Rick Nielsen spoke to Terrie Carr of the Morristown, New Jersey radio station 105.5 WDHA about CHEAP TRICK‘s upcoming 20th studio album, “In Another World”, which is due on April 9 via BMG. Asked how long it took for him and his bandmates to complete the effort, the guitarist said: “It was supposed to have been out a year ago. We finished it, but then, of course, all the crap happened, so [everything] got delayed — our tours got delayed, the record got delayed. So we did it probably a year and a half ago — something like that. I don’t think we really put the final touches on it until about a month ago, actually. ‘Cause in the meantime, we recorded this, that and the other. We’d done [a cover of David Bowie‘s] ‘Rebel Rebel’ with [producer] Jack Douglas. We did [a cover of THE BEATLES‘] ‘She Said She Said’ for Howard Stern [referring to Howard‘s tribute to the 50th anniversary of THE BEATLES‘ ‘Revolver’ album]. We had Joe Perry [of AEROSMITH guesting on it]. We were at Johnny Depp‘s studio doing that. And then we did a [Harry Nilsson] song for another kind of tribute record. So it just seemed like we just kept recording. So now it’s time for this. I mean, we only finished the cover and all that stuff, really, about a month and a half ago.”
Nielsen also talked about CHEAP TRICK‘s longevity and enduring influence, saying: “I don’t mean to be extra humble, ‘Oh, gee,’ but we do what we like, and we’re lucky that we had any success, and we’re lucky that we had any fans, but we’ve got a lot of fans, and we like what we do. We’re too dumb to quit, and our mistakes are real. And we’re just a good band. I don’t think we’ve ever progressed — really. I mean, we never tried to be something that we weren’t. We never tried to be, ‘All right, now we’re gonna do this.’ It’s just, like, no, that’s phony.”
“In Another World” was produced by CHEAP TRICK‘s longtime associate Julian Raymond. The LP marks CHEAP TRICK‘s first new LP since 2017’s double-header of “We’re All Alright!” and “Christmas Christmas”.
CHEAP TRICK‘s current lineup includes three of its original members: Nielsen, singer Robin Zander and bassist Tom Petersson. Drummer Bun E. Carlos stopped touring with the band in 2010 and was replaced by Nielsen‘s son Daxx.
Founded in 1974, CHEAP TRICK is an indisputable American institution, beloved around the globe for its instantly identifiable, hugely influential, brand of pop rock ‘n’ roll. The bandmembers are true pioneers with an unparalleled streak of certifiably classic tunes, from “He’s A Whore”, “California Man” and “Dream Police” to “Surrender”, “I Want You To Want Me” and the worldwide #1 hit single “The Flame”. 2016 saw CHEAP TRICK inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, a long-overdue acknowledgement of a nearly five-decade career that has earned them more than 40 international gold and platinum certifications, myriad awards and industry honors, featured appearances on over 20 movie soundtracks, and total record sales well in excess of 20 million.
Last September, CHEAP TRICK released the aforementioned cover version of “Rebel Rebel”. Back in 2018, CHEAP TRICK recorded a single called “The Summer Looks Good On You” and followed it up with 2019 updates of Harry Nilsson‘s “Ambush” and John Lennon‘s “Gimme Some Truth”.
