Cheap Trick

“I WANT YOU… TO WANT… ME!”  Yep, those six little words with accompanying ratatat-tat intro and rock ‘n bop shuffle were all it took to set me on my way to a life of Cheap Trick fandom.  In some ways, Trick has been my American Beatles- four young men hailing from the same area (in this case, Rockford, Illinois) and having their own distinct personality within the band, although one with more of a unique visual twist.  Y’see, you had the two heartthrobs in lead singer extraordinaire Robin Zander and “king of the twelve string bass” Tom Petersson which were countered by two oddballs in the zany pick flickin’ guitarist Rick Nielsen and frumpy, tie wearin’ and chain smokin’ drummer Bun E Carlos, but besides the look you also had a rash of three minute melodic pop gems offset with more adventurous and experimental fare.  Oh yeah, and they could write a few rock anthems as well.

At Budokan, released in 1979, was my gateway unto the wonders of this band and is still my number one favorite live album of all time PLUS it has my favorite song all time in the mighty “Surrender”, a cool teenage paean to those weird but alright parents out there.  I can still remember my good friend Gary Wright telling me, “if you love I Want You To Want Me, wait until you hear Surrender!”.  And I’ll be damned, here was a song that was EVEN BETTER than what I’d already heard!  Side Two of Budokan was literally played to death; you can look at my original album and notice that the grooves on one side appear to be more worn down than the flip:  it was all “Ain’t That A Shame”, “I Want You To Want Me”, “Surrender”, “Goodnight Now”, and “Clock Strikes Ten” that were on nonstop play at my house.  I’d flip the album over every once and awhile to soak in Side One’s goodies but that one/two punch of IWYTWM (that’s an acronym silly) and “Surrender” were top notch.

Ohhhh, but there is much much more to Cheap Trick than the general public knows.  Most everyone knows “I Want You To Want Me” and “Surrender” plus the manic “Dream Police” and #1 hit ballad “The Flame”, but there is a ridiculous amount of great music across their entire discography.  Their self titled debut is chock full of raw rawk greatness, featuring lyrical content ranging from serial killers, pedophiles, and the dreaded taxman alongside some dark humor.  Underrated All Shook Up mixes up some frenetic production courtesy of fifth Beatle George Martin that helps enhance much of the edgy cuts on the album, and later years albums like Cheap Trick (the 1997 album) and Rockford have solid pop rock mixed with balls out punky moments that rival their early days.  And the boys are still kicking, releasing their latest opus in Bang Zoom Crazy Hello earlier this year to rave reviews and still performing well over 100+ live shows as well.

But like Mike Damone from “Fast Times At Ridgemont High” let’s talk about the “magnetism” and “charisma” of the band members.  Sticksman Bun E Carlos was a solid timekeeper, not flashy and over the top but with plenty of substance that didn’t overshadow the rest of the band (I say “was” as Bun is no longer in the band due to what appears to be personality conflicts).  Bassist Tom Petersson, he of the droll background and occasional lead vocal, lends such density with the twelve string bass that often twists and transforms songs into even weightier flavors.  And guitarist and main songwriter Rick Nielsen is half musical Svengali and half on-stage cartoon, bopping from one side of the stage to the next with one of his elevnty bajillion guitars.

And that leaves us with the man of a thousand voices…  Robin Zander.  One minute ably crooning a ballad and the next minute roaring like an unhinged madman, Zander easily handles the melodic sing songy tunes along with the heavier rocking cuts.  Having such a strong vocalist enables the band to reach creative heights moreso than many of his peers, and that talent is one of the biggest reasons he ranks high on the list of my all time favorite singers and vocal influences.  Stick him in any genre and be amazed at how he can transform a song into greatness.

As the intro to their live show states, Cheap Trick may very well be “the best fucking rock band you’ve ever seen”.  Don’t let the hits fool you; these guys have influenced everyone from Poison to Guns N Roses to Nirvana to Green Day and then some.  Do yourself a favor and look beyond the four I mentioned above and thank me later.

Favorite albums:  At Budokan, Dream Police, In Color

Favorite songs:  Surrender, I Want You To Want Me, Dream Police, Stop This Game, Gonna Raise Hell, Big Eyes, Oh Caroline, He’s A Whore, Voices, Love Comes a-Tumblin’ Down

The Who

I don’t remember the first time I heard The Who but I DEFINITELY remember the impression they made on me the first time I saw them.  Back in the late 70s there was a TV movie on the ABC network called “The Heroes Of Rock and Roll”, hosted by The Dude himself, Jeff Bridges, that celebrated the birth of the genre up to 1979 or so.  My parents were both music fans so I got to stay up late and check out some fantastic artists and great music.  About halfway through the show they showed footage of the Monterey Pop Festival and it was The Who’s performance that completely captured my attention- all psychedelic light show, crazy clothes, manic energy, and destruction.  It was a snippet from “My Generation” and what I’ll always remember is Keith Moon kicking the drums over and see the bass drum rolling on its side, with “WHO” prominently displayed on the screen, slowly rocking back and forth.  I thought… now THAT’S rock and roll!

Anthemic, bombastic, workmanlike, and chaotic but yet sometimes displaying the occasional warm and delicate sensibility…   sheesh, how do you describe The Who?  Four disparate personalities, each bringing their own style and flair to the proceedings, came together in the early 60s with a goal in mind to play “Maximum R&B”:  Roger Daltrey brought the brawn ‘n bravado with the lead vocals; John Entwistle generated musical muscle on bass (and occasional French horn!); the irrepressible Keith Moon displayed comic relief and manic panic on the drums; and Pete Townshend added the icing on the cake by crafting some of the most iconic songs (and slashing rhythm guitar parts) of the era.  The band quickly morphed from an R&B covers band that identified with the Mods of the era to one that created their own blueprint by writing original material that captured the feelings of disaffected youth (via songs like the aforementioned “My Generation”) and eventually moving on to more challenging subject matter via the “rock opera” (displayed on songs like “A Quick One” and albums such as Tommy and Quadrophenia) while at their creative zenith.

Before I get too far ahead of myself, let’s talk about my love for the band.  Shortly after catching the aforementioned ABC movie, I recall hearing “Won’t Get Fooled Again” on our school bus as we were traveling to a basketball game-  I was just enthralled with the intro synth line and the utter havoc that ensued throughout the song.  My world, in that eight and a half plus minutes, was once again turned upside down and I had to hear more.  Shortly thereafter I pestered friends to borrow their 8 tracks or albums or cassettes of the band, eventually going on to grab copies of Who’s Next, The Kids Are Alright, Live At Leeds, Who Are You, and Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy.  One of my best friends had the original The Who’s Greatest Hits and Hooligans on LP that we wore out from constant play. 

As a live unit The Who was often an unstoppable force, especially from roughly 1968 through 1973 with the occasional gem afterwards.   As covered in my favorite bassists/drummers, the duo of Entwistle and Moon are my top rhythm section of all time-  the former rooted to one spot on stage but with fingers flying across the fretboard and the latter non-stop movement behind the kit, all arms and legs flailing wildly.  Both musicians are totally unique with a sound and fury that’s often imitated but never quite duplicated (sadly, Moonie died before I got into the band and Entwistle died just months before I got to see The Who in concert).  Roger Daltrey came into his own as a live performer around the Tommy era, immediately becoming a formidable and commanding presence on stage while belting out the songs and whipping the microphone around like a mad cowboy.  And Pete Townshend…  like Moon/Entwistle, Townshend has his own unique style on the guitar, one minute manic strumming a la a flamenco player and the next minute windmilling his arm as he hammered out one power chord after another.

Genius compositions, manic intensity, ace playing…  The Who are icons and deserve their spot high on this list.  While Moonie and The Ox are missed, Rog and Pete still do the occasional tour as they continue to carry the flag into their 70s- “hope I die before I get old”?  Nah, not yet gentlemen…  not yet.

Favorite albums:  Who’s Next, Live At Leeds, Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy 

Favorite songs:  Won’t Get Fooled Again, Baba O’Riley, The Real Me, Eminence Front, My Generation, Love Reign O’er Me, Anyway Anyhow Anywhere, Young Man Blues, Who Are You, I Can See For Miles

Led Zeppelin

OK, enough with the cracks…  “EVERYONE loves Led Zeppelin, so OF COURSE they are in your Top Five!”  My friends that I grew up with loved Led Zeppelin, they were in heavy rotation on the radio, most everyone I knew owned an album or two, and our hack garage bands often goofed on their more famous material.  But to be honest, it wasn’t until I went to college and really immersed myself in the catalog that I became a big fan.  And part of that was due to a relatively new device released only a few short years before my first semester of college…

Ahhh, I’m getting ahead of myself.  Maybe NOT everyone loves Led Zeppelin, but everyone’s heard of them and knows who they are.  Maybe some of you out there hate the band due to overexposure (I get it) and maybe some of you out there hate the band because they “stole” from classic blues artists (I understand it), but if you’re only basing your opinions on those classic rock radio staples you are missing out on a lot of great music.  If you take the time to dig into all of the albums you would find plenty of hidden gems that rarely get the attention they deserve.  Taking the “Zep experience” out of my original contexts and actually taking the time to sit down and listen as a whole was huge in my overall acceptance and eventual love for the band.

 Funny tho, I’m one of those people that kind of shies away from what’s popular or what my friends like.  Not necessarily shying away, but I’m the one that’s going to make my own decision and follow my own path (yes Mom, just because everyone else is jumping off a cliff doesn’t mean I should do it too 🙂 ).  With Zep, we’ve all been pounded with the “hits” that someone deemed that we should like:  “Whole Lotta Love”, “Heartbreaker”, “Kashmir”, “Rock And Roll”, and the grandest of them all, the one that at one time was the #1 song requested on the radio:  “Stairway To Heaven”.  Great songs, one and all, but NOT fully what Led Zeppelin is all about.  There is much, much more to this band than those hoary old chestnuts and once I figured that out and listened to the whole kit and caboodle I uncovered even more greatness than I realized.

Oh yeah, that device…  the first disc I ever heard on a CD player (still fairly new in 1985) was Zeppelin’s Houses Of The Holy, which was an absolute mesmerizing experience.  I was already familiar with some of the cuts but listening to the thing as a whole with repeated plays was a revelation.  At this point in time for the band, they’d grown immensely from a hard charging, heavy blues based band with the occasional folkish tendencies into a different beast entirely.  As a lyricist Robert Plant had been coming into his own, becoming less likely to quote a phrase from his blues heroes and instead weaving unique, literary references into the material or otherwise creating fresh new tales of his own.  By this time, guitarist Jimmy Page had certainly mastered the “light and shade” and “tight but loose” approach, layering riff upon riff but then able to step back and let the space build tension and speak for itself.  And that rhythm section…  unsung hero John Paul Jones, creating even more washes of sound on Mellotron or keys outside of his already stellar work on the bass; and John Henry Bonham…  what can I say?  Incredibly solid, a master sticksman that knew how to push and pull the tempo even as the band was pushing the boundaries of creativity.

While Houses isn’t my favorite album, it does rank very high.  Matter of fact, that mid period of Zeppelin is actually my favorite era as it shows the most creativity as a whole and they were forging new territory.  The band was less likely to bash you over the head with a hard charging riff than it was to balance that heavy and interweave such pristine beauty awash with many colors and layers-  just listen to something like “The Rain Song” or “Over The Hills And Far Away”, two songs with acoustic flourishes mixed in with the occasional solid thump.  How about the haunting “No Quarter”?  Yes, when that come on I literally “closed the door” and “put out the light” and just immersed myself.  Jonesy’s sublime mastery is at the forefront here on the keys, which mixes well with Page’s snaky guitar work and Plant’s trippy vocal.  So finally soaking all of this in in one sitting without getting the heavy does of standard Zep hits was a huge turning point.

The de facto number one Zep album for me is Physical Graffiti.  Fairly light on the radio standards, Graffiti still offers up something new to me in each listen.  It has a bit of everything that makes Zep a favorite:  fantastic songs, excellent musicianship, fabulous singing, and such broad variety across all four sides.  “Ten Years Gone” has long been one of my favorite songs and a great introduction to people who think Zep is nothing more than screeching singing, loud guitars, and pounding drums-  just regal guitar touches, perfectly restrained singing, and perfect rhythmic counterpoint with its subtle melodies.  And then to counter that with a bit of thumping funk in “Trampled Underfoot”, a Bonham master class in keeping a steady beat yet providing epic propulsion at various key points.  Throw in the monolith that is “Kashmir” on top of the remaining “light and shade” material and you have one solid album.

But I digress…  don’t let me tell you about the greatness that is Led Zeppelin; do as I did, buy an album or two, and uncover the wonder within…

Favorite albums:  Physical Graffiti, Houses Of The Holy, IV

Favorite songs:  Ten Years Gone, Ramble On, Trampled Underfoot, Gallows Pole, Rock And Roll, Achilles Last Stand, Kashmir, The Ocean, For Your Life, That’s The Way

Thin Lizzy

When you look at great rock bands over the years, Thin Lizzy is, unfortunately, often left out of those discussions.  Most everyone knows the classic “The Boys Are Back In Town”, many of you know “Jailbreak”, and some of you may have heard “Cowboy Song”, but if that’s all you’ve ever heard from this fine Irish band you are missing out on a ton of great material.  I was fairly late in jumping on the Lizzy bandwagon but as they say, it’s better late than never.

If I had to pinpoint my intro to the band (outside of the aforementioned “hits”) I’ll have to say that their 1991 greatest hits release Dedication was the start of it all and is a great starting point for those of you looking to add some Lizzy to your collection.  A good chunk of the material is culled from their mid-years period (the arguably more famous era) with only a couple of selections from the early trio years and a handful of cuts from their later days.  All in all, it does a great job focusing on their heavier rock cuts and throws in a few of their excellent, more melodic choices as well (nothing from the classic Thunder And Lightning LP tho!).  Shortly after getting a taste of this material, I gradually picked up the remainder of the catalog and since becoming a major fanboy, have purchased additional merchandise (books, DVDs, and the recently remastered discs with the extra material? Incredible!).

So…  what is it about Thin Lizzy?  Well, quite a few things actually.  Let’s start with the songs…  outside of those aforementioned there are plenty more fantastic cuts, everything from “Emerald”, to “Got To Give It Up”, to “Bad Reputation”, to “She Knows”…  the list is endless.  I rarely pay attention to lyrics but main Lizzy man Phil Lynott has penned some great ones and his rhyming scheme is par excellence-  sure there is a lot of macho posturing in some of his material but he often counters that with a good dose of romanticism, self reflection, Irish history, or other vivid subjects.  Just take a look at the first verse of their classic “Dancing In The Moonlight”:

“When I passed you in the doorway

Well you took me with a glance

I should have took that last bus home

But I asked you for a dance”

Sets the tone, doesn’t it?  Boy catches the eye of a girl, boy knows he needs to get home before he gets in trouble, but boy can’t resist her charms.  Not only is it something that many of us can relate to, but it pulls you in immediately and engages you in the song (something which Lynott does exceptionally well).

Besides overall songs and lyrics, you’ve also got one helluva band.  Lizzy is famous for their twin guitar tandems with mainstay Scott Gorham and a host of others (Brian Robertson, Gary Moore, Snowy White, and John Sykes), but their underrated early lineup was a trio with the Hendrix-y Eric Bell.  Those early days were a different beast altogether as the band was attempting to find itself, often mixing in heavier fare a la Jimi Hendrix mixed with more folkier material in the vein of Van Morrison (both heroes of Lynott).  This mix brought out a lot of eclectic material that wasn’t fully honed until the trio’s third LP Vagabonds Of The Western World and really came to fruition once the Gorham/Robertson lineup came to be one album later with Nightlife.  And besides the guitar stars, you’ve GOT to talk about world class drummer Brian Downey, who, along with Phil Lynott on bass, was the rock solid rhythm section from day one of the band until the band bowed out in 1983.  Downey’s almost jazzy feel lends an incredibly deft touch to the material, but he was able to pound it out when necessary.

Last but not least…  just the downright utter cool and charisma of Phil Lynott.  A commanding presence on stage and well over six feet tall, Lynott was the definition of “rock star” and his passing in 1986 is such an incredible loss.  An artist who is able to combine such sensitive material in some regards (just take a listen to his solo songs written for his daughters- “Cathleen” and “Sarah”) and mix that in with heavier rock cuts about Irish history (“Black Rose”, “Emerald”) and even personal odes about self destruction (“Got To Give It Up”) is just someone you can’t put into a single box.  The man covered a lot of ground musically and lyrically, not only as the de facto leader of Thin Lizzy but also in his solo material as well as guest appearances on fellow artist’s albums.

Favorite Albums:  Jailbreak, Black Rose, Fighting

Favorite Songs:  Emerald, The Boys Are Back In Town, Jailbreak, Black Rose, Dancing In The Moonlight, Cold Sweat, Bad Reputation, Johnny The Fox Meets Jimmy The Weed, Fighting, Cowboy Song