A new biography, American Standard: Cheap Trick From the Bars to the Budokan and Beyond, is set to be published by Backbeat Books on September 3, 2024. The book, available for pre-order in the U.S. here and in the U.K. here (where it arrives on Nov. 3), features a foreword by Pearl Jam guitarist Mike McCready.
The author, Ross Warner, has previously written for Deadbase: The Complete Guide to Grateful Dead Songlists and the Grateful Dead Tape Compendium, Vols. II and III (along with numerous musical features and reviews for Glide Magazine).
The biography covers Cheap Trick’s initial rise, with a special focus on the oft-mythologized At Budokan story. Forever immortalized by their shout-out in the cult teen movie classic Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Cheap Trick has been cited by Nirvana, Foo Fighters, Green Day, and Pearl Jam (thus McCready’s involvement) as a main influence.
From the publisher’s announcement:
“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”
Are you going to check out Cheap Trick’s new biography?
