Cheap Trick - All Washed Up
Consistency. Something not every legacy act or decades old band can pull off these days.
But Cheap Trick, since the stumble with 2003’s Special One (which was anything but), have managed just that, and at a pretty high level.
All Washed Up, a tongue in cheek title nod to their George Martin produced album, 1980’s All Shook Up, continues along the rich vein of musically mined gems such as 2015’s Bang, Zoom, Crazy… Hello (their highest-charting Billboard album since 1988’s Lap of Luxury) and previous album, Another World.
In short, another success for Rick Nielsen (guitars), Tom Petersson (bass), Robin Zander (vocals, guitar) and Nielsen’s son Daxx (drums), who has been with the band since 2010.
Keeping it further in the Cheap Trick family are Zander siblings Robin Taylor Zander & Robin-Sailor Zander, who add some backing vocals (Keyboards, which are used sparingly, are played by Tim Lauer).
All Washed Up opens with the title track, which mixes a thick riffed glam-punk sound with sleazy rock and roll; Robin Zander’s fittingly darker, ‘all washed’ up vocal is perfect for a lyric that’s gets straight to the sexually charged point - "I just thought you'd like to know just how I'm gonna touch you (I know you wanna)."
'All Wrong Long Gone' is equally weighty, but here with that Trick trait of being rock radio friendly with a hooky chorus and a wonderfully off-kilter solo from Rick Nielsen (another trademark of the Cheap Trick sound).
Punchy little number 'The Riff That Won’t Quit' lives up to its title by rockin' out on a quirky, insistent riff that wriggles across its short, sub-three minute length.
The even shorter 'Bet It All,' a swaggering downtempo dark blues, would have sat comfortably on the band’s self-titled 1977 debut album.
'The Best Thing' is Cheap Trick at their unashamedly schmaltzy, love song best, following in the footsteps of songs such as 'If You Want My Love' and 'The Flame.'
A hand-in-hand singalong, the only thing missing is a half-speed 'All You Need is Love' playing in the background (Beatles influences are never far from Cheap Trick’s more pop orientated, or balladeering, moments).
'Twelve Gates' is similar to 'Best Thing' in its melodic, mid-tempo stride, but here with that added hard pop sheen that Nielsen and Co seem to be able to write and deliver with earworm ease. It also highlights that Robin Zander is still as solid as ever in front of a microphone, with very little drop-off in a voice that’s as distinct as it was close to fifty years ago.
But Cheap Trick, since the stumble with 2003’s Special One (which was anything but), have managed just that, and at a pretty high level.
All Washed Up, a tongue in cheek title nod to their George Martin produced album, 1980’s All Shook Up, continues along the rich vein of musically mined gems such as 2015’s Bang, Zoom, Crazy… Hello (their highest-charting Billboard album since 1988’s Lap of Luxury) and previous album, Another World.
In short, another success for Rick Nielsen (guitars), Tom Petersson (bass), Robin Zander (vocals, guitar) and Nielsen’s son Daxx (drums), who has been with the band since 2010.
Keeping it further in the Cheap Trick family are Zander siblings Robin Taylor Zander & Robin-Sailor Zander, who add some backing vocals (Keyboards, which are used sparingly, are played by Tim Lauer).
All Washed Up opens with the title track, which mixes a thick riffed glam-punk sound with sleazy rock and roll; Robin Zander’s fittingly darker, ‘all washed’ up vocal is perfect for a lyric that’s gets straight to the sexually charged point - "I just thought you'd like to know just how I'm gonna touch you (I know you wanna)."
'All Wrong Long Gone' is equally weighty, but here with that Trick trait of being rock radio friendly with a hooky chorus and a wonderfully off-kilter solo from Rick Nielsen (another trademark of the Cheap Trick sound).
Punchy little number 'The Riff That Won’t Quit' lives up to its title by rockin' out on a quirky, insistent riff that wriggles across its short, sub-three minute length.
The even shorter 'Bet It All,' a swaggering downtempo dark blues, would have sat comfortably on the band’s self-titled 1977 debut album.
'The Best Thing' is Cheap Trick at their unashamedly schmaltzy, love song best, following in the footsteps of songs such as 'If You Want My Love' and 'The Flame.'
A hand-in-hand singalong, the only thing missing is a half-speed 'All You Need is Love' playing in the background (Beatles influences are never far from Cheap Trick’s more pop orientated, or balladeering, moments).
'Twelve Gates' is similar to 'Best Thing' in its melodic, mid-tempo stride, but here with that added hard pop sheen that Nielsen and Co seem to be able to write and deliver with earworm ease. It also highlights that Robin Zander is still as solid as ever in front of a microphone, with very little drop-off in a voice that’s as distinct as it was close to fifty years ago.
'Bad Blood' has hints of 'Voices' (no bad song of your own to borrow from) in the verses but the weightier nature of the number, where melody meets the darker lyrical shades of a struggling relationship ("it’s got to be a little better… so get your shit together") makes it very much its own song.
Back to back contrast then comes calling with, first, the raucous 'Dancing With The Band' (quintessential Cheap Trick rock 'n' roll with a dash of riffed-up rhythm and blues), followed by love lost number 'Love Gone,' a downtempo that has a touch of George Harrison in Rick Nielsen’s sympathetic guitar lines.
Moodier mid-tempo 'A Long Way To Worcester,' with its rhythmic sway, is swathed in that full-bodied, melodic pop that Cheap Trick do so well, complete with a rugged solo from Rick Nielson and some nice vocal highs from Robin Zander.
The latter is the penultimate track on the album but it could as well be heard as the closer, because final track 'Wham Boom Bang,' which sports a 1930’s Hot Club arrangement and clarinet accompaniment, sounds very much like the whimsical bonus on another rock and roll solid Cheap Trick release.
All Washed Up? Hardly.
Now excuse me while I throw the new album back in the machine for another spin cycle.
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ
Back to back contrast then comes calling with, first, the raucous 'Dancing With The Band' (quintessential Cheap Trick rock 'n' roll with a dash of riffed-up rhythm and blues), followed by love lost number 'Love Gone,' a downtempo that has a touch of George Harrison in Rick Nielsen’s sympathetic guitar lines.
Moodier mid-tempo 'A Long Way To Worcester,' with its rhythmic sway, is swathed in that full-bodied, melodic pop that Cheap Trick do so well, complete with a rugged solo from Rick Nielson and some nice vocal highs from Robin Zander.
The latter is the penultimate track on the album but it could as well be heard as the closer, because final track 'Wham Boom Bang,' which sports a 1930’s Hot Club arrangement and clarinet accompaniment, sounds very much like the whimsical bonus on another rock and roll solid Cheap Trick release.
All Washed Up? Hardly.
Now excuse me while I throw the new album back in the machine for another spin cycle.
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ