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Tonight Tonight Tonight Tonight Tonight Tonight Tonight Tonight!
2008-02-19 | by Oats
Two things:
1) How many Rock Crimes can you spot in this video?
2) Can you correctly identify why this performance rocks anyway?
I look forward to your responses,
Oats
10 comments
Comment from: andyr [Member] 
Tom Peterson's 16 string bass
Why did Rick Nielsen add two guitars for the last 30 seconds?
And is Zander a guitarist or not? He always does a lot of holstering. I've never seen a guitarist holster a guitar yet hold the mic.
I think the song rcoks because of Bun E.
Why did Rick Nielsen add two guitars for the last 30 seconds?
And is Zander a guitarist or not? He always does a lot of holstering. I've never seen a guitarist holster a guitar yet hold the mic.
I think the song rcoks because of Bun E.
2008-02-19 @ 08:56
Comment from: alexmagic [Member]
I never quite made the connection before, but, Bun E. Carlos is Irwin Mainway. Agreed with Andyr about him, though.
Zander's bolo tie has to be some kind of rock offense. And that mural in the back is pretty terrible, like some Cheap Trick fan pulled up behind the stage in the worst van ever.
For the most part, I like the band and Nielsen by and large, but if they were to ever start prosecuting him for his Rock Crimes, his ass would get thrown in the Phantom Zone.
My question to you, Oats: do you own a sweater like that thing Nieslen is wearing?
Zander's bolo tie has to be some kind of rock offense. And that mural in the back is pretty terrible, like some Cheap Trick fan pulled up behind the stage in the worst van ever.
For the most part, I like the band and Nielsen by and large, but if they were to ever start prosecuting him for his Rock Crimes, his ass would get thrown in the Phantom Zone.
My question to you, Oats: do you own a sweater like that thing Nieslen is wearing?
2008-02-19 @ 09:14
Comment from: shawnkilroy [Member]
too many to count.
because for some reason, Cheap Trick seems to be above the law.
because for some reason, Cheap Trick seems to be above the law.
2008-02-19 @ 09:23
Comment from: Mr. Moderator [Member]
I'm glad the bass and the holstering/mic holding were already flagged. It would benefit the band if Zander played rhythm guitar. Nielsen gets a terrible sound on this song, and all he does is dick around, leaving that 16-string mudpile hanging out there to carry the song with Carlos. Carlos works hard to keep this song moving and Zander, for his multiple offenses, manages to sing those stupid lyrics like he cares about them. Those to are the only ones keeping a sense of rock in this performance.
Some other Rock Crimes: Nielson letting the audience in on a particularly flubbed note (not that I haven't been guilty of this crime), the abundance of white shoes and Petersen's white suit. I don't care what season it is, white shoes usually don't cut it onstage. Zander's pushed up sleeves - '80s style - aren't cool either, but only in Cheap Trick is the guy wearing the lame cardigan and bowtie the second-best dressed band member (next to a guy dressed like an accountant at the end of Happy Hour). I don't have the heart to bring this band in on any Look-related charges.
I'll tell you one little thing that Zander did, though, that is a Rock Crime of the highest order of Onstage Preening: when he's removed the mic from the stand with his holstered guitar did you catch him comb his hair with the mic? Beside being highly unsanitary it is simply a gross display of self-absorption. Does he pick his nose with that mic too?
Some other Rock Crimes: Nielson letting the audience in on a particularly flubbed note (not that I haven't been guilty of this crime), the abundance of white shoes and Petersen's white suit. I don't care what season it is, white shoes usually don't cut it onstage. Zander's pushed up sleeves - '80s style - aren't cool either, but only in Cheap Trick is the guy wearing the lame cardigan and bowtie the second-best dressed band member (next to a guy dressed like an accountant at the end of Happy Hour). I don't have the heart to bring this band in on any Look-related charges.
I'll tell you one little thing that Zander did, though, that is a Rock Crime of the highest order of Onstage Preening: when he's removed the mic from the stand with his holstered guitar did you catch him comb his hair with the mic? Beside being highly unsanitary it is simply a gross display of self-absorption. Does he pick his nose with that mic too?
2008-02-19 @ 09:41
Comment from: Rick Massimo [Member]
Besides the awesome hackitude of Nielsen's performance, which doesn't really count, I get:
BAND OFFENSES
Pastels
White non-sneaker shoes
RICK NIELSEN
Lip-synching
Hand over guitar neck
Musical-note apparel (doesn't even work ironically)
Baseball cap
Bow tie
And I'm not 100% sure, but I'm going to accuse Robin Zander of:
Eye makeup on rocker over age of 22
Why it rocks anyway? Well, the whole point is to break the rules and the laws. Or, to make a shorter answer, Bun E. Carlos. And I, for one, like his Look.
BAND OFFENSES
Pastels
White non-sneaker shoes
RICK NIELSEN
Lip-synching
Hand over guitar neck
Musical-note apparel (doesn't even work ironically)
Baseball cap
Bow tie
And I'm not 100% sure, but I'm going to accuse Robin Zander of:
Eye makeup on rocker over age of 22
Why it rocks anyway? Well, the whole point is to break the rules and the laws. Or, to make a shorter answer, Bun E. Carlos. And I, for one, like his Look.
2008-02-19 @ 10:05
Comment from: hrrundivbakshi [Member]
- Fluorescent pantsuit. Why would anybody purposely cop the "Dirty Work" Look?
- Bass sin trifecta: 1.) fake soundhole; 2.) 12 strings; 3.) the bass "strum" technique
- Thin, grating tone on Nielsen's strat
- Whammy bar abuse
- Nielsen touching nipple during lyric about "touching you there"
- Nielsen ruining that otherwise glorious ELO-flavored outchorus with his ham-fisted plank-slapping
- Zander's Fabio hair
- Zander's total loss of concentration at the end there. I swear, you can see the *instant* he stops caring about the song and starts thinking about the fact that he forgot to drop off his laundry this morning (roughly coinciding with the SM57-as-comb thing)
-*Always* a bad idea to take the mic out of the stand for delicate my-little-pony girly singing! (Sorry, Berlyant, I meant Fierce Womyn Statement Positioning)
- I assume this gig was filmed in Germany, thus explaining the guitar painted in German colors at the end there. Not *sure* if strapping three extra guitars around your neck to play three chords is excessive, but...
The reasons this song rocks anyway is because watching this wretched performance reminds me of the killer album track anyhow. Oh, and Bun E. kicks ass anyway, as others have pointed out.
-
- Bass sin trifecta: 1.) fake soundhole; 2.) 12 strings; 3.) the bass "strum" technique
- Thin, grating tone on Nielsen's strat
- Whammy bar abuse
- Nielsen touching nipple during lyric about "touching you there"
- Nielsen ruining that otherwise glorious ELO-flavored outchorus with his ham-fisted plank-slapping
- Zander's Fabio hair
- Zander's total loss of concentration at the end there. I swear, you can see the *instant* he stops caring about the song and starts thinking about the fact that he forgot to drop off his laundry this morning (roughly coinciding with the SM57-as-comb thing)
-*Always* a bad idea to take the mic out of the stand for delicate my-little-pony girly singing! (Sorry, Berlyant, I meant Fierce Womyn Statement Positioning)
- I assume this gig was filmed in Germany, thus explaining the guitar painted in German colors at the end there. Not *sure* if strapping three extra guitars around your neck to play three chords is excessive, but...
The reasons this song rocks anyway is because watching this wretched performance reminds me of the killer album track anyhow. Oh, and Bun E. kicks ass anyway, as others have pointed out.
-
2008-02-19 @ 10:16
Comment from: Mr. Moderator [Member]
By the way, can someone save me the trouble of pulling out the album from which this track appears and let me know if it's always been this long? That should be a 2-minute song if ever there was one, and this version drags out to about 5 minutes, right? I think Cheap Trick is the first power pop band severely in need of an editor!
2008-02-19 @ 10:36
Comment from: Mr. Moderator [Member]
Hrrundi wrote:
Early contender for friendly Cut of the Week!
(Sorry, Berlyant, I meant Fierce Womyn Statement Positioning)
Early contender for friendly Cut of the Week!
2008-02-19 @ 10:38
Comment from: Oats [Member]
Well, pretty much everyone correctly identified Bun E. as the man in the driver's seat, as far as rock power is concerned. On the minus side, I'm surprised no one mentioned that addition to Petersson's 12-string bass, Zander is holstering a 12-string as well. (Why?) Add Nielsen's three guitars at the end and that is some serious 128-string action.
To answer some questions:
Mr Mod., the studio version of this song is only 4 minutes long. Maybe not totally concise, but much more effective, and with much less extemporizing.
HVB, this performance is indeed from Germany, the TV show Rockpalast to be specific.
Alexmagic, I do not own a cardigan similar to Nielsen's, not anymore anyway. However, totally by coincidence, today I wore my red zipper cardigan, but zipper cardigans have the advantage of looking more modern than buttoned ones.
To answer some questions:
Mr Mod., the studio version of this song is only 4 minutes long. Maybe not totally concise, but much more effective, and with much less extemporizing.
HVB, this performance is indeed from Germany, the TV show Rockpalast to be specific.
Alexmagic, I do not own a cardigan similar to Nielsen's, not anymore anyway. However, totally by coincidence, today I wore my red zipper cardigan, but zipper cardigans have the advantage of looking more modern than buttoned ones.
2008-02-19 @ 16:27
Comment from: Mr. Moderator [Member]
Thanks, Oats. I didn't think the studio version was quite so tiring. I think of it as one of a half dozen Cheap Trick songs I like.
2008-02-19 @ 16:35
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