Cheap Tracks

Tom Werman, the man behind the boards for IN COLOR, HEAVEN TONIGHT, and DREAM POLICE drops by to discuss the barn burner, "Gonna Raise Hell" off of the band's '79 release that sat on a shelf due to the success of BUDOKAN. We get sidetracked discussing "Auf Weidershen," Catacombs in Quincy, IL, George Martin, and so much more!

It's Cheap Trick Day in Illinois and to celebrate, Chris and Mike welcome a very special guest: the Prince Of Rockford, Miles Nielsen. Together, the boys look back on this fan favorite track from 1981's HEAVY METAL soundtrack and get sidetracked by "Borderline," Mr. Penis, Pete Comita, and conversations about growing up with a famous rock 'n' roll dad.  

Gary Ladinsky was the engineer on Cheap Trick's third studio album, HEAVEN TONIGHT, and today, he's taking Chris and Mike back to 1978 as they dive into "Takin' Me Back," the side two opener to the band's 1978 release. 

This week Chris and Mike go all the way back to 1997 via  2017 as we look back on a long-time coming re-recording of a fan-favorite demo, “Radio Lover," the fourth song off the band's 18th release, WE'RE ALL ALRIGHT!  

A late Valentine's gift to you from Mike and Chris as they are joined by Paul Klingberg who was an assistant at Pierce Arrow studios where Cheap Trick recorded their 1982 release, ONE ON ONE. In this episode, the boys look back at "If You Want My Love," the first single off the Roy Thomas Baker-produced album. Is this their best ballad? How good is the extra bridge? Do you like Robin with shorter hair? We ask all the questions on this one.

This week, Chris and Mike look back at Cheap Trick's entry into the '90s with the Richie Zito-produced BUSTED and its title track. Over a decade later is the band still feeling the effects of the Budokan delay? Where did the band fit into the current musical landscape? Exactly what WERE they busted for?

As Chris and Mike look back at the penultimate track off of the band's 1977 release IN COLOR, they're joined by Chris Slusarenko of Portland indie rock darlings Eyelids (and formerly of Guided By Voices) who have a new full-length hitting store shelves on March 10th, the Peter Buck produced A COLOSSAL WASTE OF LIGHT.

Cheap Tracks just got back for season 2 as Mike and Christ return to the band's entry into the '80s, ALL SHOOK UP, as they look back...at "Just Got Back."

It's our season finale as Chris and Mike celebrate the 36th anniversary of the release of THE DOCTOR, the band's ninth studio record released in November of 1986. Why is this song buried on the second side? How does it fare live? And what about that memorable video? We cover it all!

Mike and Chris are joined by former Chicago Tribune rock critic, author, and the man behind the liner notes for the 1998 Cheap Trick reissues, Greg Kot as they look back at "Stiff Competition" from the band's 1978 album, HEAVEN TONIGHT.

Happy Halloween, Cheap Twixters! On a special treat of an episode, Mike and Chris count down their ten favorite spooky Cheap Trick tunes. Did your favorite make the cut?

This week, Mike and Chris look back at "Cover Girl" from the band's 1985 LP, STANDING ON THE EDGE. They also discuss the band's more recent setlists and Mike's trip to Des Moines, Iowa to see them live.

This week, Mike and Chris are joined by writer Rachel McPadden to discuss fan favorite "Such A Good Girl" as featured on the band's 1980 Epic Nu-Disk release, FOUND ALL THE PARTS.

Musician, engineer, journalist, and poker professional Steve Albini joins Mike and Christ to discuss the title track of the band's 1978 album, HEAVEN TONIGHT. Along the way he discusses re-recording IN COLOR with the band, Pierce Arrow studios, and that time he turned Rick Nielsen onto some used guitars back in the '70s.

"It's time for 'Southern Girls!" This week, we're joined by singer, songwriter, frontman, and former serial lady killer, Rhett Miller as he discusses his new album THE MISFIT and we look back on his love for Cheap Trick, "Southern Girls," and tells a pretty funny story about Waylon Jennings.

This week Mike and Chris look back at the Todd Rundgren penned "Heaven's Falling" from their 1983 release, NEXT POSITION PLEASE...but they are joined by a very special guest.  Ira Robbins,rock journalist whose work has appeared in The New York Times, Rolling Stone, Entertainment Weekly, and of course Trouser Press which he began publishing in 1974. Most importantly though, he was an early supporter of Cheap Trick and wrote of their debut, "its sarcastic, smart, nasty, powerful, tight, casual, and destined for something great." His new book MUSIC IN A WORD, VOLUME 2 can be purchased at Trouser Press.

This week, we look back at the third single off of the band's 20th album, IN ANOTHER WORLD, released on April 9, 2021. It's the pandemic album! It's the political album! But is it the album where Cheap Trick finally finds success playing the corporate rock game?  

Who d'King? Elvis Presley, of course, and this week we look back at Cheap Trick's cover of "Don't Be Cruel" that bop-bopped its way onto the charts in July of 1988.

This week, Chris and Mike look back at a Cheap Trick soundtrack recording (a genre unto itself) with "Mighty Wings," recorded explicitly for the blockbuster TOP GUN soundtrack and written by Harold Faltermeyer and Mark Spiro.  

This week, Chris and Mike look back at "Didn't Know I Had It," the fifth single off of the band's first (and only release) on Warner Bros., WOKE UP WITH A MONSTER. 

This week Mike and Chris are looking back at the second song off of 1983's NEXT POSITION PLEASE, "Borderline." Rick often introduces the tune these days explaining that it “should have been a #1 hit single…but it wasn't," but has become a fan favorite over the years.

Chris and Mike travel back to 2003 to discuss "Pop Drone" off of the band's 14th studio album and their first album in six years following their 1997 self-titled release. 

This week, Chris Castaneda and Mike Vanderbilt look back at the opening track on ALL SHOOK UP, "Stop This Game," the song that announced Cheap Trick for the '80s with a new, notable producer at the helm, none other than Sir George Martin. 

Cheap Trick superfans Chris Castaneda and Mike Vanderbilt look back at the second track off of the band's 1997 self-titled album, "Hard To Tell" which was released on April 29, 1997.

On their debut episode, Cheap Trick superfans Chris Castaneda and Mike Vanderbilt look back at—depending on how you look at it—the side 1 track one or side A track one, “ELO Kiddies,” the first song from the band's debut album CHEAP TRICK, released in February of 1977.