Cheap Trick, We´re All Alright (2017) A Review

Cheap Trick, We´re All Alright (2017) A Review

By: Ghost Writer

Rock N Roll Animal          

Three groups defined the face of American hard rock in the 70s: Aerosmith, Kiss and Cheap Trick, Aersomith made an impressive comeback in the 80s in perfect timing to become the patron saints of the glam pop metal movement of that decade, Kiss also became founding fathers of that movement, and just as their 70s fame started to disappear they pulled a brave commercial stunt by putting away their legendary ghoulish make up, paradoxically as their popularity faded once again, Kiss reverted their unmasked trick and got back into costumes, the third party on this holy trinity of classic hard rockers were Cheap Trick, a band from Chicago who successfully combined jagged edge guitar riffs along Beatlesque vocal harmonies, whose peak success was reached just like Kiss in the height of the live album, just as Kiss had Alive!, Cheap Trick issued their immensely popular Live At Budokan, managing to reach success again with Lap of Luxury in the late 80s, but somehow CT has worked harder in order to stay relevant and a recording last year and a new one this 2017 have showed us that this band of Chicago veterans deserve more successful than their lazier counterparts, just as Aerosmith and Kiss keep trying to live from their former glories, CT keeps making inspired music that could easily compete with any younger hard rock acts.

You Got It Going On opens the record with gorgeous blood hungry guitar riffs along Robin Zanders powerful and commanding vocals, it's an almost punkish tune that clearly explains why true indie musician and producer Steve Albini loves this band so much, and it makes easier to understand that strange evolving moment in which Beatles inspired pop married punk and later was baptized as alternative rock led by opportunists like Nirvana.

The crossing riff of Long Time Coming immediately brings The Kinks to mind, Zanders, Nielsen and Petersson delivering some of their best music in years, as Nielsen takes advantage of every space to deliver his well-known barbed wire riffs, right before launching Nowhere, possibly the fiercest tune in this We're All Alright, again a tune that easily stands against the most rabid punk rock, displaying the magic of a band far from finished and not afraid of still making thunderous loud music.

Radio Lover is a perfect vehicle for radio, a great tune that reaches the pop perfection this band is known for, featuring slashing guitar by Nielsen who is as sharp as you would expect and Zander's voice being literally abused at every second, Lolita might be a little bit over the top, too much too soon, but the band quickly resumes the hard rock attack with the swinging Brand New Name on an Old Tattoo that would put Aerosmith to shame these days, giving themselves even the chance to experiment a bit on Floating Down, just before making Albini salivate with the sheer brutality of Listen to Me.

 

The record closes with the wonderful Beatles like Blackberry Way featuring the gorgeous vocal harmonies by the band, reaffirming the musical strengths and roots the band has becoming famous for displaying, I guess we don't need to be told that this band is alright because the powerful music included in this collection easily makes the point, Cheap Trick seems to defy the decadence that most 70s legendary top tock acts suffer today, they somehow manage to sound hungry and still full of ambition and We're All Alright is simply a great celebration of a band whose days of commercial glory might be gone but they are still able of making great loud and fun music.