Review Summary: It would seem the band was in a comfortable position for this album
Cheap Trick spent the first three years of the 1980s in confusion. Their bassist Tom Petersson, who had been with the band from its formation, chose to leave. The label sued the Rockford guys and their manager, accusing them of a reluctance to record new material until their contract was renegotiated. And – what is of more importance for us – the two albums Cheap Trick released during that time, while solid, still displayed a noticeable drop-off. Many of the new songs definitely lagged behind their 1970s output, something the band seemed to disguise with various layers of production. However, it didn’t escape the hypercritical ear of the audience. Sales went down, which in turn, one might assume, did not please the label representatives.
It is possible that a quick release of the new album,
Next Position Please, was an attempt to negate the consequences of the aforementioned issues (though it should be noted that the band exhibited commendable productivity over several periods in its career). The same factor might explain the change in direction on the seventh LP, following active flirtations with electronics on
All Shook Up and bare-bones hard rock on
One on One. This time, the band focused more on the pop component of their sound, lowering (but not neglecting) the “power” factor. Todd Rundgren was invited to take on the role of producer, continuing the trend of hiring new people that started on
All Shook Up. And since you’ve already noticed the rating at the top of the review, let’s not beat around the bush and just say it:
Next Position Please is a success.
Whether thanks to the presence of the experienced Rundgren, who has firsthand knowledge of power pop, or due to a short-term burst of creative focus, most songs took a rather confident step back toward their former top-notch shape. Also of note (and perhaps of greater interest to a modern audience) is that, except for a few rare moments, the album consists of tracks practically devoid of typical 1980s tropes, possessing instead a subtle retro flavor. Only in a few instances – such as the sound production on (and overall fascination with)
3-D – can you guess the ties to that musical era. It is satisfying to hear a partial return to form by chief ideologist Rick Nielsen. Though not everywhere, his eccentric humor and sharp tongue returned to the lyrics, and the songs boast solid arrangements.
Unfortunately, there are a couple of missteps affecting the overall picture. The biggest one is the inclusion of a cover of
Dancing the Night Away, imposed by the record company, which quickly grows tiresome with its strange, monotonous chorus and stands out among the otherwise excellent pop tracks. The already mentioned
3-D can also be called a weaker cut, bringing down the album’s flow in the middle. Nevertheless, the preceding and subsequent songs quickly bring it back up to speed.
Other than that,
Next Position Please will be a pleasant surprise not only for Cheap Trick fans, but also for anyone who appreciates good music. Moreover, the album can be rather confidently called the band’s best effort released in the 1980s, especially since what followed it exhibits a downward trend, and a conscious attempt to amend that would not take place until the following decade.
