Customer Reviews

Standing on Edge

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is an album that needs to be taken into context, with respect to the state of the band in 1985, the state of the music industry in 1985, and the common expectations of a Cheap Trick fan in 2005 raised on the early Budokan and "Surrender" type work, or for that matter any person today.

Twenty years ago Cheap Trick were in the midst of a nearly-crushing commecial slump that had been haunting them for five years, during which bassist Tom Petersson had left the band and had been replaced by Jon Brant. It was difficult to compete with the fast paced changes in popular music culture, especially when they were beginning to be seen (unfortunately and incorrectly) as a band of the past. Because of this, Standing On The Edge slipped through the cracks, allowing some really fine moments to go almost completely unnoticed, with the better known (and outstanding) track "Tonight It's You" as the only real exception.

Several songs come to mind, such as the bluesy and dancable "How About You," a tight song of perfect length, clocking in at just under three minutes. Although some criticize the use of synthesizers in this album, the synthesizers enhance rather than impede this track. There is also "This Time Around," a fresh and uplifting song which contains some of Rick Nielsen's most gorgeous guitar work. "Cover Girl" is also attractive as a fast-paced song with nice vocals by Robin Zander.

The fact that "Love Comes" never became widely known is a real tragedy. The 30 second sample on this page does not do it justice - it is one of the most inspired and outstandingly sincere songs ever written by the band (and for those who have heard the hired songwriter rumor, that person [M. Radice] is not a credited participator on this track as he is on the others). It is hard for me to deny while listening to it that it possibly could have made the top 10 if it had been promoted more as a single.

A few of the tracks are likely to come accross as flawed on the first listen (the reason I give a 4 instead of 5) - mainly the synthesizers in "This Time Around" and the title track, and the gratuitous effects (vocal and other) in "She's Got Motion," "Little Sister," "Rock All Night," and "Wild Wild Women" employed (often inappropriately) to reinforce the strong sexual themes of these songs (which may be a turn-off for some).

Despite these details, ALL of the tracks have great moments, and they all can be enjoyed, and very much so. The thing to keep in mind is that this is not an album that can be appreciated easily for most people the first time listening to it. One must hear it several times over a long period to let it ripen. Some of the songs (less so the ones mentioned in the fifth paragraph) have a very comforting kind of style and feel, a kind of peace and calm that is even reflected in the attractive cover art, but to enjoy all the tracks an unusual approach is needed based on the unusual circumstances that make this album exactly what it is.

Mixing arena-rock flamethrowers, stunningly effective ballads and a bit of their old mischief, Cheap Trick comes up with a rockin' good record. Most folks only remember the brilliant "Tonight It's You," but the sweet and sincere "Loves Come Around" is almost as potent. Best of all are a handful of giddy rockers -- the hyperactive "How 'Bout You," "Little Sister" and the mighty title track. After watering down their bombast to suit producer Todd Rungren on "Next Position Please," Trick sounds delighted to crank up the amps once again. While "Standing..." is a far cry from the glory days of "In Color" and "Heaven Tonight," the band wouldn't sound this convincing again until the great "Cheap Trick '97."

There is a lot of debate on the CT website about whether or not these Wounded Bird reissues are remastered, and while I'm not enough of an audiophile to make a definitive case one way or another, I can say that this version of "Standing On The Edge" sounds markedly better than the original CBS release: the album sounds louder, fuller, and possesses more depth all around. Also, there is no tape hiss evident on this release. Unfortunately, this is not the Trick's finest musical moment, as there is lots of gimmicky mid-80s production throughout and a few sub-par songwriting attempts to compete with then-popular hair bands and techno pop acts ("Rock All Night," "Love Comes."). However, the album includes four genuine CT classics in "Tonight It's You," "This Time Around," Cover Girl," and the title track, the latter of which has never before been avaiable in a version that sounds this good. Well worth the $12 price for completists looking to upgrade.

Ok Listen up...This is a true 1980's essential Cd. It starts out with a hard pumpin song "Little sister" written by the man Rick N. it leaves no stone un-turned. We all know how great" Tonight it's you" is but if you want a hard rockin jam than "Standing on the edge" does it, Robin Zander's voice takes over you and you wonder did he ever take a breath" I get pysched up going over the lyrics in my head. This time around" is a great tuned down song with some great lyrics as is "Love comes around"..For the finisher "Cover girl" is fun and has great sing along lyrics that will make you remember why the 80's really were so much fun. This Cd needs to have more attention to it, spread the word..

There's a minority of rock critics who call Cheap Trick's 1985 release "Standing on the Edge" a reannaissance of sorts, a return to form after a commercial downslide. While I hope nobody ever calls me a rock critic, I'm inclined to agree with them on this one. After huge success at the end of the 70s, Cheap Trick's market stance began to wane. Not the George Martin-produced "All Shook Up," nor "One on One" or the criminally underrated "Next Position Please" halted their slow sales decline, but "Standing on the Edge" was a return to form, with vicious guitar work on ugly power-pop rockers and tasteful writing on more ballad-esque songs. At least that's how the band and producer Jack Douglas intended it to be. Douglas was unable to stick around long enough to mix the album, resulting in dated 80s synth and electronic drum sounds (hence Bun E. Carlos's insistence to be credited strictly with "acoustic drums"). Nonetheless, there's not enough of the dated 80s sound to water down the album, making "Standing on the Edge" Cheap Trick's best album from that decade (a tie with "Next Position Please"). Though songwriter Mark Radice showed up to assist in the creative process, the album is still distinctly Trick, unlike their comeback (and so-called "sell-out") album "Lap of Luxury." Here, the title track, the opening 'Little Sister,' 'Love Comes' and the superb 'This Time Around' are the tracks the listener is likely to repeat. 'Tonight it's You' received considerable 80s MTV airplay, but it's not one of the group's best songs. The album barely missed the Top 40, and Epic's interest in Cheap Trick was still on the wane (guitarist and songwriter Rick Nielsen's last name was even spelled wrong on the original album sleeve, and not bothered to be corrected on most CD releases).
Worst things have come from 70s bands who struggled in the 80s, but "Standing on the Edge" doesn't deserve to be listed even as "bad." It's a mostly sturdy and dignified album from one of hard rock's most enduring quartets.

album shouldn't disappoint any buyer. It is the best power pop I've heard (tell me, who are the other bands in this genre?). All band members contributed on songwriting, and it shows. Every song has a powerful chorus that provides an excellent hook. The choruses make it a great album that you and your friends will sing along to. "Tonight It's You" is a powerful tune that builds into an exciting chorus, and "How About You" delivers the same effect. "Love Comes" and "This Time Around" are great, original sounding ballads. A few songs have risque lyrics that may offend some, and "Rock All Night" is plodding, but this is an excellent album from start to finish.

...the standout cut on this "lost in the 80s" Trick album, proves that he is truly one of the greatest rock vocalists of all time. I can forgive the group for not performing the track live more often because I can only imagine what it must take to wring that level of emotion out of a performance!

Who is writing these negative reviews? Couldn't disagree with you more! I wish I could give it more than 5 stars! I hear any song on this album and go crazy! And I've owned it since it was released. Every song is great! Better than anything before or since...well maybe the Budokan album rivals it. Buy it. You won't be disappointed.

I was geniunely caught off guard with this one. I bought it for a couple of the hits, like TONIGHT ITS YOU, an MTV staple in the old days, but this is a strong album all around. Robin is in great voice, turning in performances that are some of his best on record. The sound is very polished, but the material manages to retain the swinging rock feel that Cheap Trick long ago mastered. Some of their best harmonies are on this album as well, and other songs rate high enough to sound like movie title-crawl music, but without the movie titles....

After Cheap Trick's 1983 minor hit album Next Position Please, the band went back to the studio to record the next album. The original plans for the new album was to see the band return to the rough sound of their 1977 self-titled debut album. Songwriter Mark Radice was brought in to help the band with the songwriting process. Radice also played keyboards and co-wrote eight of the ten tracks from the album. Producer Jack Douglas was called in to produce the album who produced the band's 1977 debut album as well as the 1980 Found All The Parts EP. However, producer Jack Douglas backed out of mixing process due to legal issues he was having with Yoko Ono. This resulted in mixer Tony Platt mixing the album and as a result, the album's production featured keyboards and electronic drums more prominently than the band and Douglas had intended. Platt went on to producer the band's 1986 album The Doctor which featured plenty of synthesizer and is now regarded as the band's worst album. Nevertheless this album contained elements of hard rock, power pop and some strong 80s influence. The finished result was Standing On The Edge.

The album opens with the energetic Little Sister which is the only track credited to guitarist Rick Nielsen alone. Nielsen was always the primary songwriter for previous albums. The song opens with strong percussion and some solid vocals from Robin Zander which begin seconds into the track. Guitar weaves a solid melody under the track. The verses flow nicely with some fun lyrics about a wild female character. The pre-chorus features some great backing harmony vocals and synthesizer whilst the chorus itself is very infectious, consisting of strong backing vocals and great guitar. The entire song is good fun, making a strong album opener. "Something's flowing through my veins, what it is I don't know. It's a three alarm fire in my heart, hope it doesn't show..."

The lead single Tonight It's You is a perfect example of 80s power pop with the Cheap Trick style. One of the few songs that give any writing credit to ex-bassist Jon Brant, it is clear that Mark Radice's writing presence has helped the band write such a powerful tune. Written by Brant, Radice, Nielsen and Zander, the track begins with some strong guitar licks which carries the vocals through the verses. Zander's vocals are at their peak here, perfectly creating the mood of the track. The following section builds the track up with some strong guitar chords and dominant vocals. The pre-chorus is fantastically energetic with some more strong guitar, thunderous percussion and larger than life vocals. The chorus flows nicely and allows the message in the lyrics to fully emerge. "All I want is a place in your heart to fall into, all I need is someone to love and tonight it's you..." Synthesizer appears throughout in the background, the solo and the ending - all perfectly constructed. A strong track and a memorable highlight of Cheap Trick's career. "I don't know why you mean that much to me, you don't know what it feels like loving you. We all know a change is good for you, that's all right, gotta do what you gotta do anyway..."

She's Got Motion is a strong piece of 80s material, featuring the band at their best, written by Radice and Nielsen. The track jumps into the vocals within seconds after a rhythm of electronic drums and background guitar. This follows with the vocals and some great guitar licks in-between lines. The lyrics are rather lusty which the smirking vocals help to convey the image further. The verses flow nicely whilst the chorus is very infectious with an uplifting sound, backing vocals and strong vocals from Zander. An interesting solo consisting of synthesizer blasts, vocals effects and strong percussion features. Typical energetic 80s production is present throughout. "See it all, special view, over, under, sideways with you. Took a chance, some romance, it was good for me, was it good for you?"

Next is the ballad Love Comes was written by Nielsen and Zander which was an rare collaboration at the time but proves here to be a strong songwriting team. The following album The Doctor had many more Nielsen and Zander tracks. This song begins with a sweet and memorable synthesizer melody. Zander's vocals capture the right level of emotion through the verses nicely which are carried by strong percussion and synthesizer. The highlight of this song is the chorus which features some strong vocals from Zander, hint of light guitar, backing vocals and strong percussion to lead the way. Production is brilliant throughout and the song's ending features a nice guitar solo, perfectly capturing the mood. A strong album ballad. "Love comes round just in time, something that's hard to find. Oh, no one knows what I've been going through. Same old song, how does it go? Same old line, is it all we know? And love comes round in time to rescue me..."

How About You? is a powerful slice of rock on the album, written by Radice, Nielsen and Zander. The song starts with a hard-hitting guitar riff and a memorable chant. The verses flow nicely with some strong guitar. The pre-chorus features more energy through vocals and guitar whilst the chorus features some synthesizer blasts, strong guitar and lively vocals. Zander's vocal performance is solid throughout. There's a great guitar solo here, a showcase for Rick Nielsen's talent. The song's ending has the same amount of high energy as the rest of the track, making this song one of the album's full-paced and strongest rockers. "Never started out first, never finished last. Like to change the pace, like to change it fast, and I'm ready to try. Just can't sit around here too long, I can feel the wheels are spinning strong..."

The following track titled Standing On The Edge is another example of strong 80s power pop which is again written by Radice, Nielsen and Zander. The vocals start almost immediately, carried by a powerful guitar riff and more solid percussion from Bun E. Carlos. The lyrics are slightly lusty, directed at a strong female character. Piano is featured further on in the verse along with more strong guitar. The chorus is memorable with the highlight of solid vocals and powerful guitar. The section just after the second chorus features more strong piano and a hint of synthesizer whilst the ending for this track features a lively band performance with strong vocals. "Standing on the edge of my bed, she said "come here, don't be afraid". Her tongue opened like a shot, oh, bang, bang. Ten feet tall, laser eyes, killer body, killer thighs, she drew me a fine line, what's wrong, what's right..."

Next is This Time Around which features another writing credit to Brant. Like Tonight It's You, this song is written by Brant, Radice, Nielsen and Zander. This song is a mid tempo number with some meaningful lyrics. The track begins with some fine guitar licks. Percussion follows along with a memorable chant, synthesizer finished with some light and smooth sounding guitar. The verses flow nicely with Zander's vocals dominant over a guitar riff. The chorus flows from the verse nicely and features some strong vocals, plenty of energy and more light guitar. A next section following the second verse features some nice backing synthesizer. "Well it's different this time around, I won't look back cause I found, that gone are the days, long are the nights. It feels right turning this time around..."

Rock All Night is a strong and energetic rocker written by Carlos, Radice, Nielsen and Zander. The song immediately begins with the yelling of the word "rock!" This follows with a strong guitar riff and lively backing vocals used as call and response with Zander`s vicious vocal. The verses flow along nicely with a strong guitar riff and more backing vocals. The lyrics are self-explanatory, simply about rocking. The entire song is a showcase for Nielsen's guitar and Zander's vocal which is performed professionally. Despite this, Rock All Night is probably the weakest track on the album due to the simplicity of the track. Compared to the more strongly constructed songs of this album, the track sounds rather dull, particularly lacking in melody. Regardless, this song is still a fun rocker. "Now it's time to settle the score, I won't come knocking, I'll just kick down your door. I don't know what you're waiting for, this is war, yeah..."

Next is a strong highlight titled Cover Girl which was written by Radice and Nielsen. This song opens with a strong and infectious guitar melody, seconds after follows Zander's vocals. The verses are memorable with some strong vocals and melodic guitar riff. The chorus is just as catchy with some memorable lyrics, solid vocals and more great guitar. The lyrics refer to a dream girl and work nicely with the guitar. A strong solo is featured in the track. Production is strong throughout and still stands the test of time today. A brilliant melodic song although vastly underrated. "Well the first time that I saw her it was 1979. Couldn't see her walk, couldn't hear her talk, still wish she were mine. I saw that face and saw that smile and in a little while, I fell into a dream come true, oh, she's a cover girl..."

The album's closer is Wild Wild Women which was written by Carlos, Radice, Nielsen and Zander. The track opens with another strong and very memorable guitar riff. Percussion enters the track and the verse begins with another great vocal performance. The verses flow nicely, carrying the vocals with the guitar riff. The pre-chorus bursts with energy and more strong guitar whilst the chorus is anthemic, melodic and memorable. The song features another great guitar solo and finishes with plenty of energy. A fantastic album closer. "Worked all week, now that it's over, yes I'm ready to bring it on. Try and tempt me, I'll be easy, after all that's what it's for. If the fire's too hot, get out of the kitchen or do it, do it, do it on the floor..."

Standing On The Edge was a fair success, peaking at #35 in America which was the band's most successful since 1980's All Shook Up. The lead single Tonight It's You peaked at #44 on the singles chart and #8 on the mainstream rock chart. The band's biggest hit single since 1980's Everything Works If You Let It from the soundtrack for the film Roadie starring Meat Loaf. Standing On The Edge had plenty to offer with some strong and solid songwriting throughout. The album's production is fantastic and still sounds great today. The mixing from Tony Platt is also strong which makes fans question why Platt's production was so poor on the following 1986 album The Doctor. Most likely that Jack Douglas' production skills are much stronger and the fact that Platt only mixed on this album. There's also some strong album artwork which remains a personal favourite from the group.

On the whole I highly recommend this album to any 80s rock or power pop fan. This album features many great rockers as well as some ballads. This was Cheap Trick taking the energy from their 1977 debut and adding a more up-to-date sound at the time. Standing On The Edge is a great example of strong 80s power pop.