Cheap Trick Get Sick, Go Old World Again

Cheap Trick has released a new single for Sick Man of Europe, which may confuse longtime fans who know that in 1972, the band's name was...Sick Man of Europe. As far as I can tell so far, it's a new song, but it would be just like these guys to repackage one of their own songs and sell it as a shiny new toy. But you know what? It doesn't matter when it was written, because it's the coolest thing the band's done since about 1980. Welding a gritty garage-rock feel to the band's natural power-pop tendencies has sprung a single that we can expect to hear on Little Steven's show, probably on Rock Band, maybe even on high school hallway iPods. New album The Latest is coming out June 23rd on cd, download, vinyl, and...EIGHT-TRACK! Cheap Trick may be the first band that actually put out albums on the eight-track format back in the day to do it again in the new millenium.



Billboard reports:

The Latest is certainly an album likely to curry favor with the Cheap Trick faithful, filled with anthemic power pop tunes such as "Miss Tomorrow," "California Girl," "Alive" and a cover of Slade's "When the Lights Are Out," Beatlesque songs like "Miracle," "Everybody Knows" and "Times of Our Lives," and the power ballads "These Days," "Closer..." and "Smile." "We wanted to make a record that sounded like 2009, get something that sounds like us this year," drummer Bun E. Carlos explains.

Uh, three "power ballads"? Now I'm a little concerned. And what's California Girl? Trick already recorded the great California Man when I was a wee pup. Maybe the band's going forward by looking backward, including a Slade cover - see below.



In other band news, Trick has also recorded the theme song for Transformers 2:



With Bun E. Carlos garnering attention for his other band Tinted Windows, it's safe to say the band's 2nd "comeback" into the public eye is complete ("The Flame" would be the first, lighters up). I was going to list their tour dates, but there's too damn many of 'em! Go here or here for dates. How old are these guys? How can they keep it up? Maybe they're robots - isn't that what Transformers are? (remember the evil robots impersonating Kiss in Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park). Last time I saw the band was at the House of Blues in L.A. in '94 or '95 for the Woke Up Up With A Monster tour - not their best album, but still an amazing show. Not robotic at all.