Classic Rock Bottom

Cheap Trick are already back with another studio offering in 2017.  The rejuvenated (mostly)veteran band follows up 2016's Bang, Zoom, Crazy...Hello quickly and, from recent news bites, they will be releasing a second album later in the year (a Christmas album).  At the rate they are going, another album in 2018 would not surprise me one bit.  But back to present day, I was personally quite excited to see a quick follow up, as I really enjoyed the 2016 offering.

Let's just cut to the chase and get right down to the review.  First, as always, is the packaging.  I purchased the deluxe version which has three bonus tracks and comes in a cardboard case, which opens up, basically like the old gatefold LP's.  There is a lyric sheet, but it's in the form of a foldout, not a booklet, the latter of which I prefer. Still, you get lyrics and they are in a decent enough font that I can easily read them with the help of my reading glasses.  So the packaging is fair, not great.  Also, I have to say I'm not a fan of the album cover.  All of those vintage photos would look great in a booklet or on the inside of the gatefold (just for clarity, they appear on the inside of this product as well as the front cover), but I'd most definitely prefer a really cool shot of the band on the cover (something similar to Standing On The Edge's cover).

As far as the music goes, the album is extremely lean, packed full of muscle.  There's not much in the way of fat. You have your up tempo, balls-to-the-wall hard rockers like You've Got It Going On, Long Time Coming, Nowhere (this is such a classic Trick-fest of a tune, the only problem being the distorted production on the vocals. It even reaches back and touches the classic song Dream Police), Radio Lover, Brand New Name on an Old Tattoo and Listen To Me.  That's six of ten of the proper album tracks. That leaves room for a couple of highly melodic, radio friendly (ballad or not) tracks (Floating Down and The Rest of My Life) and a couple of laid back, groove heavy tracks (Lolita and She's Alright). Cheap Trick does these songs as well as any other pop band that has ever lived, and the four included here are no exception.   

So the album is perfect, right?  Not so fast.  As good as these songs are, I have been struggling to get into the album. After much thought, I believe I have reached the heart of the matter.  It's the track sequence that causes the fumble. I need one of those melodic, radio friendly songs in at number three.  Instead, the first one doesn't appear until track number seven.  For me, that's way too late in the ball game.  I love melodic, power pop Cheap Trick. Floating Down and The Rest of My Life both have those qualities in spades.  And despite the fact that albums have been sequenced as CD's for at least 35 years now, I still think in terms of vinyl sequencing.  For me, side one of this album would be perfect with two rockers, a hit single, a mid-paced groove and a cool-ass cover.  Then, you get your head bashed in when you flip the vinyl over and side two kicks off with Long Time Coming.

But that also brings me to the bonus tracks.  Blackberry Way is a phenomenal cover of The Move.  It's a song I had never heard before now, and those are always the best covers (much like the fabulous cover of Dobie Gray's The In Crowd on the previous album). This song should have been on the non-deluxe issue of the album, not just a bonus track. The same goes for If You Still Want My Love.  Robin Zander shines brightly on this track, as he does on everything here.  I can take or leave Like A Fly.  On a side note, since I mentioned Zander, Rick Nielsen continues his heavy, dynamic guitar work that I dug so much on Bang, Zoom, Crazy...Hello).

So where does that leave me.  It leaves me wanting the band to reorder the album and trade out a couple of regular tracks for bonus tracks.  If that were the case, I truly believe this would put We're All Alright! at or near the top of the pile of discs at my house that will eventually make up my yearly Top 10.  But as it is, the album drops, though not necessarily out of that pile of discs altogether.  As you know, we have five more months to decide how to order that Top 10.  For now, I'll leave my current overall rating of the album here, along with my preferred track order (written in red out beside the actual track list, with the tracks without a red number being bonus tracks on the RJ Special Edition of We're All Alright!).

Overall Rating: 3.9 out of 5 Stars

1. You've Got It Going On (1)

2. Long Time Coming (6)

3. Nowhere (2)

4. Radio Lover

5. Lolita (4)

6. Brand New Name on an Old Tattoo 

7. Floating Down (7)

8. She's Alright (10)

9. Listen To Me (8)

10. The Rest of My Life (3)

11. Blackberry Way (Bonus Track) (5)

12. Like A Fly (Bonus Track)

13. If You Still Want My Love (Bonus Track) (9)

 

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I said I could take or leave Fly On The Wall.  I have re-evaluated my position on that track.  The hook in the chorus is sweet!

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