Cheap Trick Album: “Lap of Luxury”

From a commercial standpoint the 80's were not kind to Cheap Trick. At the beginning of the decade they were a big arena act with platinum selling albums, but over the first 8 years of the decade the band's fortunes would take a turn for the worse. First bassist Tom Peterson left the band after the "All Shook Up" album in 1980. The band added a new bassist and soldiered on, but each successive album sold less than the one prior. By the time "The Doctor" was released in 1986 sales had declined and quality had fallen way off. "Lap Of Luxury" would find Tom Peterson back in the fold and the band's original lineup back in tact. Like Aerosmith, Heart, and other 70's era bands would do a few years later, Cheap Trick brought in outside songwriters to bolster up the creative department. How well this worked depends on your perspective. On the one hand the band had a huge hit with "The Flame" and another top 40 showing with a cover of the old Elvis chestnut "Don't Be Cruel". The album went platinum and put Cheap Trick back up to big time status on the touring circuit. On the other hand I find much of the material here to be rather bland and a few steps below what I know Cheap Trick is capable of. I do like "Never Had A Lot To Loose" which probably could have fit on any early Cheap Trick work, and "Ghost Town" is a nice balled even though it was co-written by schmaltz queen Dianne Warren. The rest of the album is overproduced, very 80's sounding and not nearly as in your face as much of the band's earlier work. I have to hand it to the guys for getting back on the sales charts in a big way, but this is far from the band's best work.

Personally I don't think this is nearly as bad as some apparently think it is. However, there are a few lame tracks, and the album as a whole is very 1988. This is very worth it for the hits though, like the cover of "Don't Be Cruel", "Ghost Town", and the mega-ballad "The Flame". I also really like "Never Had Alot To Lose", and the dramatic "All We Need Is A Dream". The rest isn't terrible, just fair. I admit they have better albums out, but more than half of "Lap Of Luxury" still gets me "All Wound Up".

After a decade of falling further down the charts, Cheap Trick came bouncing back towards the top with 1988's Lap of Luxury. By 1988 Cheap Trick hadn't had a hit record or single in years, but Lap of Luxury changed that. Lap of Luxury briefly brought Cheap Trick back into the spotlight. While Lap of Luxury is not Cheap Trick's best album it does have quite a bit to offer however. Lap of Luxury spawned the hit powerballad "The Flame", and a cover of Elvis Presley's "Don't Be Cruel." Other highlights include: "Ghost Town", Let Go, and Never Had a Lot to Lose.

When Cheap Trick's 1986 album The Doctor was released to commercial and critical failure, the band faded from the public's sight and things began looking grim. Despite being an album full of infectious pop hooks, The Doctor did the band a lot of damage to their reputation. Due to the band's commercial decline, Epic Records forced the band to accept collaborating with professional songwriters for the next album. Although this idea was rather unfair on the group, the decision was still ensuring the band had the best chances of gaining back their success. In 1987, the group's original bassist Tom Petersson had decided to return which gave the band and Epic Records a boost of hope. By 1988, the band released their tenth studio album titled Lap of Luxury.

The album's opener is titled Let Go which was written by guitarist Rick Nielsen and American musician Todd Cerney. The track begins with a simple but effective guitar riff which leads to some fine vocals from Robin Zander in the verses. The lyrics refer to someone wishing to be set free from their bitter relationship. The chorus is infectious and memorable with the inclusion of some chanting backing vocals. Throughout the song there is a great amount of guitar and strong drumming from Bun E. Carlos. A strong opening to the album. "I took your photographs, I threw them all away. I put your calls on hold cause I got nothing to say. Hanging on to you, that was my first mistake, yeah, yeah..."

Following on is No Mercy which is the first track on the album to be completely written by songwriters outside of the band. This song was written by Jim Scott and Jon Lind. This track features an interesting opening of guitar drones, echoing drums and Zander repeating the song's title. An effective bassline begins and the first verse follows. Zander's vocals work nicely here but the real highlight of this track is the chorus. The vocals in this chorus are great whilst being backed by strong guitar and some grand synthesizer. The lyrics refer to the determination of being with somebody who perhaps doesn't quite feel the same way. There is also a great guitar solo here. "Now the pressure's on, you can run away but you can't hide. You might as well surrender, the walls are closing in on every side. I'm getting closer, now there's no escape, victory is written all over my face..."

The next track is the ballad titled The Flame which shouldn't need any real introduction. This was the band's one and only number one hit in America. The song was written by Nick Graham and Robert Mitchell. The song was first offered to singer Elkie Brooks, who turned it down. It is certainly well known that when producer Richie Zito brought the song to the band, they despised it. Some sources even state Nielsen chucked the demo straight in the bin. Despite this the band have played the song live frequently and have grown to see the track's inner beauty. The introduction features a fantastic and emotional guitar melody, this exact melody follows Zander through the verses. Zander's vocals here are spectacular and certainly remain a highlight of the entire band's recording career. The vocals are full of real emotion as the lyrics refer to somebody who cannot let go of a certain love and will do anything to keep that love. The chorus smashes in beautifully with strong percussion and a hint of synthesizer. Naturally this song wouldn't be complete without a glorious guitar solo which is presented perfectly here. "Wherever you go, I'll be with you. Whatever you want, I'll give it to you. Whenever you need someone to lay your heart and head upon. Remember, after the fire, after all the rain, I will be the flame..."

The following track is titled Space which was written by Holly Knight and Mike Chapman. This fantastic song works extremely well under the Cheap Trick sound. The introduction is a mixture of guitar licks, strong bass, a pulsing synthesizer melody and solid percussion. The verses flow wonderfully well with some fantastic lyrics which refer to the effect of a rather powerful character from the singer's point of view. The lyrics speak directly to this person which makes the track lyrically stronger with direct lines such as "I need some space." Zander's vocals throughout work perfectly with the context of the lyrics as well as the instruments. The vocals provide the right emotion of pleading and reasoning. A strong track which is certainly hit single material. "You push hard, you stop my circulation. I know you really need a physical relation. We may not be a perfect combination. You need your love, I need my mental stimulation..."

Never Had a Lot To Lose is the only track on the album to be written by members of Cheap Trick only. This particular track was written by Robin Zander and Tom Petersson which proved that the band themselves could write brilliant material if the record label gave them the chance. The track immediately begins with a strong riff and an infectious chant. The verses flow along nicely with a solid vocal performance. The pre-chorus is terrific featuring strong vocals from Zander and some great backing vocal harmonies. The chorus is infectious and energetic, maintaining the chant heard in the introduction. There's a franticly paced guitar solo which leads to the final section of the track. "Gonna see it my way now, don't try to bring me down. My life's a circus, an insane chain of circumstances. I never had a lot to lose, I never let it slow me down..."

Next is the hit cover of Elvis Presley's Don't Be Cruel. This song starts with Zander's vocals over a simple drum pattern. Zander's vocals are strong and memorable throughout. Bassline follows and finally the guitar appears along with some backing chants scattered throughout this track. A great solo is included as well. The entire song is impressively loyal to the original with this version having a rather vintage sound, especially on the guitar. Still this version has the usual Cheap Trick sound and in that retrospect, the two versions sound rather different but underneath follow the same pattern. A fun cover highlighting the band`s love for classic rock `n' roll. "Well you know I can be found, sitting all alone. If you can't come around, at least please telephone. But don't be cruel to a heart that's true..."

Wrong Side of Love follows which was written by Rick Nielsen and Todd Cerney, just like the album's opener Let Go. This song starts with a strong guitar riff and some fantastic bass which carries through the entire song. Zander's vocals are on top form throughout whilst the lyrics are based on falling for the wrong person and therefore picking the wrong side of love. The fun pre-chorus flows nicely whilst the chorus features some nice blasts of synthesizer behind the vocals. A memorable and rather fun track overall. "Well, she plays both sides and she's making me choose. It's heads she wins and tails I lose. Each time I call, it's another excuse..."

Follow on is All We Need Is a Dream which was written by Gregg Giuffria, Rick Nielsen and Robin Zander. This track begins with an simple synthesizer melody with licks of lead guitar which blasts straight into the verse. Zander's vocals are again great with emotion and meaning. The pre-chorus builds the power of the song up whilst the chorus itself flows nicely with the mixture of weaving synthesizer, sing-a-long vocals and strong bass. A fantastic guitar solo is also present. The ending features a fading synthesizer drone which works well to close the track. "Hello, hello, is there anyone? You don't know how I've searched, searched the world for you..."

Next is the ballad Ghost Town which was written by Diane Warren and Rick Nielsen. This fantastic song immediately begins with Zander gracefully chanting over the melody which immediately hauls a flood of emotion at the listener. The verses flow perfectly with the use of more emotional vocals, simple bass, a bit of grand piano and some acoustic guitar. The pre-chorus builds up to the chorus nicely whilst the chorus itself is a mixture of more emotional vocals, haunting backing vocals that repeat the song's title and some beautiful synthesizer that weaves through in the background. The beginning chant features throughout as well, making the song all that more memorable whilst another great guitar solo from Nielsen is present. "Well the streets are all crowded, lots of people around. And there's music playing, but I can't hear a sound. Just the sound of the rain falling silently down. Living ain't been living since you put me down..."

The album's closer is All Wound Up which was written by Janna Allen, Robin Zander and Tom Petersson. This track immediately begins with some great guitar licks and some lively synthesizer in the background. Guitar is a strong point of this track which blasts throughout the verse whilst Zander's vocals are strong and fun. Bass is also a strong point which jumps along the percussion perfectly. The chorus is highly energetic with loud background shouts, strong vocals and brilliant guitar. An interesting solo is featured with the use of weaving synthesizer, fast paced guitar and strong percussion. The ending finishes with the high energy featured in this song. All this makes for a good album closer. "Where have you been all my life? Why did you wait so long? I've been looking every night, I'll be with you from now on..."

Lap of Luxury was crucial to pushing the band away from further commercial decline which luckily it did. Who knows what would have become of the band otherwise? This album was a fine piece of mainstream rock with some solid production by Richie Zito. Some fans find the album rather dull due to the large amount of outside songwriters although six of the ten tracks featured writing credit to certain members of Cheap Trick. It is certainly true that this album didn't quite rock like the band's earlier efforts. One main reason is that the majority of guitar on this album sounds rather thin. Unlike the band's previous album The Doctor though, this album uses synthesizer as a background tool and not a dominant part of the instrumentation.

This album was deemed as the band's comeback with the album peaking at #16 in America, also going platinum there. This was the first time the band had achieved such success since 1979's Dream Police. The leading single The Flame went to the top of the American chart whilst the follow up single Don't Be Cruel peaked at a healthy #4. Ghost Town followed and peaked at #33 whilst Never Had a Lot To Lose peaked at #75. Finally, Let Go was released and peaked at #35 on the American Mainstream Rock chart. Cheap Trick were back and as popular as ever. However, the band today still points to this album as the one that restricted their range and boxed them into a sound that would eventually stall their recording career for most of the 1990s.

On the whole I highly recommend this album to any 80s rock fan. This album features a nice mix of rockers and ballads, clearly opening a good range of tracks to enjoy. This was Cheap Trick being used as a product for Epic Records but despite this, the band did come out successful and back into the heart's of America. Lap of Luxury is a solid, almost perfect example of strong mainstream rock.

Probably the two most notable tracks on "Lap of Luxury"--or at least the two I hear most often on '80s-oriented radio stations--are #3: "The Flame" (a tireless ballad and popular hit, even after 15 years) and #6: "Don't Be Cruel" (a great Elvis Presley cover--very upbeat). These two songs are also my only favorites on here; the others are mostly misses for me--nothing exceptional. But if you're into '80s pop/melodic rock, then you might like this CD.