Cheap Trick – one of the great all-time rock bands, and a staple on tour since 1977! Naturally, everybody here knows the history – mid-1970s formation in Rockford, Ill., making their way up the touring food chain, until an accidental live album threw them into the superstar status. After a couple of years at the peak, interest (and to be fair, quality of work) diminished after 1980, which coincided with the departure of bassist Tom Petersson. Until the classic lineup reformed in 1987 (and had a second act), the band stumbled through most of that decade.
Although Petersson doppelganger Pete Comita joined the band for its 1980/1981 All Shook Up tour, he didn’t stick around long enough (for whatever reason) to record an album, although the band with Comita did record two tracks for the Heavy Metal soundtrack. After that, Jon Brant joined on bass, bringing his workman-like skills to the band. However, during a band shakeup in late 1987, Petersson returned, tossing out Brant like yesterday’s bagels.
This month, I’ll rank the four non-Petersson Cheap Trick albums (a.k.a. The Jon Brant era) in order of worst to first. I MAY (or may not) do more “period rankings” of the Cheap Trick catalog – perhaps the first five albums, the second coming of Tom Petersson albums, and the Daxx era albums. Stay tuned!
The Doctor
October 1986
Billboard Top 200: #115
After the (relative) success of Standing on the Edge, the band wasted no time going back into the studio. This time around, the band made one of the classic “worst” albums of the rock era – up there with Hot Space, Shadowlife, St. Anger, and Mardi Gras. And like all those albums, there was a “last” element with it. (Last Queen US tour, last George Lynch album, last Bob Rock-produced album, last album…)
Not only was the album tech-heavy (synths galore, fake drums, clattery production), but the songs were also bad. Actually, quite horrible, if you want to be honest. There is no relation to any of the albums of the classic era. But by 1986, Cheap Trick were hardly relevant, so nobody seemed to notice – or care.
Bright spot: The band sank so low, that there was nowhere to go but up.
One on One
April 1982
Billboard Top 200: #39
The first post-Petersson album was touted as a comeback, featuring new producer Roy Thomas Baker (Journey, Queen, Foreigner, The Cars). However, unlike RTB’s other productions, the sound is clattery and often raw. The pop hooks found in earlier Cheap Trick records (except for “If You Want My Love,” “She’s Tight,” and “Time is Runnin’”) are sadly missing. And the final song, a copycat of Billy Squier’s “The Stroke” should’ve been banished.
Bright spot: “She’s Tight’s” B-side “All I Really Want To Do” is far better than almost anything on the album itself.
Standing on the Edge
July 1985
Billboard Top 200: #35
FINALLY, the band got back on track – kind of – even though the quality of the album was somewhat less than the previous opus. The label force fed an outside songwriter (Mark Radice) on the band, and that seemed to kick Rick Neilsen into writing some radio friendly tracks. This got the band back on the radio after a few years of only having “Surrender” played every few months, and a slick video for “Tonight It’s You” got heavy MTV play. The downside was the overuse of synths, fake drums, and other 1980s tropes, which would come back to haunt them next time around.
Bright spot: The band started playing more high-profile gigs with the success of the album.
Next Position Please
August 1983
Billboard Top 200: #61
Woefully out of time and place, this great record fell between the cracks when it was released when 1983s superstars, Def Leppard, Duran Duran, Michael Jackson, The Police, and all those huge acts ruled the MTV era. While sublime production by Todd Rundgren meshed perfectly with the band’s songs, the record was marred by an ill-advised cover of The Motors’ “Dancing The Night Away,” a horrible choice for the first single. The second single “I Can’t Take It” (allegedly co-written by an uncredited Pete Comita) garnered some MTV play, but not enough to matter. A lost 1980s classic (though the dopey cover didn’t help matters).
Bright Spot: This is a great album!
Bonus: Here’s a live version of 1981’s “Reach Out” with Pete Comita on bass!