Cheap Trick
 

About time these guys from Rockford Illinois had a thread on here, so here it is. Most that know me on here, know that I'm pretty obsessed with this band, in fact have been so since the early 1980s when I discovered them by accident and I was instantly hooked. Over the years they've had a whole load of very high points and plenty of lows, just think "The Flame" and the god awful "Don't Be Cruel" etc but then again a lot of bands have hit similiar lows, BUT believe me this band knew what combining melodic rock with hard rock was all about and then letting rip true Cheap Trick style, which often sounded like a rollarcoaster running out of control. They basically took the melody of the Beatles and fellow American bands inspired by the British Invasion bands of the 1960s such as Big Star and the Raspberries and combined that with the power of the Who and the sound of the Move, chucked in their wild sense of humour and added a vocalist in Mr.Zander who had a voice to die for. They were discovered by Aerosmith, who recommended that their producer Jack Douglas really needed to see this band, he did and the rest is history as they say. I've actually been lucky enough to see them in the 1990s and it ranks as one of the best live performances that I've seen by a rock band and I've seen a lot.

Their first 5 studio albums plus their famous live album are essential listens. Most of the rest of their discography is really just for fans.
Cheap Trick
In Color
Heaven Tonight
Live at the Budoken
Dream Police
All Shook Up

Robin Zander-Vocals
Rick Neilson-Guitar
Tom Petersson-Bass or Jon Brant-Bass
Bun E.Carlos-Drums

I actually saw a show by them on PBS last Saturday. Was pretty epic. The vocalist looked and sounded like he could have easily broken into "Heeding the Call" or "The Bard's Song" at any time, which was awesome. Made me wanna check 'em out.

I had to check what PBS was on wiki but I guessed it was a tv channel there and it is. Well Robin Zander was often referred to as "The Man of a Thousand Voices" due to his ability to sound very different across certain albums. The order I've actually put their 6 essential albums, is the order to listen to them in, it is also the correct release sequence as well. Tuneful melodies, Power pop, hard rock, blazing guitars and pounding drums fuelled up with energy are present on all those albums.

Its actually amazing how the first three albums actually didn't sell very well in the USA and it was only their huge success in Japan and the release of the Budoken album, that showed America what they were missing.

A couple of songs to wet the appetite.


He's A Whore - YouTube


Cheap Trick - Ballad of T V Violence (1977) - YouTube


Cheap Trick - Auf Wiedersehen - from Budokan DVD - YouTube

basically all there is to be said you've already said in the first post

i've got nothing to add

except i'd limit to the first three albums and "Budokan" as essential listenings

the others are pretty hit and miss

Well Dream Police was the first Trick album that I ever bought and the one I fell in love with, expecially the dynamic tracks "Need Your Love" and "Gonna Raise Hell" both running over 7 and 9 mins, these contrast superbly with the very melodic "Voices".

All Shook Up is seen where the band went downhill, but I think its a great album and possibly my personal favourite, they also worked with George Martin on this album. I even really like the following album One on One as well, it has some of the band's heaviest songs.

But most fans do generally think the first three and the Budoken to be the best.

I've heard In Color... It was catchy hard rock but nothing that really grabbed me a whole lot, so I never moved on to their other releases. Should I?

did you hear the original mix or the Albini remix?

the Albini remix is much more dynamic and really brought out the subtleties

i really think you should check out Heaven Tonight, anyway, much stronger tunes

In Color is a great album but I can see the valid criticism there. It's largely because the band were under pressure after the first album to produce something more radio frendly from their label, In Color is the result, if you take In Color for what it is with radio friendly power pop tunes then its one of the best ever recorded (Rolling Stone have it in their best 500 albums ever list) but if you're expecting the raw attack of the debut then its not there.

Sure you need to listen to their other stuff, its essential you start with the debut then In Color again (you may appreciate it more on another listen) and then Heaven Tonight and finally At the Budoken.

Yer the Albini mix is better and is another Trick release that sounds how it should've sounded back in 77.

Heaven Tonight is often seen as the complete Trick release, it has the raw energy of the debut combined with the tunefulness of In Color. Hell I love the title track.


CHEAP TRICK Heaven Tonight (images and lyrics) - YouTube

Budokan rocks, I totally agree....been listening to it all day