Published on Jan 9, 1999
An argument could be made that
Heaven Tonight, the third album from Rockford, Illinois’s
own Cheap Trick, was the work that first put them on the map. Their
song “Surrender” became their first hit; that song, as well as “I
Want You To Want Me” from their previous album
In Color, would be the songs that would bring the house in
Budokan down — and lead Rick Nielsen and crew to a brief taste of
superstardom.
One little thing, though, that people tend to forget. A
successful album depends on more than just one song — and in that
regard,
Heaven Tonight is a letdown. The music is pleasant enough,
but is less satisfying than their previous effort. And while such a
comment will anger the long-time fans, it’s a statement I’ve just
got to make.
Oh, I’m not questioning the talents of vocalist/guitarist Robin
Zander, guitarist/madman Nielsen, bassist Tom Petersson or drummer
Bun E. Carlos. And the production hand of Tom Werman helps to
really bring out the crispness of the band’s music. Two potential
bombs diffused.
But when it comes down to the actual songwriting, most of it
just is flat, albeit non-offensive. Tracks like “On Top Of The
World,” “High Roller” and “Heaven Tonight” fail to achieve the high
standards that a simple, somewhat nonsensical song like “Surrender”
(I guess it’s another teenage rebellion anthem, albeit one that has
the parents shagging to Kiss) play to the hilt. And some critics
now see the inclusion of “Oh Claire” (a play on words regarding Eau
Claire, Wisconsin, a popular place for the boys to play) as some
type of cosmic clue as to what would happen with
Cheap Trick At Budokan, all because they “sing it in
Japanese”. Gimme a break, Greg… the “Japanese vocals” is Zander
saying
one friggin’ word in Japanese!
There are, of course, moments that make
Heaven Tonight worth the time it takes to listen to it.
Tracks like “Auf Wiedersehen” and “Stiff Competition” are kind of
fun to listen to, although I question whether an alternate take of
“Stiff Competition” really needed to be included on the CD
remaster. (For that matter, the unreleased version of “Surrender,”
including some more, aah, controversial twists on the second verse,
should have been left in the vaults. This sounds half-baked and not
thought out, and really is not a high point for Cheap Trick.)
So, lessee… in the course of one review, I’ve managed to
derail the train of thought that
Heaven Tonight is a perfect album (it’s okay, but far from
perfect), anger long-time fans of the band, and possibly tick off a
fellow music critic. In short, a good day.
No, seriously,
Heaven Tonight is one that’s “for the fans” as well as
anyone who really wants to get beneath the surface of the Cheap
Trick we hear on the radio. But it’s no modern-day classic.