4 Stars
Cheap Trick step up to another world in 2021.
Cheap Trick were formed in 1973 after all members had been in various bands in the American Mid-West playing in every Bowling alley, warehouse, and dingy dives that would have them. Since then Cheap Trick have played over 3,700 gigs and sold 20 million albums.
The band adopted the moniker Cheap Trick after the whole band went to go and check out British band Slade and decided that they pulled out every cheap trick in the book!
Over the course of their career, Cheap Trick have fallen from the grace of both critics and their fans. But they always redeem themselves and shine back in the spotlight.
Nor were they immediately successful in their native US of A, although they were superstars with all the trappings, screaming girls and great sales in Japan almost straight away. Three albums were released by Epic none of which cracked the Billboard Top 40. It wasn’t until some live recordings from their sold out shows recorded at the Budokan, in Tokyo, Japan were released as a Japan only release that the breakthrough beckoned. Demand for import copies was huge so Epic Records bowed to public demand and released it worldwide. Live at Budokan sold over three million copies and is still selling.
Two tracks were plucked from the tapes giving Cheap Trick hit singles: ‘I Want You To Want Me,’ and the Fats Domino classic ‘Ain’t That A Shame.’ This opened the floodgates and Cheap Trick became a household name.
The band wear their influences on their sleeves, The Beatles being the most notable, but then again, get your influences from the best. In fact Cheap Trick have recorded the whole of Sergeant Peppers as a tribute.
Cheap Trick have always been split into two camps with Robin Zander and Tom Petersson as the sexy ones playing up to the girls, whilst on multiple necked guitars and thunderous drums were Rick Nielsen and Bun E Carlos as the wacky ones.
In 1988 they had a huge number one hit single in ‘The Flame.’
2021 sees the release of another slice of superb Power Pop/Rock. In Another World is a great party record guaranteed to get everybody out on the dance floor. Full of zany titles such as Boys & Girls Rock’n’Roll, Quit Waking Me Up, and album opening rocker The Summer Looks Good On You, the title track is a stadium anthem that will have them all swaying with their lights held up, then an amazing cover of John Lennon’s Gimme Some Truth. But Cheap Trick always had an eye for a good song to cover and adopting it to their own needs.
Cheap Trick’s nearly forty year career has seen twenty studio albums, eight live albums and countless compilations. The band’s line up has remained reasonably stable with Tom Petersson taking a hiatus in the eighties before returning, and in 2004 Bun E Carlos stepping away from the band, although remaining a full time member. He has been replaced by Rick Nielsen’s son Daxx Nielsen for both live work and recording.
Cheap Trick were inducted into the Rock’n’Roll Hall of Fame in 2016.
Never the greatest musicians or songwriters, but Cheap Trick have always been such great fun, and these days we could certainly do with a great dollop of fun.
Written by Mott the Dog from his play pen on Pattaya’s Darkside.
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