Turn On The Video: Cheap Trick On YouTube
Posted in Music, Reviews, Video |By Less Lee Moore
When I initially became a YouTube addict, Cheap Trick was one of the first bands I searched for there. As fellow addicts know all too well by now, it was quite frustrating being unable to find some of the videos I wanted, and it became more frustrating when the ones I did find disappeared the next day.
But Cheap Trick is one smart band.
In January of 2009, they launched their own Official YouTube channel, which features not only several well-known and well-loved promo videos, but also a vast assortment of live performances and other miscellaneous clips I’ve never seen before.
“Are we really the DREAM POLICE?”
It might seem odd that Cheap Trick has a YouTube channel. Most people would not consider them a band who made their mark with videos. Yet, it was a live concert at the Budokan in Japan that made them superstars. They have also toured almost constantly for the last 30-plus years; thus, a big part of their appeal is distinctly visual. In other words, to really experience Cheap Trick’s music, you need to see them.
Sometimes however, you see things you wish you hadn’t. The weirdest and most disturbing videos by far are from the mid-1980s. “It’s Only Love (deaf version)” is distended with bad production values and dated video editing techniques. The MTV Spring Break performance of “Tonight It’s You” is just inexplicable. (Why is Robin Zander wearing a pullover and a polo shirt on the beach?) I don’t even know where to start with “Up The Creek.” It’s not a bad song, but the video is so “zany” and “wacky” and “teen sex comedy” (yes, even the parts with the band members. . . especially the parts with the band members) that it must be seen to be believed. What’s most upsetting is that this video is on the Cheap Trick VHS cassette I bought in the mid-90s and I don’t even remember it being so godawful. I must have blocked it all out.
Thankfully, these aberrations are mostly just embarrassing and do not detract from the overall awesomeness of the other videos. And with new videos being added to the channel almost every week, it’s somewhat overwhelming to tackle them all. (Not that sitting in front of the computer watching Cheap Trick videos on YouTube for hours on end is a bad thing, mind you.) At the time of this issue’s publication, there were more than 130 Official Cheap Trick videos on YouTube (and I watched about half of them). Here are some of the highlights.
9 Responses to “Turn On The Video: Cheap Trick On YouTube”
July 30th, 2009 at 10:22 pm
[...] Turn On The Video: Cheap Trick On YouTube, Popshifter July/August 2009 issue [...]
July 31st, 2009 at 1:56 pm
Love Cheap Trick’s channel on Youtube. Some of their best performances are on there, ’77 Huston, Rockplast, Chicagofest, more! Love the oddball stuff too. Glad they have the humor to post it.
I thought it gets hot on stage, under the lights? All the members of Cheap Trick must get cold a lot. I’ve seen them wear incredibly heavy looking clothing and/or many layers on stage. Would not be surprised to see them in snow shoes at some future point.
July 31st, 2009 at 2:45 pm
HAHA! I have said many times that Tom Petersson must have a very sweaty painting in his attic.
LLM
August 4th, 2009 at 1:41 pm
[...] Trick linked to our “Cheap Trick On YouTube” article (first on the list!) and our review of The Latest (#4) on the Cheap Trick [...]
August 20th, 2009 at 2:09 pm
[...] – live review Blender.com – 8-track charting Revelationz.net – album review Popshifter.com – “Cheap Trick on YouTube” – channel review The Advocate (LA) – album review The Oklahoman – album review Pop Shifter – album review Popmatters [...]
October 23rd, 2009 at 11:32 am
” I can’t take it” is one of my favorite videos from Cheap Trick. Zander in duck feathers! Too funny. The Dream Police trilogy of videos is very cool. I wish though that they would release all of these complete concerts on dvd.
October 23rd, 2009 at 1:30 pm
The first time I saw CT was on Chicago Channel 11 Sound Stage broadcast of Chicagofest. The audio was simulcast on WXRT FM (i think). I was blown away and am still a big CT fan (saw them at the Hilton in Vegas their 2d night there).
Missing from the youtube collection is MTV Martha Quinn interview with Rick in his home in Rockford. CT performed in Rick’s basement for that MTV show.
February 5th, 2010 at 9:47 pm
[...] Turn On The Video: Cheap Trick On YouTube, Popshifter July/August 2009 issue [...]
March 29th, 2010 at 12:05 pm
[...] surfing YouTube” (although I have personally found YouTube to be a fantastic source of inspiration), while typographer Erik Speikermann thinks we should “avoid Google—it takes too long to [...]