PopTodd Posted August 6, 2009 Share Posted August 6, 2009 Their last album (2006's Rockford) was pretty great. So, I was wondering if there was any enthusiasm for this new one. Anyone have it? What do you think? If calling their fifteenth studio album The Latest doesn't exactly suggest enthusiasm on the part of Cheap Trick, keep in mind that the band has never shown much enthusiasm for album titles anyway, titling two albums after their band and one after their hometown of Rockford, IL. The Latest follows 2006's Rockford by three years and does indeed offer the latest spin on the band's classic power pop, flowing naturally from that quite excellent back-to-basics set, offering another collection of 13 guitar-heavy pop tunes. After the brief, ominous opener "Sleep Forever," a misleading slice of spacy, hazy, mood rock fades away, Cheap Trick tear into the overlooked Slade gem "When the Lights Are Out," suggesting that The Latest will be a high-octane rock-fest, but apart from a handful of other moments -- including the raging "Sick Man of Europe" and the "Slow Down" revamp "California Girl" -- a lot of the record consists of thick Beatlesque psychedelia, an appealing shift in tactics that makes this something a little bit different than yet another Cheap Trick record. That said, reinvention isn't the order of the day, staying true to the spirit of their classic '70s trilogy is, and the band acquits themselves admirably, turning out a tight, tuneful collection of proudly unfashionable power pop. And if the best song here is a cover of Slade's "When the Lights Are Out," well, it could be argued that the Move's "California Man" was the best song on Heaven Tonight, too. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
GtrPlyr Posted August 6, 2009 Share Posted August 6, 2009 I have it but haven't listened to it yet. Thanks for the reminder. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Dude Posted August 6, 2009 Share Posted August 6, 2009 I heard 'Miracle' on XRT the other day, it was pretty good on first listen -- definitely closer to Dream Police than it was to The Flame. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bobfrombob Posted August 6, 2009 Share Posted August 6, 2009 "Sick Man of Europe" (one of the song titles from "The Latest") was the name of a band Rick Neilson and Tom Peterson were in - that should have been a trivia question. I haven't hear the latest yet but in the meantime, this is pretty cool: - just let the whole thing play. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dmait Posted August 6, 2009 Share Posted August 6, 2009 >definitely closer to Dream Police than it was to The Flame. That's a big step in the right direction. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Moss Posted August 9, 2009 Share Posted August 9, 2009 I absolutely love Cheap Trick but have not been that interested in any of their releases in a long, long time. I may have to check this out, and Rockford as well. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Hoodoo Man Posted August 12, 2009 Share Posted August 12, 2009 If any of you are still interested, I've got the latest and think it's a pretty good album. Definitely sways towards their Beatles roots with some nods towards John Lennon's solo material. If you used to like Cheap Trick but forgot about them after "The Flame", I highly recommend their last 4 albums (Cheap Trick '97, Special One, Rockford and The Latest). So maybe they don't rival CT's first 4 albums, but they are solid and will remind you why you used to be a fan. If you ever have the chance to catch them live, they are still awesome in concert. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
John Smith Posted August 12, 2009 Share Posted August 12, 2009 Cheak Trick 97 ws not so good in my opinion. Rockford was real good, best album in years. I'm looking forward to hearing their version of Sgt Peppers that is coming out soon. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Hoodoo Man Posted August 12, 2009 Share Posted August 12, 2009 Cheak Trick 97 ws not so good in my opinion. Rockford was real good, best album in years. I'm looking forward to hearing their version of Sgt Peppers that is coming out soon. Rockford is my favorite of that bunch as well. My biggest disappointment with '97 was just that when it came out I read an article in which the author claimed it was similar in tone to the band's debut. Stupid me I fall for that kind of stuff way too often. But after I accepted the fact that it was not like their debut, I decided it was probably their best record since Next Position Please. Since then, Rockford has taken the top spot for me in CT's second life. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
John Smith Posted August 12, 2009 Share Posted August 12, 2009 Rockford is my favorite of that bunch as well. My biggest disappointment with '97 was just that when it came out I read an article in which the author claimed it was similar in tone to the band's debut. Stupid me I fall for that kind of stuff way too often. But after I accepted the fact that it was not like their debut, I decided it was probably their best record since Next Position Please. Since then, Rockford has taken the top spot for me in CT's second life. I don't know why but I was under the impression that it was similar to the debut also. For me the album was bland and flavorless. Really nothing here to listen to for me. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PopTodd Posted August 13, 2009 Author Share Posted August 13, 2009 I like the 1997 s/t. Some really good songs on there. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
borracho Posted August 13, 2009 Share Posted August 13, 2009 if you haven't heard the 1997 Steve Albini re-recording of In Color, you should...http://www.xtrmntr.com/cheaptrick/incolor/ Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Moss Posted August 13, 2009 Share Posted August 13, 2009 if you haven't heard the 1997 Steve Albini re-recording of In Color, you should...http://www.xtrmntr.c...ptrick/incolor/ Where would one even find something like that? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Hoodoo Man Posted August 14, 2009 Share Posted August 14, 2009 if you haven't heard the 1997 Steve Albini re-recording of In Color, you should...http://www.xtrmntr.com/cheaptrick/incolor/ Thanks! I've wanted this for a long time and really enjoyed it. You can tell they just barely got past the recording stage of this when they decided to abandon the project. The bonus material is an excellent, uh, bonus. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PopTodd Posted August 14, 2009 Author Share Posted August 14, 2009 if you haven't heard the 1997 Steve Albini re-recording of In Color, you should...http://www.xtrmntr.com/cheaptrick/incolor/ Dayum.This sounds HOT. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Moss Posted August 19, 2009 Share Posted August 19, 2009 Speaking of Cheap Trick, they are on the tonight show on 9/1. And I agree the Steve Albini "In Color" sounds really good. Anybody heard this at all? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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