Post by Pete70s on Apr 8, 2004 9:29:59 GMT -5
OK, after going (what seemed like) months between reviews, I’m going to try to be a little more consistent. Guess I’m just inspired! Today I’m doing another overlooked classic:
All Shook Up - Cheap Trick, 1980[/b][/color]
1- Stop This Game
2- Just Got Back
3- Baby Loves To Rock
4- Can’t Stop It But I’m Gonna Try
5- World’s Greatest Lover
6- High Priest Of Rhythmic Noise
7- Love Comes A-Tumblin’ Down
8- I Love You Honey But I Hate Your Friends
9- Go For The Throat (Use Your Own Imagination)
10- Who D’King
Cheap Trick were riding high in 1979, their albums “Cheap Trick at Budokan” and “Dream Police” made them huge stars in America. Their career was always one of ups and downs, and unfortunately, “All Shook Up” was the beginning of one of those downs. But you’d never know that from listening to the record! Of the bands 15 or so albums (and I have ALL of them!), the two that I go to the most are their self-titled debut, and “All Shook Up”. In my humble opinion, Cheap Trick NEVER sounded better than they did on this album! This is Cheap Trick’s equivalent to Van Halen’s “Fair Warning”, or Kiss’ “Creatures Of The Night”. This is their “sleeper classic”, or the album that could’ve been HUGE if more people gave it a chance. (As I’m typing this, I’ve got the CD cranked up in the headphones, and this thing COOKS!)
One of the biggest complaints among fans (and band members themselves), is that they’ve never had a producer who got the full potential out of the band. The list of producers who’ve worked with Cheap Trick includes big names like Todd Rundgren, Steve Albini, Roy Thomas Baker, and Jack Douglas, but the band have never been truly satisfied with their studio recordings. In a 1996 interview with Guitar Player magazine, guitarist Rick Nielsen said “Name almost ANY song, and I recorded heavy guitar tracks for it. But you could never tell that in the playback. The producers would always say ‘Don’t worry about it, it will get fixed in the mix...’ It has NEVER been fixed in the mix, ever!”
But there was one producer who did come very close to recognizing their full potential, and that producer was legendary Beatles producer George Martin, who produced “All Shook Up”. Known for using studio tricks and creative recording techniques, George inspired them to create many odd and unique sounds that the band never would have attempted without him. Of course, being huge Beatle fanatics didn’t hurt the band, either. Rick Nielsen was especially thrilled to be working with the producer of his idols!
The biggest problem the band faced at the time of recording was burnout. Bassist Tom Petersson was growing tired of the demands of rock stardom and was not a team player during the sessions. This would severely take its toll on the album. In the same 1996 interview, Nielsen said that he “wouldn’t have minded if Tom had flaked out with ANY OTHER producer they’d worked with, but NOT with George Martin!” Petersson would leave the band shortly after the album was completed to form a band with his wife Dagmar (He returned in 1988 and has been with them ever since).
The album was a modest hit, cracking the Top-40, but it yielded no hit singles and sold nowhere near the numbers that “Budokan” and “Dream Police” had sold. This was the album that many of their die-hard fans consider their last really great album. Cheap Trick would return in 1982 with a new bassist and a new album, the Roy Thomas Baker-produced “One On One”, but they would gradually sound more and more “polished” with each subsequent album, selling less and less each time out. Although each album contained several good songs (“It’s Only Love” from their 1987 album, “The Doctor”, is my all-time favorite CT song!), they were clearly caving in to record company pressure to produce hits. By the time they made their big multi-platinum comeback, 1988’s “Lap Of Luxury” (and #1 single “The Flame”), they were making the music the RECORD COMPANY wanted them to make, not what they themselves wanted).
Stop This Game- This song has special meaning to me because the first time I saw Cheap Trick live, they opened with this song. I was front row, and Robin Zander looked DIRECTLY at me while he was playing the intro riff! It’s kind of a strange feeling, this rock star that I grew up IDOLIZING zeroing in on me! I yelled to him and waved, and he smiled back! The song opens with a fade-in very similar to the long piano drone at the end of “A Day In The Life” (probably to confirm the fact that George Martin was producing this).
Just Got Back- Martin’s production really comes into play on this track, as it opens with 24 tracks of overdubbed Bun E. Carlos drum tracks. It’s pretty thunderous, but it’s my second least favorite on the album.
Baby Loves To Rock- CLASSIC! If there were ANY justice in this world, this would have been a Top-10 hit! I’ve heard that Smashing Pumpkins have covered this in concert, since Billy Corgan is a big Cheap Trick fan. Word of warning: Don’t listen to this while you’re driving... You’ll find yourself doing 90 mph!
Can’t Stop It But I’m Gonna Try- Another great rocker.
World’s Greatest Lover- A ballad, but much better than dribble like “The Flame”. A bit of a mellow spot on the album, as the next four tracks are among the hardest rockers in the bands catalogue.
High Priest Of Rhythmic Noise- Side two kicks off with the most ferocious rocker on the album. Any other producer would have made a complete mess of this song, but Sir George pulled it together well. Robin’s voice is top-notch throughout, he REALLY hits some high ones here! Some lines in the song are sung in a “robotic” voice, which I THINK is Nielson singing through an effect. He also really “tickles the ivories” in this one!
Love Comes A-Tumblin’ Down- Although not as intense as the previous track, still a pretty heavy one!
I Love You Honey But I Hate Your Friends- Rick Nielsen always injected a sense of humor into his writing, and this is no exception!
Go For The Throat (Use Your Own Imagination)- Rick said in the Guitar Player interview that George Martin encouraged them to do things they didn’t think they were capable of pulling off. He cited this song as an example: “That would have been a difficult song even for Rush”, he said.
Who D’King- A short closer, a tribal drum chant, co-credited to drummer Bun E. Carlos. I usually take the CD out by this point. This track isn’t much..
All Shook Up - Cheap Trick, 1980[/b][/color]
1- Stop This Game
2- Just Got Back
3- Baby Loves To Rock
4- Can’t Stop It But I’m Gonna Try
5- World’s Greatest Lover
6- High Priest Of Rhythmic Noise
7- Love Comes A-Tumblin’ Down
8- I Love You Honey But I Hate Your Friends
9- Go For The Throat (Use Your Own Imagination)
10- Who D’King
Cheap Trick were riding high in 1979, their albums “Cheap Trick at Budokan” and “Dream Police” made them huge stars in America. Their career was always one of ups and downs, and unfortunately, “All Shook Up” was the beginning of one of those downs. But you’d never know that from listening to the record! Of the bands 15 or so albums (and I have ALL of them!), the two that I go to the most are their self-titled debut, and “All Shook Up”. In my humble opinion, Cheap Trick NEVER sounded better than they did on this album! This is Cheap Trick’s equivalent to Van Halen’s “Fair Warning”, or Kiss’ “Creatures Of The Night”. This is their “sleeper classic”, or the album that could’ve been HUGE if more people gave it a chance. (As I’m typing this, I’ve got the CD cranked up in the headphones, and this thing COOKS!)
One of the biggest complaints among fans (and band members themselves), is that they’ve never had a producer who got the full potential out of the band. The list of producers who’ve worked with Cheap Trick includes big names like Todd Rundgren, Steve Albini, Roy Thomas Baker, and Jack Douglas, but the band have never been truly satisfied with their studio recordings. In a 1996 interview with Guitar Player magazine, guitarist Rick Nielsen said “Name almost ANY song, and I recorded heavy guitar tracks for it. But you could never tell that in the playback. The producers would always say ‘Don’t worry about it, it will get fixed in the mix...’ It has NEVER been fixed in the mix, ever!”
But there was one producer who did come very close to recognizing their full potential, and that producer was legendary Beatles producer George Martin, who produced “All Shook Up”. Known for using studio tricks and creative recording techniques, George inspired them to create many odd and unique sounds that the band never would have attempted without him. Of course, being huge Beatle fanatics didn’t hurt the band, either. Rick Nielsen was especially thrilled to be working with the producer of his idols!
The biggest problem the band faced at the time of recording was burnout. Bassist Tom Petersson was growing tired of the demands of rock stardom and was not a team player during the sessions. This would severely take its toll on the album. In the same 1996 interview, Nielsen said that he “wouldn’t have minded if Tom had flaked out with ANY OTHER producer they’d worked with, but NOT with George Martin!” Petersson would leave the band shortly after the album was completed to form a band with his wife Dagmar (He returned in 1988 and has been with them ever since).
The album was a modest hit, cracking the Top-40, but it yielded no hit singles and sold nowhere near the numbers that “Budokan” and “Dream Police” had sold. This was the album that many of their die-hard fans consider their last really great album. Cheap Trick would return in 1982 with a new bassist and a new album, the Roy Thomas Baker-produced “One On One”, but they would gradually sound more and more “polished” with each subsequent album, selling less and less each time out. Although each album contained several good songs (“It’s Only Love” from their 1987 album, “The Doctor”, is my all-time favorite CT song!), they were clearly caving in to record company pressure to produce hits. By the time they made their big multi-platinum comeback, 1988’s “Lap Of Luxury” (and #1 single “The Flame”), they were making the music the RECORD COMPANY wanted them to make, not what they themselves wanted).
Stop This Game- This song has special meaning to me because the first time I saw Cheap Trick live, they opened with this song. I was front row, and Robin Zander looked DIRECTLY at me while he was playing the intro riff! It’s kind of a strange feeling, this rock star that I grew up IDOLIZING zeroing in on me! I yelled to him and waved, and he smiled back! The song opens with a fade-in very similar to the long piano drone at the end of “A Day In The Life” (probably to confirm the fact that George Martin was producing this).
Just Got Back- Martin’s production really comes into play on this track, as it opens with 24 tracks of overdubbed Bun E. Carlos drum tracks. It’s pretty thunderous, but it’s my second least favorite on the album.
Baby Loves To Rock- CLASSIC! If there were ANY justice in this world, this would have been a Top-10 hit! I’ve heard that Smashing Pumpkins have covered this in concert, since Billy Corgan is a big Cheap Trick fan. Word of warning: Don’t listen to this while you’re driving... You’ll find yourself doing 90 mph!
Can’t Stop It But I’m Gonna Try- Another great rocker.
World’s Greatest Lover- A ballad, but much better than dribble like “The Flame”. A bit of a mellow spot on the album, as the next four tracks are among the hardest rockers in the bands catalogue.
High Priest Of Rhythmic Noise- Side two kicks off with the most ferocious rocker on the album. Any other producer would have made a complete mess of this song, but Sir George pulled it together well. Robin’s voice is top-notch throughout, he REALLY hits some high ones here! Some lines in the song are sung in a “robotic” voice, which I THINK is Nielson singing through an effect. He also really “tickles the ivories” in this one!
Love Comes A-Tumblin’ Down- Although not as intense as the previous track, still a pretty heavy one!
I Love You Honey But I Hate Your Friends- Rick Nielsen always injected a sense of humor into his writing, and this is no exception!
Go For The Throat (Use Your Own Imagination)- Rick said in the Guitar Player interview that George Martin encouraged them to do things they didn’t think they were capable of pulling off. He cited this song as an example: “That would have been a difficult song even for Rush”, he said.
Who D’King- A short closer, a tribal drum chant, co-credited to drummer Bun E. Carlos. I usually take the CD out by this point. This track isn’t much..
)