Cheap Trick

There was always more going on than meets the eye with Cheap Trick, and Heaven Tonight finds songwriter and guitarist Rick Nielsen literally on fire, pretty much defining the idea of "pop rock" with each song. "Surrender" is one of Cheap Trick's all-time classics, but you don't want to miss the subversive brilliance of "Auf Wiedersehen."

Given Cheap Trick's boisterous indebtedness to rock & roll history, you could argue that the
members of this foursome are not so much creators as dedicated fans. Exactly. Heaven
Tonight, the band's third and best album, practically synthesizes the music of the Beatles,
the Who, et al., into a series of superbly crafted and cleverly arranged original songs.
While Cheap Trick may not be remembered as lovingly as its primarily British ant... More >

When I gave the weak side a final spin, I was quite surprised to recognize four hooks with pleasure. The strong side begins with a wonderfully funny parents song and includes a sarcastic ditty about suicide. Am I to conclude that I'm once again seduced by this power-tooled hard rock product? Guess so. (Grade - B+)