{"id":2377340,"date":"2026-04-17T10:09:49","date_gmt":"2026-04-17T10:09:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2377340"},"modified":"2026-04-17T10:09:49","modified_gmt":"2026-04-17T10:09:49","slug":"new-cheap-trick-album-shows-theyre-far-from-all-washed-up","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/new-cheap-trick-album-shows-theyre-far-from-all-washed-up\/","title":{"rendered":"New Cheap Trick album shows they’re far from ‘All Washed Up’"},"content":{"rendered":"

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These are dark days for classic rock. The creators of some of the most transcendent and popular music ever made have largely fallen off the charts \u2014 or simply fallen.<\/p>\n

Eddie Van Halen, whose two-handed tapping made him a generational talent, died of cancer in 2020. Gregg Allman, the soulful voice behind \u201cWhipping Post\u201d and \u201cMidnight Rider,\u201d passed away in 2017, three years after his eponymous band called it quits. The Beach Boys\u2019 brilliant Brian Wilson died last year, as did Sly Stone and Ozzy Osbourne.<\/p>\n

Even for those still standing, these are anything but the good old days. Don\u2019t expect to see an original member during this summer\u2019s Lynyrd Skynyrd tour. That\u2019s because all of them are dead. Paul McCartney still sells out stadiums and mesmerizes audiences with his charm, charisma and the deepest songbook in pop, but at 83, his voice is more strain than sweetness. As Mick Jagger once sang, \u201cTime waits for no one.\u201d That\u2019s true even for the mighty Rolling Stones, who in 2021 lost drummer Charlie Watts.<\/p>\n

And then there\u2019s Cheap Trick. The legendary purveyors of Beatlesque power-pop with a hard edge, Rockford, Illinois\u2019 finest features three original members: golden-voiced Robin Zander, 73; Tom Petersson, 75, a pioneer of the 12-string bass guitar; and wacky lead guitarist Rick Nielsen, 77, writer or co-writer of some of the band\u2019s biggest hits, including \u201cI Want You to Want Me,\u201d \u201cSurrender\u201d and \u201cDream Police.\u201d They\u2019re joined by drummer Daxx Nielsen, Rick Nielsen\u2019s son who ably replaced the seemingly irreplaceable Bun E. Carlos in 2010. Cheap Trick\u2019s most recent albums rock, and the band\u2019s live shows continue to sizzle, recalling 1978\u2019s iconic \u201cAt Budokan.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have the same basic music tastes and kind of grew up together,\u201d bassist Petersson said. \u201cIt just works.\u201d<\/p>\n

Indeed, it does. Just listen to \u201cAll Washed Up,\u201d the band\u2019s vibrant 21st studio album that came out in November. The tongue-in-cheek title track positively swaggers, while \u201cThe Riff That Won\u2019t Quit\u201d lives up to its name. \u201cI think it\u2019s got an early Cheap Trick sound,\u201d Zander said.<\/p>\n

Fans of the Rock & Roll Hall of Famers \u2014 who have sold more than 20 million albums and notched more than 40 international gold and platinum discs \u2014 can expect to hear a mix of old and new, smashes and deep cuts, when Cheap Trick visits Bridges Auditorium in Claremont on April 21.<\/p>\n

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<\/picture>\n
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These days, Cheap Trick plays an average of 75 shows per year.<\/p>\n

(Jeff Daly)<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n

Keeping it fresh<\/b><\/p>\n

How has a band that\u2019s been together for more than 50 years managed to remain a creative force without burning out, splitting up or devolving into little more than a human jukebox pumping out nostalgia?<\/p>\n

Zander credits remaining engaged and excited. \u201cWe not only make records for ourselves, but we also perform live for ourselves,\u201d he said. \u201cWe try to make things interesting, so we don\u2019t get bored.\u201d<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why the band changes setlists nightly. It also explains why, in a streaming era dominated by country, hip-hop and pop, Cheap Trick still makes rock records for an ever-diminishing audience.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe like to record,\u201d Petersson said. \u201cWe have all these song ideas from all these years, and we just keep at it. Knowing we\u2019ve got another record to do keeps us going.\u201d<\/p>\n

So does staying healthy.<\/p>\n

Whereas Cheap Trick used to play up to 250 shows a year in the late 1970s and early 1980s, the band now averages about 75. Cheap Trick also spaces out dates when possible, giving members time to recuperate from the rigors of the road.<\/p>\n

To ensure that he can still hit the high notes \u2014 and he can \u2014 Zander warms up his voice for half an hour before shows. He has also ditched some youthful bad habits. \u201cI don\u2019t stay up for three nights in a row and drink,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019re not young puppies anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n

Counterintuitively, Zander and Petersson believe that prioritizing professional relationships has allowed the band to avoid the destructive infighting that often plagues bands made up of best friends. (Think John Lennon and Paul McCartney.)<\/p>\n

\u201cWe got together, and it was all music That\u2019s what we did and what we do,\u201d Zander said. \u201cAnd so after [recording or shows], we would all go back to our homes and sleep in our own beds. We didn\u2019t piss in each others\u2019 backyards.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\"Rick <\/picture>\n
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Rick Nielsen, from left, Tom Petersson and Robin Zander of Cheap Trick.<\/p>\n

(Danny Clinch)<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n

The cult band that could<\/b><\/p>\n

Cheap Trick was born in Rockford in 1973. Zander joined a year later, cementing the classic lineup. The band toured relentlessly in the Midwest, playing five sets a night, six days a week. With its meager earnings, Cheap Trick made the long drive to L.A. several times to play the Starwood in hopes of landing a record contract. Although unsuccessful in its quest, the band made fans of Sparks and Rodney Bingenheimer, the famed KROQ DJ and tastemaker. \u201cThat was good enough for us,\u201d Petersson said.<\/p>\n

Aerosmith producer Jack Douglas rescued the group from obscurity after catching Cheap Trick\u2019s act at a bowling alley in Waukesha, Wis. Impressed, he offered to help. \u201cHe was the hottest producer in the world,\u201d Petersson said. \u201cHe told us, \u2018You can tell the record labels that Jack Douglas is now your producer.\u2019 Then all of a sudden, we were brilliant.\u201d<\/p>\n

The band quickly signed with Epic Records. Beginning with the Douglas-produced \u201cCheap Trick\u201d in early 1977, followed by \u201cIn Color\u201d and \u201cHeaven Tonight\u201d \u2014 both produced by Tom Werman \u2014 the group released three classics in little more than a year. Unfortunately, the record-buying public mostly stayed away.<\/p>\n

Cheap Trick seemed destined for cult-band status. Then the band issued \u201cAt Budokan,\u201d one of rock\u2019s most beloved live albums. Originally planned as a Japan-only record, the strong demand for Japanese imports led Epic to release it in the U.S., where it went triple platinum. Coming out a year later, \u201cDream Police\u201d also hit big. Cheap Trick appeared on the verge of superstardom.<\/p>\n

The band chose Beatles producer George Martin and engineer Geoff Emerick for its next album. Critics and fans expected the second coming of \u201cSgt. Pepper\u2019s.\u201d Instead, they got the experimental \u201cAll Shook Up,\u201d which has aged well despite the critical drubbing it received at the time. The group\u2019s moment had passed. \u201cTastes change,\u201d said Petersson, who left the group shortly before the album dropped due to creative differences.<\/p>\n

Cheap Trick spent much of the 1980s chasing trends rather than setting them. The band\u2019s commercial fortunes brightened briefly with the release of 1988\u2019s \u201cLap of Luxury,\u201d which saw Petersson\u2019s return and included the group\u2019s sole No. 1, \u201cThe Flame,\u201d a solid power ballad written by outside songwriters. But the album lacked the catchiness, melodicism and fire of their early work. The spotlight soon dimmed.<\/p>\n

In the 1990s, something unexpected happened. Alternative rockers like Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins and Green Day began channeling the band\u2019s signature blend of melody and crunchy guitars. Cheap Trick became cool again.<\/p>\n

The band experienced an artistic and critical renaissance in the mid-2000s, starting with the underrated gem \u201cRockford\u201d in 2006, that has continued to present day. \u201cIn Another World,\u201d released in 2021, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Rock Chart, a first for the 53-year-old group.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re not washed up,\u201d Zander quipped.<\/p>\n

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\"Daxx <\/picture>\n
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Daxx Nielsen, from left, Robin Zander, Tom Petersson and Rick Nielsen.<\/p>\n

(Courtesy of Cheap Trick)<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n

On top of the world<\/b><\/p>\n

On April 8, 2016, Cheap Trick was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, years after becoming eligible. Reuniting with original drummer Carlos, the band played a scorching set that had the crowd on its feet. In an online tribute, Smashing Pumpkins front man Billy Corgan wrote: \u201cFinally, the dang secret is out! Their place among the greats secure, their influence on the generations patently obvious.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Cheap Trick, it was sweet vindication.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe put so much hard work into stuff, but we never expected to get [in],\u201d Zander said. \u201cIt\u2019s a nice little tip of the hat that I\u2019m really proud of.\u201d<\/p>\n

A decade after that career highlight, Cheap Trick has no intention of hanging up the guitars or putting down the mic. And why should they? There\u2019s still more new music to make and crowds to entertain.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want us to be remembered as one of the best rock bands that ever was,\u201d Zander said. \u201cYou know, rock and roll was supposed to last forever, but it\u2019s taken the back seat to a lot of other things. I hope it doesn\u2019t go away. We\u2019re helping to hold up the fort as much as we can.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ballon, a former Times, Forbes and Inc. Magazine reporter, teaches an advanced writing class at USC. He lives in Fullerton.<\/i><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

\u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n

\u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.latimes.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

These are dark days for classic rock. The creators of some of the most transcendent and popular music ever made have largely fallen off the charts \u2014 or simply fallen. Eddie Van Halen, whose two-handed tapping made him a generational talent, died of cancer in 2020. Gregg Allman, the soulful voice behind \u201cWhipping Post\u201d and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2377341,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[25179],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2377340","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-music"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/New-Cheap-Trick-album-shows-theyre-far-from-All-Washed.com2F4c2Fc52Fe6128c714f71b6ad2d1a42fb.jpeg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2377340","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2377340"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2377340\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2377342,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2377340\/revisions\/2377342"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2377341"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2377340"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2377340"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2377340"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}