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All-Music Guide
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Cheap Trick
Formed 1973 in Rockford, IL
Years Active
Genres
Styles
Labels
See Also
70s T80s T 90s
19a4fls SO^TRock
Hard Rock, New Wave, Power Pop, Pop/Rock
Epic (17), Red Ant (3), Sony (2), Hollywood (2)
All-Movie Guide Entn,
Internet links mo. - The Ultimate Band List links - click here
Explore Music
AMG Pick Live at Budokan [1979] - Epic
Latest release Cheap Trick [1997] [1997] - Red Ant
AMG BIOKRARHY
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(Photo by: Mark Seliger)
Combining a love for British guitar-pop songcraft with crunching power chords and a flair for
the absurd, Cheap Trick provided the necessary links between '60s pop, heavy metal, and
punk. Led by guitarist Rick Nielsen, the band's early albums were filled with highly melodic,
well-written songs that drew equally from the crafted pop of the Beatles the sonic assault of
the Who, and the tongue-in-cheek musical eclecticism and humor of the Move. Their sound
provided a blueprint for both power-pop and arena rock; it also had a surprisingly long-lived
effect on both alternative and heavy-metal bands of the '80s and '90s, who also relied on the
combination of loud riffs and catchy melodies.
Cheap Trick's roots lie in Fuse, a late-'60s Rockford, IL, band formed by Rick Nielsen and
bassist Tom Petersson. which released an unsuccessful album on Epic in 1969. After the
record failed to gain any attention, the band relocated to Philadelphia and changed their name
to Sick Man of Europe. The group toured Europe unsuccessfully in 1972, returning to Illinois
in 1973. Upon their return to Rockford, Nielsen and Petersson changed their band's name to
Cheap Trick, adding drummer Bun E. Carlos and vocali.ct Randy "Xeno" Hogan. Hogan was
fired the following year and ex-folk singer Robin Zander joined the group. Between 1974 and
the band's first album in 1977, Cheap Trick toured constantly, playing over 200 concerts a
year, including opening slots for the Kinks, Kiss., Santana, Journey, and Boston. During this
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time, the band built up a solid catalog of original songs that would eventually comprise their
first three albums; they also perfected their kinetic live show.
Cheap Trick signed with Epic Records in 1976, releasing their self-titled debut in early 1977.
The record sold well in America, yet it failed to chart. However, the group became a massive
success in Japan, going gold upon release. Later that year, the band released their second
album, In Color. In Color backed away from the harder-rocking Cheap Trick, featuring a
slicker production and quieter arrangements that spotlighted the band's melodic skills. Due to
their constant touring, the record made it into the U.S. charts, peaking at number 73; in Japan
it became another gold-seller.
The band realized that they were virtual superstars in Japan when they toured the country in
early 1978. Their concerts were selling out within two hours and they packed Budokan Arena.
Cheap Trick's concerts at Budokan Arena were recorded for release -- the record appeared
after their third album, 1978's Heaven Tonight. Heaven Tonight captured both the loud,
raucous energy of their debut and the hook-laden songcraft of In Color, leading to their first
Top 100 single, "Surrender," which peaked at number 62. However, the live performances on
At Budokan (1979) captured the band's energetic, infectious live show, resulting in their
commercial breakthrough in the U.S. The album stayed on the charts for over a year, peaking
at number four and eventually selling over three million copies; a live version of "I Want You
to Want Me" pulled from the album became their first Top Ten hit. Later that year, the group
released their fourth studio album, Dream Police, which followed the same stylistic
approach of Heaven Tonight. It also followed At Budokan into the Top Ten, selling over a
million copies and launching the Top 40 hit singles "Voices" and "Dream Police." In the
summer of 1980, the group released an EP of tracks recorded between 1976-79 called Found
All the Parts.
Petersson left the group in the summer of 1980 to form a group with his wife DaQmar; he was
replaced by Jon Brant. The first album recorded with Brant was the George Martin-produced
All Shook Up, released toward the end of 1980. The album performed respectably, peaking
at number 24 and going gold, yet the single "Stop This Game" failed to crack the Top 40. One
on One, the group's seventh album, appeared in 1982. Although it peaked at number 39, the
record was more successful than All Shook Up, eventually going platinum. Nevertheless,
the group was entering a downhill commercial slide, despite the fact that their music was
becoming increasingly polished. Next Position Please, released in 1983, failed to launch a
hit single and spent only 11 weeks on the charts. Standing on the Edge (1985) and The
Doctor (1986) suffered similar fates, as the group was slowly losing its creative sparks.
Petersson rejoined the band in 1988 and the group began working on a new record with the
help of several professional songwriters. The resulting record, Lap ofLuxurv, was a
platinum Top 20 hit, featuring the number one power ballad "The Flame" and a Top Ten
version of Elvis Presley' "Don't Be Cruel." Busted, released in 1990, wasn't as successful
as Lap ofLuxury, peaking at number 48 and effectively putting an end to the group's
comeback. Cheap Trick signed with Warner Brothers in 1994, releasing Woke Up with a
Monster on Warner Bros.; the record spent two weeks on the chart, peaking at 123. That
same year, Epic Records released a sequel to.4t Budokan, Budokan IL Compiled from the
same shows as At Budokan, the record provided an effective reminder of w-by the group
was so popular in the late '70s, not only for the public, but for the band as well. Following the
poor performance of Woke Up with a Monster, Cheap Trick decided to go back to the
basics. They were dropped from Warner, but several alternative rockers, who were influenced
by Cheap Trick, gave the band opportunites to restore their reputation. The Smashino
Pumpkins had the band open their tour in 1995 and the group played several dates on the
1996 Lollapalooza tour. That same year, the box set Sex America Cheap Trick _ appeared to
good reviews and the band signed with the fledgling indie Red Ant. Early in 1997, the group
released a Steve Albini-produced single on Sub Pop, which was followed by Cheap Trick,
their acclaimed debut for Red Ant, in the spring. -- Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All-Music
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Guide
RELATED ARTISTS
Similar Artists: Blondie * The Flamin' Groovies * Enuff Znuff * 20/20 * Robin Zander ^t Tom
Peterson ^t Badfincer * The Knack * Pezband * Shoes * Dwight Twilley * The Bangles ^t Bon
Jovi * The Buzzcocks * Extreme * Jellyfish * MStley CrOe "^k Nirvana * Todd Rundgren * Rick
Spring iel
Roots and Influences: The Beach Boys * The Beatles ;ir The Move * The Raspberries ^e The
Who
Followers: Goo Goo Dolls * MtStley Crue * The Smithereens * Off Broadway * Quick i^ The
Nines:k The Critics * Ken Stringfellow * Gladhands * Spinning Jenny * Cherry Twister * Kenny
Howes * The Hutchinsons * Pop Sickle * Popsicko * Melony * Saturnhead * Spinning Jennys
Performed Songs By: Rick Nielsen * Robin Zander * Tom Petersson * Mark Radice * Nick
Graham * Tom Peterson * Robert Mitchell ^c Jon Brant * Elvis Presley ak Otis Blackwell * Ro
Wood * Dave Bartholomew * Fats Domino * Todd Cerney'ak John Lennon* Diane Warren *
Robert Reynolds'*' Jerrv Dale McFadden ^r Jim Peterik
MU'f i4 MAPS
Wj
Mid-to-Late 1970s -- U. S. - from: "Power Pop " map
1970s Hard Rock/Heavy Metal - from: "Grunge/Post-Grunge " map
+/-AMC4pick
DISCOGRAPHY (ALBUMS)
*-inprint(US)
1977 *Cheap Trick f19771
1977 +In Color
Epic
Epic
**,kicic
1978 rHeavenTonight
Epic
k^r,kkis
J *****
**
1979 MDreamPolice
1979 *Live at Budokan
1980 sAllShookUp
1982 One on One
Epic
Epic
*****
k,t***
t k*
,t** 1983 rNextPositionPlease
t* 1985 . Standing on the Edge
* 1986 &The Doctor
,t,t t 1988 .Lap ofLuxury
*k
1990 rBusted
1992 •I Want You.to Want Me
1992 •Voices
k****
1994
k**
t**
1994
1997
*
Budokan II flivel
Woke up with a Monster
Cheap Trick f 19971
Over th2'EdQe
®
Epic
Epic
Epic
Epic
Epic
Epic
Epic
Hollywood
Hollywood
Epic
Warner Brother
Red Ant
Epic
DISCOGRAPWY (GL7MplLATIQNS, SOXESiX1)
Ef
k****
k**
***
1992 • Oreatest Hits
1992 Collection
1993 Starbox
Epic
k****
1995 . Cheap Trick/In Color/Heaven Tonight
Sony
x
1996 rSex America Cheap Trick
Sony
x
***
Castle
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