Cheap Trick

The Epic Archive, Vol. 3 (1984-1992) is the last installment of the Cheap Trick rarities series. Originally released as a digital compilation in 2015, the new, resequenced collection will arrive on CD for the first time, on the heels of the Record Store Day-exclusive red vinyl version. Compiled by Timothy J. Smith, the CD includes 16 hard-to-find tracks from the final years of Cheap Trick's Epic run, featuring rare alternate mixes, single edits, alternate takes, international tracks, and tracks that were previously soundtrack exclusives. Highlights include the No. 1 hit "The Flame," which appears in its original single edit; the "Big New Mix" version of "Don't Be Cruel (which sees Robin Zander vocally channeling both Elvis and John Lennon), and alternate versions of "How About You" and "All We Need Is a Dream," plus "Big Bang" from the Japanese edition of 1990's Busted. All the music was mastered for the compilation by Mike Piacentini at Battery Studios, New York.

The package also includes comprehensive liner notes with track-by-track commentary from Robin Zander, Rick Nielsen, and Bun E. Carlos, alongside interviews with biographer Ken Sharp and Epic Archive series producer Timothy J. Smith. The booklet is rounded out by Robert Alford's photographs of the band.