Goldmine

Oh Lordy, can this really be the first ever book on Cheap Trick? If nothing else, one would think there'd have been some quickie cash-in bio of the group thrown onto retail shelves in the aftermath of Cheap Trick's success with the Cheap Trick At Budokan and Dream Police albums in 1979. And, if this really is the very first Cheap Trick book, what in the name of the aforemtnioned Dream Police took so damn long? Still, even if there had been a full freakin' library of Cheap Trick books on the market, one doubts there could ever have been one more comprehensive than this. Written by long-time Cheap Trick fanatic Mike Hayes (in collaboration with frequent Goldmine contributor Ken Sharp), Reputation Is A Fragile Thing offers an exhaustive, detailed account of the group's origins and rise to prominence in the rock'n'roll world. Although Hayes writes with fannish enthusiasm (that's good), the book never succumbs to the fawning sycophancy that can doom many such projects (that would be bad). The book is packed with details: of the individual band members' backgrounds, of embryonic Trick precursors like Sick Man Of Europe and Fuse (and even of guitarist Rick Nielsen's brief stint as a de facto replacement for Todd Rundgren in a late version of legendary pop group the Nazz), of the recording of each Cheap Trick album and the running set lists of each accompanying tour, of unreleased songs and of the Tricksters' various outside projects. The narrative is peppered with numerous quotes from band members and associates; many of the quotes are from previously-published sources (including John M.Borack's 1994 Goldmine Cheap Trick interview), but nonetheless serve to effectively flesh out the Cheap Trick story. .....

The sheer density of information may seem daunting to the casual fan, but the Trick faithful should find it a delight......

In spite of an impressive body of work (including 1997's fabulous Cheap Trick album, which was one of last year's best releases and deserved a wider audience), it's possible that Cheap Trick may never receive its just recognition in the rock pantheon. More's the pity, we say, but Reputation Is A Fragile Thing goes a fair way toward giving Rockford, IL's own fab four its due. Since it took this long to get a Cheap Trick book on the market, we're grateful that it was worth the wait.

back to top