
American Standard
Cheap Trick from the Bars to the Budokan and Beyond
Ross Warner(Author)
Backbeat Books (Publisher)
Published on 3. September 2024
Book
Paperback/Softback
256 pages
978-1-4930-7806-6 (ISBN)
Description
They've sold more than 20 million albums, they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and they're one of Homer Simpson's favorite bands-but even today, fifty years after they first formed, Cheap Trick remains to many a club band with a cult following. They certainly started out that way, with a carnival-like stage show featuring four perfectly mismatched characters: guitarist Rick Nielsen, in bowtie, sweater, and baseball cap, stood next to blonde dreamboat Robin Zander, while the mysterious, chestnut-haired bassist Tom Peterson held down the bottom end with drummer Bun E. Carlos, never seen without his cigarette or tie.
American Standard: Cheap Trick from the Bars to the Budokan and Beyond tells the unlikely story of the band's path to greatness, from their origins in Rockford, Illinois to their massively successful live album At Budokan to the many, many ups and downs that followed. This is a rollicking tale of artistic genius, rock excess, hilarious misbehavior, chance encounters with music's biggest names, and international stardom that brought new meaning to the phrase "big in Japan." Drawing on exhaustive research and interviews, American Standard gives an intimate look at a truly original band-whether you consider them rock icons or criminally underrated,
American Standard: Cheap Trick from the Bars to the Budokan and Beyond tells the unlikely story of the band's path to greatness, from their origins in Rockford, Illinois to their massively successful live album At Budokan to the many, many ups and downs that followed. This is a rollicking tale of artistic genius, rock excess, hilarious misbehavior, chance encounters with music's biggest names, and international stardom that brought new meaning to the phrase "big in Japan." Drawing on exhaustive research and interviews, American Standard gives an intimate look at a truly original band-whether you consider them rock icons or criminally underrated,
Reviews / Votes
Warner presents a lively retelling of the band's rise, skillfully unraveling the various contradictions and mythologizing surrounding the group. It gets even more interesting after the surprise success of Cheap Trick at Budokan, when the band's fortunes began to wax and wane, leading to the inevitable lawsuits that accompany every rock and roll success. It's a book that reminds you why the band still matters. * Goldmine Magazine * As one who was present when power pop visionaries Cheap Trick could be seen playing taverns in an Illinois college town-three sets, that lineup, that look, those songs, $5 cover-the band and I go waaaay back. Having borne eyewitness to those days, I can tell you author Ross Warner did his homework in preparing American Standard. His vivid telling of the saga will make you'll feel like you were there yourself. -- Cary Baker, author and music industry veteran American Standard. How appropriate. I was at the session where the cover for Heaven Tonight album was shot. It was a continuation of the graphic theme started with In Color-two dreamy guys on the front, two characters on the back. Then I spotted the plumbing fixtures. 'American Standard'-they're everywhere in public restrooms. How appropriate for the band we all believed had no top end to their career trajectory. They were, to Epic staff, the American Standard. It was an observation that evolved into an inside joke, and now finds its way into print. And we were right. No record or group breaks itself. It takes a village. Ross's book tells this story. -- Jim Charne, Epic Records (1973-79) At Budokan still defines Cheap Trick for most of us. This excellent, insightful book puts that fact into context and allows the reader to understand why the live album was so defining and what came before and after. A wonderful, quirky biography of a wonderful, quirky band. As it should be. -- Alan Paul, New York Times bestselling author An exhaustively researched and endlessly entertaining look at one of America's greatest rock bands. -- Tom Beaujour, co-author of New York Times bestseller Nothin' but a Good TimeMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Hal Leonard Corporation
Illustrations
25 Color Photos, 25 BW Photos
Dimensions
Height: 229 mm
Width: 152 mm
Thickness: 15 mm
Weight
424 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-4930-7806-6 (9781493078066)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

E-Book
09/2024
1st Edition
Backbeat Books
€22.99
Available for download

E-Book
09/2024
Backbeat
€22.99
Available for download
Persons
Ross Warner has been writing about the three pillars of popular culture (television, music and film) since high school. His work has appeared in such magazines as American Heritage, Cinema Retro, Hittin' the Note, Heeb, and Glide. His work on his other major obsession, the Grateful Dead, has been similarly featured in both books and magazines. Drunk on Sunday, his first book, was published in 2020.