Back in the 80’s, record companies would put out compilations on cassette only. They weren’t really official band releases, but the labels did it anyway. While I was at a record show, I found this tape by Cheap Trick that I had never seen before. It was a CBS Special Product and it was only available on cassette. It is called “Love to Rock” and it is a short compilation of Cheap Trick songs from 1977 up to the 80’s. This was released back in 1988 and I am sure was to capitalize on the band’s new popularity with their new hit “The Flame”, which isn’t on here by the way.
For fun, let’s go through the track list and see what they gave us. Not a bade tracklist, but might not be one I would’ve chosen, but what I do know, I’m not a suit at a record company that has no idea what the buying public really wants.
Side One kicks off with “I Want You To Want Me” from the 1977 album ‘In Color’. The first single and one of their most well-known songs is up next. “I Want You To Want Me” did nothing as a single and didn’t chart, not until it was released as a single off Budokan and we will talk about that in a couple reviews. This version doesn’t have the energy as the live version, but doesn’t mean it isn’t good. The song is a real treat as it is so playful and a finger-snapping good time. There is a some cool guitar picking with almost a country twang and a piano interlude that is fast and frenzied. The song might like the power of the live version, but you can’t deny its whimsical stylings.
For My Sunday Song #320, we are ending are Cheap Trick 10 song run with “Dream Police” off the album of the same name. The song was release in September 1979 and broke the Top 40 landing all the way at #26. It was the first single off an album that followed ‘Live at Budokan’ and was destined to be a smash…and it was.
The song was written by Rick Nielsen and seems to be about a very paranoid individual. This guy thinks that Big Brother is monitoring his dreams. No matter where he goes or what he does, the dream police are they waiting to arrest him for that one wrong thought or dream. With each passing moment, he is growing more and more insane and obsessed with the whole idea.
The song is upbeat and starts off with the chorus and then goes straight in to the first verse. The organ/keyboards and the string orchestration add an eerie, spooky vibe to the song which makes the song so dramatic and horrifying. Bun E. Carlos’ drums are spectacular adding perfect fills where needed and Petersson’s bass during the creepy Robin speaking vocals adds so much texture and flavor to the song. It is catchy as hell and bores in to your brain as sweet ear candy. The song also reminds me of The Who with its energy and that is good thing.
Give the song a listen and let me know what you think. Do you love the humor behind as much as I do? It is one of my favorite tracks by them, where does it fall for you? Thanks for stopping by and I hope you all have a wonderful and Happy Sunday!! Be careful when you sleep because you never know who is listening (or watching).
“Dream Police”
The dream police, they live inside of my head The dream police, they come to me in my bed The dream police, they’re coming to arrest me, oh, no
You know that talk is cheap And those rumors ain’t nice And when I fall asleep I don’t think I’ll survive the night, the night
‘Cause they’re waiting for me They’re looking for me Every single night They’re driving me insane Those men inside my brain
The dream police, they live inside of my head (live inside of my head) The dream police, they come to me in my bed (come to me in my bed) The dream police, they’re coming to arrest me, oh, no
Well, I can’t tell lies ‘Cause they’re listening to me And when I fall asleep Bet they’re spying on me tonight, tonight
‘Cause they’re waiting for me They’re looking for me Every single night They’re driving me insane Those men inside my brain
I try to sleep, they’re wide awake, they won’t let me alone They don’t get paid to take vacations or let me alone They spy on me, I try to hide, they won’t let me alone They persecute me, they’re the judge and jury all in one
‘Cause they’re waiting for me They’re looking for me Every single night They’re driving me insane Those men inside my brain
The dream police, they live inside of my head (live inside of my head) The dream police, they come to me in my bed (come to me in my bed) The dream police, they’re coming to arrest me The dream police (police, police) The dream police (police, police) The dream police (police, police) The dream police (police, police) The dream police (police, police) The dream police (police, police
For My Sunday Song #318, we will talk about “Clock Strikes Ten” by Cheap Trick. The song is off their 1977 album ‘In Color’ and the single was only released in Japan where it went all the way to #1 helping pave the way for Budokan. It is also a great song to hear live!
The song was written by Rick Nielsen and was basically about partying on the weekend. When the clock strikes 10pm, it is time to party. The lyrics keep speaking of the clock striking every two hours and how the night was progressing. It is simply a party song that is completely old school rocked out.
It starts off with what sounds like a clocks bell chiming and representative of Big Ben’s clock. The song then explodes in to an old rockabilly stylings with that old school 50/60’s rock & roll i.e. “Rock Around the Clock” style. I even feel there is even a little Aerosmith vibe going as well. It is a fireball of a song that will get you on your feet and moving which is all we really want in a song anyway, right!
For My Sunday Song #317, we are going to talk “Long Time Coming” by Cheap Trick. The song is off their 2017 album ‘We’re All Alright’ which I think is one of their best. It was the only single from the album and only hit #36 on the Mainstream Rock Chart but it is way better than that. A band that has been around for over 40 years comes along and delivers a song and album like this shows they still have a ton of gas in the tank. The song was written by Rick Nielsen, Robin Zander, Tom Petersson and producer Julian Raymond and it was released as a single on April 27, 2017.
“Long Time Coming,” a crunchy hard rocker driven by a Kinks-flavored riff, is a bit of a one-song tribute to Cheap Trick’s influential forebears. “It’s our interpretation of Slade and MC5 and AC/DC and Aerosmith — a lot of riffs that are reminiscent of the Move, but they’re not steals,” Nielsen says. “It’s just, like, all the bands we like.” The song also features a synthesizer underbelly that was a signature in “Surrender,” “Dream Police” and other Cheap Trick songs.
There is nothing I can say that will summarize better than Rick Nielsen does. It is full of that classic angst of early Cheap Trick with their influences laid out on their sleeves. It rocks out and is about as heavy as these guys get. And though they are 40 years in, you don’t know that based on this song. They sound, hungry and fresh as ever! And if you want to sound like The Kinks and AC/DC and mix the two together, sign me up.
Give the song a listen and let me know what you think. These guys are still going strong and seem to be getting better and better. Not too many old bands still excite me like these guys do!! Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have a wonderful and Happy Sunday!!
“Long Time Coming”
I’m in the middle of something And it sure feels good It makes me feel better Do I look like a should?
Get me on the tour bus Then put me on a plane Take me to the city Before I go insane
I can feel, I can think, I can show ya What you want, what you need, get to know ya I don’t care what they say all the time Believe me, you’re gonna feel fine
It’s been a long time coming (long time coming) It’s been a long time coming down (long time coming) It’s been a long time coming (long time coming) It’s been a long time coming down (long time coming)
Shake it, shake it, shake it About to blow my mind A real pole grinder I leave my troubles behind
I can feel, I can think, I can show ya What you want, what you need, get to know ya I don’t care waht they say, I can tell all the time Believe me, you’re gonna feel fine
It’s been a long time coming (long time coming) It’s been a long time coming down (long time coming) It’s been a long time coming (long time coming) It’s been a long time coming down (long time coming)
I can feel, I can think, I can show ya What you want, what you need, get to know ya I don’t care what they tell all the time Yeah, believe me, you’re gonna feel fine
It’s been a long time coming (long time coming) It’s been a long time coming down (long time coming) It’s been a long time coming (long time coming) It’s been a long time coming down (long time coming)
Long time coming (long time coming) Long time coming down (long time coming) It’s been a long time coming (long time coming) It’s been a long time coming down (long time coming)
It’s a long time!
Written by Rick Nielsen, Robin Zander, Tom Petersson and producer Julian Raymond
For My Sunday Song #316, we are talking about “When I Wake Up Tomorrow” by Cheap Trick. The song is off their stellar 2016 album ‘Bang, Zoom, Crazy…Hello!’. The song was released as a promotional single and went to #24 on the Mainstream Rock Chart. The song was written by Rick Nielsen, Robin Zander, Tom Petersson and Julian Raymond. They have decided to credit everyone that is an official band member and the producer. Whatever works right.
The song is a modern ballad. It is dark and there is a sadness as the singer is looking for more than a one night stand and is begging and pleading for more. He doesn’t feel like he can live without her and just wants her to stay the night and wake up with him tomorrow. Part of me wonders if he wants her to stay the night so he won’t kill himself it is that dark sounding. But there is a beauty to it as well.
“When I Wake Up Tomorrow” brings a darker, more moody styled song and Zander does some of his best Bowie vibes he can muster. The rhythm section on this one is also a standout as Tom and Daxx seem to have found the groove that fits nicely with in Rick’s great guitar work. But it is those keyboard parts that add a new texture and layer which are so cool and almost U2 like in their stylings. Easy to see why this was a single as it is fresh sounding and one of the best things they’ve done in years. Pure brilliance.
For My Sunday Song #315, we are diving in to the very controversial song “Daddy Should Have Stayed in High School” by Cheap Trick. The song is off the 1977 debut album. The song was not a single for obvious reasons once you learn what it is about, but it was the B-Side to the single “Oh Candy”. It was written by Rick Nielsen back when not everyone got writing credits.
“Daddy Should Have Stayed in High School” is nothing if not controversial giving us a song about a guy who loves to pervert around with teenagers. I believe that is called an ephebophile. With lyrics like “I’m thirty, but I feel like sixteen / I might even know your daddy” is simply plain sick, hysterical and so rock & roll. You can’t help but love it even if it is so, so wrong. It is no worst than Gene Simmons singing about “Christine Sixteen” years earlier.
The song starts with a bunch a school kids making noises. The song chugs along and is just so wrong, but it feels so right. It sounds a little nasty and dirty with the distorted sounding guitar, the dark bass lines and the heavier sounding drum beats. Robin sings it with a gritty feel to his vocals as he knows it is wrong and probably has to take a shower after singing this one. It is one that makes you take notice and shows they weren’t afraid to court a little controversy.
For My Sunday Song #314, we are going after the song “Sick Man of Europe” off the Cheap Trick 2009 album ‘The Latest’. The album came out on June 23, 2009 and the single and video for this song came out on August 13 of the same year. The song didn’t chart, but the album did at #78 on the Billboard Charts. The song was written mostly by Bun E. Carlos and Julian Raymond but credits will go all around to Rick Nielsen, Robin Zander and Tom Petersson.
“Sick Man of Europe” is named after the band name Rick and Tom had for their band while they were in Europe in the early 70’s, pre-Cheap Trick. The song is a nod to the old, but it is new again. It is basically them calling out to the world and telling them we still got it.
The bass is king here. Tom goes ballistic on this track as he is balls-to-walls amazing. Bun E. Carlos has such great feel on this one as he tears up the skins. Rick lays down some wicked riffs and Robin sounds as youthful as ever with that never aging voice. The song has all the punk attitude and force you remember from early Trick with tracks like “He’s a Whore” for example. It is short and sweet and will get you on your feet! It will slap you upside the face and kick you in the ass. It is a force to be reckoned with and shows they still got it.
For My Sunday Song #313, we are talking about the first single off their latest album called “Light Up the Fire”. The album, ‘In Another World’ was released in 2021 and it picks up with “We’re All Alright’ left off. The album only went to #142 which is a shame because it is a solid album. The single was a blistering power pop track. It was written by Rick Nielsen, Robin Zander, Tom Petersson and Julian Raymond (the producer).
The song is about…heck if I know for sure but from the lyrics it could be about a woman who wants to be good and find that right relationship, but at the same time she is tempted by dark side, if you will. The lyrics ask if she is “looking for heaven or one hell of a time”. She doesn’t know yet what she really wants. He wants to be with her in every sense of the word, but he doesn’t want her to burn out and destroy their love. He wants her to light up the fire, but be careful how hard and heavy it burns because it could be bad.
The song opens with some heavy, low down, deep and nasty bass line and a massive guitar distortion-filled riff, Cheap Trick brings back the heavy and Robin attacks the lyrics with some cocky bravado while Rick’s guitar playing on this one is stellar as he lets loose. Robin’s voice never ages and is still killer after almost 40 years of the band. The Daxx Nielsen & Tom Peterson combo are key to the vibe as their rhythm section is driving hard and fast. Tom’s bass line on this one is stellar. The song is filled with a classic cheap trick chorus, a great hook and totally infectious. A beast of a track.
For My Sunday Song #312, we are going with “You Let A Lotta People Down” off their 1997 self-titled album, ‘Cheap Trick’. The song wasn’t a single but a B-Side to the albums third single, “Carnival Games”. The album went fairly overlooked as this 1997 and nothing from bands from the 70’s and 80’s was getting much love. That doesn’t detract from its greatness though…not in my book at least.
I will be honest, I don’t know who the song is about. All that is obvious that someone has let a lot of people down. That has hurt this person severely to the point of anger and dare I say rage. To the point that he might be willing to get a gun and do something about it…or someone that this person has hurt will one day end things. The person was teetering on a fence between the right decision and the wrong decision and they feel towards the wrong, deceitful side.
The band is on fire with this as they completely rock out with this one borderline metal with its really dark and anger-filled tone. Robin’s vocals aren’t silky smooth, they have an edge like the song itself. There is anger in those lyrics and the music personifies it. The chorus is classic 70’s Cheap Trick and catchy as hell, but the sound is more modern and fits the darker 90’s style of music. There is a point with some really heavy bass, pounding drums and a simple slamming guitar riff while Robin is angry and screaming and it is freaking awesome!!! It is a side of Cheap Trick we don’t get to see very often and that is a shame.
Welcome to the final post in the Cheap Trick Collection Series. We are going to rank all 20 of their studio albums from their worst to their absolute best. I am sure there will be some disagreement, but these are my choices and not necessarily yours so it is okay to disagree. I have spent the last 9/10 months going through every piece of Cheap Trick music in my collection and that gave us 37 posts so my choices are well documented and please check them all out if you have time.
We started back in 1977 with their debut and finished with their latest studio album, 2021’s ‘In Another World’. We didn’t hit everything in between because I missed a few live albums and a ton of greatest hits compilations, but it was still a pretty immersive catalog to go through. Cheap Trick’s core group was always Robin Zander, Rick Nielsen, Tom Petersson and Bun E. Carlos with changes here and there, but those are the original guys we all know and love.
Their Beatles influences, pop-punk style was all their own. You heard a Cheap Trick song, you basically knew it was a Cheap Trick song. Robin Zander’s vocals have never aged a bit and at times sounds even better today than 45 years ago. Rick’s crazy guitars weren’t to make up for the fact he can’t play because he sure as hell can as he filled every album with some great solos and killer riffs. Tom Petersson’s bassline was the driving force behind the rhythm section and with Bun E Carlos on drums, that rhythm section was pretty freakin’ tight. These four guys could produce a lot of sound and gave us a lot of great music. Let’s celebrate now with the Ranking from Worst to First!!
2 Loud 2 Old Music 