Heaven Tonight [Original recording remastered, Import]

Nielsen had become a guitar maniac by now, throwing off inventive riffs like he'd just invented the six-string. The rolling thunder of "Stiff Competition" and "Auf Weidersen" out new-wave many of the bands sporting skinny ties at the time, and their cover of the Move's "California Man" make Cheap Trick sound as brilliant as any British Invasion band of the sixties. "Surrender" is also quite possibly the most subversive rock song to brush the lower regions of the pop charts. Bubbly keyboards, Pete Townshend-ish guitar banging and a lyric about sneaking in on your parents while they make out to your KISS records...if that isn't your idea of a rock anthem for the post baby-boom generation, you're probably reading this review by accident.

Equal parts funny and deviant, yet 100% tuneful, "Heaven Tonight" is Cheap Trick's high water mark in the studio. If you get any Trick album other than "At Budokan," this is the one you must have.

From the onslaught of Surrender (a teeneage anthem!), to the serious heavy pop of 'California Man', 'Top of the World' and 'On the Radio', then to the eerie sounds of 'Heaven Tonight', and then again to the anger and chutzpa of 'Takin me back', this CD has it all. It shows all the sides of Cheap Trick, save a few classics that they had already established with the 'Live at Budokan' album.

What I really loved about this CD is that it seemed like a 'Greatest Hits' already - no filler at ALL - something I would rarely say about ANY CD ever. This is one band that has a lot more to offer than what you may have heard on the radio, so check this gem out for the real Cheap Trick - you only have to get this one and maybe 'In Color' to get their finest moments, as opposed to the so-called 'Greatest Hits' CD's out there now...

Unlike "In Color", which showcased Cheap Trick's pop sensibilities, "Heaven Tonight" is a raving rock CD. From the opening riff of 'Surrender', this CD is a great collection of hooks, melodies, and rhythms for people who think too much of today's popular stuff is awful.

Unlike so many contemporary CD's, there is no 'filler' or 'throwaway' material here: it's all very good, and every song leaves you wanting to hear the next one.

Cheap Trick released several CD's after this one, and while most had at least one great song, none of them measured up to "heaven Tonight" for consistent excellence from start to finish. While Cheap Trick is a band best known for their own music, The Move's "California Man" is covered here, and Cheap Trick's remake is actually more forceful than the original.

Note to Audiophiles: The Cheap Trick remasters show some of the greatest degree of improvement of any set of remasters, in part because the original CD releases were so bad. The engineering here is extremely good, and the mix is really clear. Even if you have the old CD's, this one's well worth the few extra dollars for the improved sound quality.