California Man") and a batch of originals that cover everything from suicidal tendencies ("Auf Wiedersehen") and drug abuse (the eerily moving title track) to blank nostalgia ("Takin' Me Back"), FM bliss ("On the Radio"), and jaded big spenders ("High Roller"). This "Expanded Edition" is sonically superb and includes new liner notes, photos, and a pair of live-in-the-studio outtakes. --Jerry McCulley
The last of their great studio albums (4.5 stars) Heaven Tonight is the last of Cheap Trick's classic studio albums. The production is slightly rougher this time around as the rockers are harder while the pop songs are more poppy than on In Color. The opening track, "Surrender", is the band's best ever single and has become their signature song. The rockers "On Top Of the World", "Auf Wiedersehen", and "Stiff Competition" are all pretty heavy by Cheap Trick standards but are also very melodic, something that only the best power pop bands could pull off. Their version of the Move's "California Man" is their second great cover tune (their first is "Speak Now or Forever Hold Your Peace") while "High Roller" is probably their best deep cut, featuring a wicked, strutting guitar riff by Rick Nielsen. Other strong tracks include the poppy "How Are You?" and "Takin' Me Back." The bubblegum pop of "On the Radio" and the bombastic title track are the first slight chinks in the armor of Cheap Trick as these tracks aren't on the level of the rest of the album. The remastered version contains rawer versions of "Stiff Competition" and "Surrender" that are very good, even if the latter sounds naked without the keyboards. All told, Heaven Tonight completes the trifecta of Cheap Trick's great studio albums and still sounds great 30 years later.
their best cd my opinion is this is an excellent cd, the title track is awesome, plus the timeless [surrender] is on here,two versions,both great. love it
Gritty Studio Work, Finally! Cheap Trick is an artist that has always been plagued by a too slick studio sound that doesn't match their live energy or a general feeling of rawness. Both Cheap Trick and In Color lack the edge of later live recordings, and it's no wonder that a number of their hits are better known as live recordings than from their studio albums.
This changes for the better on Heaven Tonight. While still not up to the level of their live performance, this album has more of a rock n' roll edge to it, while maintaining the band's basic songwriting style. As such, while the songs aren't quite of the quality on their previous two albums, the album is altogether stronger.
Cheap Trick essential classic A must have classic rock CD. Not a bad second of music from start to end. If you like classic rock, 70s rock, pop music, guitars, or if you have any sense for any music at all you must get this CD. The title track is haunting, the album-opener is pop rock iconic, the rest of the tracks are the epitome of 1970s rock and roll. Standout tracks: On Top Of The World, Auf Wiedersehen, Stiff Competition, Heaven Tonight.
Best Record that year? I suppose I'd have to really look back at the year 1978 and think about that one. The late 70's needed hard rock as much as ever. Rockers were going disco. Who'duv thunk it. Rod Stewart? Rolling Stones? Even though Cheap Trick says their parents are alright 'cause they get the KISS records out... the next year KISS would go disco too. My my... Yes I think this might have been the best ROCK record of 1978. Stiff Competition anyway~~~ sorry for the pun... I had to...
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