I had a blog briefly about a year ago (I think) targeting gay people who like sports. I stopped for some reason I cannot now recall. In any event, I decided to start a new blog devoted to gay people whose taste in music runs generally toward "rock" or "rock and roll" in its common cultural understanding. The point is not to denigrate other types of music. I really like several music genres. I'm a big fan of hard bop and swing jazz. I have over the years come to appreciate a lot of country music, though I do not like most contemporary "country" artists like Kenny Chesney or Taylor Swift. Nor do I like urban soul and hip-hop. I appreciate the talent and skills it requires to make those kinds of music, they're just not my bag.
So, when I say "rock" music, I'm really referring to everything with the Beatles as one bookend and, say, Metallica as the other.
What's the point you might ask? Isn't it close to being bigoted to suggest (as I obviously am) that gay people, as a group, tend to favor a particular type of music that is not rock? Perhaps. Is it hypocritical for me to decry homophobia (which I will do) while arguably perpetuating a stereotype that gay people (or more accurately gay men) prefer dance music and show tunes? Probably. So, we have that out of the way. I'm a bigoted stereotyper who doesn't dance or sing along to Cats.
In my own defense, I do not care for the factionalization that seems to be an inevitable by-product of exclusion. And what I am doing is exclusionary by nature. But, I'm not here to give all music equal time. My goal is to be a little place on the 'net for gay people who have seen Rush in concert more times than they've watched Mommy Dearest. Period. And without further ado, I would like to dedicate my inaugural post to my favorite band in the whole wide world: Cheap Trick.
I cannot articulate precisely why Cheap Trick is my favorite band. They were not my first concert (that was Harry Chapin), nor were any of my older siblings (I am the baby of four) particularly enthusiastic Cheap Trick fans, though they are fans, especially my oldest brother. I don't even know when they became my favorite. It just kind of evolved. To me, there is something elegantly simple and basic about their music. It is unabashedly Beatlesque, but undeniably "American." It is relatively uncomplicated rock music, mostly about girls, girls, angst, girls, love, family, girls, rocking out, and girls. Cheap Trick do not do politics. They are not literary, though they are quite literate. They're not fussy or complex. They write songs with memorable melodies, big hooks, adhesive riffs, and smart, often funny and sardonic lyrics about the various stages of life, love, and relationships. And while Rick Nielsen is one of the great rock guitarists and songwriters, and while Tom Petersson and Bun E. Carlos are arguably among the five best rhythm sections ever, it is Robin Zander's voice that is, to me, what makes the music of Cheap Trick so captivating. He is everything a rock singer should be. It's just that simple.
As I write this I am listening to a sampling of Cheap Trick tunes on my beat-up laptop through this cool thing Hubby Jerry bought me called Turtle Beach. I can make the music rotate around my head and make it sound as if it's being played in a "bathroom" or an "arena" or other effects. I dig it.
I want to take this opportunity (assuming there is a reader) to pimp the new Cheap Trick album. Yeah, I still call things "albums" because I'm 42 and that's how I speak. It's called simply The Latest. It's produced by a guy named Julian Raymond, who produced Fastball's All the Pain Money Can Buy. Most people know the single, "The Way," which is a fantastic song. But the rest of the album is good-to-very good. Anyway, Raymond gives The Latest just enough polish, and keeps his mitts off anything "hip," letting the songs just unfold and be played. The result is timeless but cool. Like the suits from Reservoir Dogs. That's probably really unhelpful if you're trying to glean from my words what it actually sounds like. Trust me, it's a great batch of songs and the guys sound engaged and kind of, well, proud of themselves. It's a professional album, but not in the way Toto records were professional. More in the way Sonic Youth sounded on Goo.
When life grinds away at my will and I feel like shit or want to give up, I play Cheap Trick. Really, really fucking loud. Sometimes I play the same song over and over like an eight year-old. And without fail, I feel much better afterward. That's why I love Cheap Trick.
So, I'm watching Monday Night Football and it's Colts v. Dolphins. I'm not a Dolphins fan, mind you. I'm actually more of a Colts fan because despite his misshapen head Peyton Manning is the fucking man! And Dallas Clark is H.O.T. Anyway, they're playing in Miami and Miami always reminds me of Nuclear Valdez. When I lived there I got to see them several times at clubs like Tobacco Road and The Stephen Talkhouse. Always a fantastic show and at the end they'd toss in some covers - everything from the Jackson 5 to Elvis Costello & the Attractions. If you know who they are, it's likely because of "Summer," a kickass song from 1989 about Life After Castro. Regardless of your politics, it's a great fucking song. The pic is the cover art of their second album, Dream Another Dream. Very polished and less heavy than the debut, but a great listen nonetheless. After taking most of the 90s off (the second album is from 1991), they returned in 2002 with In a Minute All Could Change, which sounds a lot more like their first record. All three albums are worth seeking out. So, in case you've never heard it, or haven't heard it in 20 years, here ya go.
