E.L.O. Vs. Cheap Trick... - Bilge

D donhonyc Tiki Socialite The Quiet EAST Village Joined: Jan 13, 2003 Posts: 1197	D donhonyc Posted posted on Tue, Sep 6, 2005 6:15 AM Cheap Trick are masters of Power Pop. Although somewhat Beatle-esque I've always thought of them as kind of new wave. A lot of people say they went downhill after "Heaven Tonight" but they've made a lot of great music since then. I think I can agree with this the most of any post so far. Going downhill after 'Heaven Tonight' is a pretty fair assesment, but I would say they went downhill after 'At Budokan'. They did have great stuff after that, but you didn't hear it wall to wall on any one LP. Their first album is amazing. I think they have some strong similarities to The Beatles, but for me their godfathers are defnitely Big Star. Put some of that on and tell me you don't hear the strong similarities. But I do think that Rick & Co. definitely used The Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper" idea of 'being a different band' when they did 'Dream Police'. That album, at least as a visual concept, was totally borrowed from 'Sgt. Pepper' if you ask me. It was also pretty bold. I mean can you hear Rick or Robin, or whoever came up with the idea telling the rest of the band they were gonna be the 'Dream Police' as the follow up to the smash 'Budokan' LP. The other guys in the band must have been like 'yeah right..shut up'. But then again you're talking about a band that has a lead guitarist that looks like Huntz Hall from 'The Bowery Boys'. Hmmm...maybe somebody in the band was listening to Frank Zappa & the Mothers' "Freak Out" alot. There's that song on that album "Who Are the Brain Police?". Anyway...I think I have seen Cheap Trick (with all three of their bass players) about 10 times since 1980. First time was on the 'Dream Police' tour. UFO opened for them. VERY COOL! ELO is closer to The Beatles on alot of levels. I'm not a big ELO fan, mind you but I am a huge Beatles fan. I never owned ELO stuff ever. Nothing personal to any of the ELO fans here, but when I first saw them come around, I thought it was kinda stupid seeing long haired dudes playing cellos. But hey....I love 'Don't Bring Me Down'. Great song, I remember hearing it all the time at the ice skating center on Friday nights. [ Edited by: donhonyc 2005-09-06 06:27 ]

Cheap Trick are masters of Power Pop. Although somewhat Beatle-esque I've always thought of them as kind of new wave. A lot of people say they went downhill after "Heaven Tonight" but they've made a lot of great music since then.

I think I can agree with this the most of any post so far.

Going downhill after 'Heaven Tonight' is a pretty fair assesment, but I would say they went downhill after 'At Budokan'. They did have great stuff after that, but you didn't hear it wall to wall on any one LP. Their first album is amazing. I think they have some strong similarities to The Beatles, but for me their godfathers are defnitely Big Star. Put some of that on and tell me you don't hear the strong similarities. But I do think that Rick & Co. definitely used The Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper" idea of 'being a different band' when they did 'Dream Police'. That album, at least as a visual concept, was totally borrowed from 'Sgt. Pepper' if you ask me. It was also pretty bold. I mean can you hear Rick or Robin, or whoever came up with the idea telling the rest of the band they were gonna be the 'Dream Police' as the follow up to the smash 'Budokan' LP. The other guys in the band must have been like 'yeah right..shut up'. But then again you're talking about a band that has a lead guitarist that looks like Huntz Hall from 'The Bowery Boys'. Hmmm...maybe somebody in the band was listening to Frank Zappa & the Mothers' "Freak Out" alot. There's that song on that album "Who Are the Brain Police?". Anyway...I think I have seen Cheap Trick (with all three of their bass players) about 10 times since 1980. First time was on the 'Dream Police' tour. UFO opened for them. VERY COOL!

ELO is closer to The Beatles on alot of levels. I'm not a big ELO fan, mind you but I am a huge Beatles fan. I never owned ELO stuff ever. Nothing personal to any of the ELO fans here, but when I first saw them come around, I thought it was kinda stupid seeing long haired dudes playing cellos. But hey....I love 'Don't Bring Me Down'. Great song, I remember hearing it all the time at the ice skating center on Friday nights.

[ Edited by: donhonyc 2005-09-06 06:27 ]

Post #184642 by donhonyc on Tue, Sep 6, 2005 6:15 AM