Cheap Trick
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Back in the days of Foghat and Journey, Jeff was cool enough to realize that Cheap Trick’s pure power pop had it all over those other bands. Their first three records–Cheap Trick, In Color, and Heaven Tonight–were what you played every morning before school and every weekend at parties. Nearly every song was right on the money, from the dark “Auf Wiedersehen” to the upbeat “Southern Girls” to the rocking “Elo Kiddies.” But it wasn’t just the individual songs that were great (some drew from the Move and the Beatles). The records worked as a whole. Cheap Trick was bassy, raw, and fast–perfect for family crises. In Color was upbeat–great for parties. And Heaven Tonight contained elements of both of its predecessors, and therefore was appropriate for depression and parties alike. The placement of the songs–and the songs themselves–made for three complete, almost perfect records.
Then came Live at Budokan, which produced the hit “I Want You to Want Me” and made the Rockford quartet big-time stars. The follow-up, Dream Police, foreshadowed the beginning of the end. Dark, bass-heavy songs like “Gonna Raise Hell” and the haunting showcase for Robin Zander’s slicing voice, “Need Your Love,” stood next to overproduced, synth-laden drivel like “Dream Police,” making it the group’s first spotty record. Still, it was better than what the other stadium fillers were producing. The good songs were like the ones on the first records: solid pop delivered with a raw, almost punk energy.
The show started with a quick version of “Hello There,” which segued neatly into “Come on, Come on.” For the most part the band stuck with old numbers, even pulling out “Southern Girls” and “Heaven Tonight.” Petersson teased “Mandocello,” then sang a more than passable version of “I Know What I Want.”
Art accompanying story in printed newspaper (not available in this archive): photos/Paul Natkin–Photo Reserve.
