RICK NIELSEN
Behind the oddball exterior and the daft guitars is someone who could show guitar heroes a thing or
Given his oversized personality and goofy stage demeanour, it’s easy to overlook Rick Nielsen’s musical ability. The Cheap Trick linchpin has never been one for self-aggrandisement either. “I’m a songwriter, not a guitar player,” he recently told Classic Rock. “I wish I would’ve practiced forty years ago, because I might be pretty good by now.”
But don’t let him fool you. Beneath the cartoon exterior lies an exceptional guitarist whose bold, voluble style encompasses a vast range of licks, trills and slides that pull from classic pop, glam and riffy British rock of the late 60s and early 70s. And while his nerdy image (flip-brim baseball cap and bow tie) is the antithesis of anyone’s notion of a guitar god, it also serves as a parodic celebration of the whole rock business.
Nielsen’s role as class clown involves making the difficult look easy. He understands that it’s about having a good time. And finding your own space. “I never wanted to be Jimmy Page or Jeff Beck or any of those greats,” he says. “Those people have already been taken, so I grew up being me.”
Capable of switching between lead and rhythm with enviable fluency, Nielsen is also big on experimentation. This is partly down to the use of a dizzying arsenal of gear, from Les Pauls to Fenders to his treasured Hamer guitars, including his famous five-neck model. As an avid guitar collector and an advocate of vintage amps, he’s an ongoing exploration of texture, sound and feel. There’s always an element of the unknown with Cheap Trick: primal garage band one minute, power-pop royalty the next.
The fact that Nielsen isn’t as celebrated as he ought to be may be down to his other creative skills. As the band’s primary songwriter, it was the prolific Nielsen who powered Cheap Trick’s rise to superstardom in the late 70s, peaking with Dream Police and the heroic At Budokan live album. All of which means that he’s doubly influential. Just ask famous admirers such as Foo Fighters, Kid Rock, Guns N’ Roses, Green Day, Pearl Jam, Smashing Pumpkins and more. RH
Listen to this: Surrender (Cheap Trick, Heaven Tonight, 1978)