Cheap Trick still on top of it in ‘Another’
C heap Trick,“In Another World” (BMG)
In another world, it’s still 1979, and Cheap Trick is arguably the biggest American rock band. Tracks like “Here’s Looking at You” are dominating FM radio and teens are bopping to “The Party,” singing along with “do-do-dos” reminiscent of Jimi Hendrix’s “Crosstown Traffic.”
“On Top of the World” was one of their signature tunes, and it fit the times.
But, alas, in this world, it’s 2021, few major outlets play rock ‘n’ roll, particularly new stuff, and all we can do is be thankful for the longevity and endless creativity of the quartet from Rockford, Illinois.
Since their first album in 1977, Cheap Trick has consistently put out perfectly polished power-pop and hard rock gems, and that tradition continues here. “Here Comes The Summer” makes a bid for seasonal immortality, in much the same way that Alice Cooper’s “School’s Out” will be played on the radio every June until the end of time. It’s a track they started playing live, under the name “The Summer Looks Good On You” early last year before the pandemic shut concerts down.
The title track appears twice here, first as a lush ballad, and later, as a fully amped-up garage band jam; it’s delightful to hear the song shed its delicate cocoon and blossom into a full-speed-ahead rocker with glorious feedback, booming bass and pounding drums.
Singer Robin Zander sounds exactly as he did nearly 45 years ago, and hasn’t lost a thing off his fastball. And Tom Petersson, who pioneered the 12-string bass, lays down a bottom so full and chunky it’s hard to believe this four-piece band has only one guitar and one bass.
And their decades-long Beatles crush surfaces again here with a cover of John Lennon’s “Gimme Some Truth.”
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“Beautiful Scars,” Merry Clayton (Motown) It’s appropriate Merry Clayton’s singing volume on her new gospel album repeatedly reaches forte, which in French means strength. “Beautiful Scars” is a celebration of fortitude, and caps a comeback after Clayton lost her legs in a 2014 car accident.
This is Clayton’s first solo album in more than 25 years, but her name and enthralling alto will sound familiar to longtime pop fans. She was a Raelette for Ray Charles at 16 and sang on the Rolling Stones’ “Gimme Shelter,” Joe Cocker’s “Feelin’ Alright” and Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Sweet Home Alabama.”
The daughter of a New Orleans preacher, Clayton draws heavily on her roots on “Beautiful Scars,” singing testimonials to love, gratitude, trust, faith and, most of all, healing. She forms a holy alliance with an outstanding choir led by Terry Young, who co-produced with Lou Adler. The tight choral arrangements make her vocal flights of fancy even more powerful, and the result is a lot of roof-raising.
The material includes “Love Is a Mighty River,” a new composition co-written by Coldplay’s Chris Martin, and fine covers of tunes by Leon Russell and Sam Cooke. There’s sax solo recorded 50 years ago by Clayton’s late husband, Curtis Amy, who died in 2002, and a vocal solo by her granddaughter, Kyliyah Amy. But Clayton is the star, still shining brightly.
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Lake Street Dive, “Obviously” (Nonesuch Records)
Lake Street Dive’s seventh studio album takes its name from the first word in the first song — “Obviously.” Here’s another thing that’s obvious: You need to make this band part of your life.
Call them what you like — alt-country, indie-pop, pop-folk — the hard-to-classify Lake Street Dive offer top-notch songwriting with progressive lyrics and one of the most underrated vocalist in music today.
Originally formed in 2004 by students attending the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, the band consists of singer Rachael Price, Mike “McDuck” Olson on trumpet and guitar, Bridget Kearney on upright bass and Mike Calabrese on drums. Newest member, keyboardist Akie Bermiss, harmonizes beautifully with Price on “Same Old News,” and wrote the beautiful and wistful “Anymore.”
The 11-track “Obviously” follows “Free Yourself Up” from 2018, which featured one of the band’s hits, “Good Kisser.” This time, “Feels Like the Last Time” has a rootsy vibe and “Sarah” is a cappella.
“Nobody’s Stopping You Now” was penned by Price as a letter of encouragement to her teenage self and “Know That I Know” is a funky and funny trumpet-led ode to lovers (“You’re Captain Kirk to my Spock/I’m Dee Dee Ramone and you’re punk rock.”)
The band’s progressive bent is evident on the feminist “Being a Woman” — “If I complain they’ll blame my feelings/But look at the view from my glass ceiling” — “Hush Money,” which assails crooked politics, and “Making Do,” which tackles climate change with the lines, “What do I say to my baby girl?/Leaving her with a half a world?”
“Obviously” was produced by Mike Elizondo, who has worked with Dr. Dre, Eminem, Carrie Underwood and Fiona Apple. Lake Street Dive have never sounded better, full and clear with every instrument given a chance to shine in every song.
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CHEYENNE, Wyo.: Country music artists including Garth Brooks will perform at the first Cheyenne Frontier Days since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.
Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon and Frontier Days officials announced this week the rodeo festival will take place over two weeks in late July like usual after being canceled last year.
Besides Brooks, the night show lineup announced Thursday includes Maren Morris, Eric Church, Thomas Rhett, Blake Shelton, Kane Brown, Ned LeDoux, Rhett Akins, Aaron Watson, Restless Road, Ashley McBryde and John King.
The 125th Frontier Days will be dedicated to Chris LeDoux, a Wyoming country music and rodeo star who died of cancer in 2005 at 56. A bronze statue of LeDoux, Ned LeDoux’s father, will be dedicated at Frontier Park on July 23, the Casper Star-Tribune reported.
Frontier Days wasn’t held last year for the first time in the event’s history — a blow to Cheyenne’s economy and social scene. Many locals take off work to volunteer at the event featuring daily rodeos, entertainment, a carnival and nightlife crowds. (AP)