Cheap Trick is unique in many ways.
Cheap Trick is one of the few bands still going strong in its original line-up and continues to offer the fans treats.
Their latest effort Rockford (2006) was an up-beat record while this new record is a perfect blend of 3 minute power pop tunes and ballads. "The Latest" digs deeper than "Rockford" because of the emotional ballads, which make "The Latest" one of the best
Cheap Trick albums ever. The band has penned some great touching tunes; The haunting
Everybody Knows and
Miracle are up there with
Heaven Tonight. The album closer
Smile is grandiose and has a chilling middle play, which brings associations back to Alice Cooper's masterpiece
Steven. Instead of a pure fun power-pop record "The Latest" has a lot more substance because of the ballads. The mid-tempo
These Days is a smash hit - fantastic songwriting and vocals from Zander.
The Beatles influence is always in the background - most obvious on
Closer,
The Ballad of Burt and Linda, which has
big harmonies.
Miss Tomorrow is straight forward and catchy. Robin Zander's voice ages well, meaning that he sounds exactly the same as on
Cheap Tricks debut from 1977.
California Girl and
Sick man of Europe puts a smile on your face with a positive up-tempo beat.
This is the best production I ever heard on a
Cheap Trick record - read: This is the production that suits them best. The record is tied nicely together by producer Julian Raymond and several songs overlap.
Cheap Trick is musical craftsman and they do their thing to A+.
Several songs are reworked tunes from earlier unreleased songs, but overall the quality is high. The album flows perfectly with its mixture of up-tempo songs and ballads. Robin Zander is never heard better. His pipes are strong and crystal clear - they define
Cheap Trick.
The album is self released. The record just messes with you, the power pop songs makes you happy and the ballads thoughtful. This is THE summer record of 2009!
Written by
Michael Sunday, August 2, 2009
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