I HAD FORGOTTEN ABOUT THIS CHEAP TRICK SONG FOR 40 YEARS

[toomanycats]

I've probably listened to this tune about 100 times in the last week. I was thirteen years old when it was released. As I watch it now all the memories of that hormone surged period in 1982 come flooding back to me. I'm just going to let the aspergers loose and riff on my stream of consciousness thoughts here:

*This was 4 years before Poison's "Talk Dirty to Me." It's the same basic opening riff. I wonder if that pissed off Rick Nielson.

*The first inversion of the open E chord that Neilson hits on the chorus is absolutely brilliant. So simple, yet so brutally effective and downright magical. Try it for yourself by playing an open E chord, then using the pinky to fret the 4th fret of the low E string, which puts the Major 3rd (G#) in the root position. The ambiguity of the vocal line "She's tight" is mirrored by the open ended sound of this chord. It's a masterful composers trick that works on the listener whether they're aware it it or not.

*The guitar sound is so up front and in your face. What is it? For guitars I'd guess it's most likely a Gibson or a Hamer. But for the amp, is it . . . God forbid . . . a Rockman? It kinda has that sound.

*Production is by Roy Thomas Baker. You know, that guy who did Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody," along with the early Steve Perry Journey albums. Yeah, that guy. He also has a very brief cameo in this video.

*This is the dirtiest, filthiest, raunchiest rock song that has no actual profanity in it. I mean, c'mon . . . "She's tight!" That's just brilliant!

*The charisma and vocal skills of Robin Zander is astonishing. That a guitar nerd like Rick Nielson hooked up with him was like winning the lottery. Zander is the frontman every guitarist dreams of finding.

*I've only now realized that I discovered Cheap Trick before what I typically consider my major rock influences, which would be Zep, VH, and Journey. When I was was about 8 or 9 years old, when my only access to music was my parents old 45 collection of The Beatles and Roy Orbison, along with whatever was playing on top 40 AM radio, I was exposed to Cheap Trick's In Color album at my best friends house. His older, teenage brother owned it. We used to sneak it out of his room and listen to it while reading Mad Magazine and playing with our Kenner Star Wars figures. I was blown away by songs like "Big Eyes" and "Southern Girls." I used my GE shoebox cassette recorder to make a bootleg of that album and still have it to this day.

[tonebender]

I love some Cheap Trick. They did some cool things in their music. We used to close every show with a giant version of Surrender. I mean we stepped on the pedals and turned it up! In the opening power chords the bass plays a different note and it sounds cool. I can't remember the specific spot but I remember having the discussion when we were learning the tune. By the end of the song people were jumping up and down shouting Mommy's alright, Daddy's alright!!

[andrewsrea]

'California Man,' 'Stiff Competition' and 'On Top of the World' were completely worn out on my LP vinyl of Heaven Tonight.

[BatUtilityBelt]

I saw Cheap Trick in 1979, and then again about 10 years ago. They were older, but really gave no less energy. In both shows, Nielsen switched guitars so frequently, I couldn't tell you which he used for any given song. But it seemed he liked the Explorers a little more, so maybe that's what he recorded with? And yeah, he did pull out the 5 neck guitar for a few pieces both times too. Monstrous.

[Rollin Hand]

I dig Cheap Trick. Once I was reading an edition of CREEM: Metal Rock & Roll, and they gave the date of Judas Priest's debut as the day metal fashion died. They followed it later on with the date Cheap Trick debuted saying "Cheap Trick proves that bombastic music can be played in the silliest possible attire. Heavy metal fashion recovers instantly."

That said, I heard Live at Budokan incessantly when I was a kid. That album fits as a breakthrough because they supposedly could deliver the goods live.

As for the riff being "Talk Dirty to Me", I'll admit similarity to half of the Poison riff (and all of the subject matter). Poison aren't noted for originality though: Ric Browde let them get away with stealing "We Go Rocking" for "I Want Action" because "no one's gonna hear it anyway."

Oops.

[jhull54]

*This was 4 years before Poison's "Talk Dirty to Me." It's the same basic opening riff. I wonder if that pissed off Rick Nielson.

*The charisma and vocal skills of Robin Zander is astonishing. That a guitar nerd like Rick Nielson hooked up with him was like winning the lottery. Zander is the frontman every guitarist dreams of finding.

Cheap Trick is definitely one of my favorite bands of all time. Seen them 8-9 times over the years, and they--at their peak--were one of the best live bands I ever saw. I think Rick's probably ok with the Poison thing, because he'd probably say he just swiped the riff from "C'mon Everybody". Rick has ripped off so many licks and phrases, and I love it. He throws them into his songs all the time. Particularly in the early stuff.

And totally agree about Zander. In his prime he was--for me--the best singer in rock and roll. He could do it all. Croon, scream, roar...whatever.

One On One has some great songs on it, and it was the first CT tour I saw.




Yeah, the guy in the Sun Studio shirt is me.