These are dark days for classic rock. The creators of some of the most transcendent and popular music ever made have largely fallen off the charts — or simply fallen.
Eddie Van Halen, whose two-handed tapping made him a generational talent, died of cancer in 2020. Gregg Allman, the soulful voice behind “Whipping Post” and “Midnight Rider,” passed away in 2017, three years after his eponymous band called it quits. The Beach Boys’ brilliant Brian Wilson died last year, as did Sly Stone and Ozzy Osbourne.
Even for those still standing, these are anything but the good old days. Don’t expect to see an original member during this summer’s Lynyrd Skynyrd tour. That’s because all of them are dead. Paul McCartney still sells out stadiums and mesmerizes audiences with his charm, charisma and the deepest songbook in pop, but at 83, his voice is more strain than sweetness. As Mick Jagger once sang, “Time waits for no one.” That’s true even for the mighty Rolling Stones, who in 2021 lost drummer Charlie Watts.
And then there’s Cheap Trick. The legendary purveyors of Beatlesque power-pop with a hard edge, Rockford, Illinois’ finest features three original members: golden-voiced Robin Zander, 73; Tom Petersson, 75, a pioneer of the 12-string bass guitar; and wacky lead guitarist Rick Nielsen, 77, writer or co-writer of some of the band’s biggest hits, including “I Want You to Want Me,” “Surrender” and “Dream Police.” They’re joined by drummer Daxx Nielsen, Rick Nielsen’s son who ably replaced the seemingly irreplaceable Bun E. Carlos in 2010. Cheap Trick’s most recent albums rock, and the band’s live shows continue to sizzle, recalling 1978’s iconic “At Budokan.”
“We have the same basic music tastes and kind of grew up together,” bassist Petersson said. “It just works.”
Indeed, it does. Just listen to “All Washed Up,” the band’s vibrant 21st studio album that came out in November. The tongue-in-cheek title track positively swaggers, while “The Riff That Won’t Quit” lives up to its name. “I think it’s got an early Cheap Trick sound,” Zander said.
Fans of the Rock & Roll Hall of Famers — who have sold more than 20 million albums and notched more than 40 international gold and platinum discs — can expect to hear a mix of old and new, smashes and deep cuts, when Cheap Trick visits Bridges Auditorium in Claremont on April 21.
These days, Cheap Trick plays an average of 75 shows per year.
(Jeff Daly)
Keeping it fresh
How has a band that’s been together for more than 50 years managed to remain a creative force without burning out, splitting up or devolving into little more than a human jukebox pumping out nostalgia?
Zander credits remaining engaged and excited. “We not only make records for ourselves, but we also perform live for ourselves,” he said. “We try to make things interesting, so we don’t get bored.”
That’s why the band changes setlists nightly. It also explains why, in a streaming era dominated by country, hip-hop and pop, Cheap Trick still makes rock records for an ever-diminishing audience.
“We like to record,” Petersson said. “We have all these song ideas from all these years, and we just keep at it. Knowing we’ve got another record to do keeps us going.”
So does staying healthy.
Whereas Cheap Trick used to play up to 250 shows a year in the late 1970s and early 1980s, the band now averages about 75. Cheap Trick also spaces out dates when possible, giving members time to recuperate from the rigors of the road.
To ensure that he can still hit the high notes — and he can — Zander warms up his voice for half an hour before shows. He has also ditched some youthful bad habits. “I don’t stay up for three nights in a row and drink,” he said. “We’re not young puppies anymore.”
Counterintuitively, Zander and Petersson believe that prioritizing professional relationships has allowed the band to avoid the destructive infighting that often plagues bands made up of best friends. (Think John Lennon and Paul McCartney.)
“We got together, and it was all music That’s what we did and what we do,” Zander said. “And so after [recording or shows], we would all go back to our homes and sleep in our own beds. We didn’t piss in each others’ backyards.”
Rick Nielsen, from left, Tom Petersson and Robin Zander of Cheap Trick.
(Danny Clinch)
The cult band that could
Cheap Trick was born in Rockford in 1973. Zander joined a year later, cementing the classic lineup. The band toured relentlessly in the Midwest, playing five sets a night, six days a week. With its meager earnings, Cheap Trick made the long drive to L.A. several times to play the Starwood in hopes of landing a record contract. Although unsuccessful in its quest, the band made fans of Sparks and Rodney Bingenheimer, the famed KROQ DJ and tastemaker. “That was good enough for us,” Petersson said.
Aerosmith producer Jack Douglas rescued the group from obscurity after catching Cheap Trick’s act at a bowling alley in Waukesha, Wis. Impressed, he offered to help. “He was the hottest producer in the world,” Petersson said. “He told us, ‘You can tell the record labels that Jack Douglas is now your producer.’ Then all of a sudden, we were brilliant.”
The band quickly signed with Epic Records. Beginning with the Douglas-produced “Cheap Trick” in early 1977, followed by “In Color” and “Heaven Tonight” — both produced by Tom Werman — the group released three classics in little more than a year. Unfortunately, the record-buying public mostly stayed away.
Cheap Trick seemed destined for cult-band status. Then the band issued “At Budokan,” one of rock’s most beloved live albums. Originally planned as a Japan-only record, the strong demand for Japanese imports led Epic to release it in the U.S., where it went triple platinum. Coming out a year later, “Dream Police” also hit big. Cheap Trick appeared on the verge of superstardom.
The band chose Beatles producer George Martin and engineer Geoff Emerick for its next album. Critics and fans expected the second coming of “Sgt. Pepper’s.” Instead, they got the experimental “All Shook Up,” which has aged well despite the critical drubbing it received at the time. The group’s moment had passed. “Tastes change,” said Petersson, who left the group shortly before the album dropped due to creative differences.
Cheap Trick spent much of the 1980s chasing trends rather than setting them. The band’s commercial fortunes brightened briefly with the release of 1988’s “Lap of Luxury,” which saw Petersson’s return and included the group’s sole No. 1, “The Flame,” a solid power ballad written by outside songwriters. But the album lacked the catchiness, melodicism and fire of their early work. The spotlight soon dimmed.
In the 1990s, something unexpected happened. Alternative rockers like Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins and Green Day began channeling the band’s signature blend of melody and crunchy guitars. Cheap Trick became cool again.
The band experienced an artistic and critical renaissance in the mid-2000s, starting with the underrated gem “Rockford” in 2006, that has continued to present day. “In Another World,” released in 2021, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Rock Chart, a first for the 53-year-old group.
“We’re not washed up,” Zander quipped.
Daxx Nielsen, from left, Robin Zander, Tom Petersson and Rick Nielsen.
(Courtesy of Cheap Trick)
On top of the world
On April 8, 2016, Cheap Trick was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, years after becoming eligible. Reuniting with original drummer Carlos, the band played a scorching set that had the crowd on its feet. In an online tribute, Smashing Pumpkins front man Billy Corgan wrote: “Finally, the dang secret is out! Their place among the greats secure, their influence on the generations patently obvious.”
For Cheap Trick, it was sweet vindication.
“We put so much hard work into stuff, but we never expected to get [in],” Zander said. “It’s a nice little tip of the hat that I’m really proud of.”
A decade after that career highlight, Cheap Trick has no intention of hanging up the guitars or putting down the mic. And why should they? There’s still more new music to make and crowds to entertain.
“I want us to be remembered as one of the best rock bands that ever was,” Zander said. “You know, rock and roll was supposed to last forever, but it’s taken the back seat to a lot of other things. I hope it doesn’t go away. We’re helping to hold up the fort as much as we can.”
Ballon, a former Times, Forbes and Inc. Magazine reporter, teaches an advanced writing class at USC. He lives in Fullerton.
This story originally appeared on LA Times
