|
That Cheap Trick song has always had a hidden fascination for me from way back for, I suppose, the most obvious reasons. Okay, so upon closer inspection the song's remaining lyrics reveal a sort of paranoid delinquency and the music a mix of Gary Glitter and Black Sabbath more than ELO, but maybe, just maybe there was something to be uncovered… |
||
|
Was there a musical signpost planted in the American midwest in the 1960's that pointed the soon to be Tricksters in the direction of the UK and more particularly Brum? Listen carefully to their vast catalogue of wonderful material and you'll find songs that contain the things that made the Roy Wood and The Move so exciting... Unique inventive instrumentation, witty and sometimes bizarre lyrics and of course a booming bass sound, which were prominent all the way through The Move's career. The most obvious Brumesque influences can be found in their top-drawer cover versions…a cracking 'California Man' (Heaven Tonight LP), 'Rock 'n Roll Tonight' (Busted LP), and their stroll through Lynne's 'Down On The Bay'. Even their cover of 'Daytripper' lends itself more to early ELO's version than to the Beatles. Other works which reflect The Move (circa 'Shazam' to 'Message From The Country'), Roy Wood / Wizzard, and early ELO influences include….'Lovin' Money' ('Brontosaurus'-'You Can Dance to the R&R'-'Turkish Tram Conductor Blues'). 'Mandocello' (could've been on the 'Shazam' LP!), 'Mrs Henry' (a Dylan song sounding like a Move/Who collision), 'Auf Wiedersehen' (listen to the 'moving' riff finale), 'Cover Girl' (a modern sounding Move song!), 'Violins' (Rick's vocal answer to 'Wasn't My Idea To Dance'?), 'She's Tight' (Woody meets The Cars'), 'Clock Strikes Ten' (Woody meets Love Sculpture's 'Sabre Dance'!), 'I Can't Understand It '(ELO style bridge). 'On Top Of The World', 'All We Need Is A Dream', 'World's Greatest Lover', 'Voices', 'Didn't Know I Had It' reflect varying degrees of Beatles/ELO influence perchance? So how did a band from Rockford, Illinois learn of The Move - wildly successful in the UK but unknown in the US? During the British invasion of America in the 60's spearheaded by the Beatles, teenage dreams turned to rock stardom. The budding Tricksters would listen to their local radio station which regularly broadcast the UK top 10 of the time. Nielsen and Petersson even subscribed to various British Rock weeklies and bought imported British records. To them, the US scene was bland and colourless - what was happening across the Atlantic was far more interesting. They'd listen to the Beatles, the Who, The Kinks, The Stones, Roger Chapman and Family, The Yardbirds , Zeppelin ,Clapton and Cream,The Alex Harvey Band, Dave Edmunds and Love Sculpture, Jeff Beck, The Faces, and of course The Move. Inspired by a rock pilgrimage to the UK in 1968, highschool friends Petersson and Neilsen returned to the US to form The Grim Reapers which soon transformed (geddit) into Fuse (so thats where you got the ELO idea from Roy?) and then into Sick Man Of Europe. Part of their live set included 'California Man' and 'Down On The Bay'. Although Cheap Trick formed in '72 with Nielsen (guitar), Petersson (bass), Bun E Carlos (drums) and Xeno (vocals), the real story began in '74 when they emerged kicking and screaming onto the live circuit armed with a new vocalist Robin Zander, an ex-folk singer. Producer Jack Douglas (Aerosmith) was so impressed with their live performance and Neilsen's magnificent writing talents he managed to secure them a recording deal with Epic Records and they cut their first fun, frenzied, metal assault self titled album. They toured constantly (of which they're still showing no signs of letting up) and opened for such bands as ACDC ,The Who, Ted Nugent , Queen, Boston, Kiss, Rush, The Kinks, and Kansas. It was only a matter of time before they found the international success they so well deserved. The rollercoaster ride was about to commence. Cheap Trick cemented their fast growing reputation and were thrust into the world spotlight in the late '70's, first in Japan (where their first albums went gold), then Australia (we gave them their first number 1 'If You Want My Love'), and then elsewhere.     Their albums include 'In Colour' (perhaps their best to date), 'Heaven Tonight', 'Live At The Budokan' (one of the most famous live albums of all time), 'Dream Police' and 'All Shook Up' (produced by George Martin). Nielsen's breathtaking songwriting led to chart success with 'Surrender', 'Voices', 'Dream Police' (a pop masterpiece), 'I Want You To Want Me' and 'If You Want My Love'. 1980 even saw Carlos and Nielsen work with their hero Lennon during the Double Fantasy sessions. The constant touring and recording schedules eventually took their toll and in 1981 Tom Petersson was replaced by Jon Brant for the albums 'Next Position Please', 'Standing On The Edge' and 'The Doctor'. During the 1980's diminishing record sales led to a lack of faith from their recording company which in turn began to undermine the band's self confidence. Epic began telling them what they were going to do and how they were going to do it. Nielsen was brushed aside whilst the hired hit writers and producers moved in, musically pointing them in directions they didn't want to go. This led to the radio friendly hits which were not really indicative of what Cheap Trick were all about. Just ask the band and they'll tell you they hate the song 'The Flame' (their biggest hit!) and won't perform it live. Despite the bad feelings that existed at the time they 'enjoyed' their second round of chart success with songs such as 'Can't Stop Falling In Love' (a song Rod Stewart wanted to do), a cover of 'Don't Be Cruel' and 'Tonight It's You'. During the Doctor sessions they recorded a Nielsen song with Roy Wood 'Money Is The Route Of All Fun', one of the best tracks recorded during the sessions according to Nielsen and Zander but not used. Luckily for us it was released on the Sex America box set. They even recorded the Steinberg-Kelly tune 'Kiss Me Red' which as we know ELO Part Two covered in 1990 (why, I don't know). Petersson returned to the band in 1988 and they recorded just two more studio albums ( 'Lap Of Luxury' and 'Busted') before they were free of the Epic label. The Busted LP featured a roaring version of Wizzard's 'Rock 'n Roll tonight'. 'Woke Up With A Monster' (their first LP on the Warner label) witnessed the Tricksters dipping their hats to British glam rock and a song which sounded very familiar to ELO ears called 'Didn't Know I Had It'. Legend has it that this song was actually sent to Jeff Lynne in demo form asking him if he would help them out. Apparently Jeff told them that they didn't need his help as the song was already there! Before recording the 'Monster' album Robin Zander found time to release a fine and highly underrated self titled solo LP featuring some of music's biggest names (Mick Fleetwood, Stevie Nicks, Dave Stewart, Mike Campbell, Paul Buckmaster etc.).Two of the tracks were produced by Zander, Mike Campbell, and Jimmy Iovine - The Petty/Wilburyish 'I've Always Got You', the wonderful Jeff Lynne pastiche 'Tell It To The World'. However, one of the albums highlights has to be the achingly beautifully string driven ballad 'Time Will Let You Know'. An album I highly recommend to all ELO/Jeff Lynne fans. As Robin explained to Face The Music Fanzine on the night of their Perth concert (Dec' 1996) "Yes its very ELO'ish, isn't it? It was an attempt to do a song in the Jeff Lynne style. Mike and I both love Jeff's stuff." He also confirmed that he had written two songs with Roy which were then never used but may be used on his next solo outing. While
still on the subject of all things Brum Robin explained Cheap Trick's
love of The Move and how it was one of the biggest reasons they got
the band together in the first place. When asked what ELO song Cheap
Trick would like to cover if an ELO tribute LP ever eventuated, his
reply floored us as he proceeded to sing the first verse from 'Midnight
Blue' and proclaimed it would be the best thing on the album and
would make the first single! |
|
 'Lap Of Luxury' Epic 460782-2 1988  'Busted' Epic 466876 2 1990  'Woke Up With A Monster' Warner Brothers 9362454252 1994
|
||
