new Cheap Trick

Opinions?

I'd read that this was their big move to sound like their old selves (wasn't that Rockford?). If by that they mean their old 80s selves, I suppose it's accurate.

I'm listening for the first time right now, but thus far all I can think is, "Gee, I wish I'd streamed it before committing the money." Maybe it'll grow on me.

I thought "Cheap Trick" [1997] was their back to basics album?



Former TP subscriber [81, 82, 83, 84]

[postpunkmonk.com]
For further rumination on the Fresh New Sound of Yesterday®

That's part of my point - this is back to basics album #3.

So far, it hasn't grabbed me the way the 1997 album did, or the way Rockford did. But I like it better than Special One or The Latest.

I don't get all the love for Rockford. Every time I listen it goes in one ear and out the other without the songs leaving any impression. I haven't given it the car test, though.

The Latest ain't the greatest, but at least it had a handful of songs that stuck to my ribs.

I think part of my problem with the new one is that I hate the production. But I need to give it the car test as well. Songs tend to sneak up on me when they're on the car stereo and I'm paying more attention to the road.

There's so much bad production these days. It's like a plague. The industry is geared towards making virtual music and "correcting" everything on computers. There is a generation of "producers" who don't know what to do when confronted with a band that can actually play. Instead, they shuffle off the rhythm section to the green room while they set up loops in ProTools. It's a disgrace! Bands only have rhythm sections for touring now. The most disgusting thing is that these rhythm sections, if given a chance to play on the album, can really cook! But that's no longer valued in these, the end times. See: Duran Duran, Simple Minds



Post Edited (05-04-16 15:04)

Former TP subscriber [81, 82, 83, 84]

[postpunkmonk.com]
For further rumination on the Fresh New Sound of Yesterday®

This sounds like a real rhythm section, but the production is washed out and makes the guitars sound generic, like they're trying to make them sound like every other hard rock act on the radio. You wouldn't know by hearing them that Nielsen is playing with them. Even Zander's voice sounds anonymous sometimes. I call it the Howard Benson effect - that guy produced most of the so-called "post grunge" bands (Breaking Benjamin and their ilk) and tried to make them all sound exactly the same. Benson had nothing to do with this record, but it sounds like he did.

If the songs catch fire, I can endure crap production. Hopefully a couple more spins will make that happen.

Gave it the car test this morning. It ended up being a longer drive to work than usual, so I got plenty of time with it.

Some of the songs have indeed wormed their way into my consciousness, as I suspected they might - "No Direction Home" in particular. But at least a couple of them sound like the band is trying to emulate someone else - the verses of "Heart On the Line" sound like Eliminator-era ZZ Top, and "Sing My Blues Away" sounds almost exactly like ELO (and is a better song than anything on the new ELO record, and I say that as a fan).

I think, as I said above, my biggest beef is with the production. It really does wash out the band's signature sound and makes them sound like a generic rock band - an attempt to get them on the radio, I guess. Some of the vocals don't even sound like Zander - I like "When I Wake Up Tomorrow" (as sick as I am of the whole "I just wanted a one-night stand but now I love you" trope) but it could be anybody doing that track. "Blood Red Lips" could be any bar band suddenly thrust into a high-priced studio.

I've started thinking of it as a Robin Zander solo album.

Time to kick Julian Raymond to the curb. I'm not gonna be a grumpy old fart and demand they go back to Jack Douglas or Tom Werman, but there's gotta be better choices than Raymond to keep them on the tracks.