Cheap Trick's "Latest" By ericsandberg  [15 more lists]

How much longer can this band keep going? More importantly, how do they keep going without embarrassing themselves?

"The Latest", from Cheap Trick is another solid, occasionally brilliant , collection of power pop gems. Where their previous album, "Rockford" leaned toward the more "sugary" aspects of power pop, "The Latest" goes for the jugular, mixing shimmering, Beatleque (yeah, it's a cliche', but it still applies) pop ("Miss Tomorrow"), heavy, almost 'punky', rock ("Sick Man Of Europe), with some fine "Mind Games" era John Lennon ("Miracle").

Then there is the epic "Everybody Knows" that sounds like the protagonist from "Gonna Raise Hell", looking back regretfully on all the damage he's caused.

For all its drive and energy, "The Latest" has an overall somber quality to it, that can only come from the realization that there are fewer years ahead than behind.

Just a few months after releasing "The Latest", Cheap Trick's latest hit the stores in the form of their live tribute performance of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.

Cheap Trick first performed the album live, at The Hollywood Bowl, last summer and have since performed it in Florida and New York City, the latter being the source of this recording and the accompanying DVD.

The 60ish rockers, who were already professional musicians when the original album was released, have also announced a multi- week residency at The Las Vegas Hilton, recreating the Sgt. Pepper show.

Although I was hoping that the DVD & CD was going to be from one of the Hollywood Bowl shows (A so-so audience recording of which can be found at Danny Saint's Cheap Trick World), the band has opted for a slick, no-frills presentation that was recorded in a New York City ballroom for a charity benefit. The proceeds for this release will go to prostate cancer research, so I can't quibble.

I can't quibble about the performances here, either. Cheap Trick has always been a great covers band. Their cover of John Lennon's "Cold Turkey" is even more menacing than John's original. I always thought they should perform more covers of Beatles songs and I certainly get my wish here.

Robin Zander is well-known for being the Lon Chaney of rock vocalists, but here he doesn't try to imitate the various voices of The Beatles, rather he channels the personality of the original singers, actually going them one better in a couple of places, in the emotion department.

Talented guest stars Ian Ball, Rob Laufer and Joan Osborne also lend a hand on vocals, with Joan adding a delightful Howard Stern element to the lyrics of "Lovely Rita".

The latest from Cheap Trick, "Sgt. Pepper Live" is available at Best Buy and is on sale for $7.99 for the CD and $9.99 for the DVD. It's great fun, and for a good cause, so get on your bike and go pick it up.

If you are looking for "The Latest" by Cheap Trick, it is featured at Barnes and Noble and I've seen it at Borders as well. If you want to buy it online, go to Cheap Trick's website and order it from them. Avoid Amazon like the plague.