Rockford Register Star, 13 March 1998 (Edith C Lee)

Rockford - Author Ken Sharp has no problem expressing his bias about Cheap Trick. "We are huge fans," said Sharp, who co-authored "Reputation Is A Fragile Thing: The Story of Cheap Trick" with Mike Hayes. "They are one of the most criminally underrated rock and roll bands ever."

Published last month and available by MAIL ORDER ONLY, "Reputation is a Fragile Thing" is the first book about Rockford's internationally successful rock band.

The authors immediately let readers know their perspective. One paragraph into the preface, they describe Cheap Trick's debut album as "a near-perfect marriage of Move/Who inspired guitar pyrotechnics, melded to the timeless melodic hallmarks of classic Lennon/McCartney."

The authors call the band "the quintessential power pop band," praising Cheap Trick for its combination of melody and aggression. "When you put those two together with Rick Nielsen's surreal and subversive lyrics, you come up with a unique band," said Sharp, who lives in suburban Philadelphia. "Plus, everyone in the band has individual talent. Robin Zander is one of the greatest rock and roll vocalists of all time." "Not everything the band did was great," Sharp admitted. "Maybe 95 percent," he said. "We don't want to be total fans where we can't be critical, but the band is more critical than we are." The band knew that Sharp and Hayes were working on the book. Guitarist Rick Nielsen has a copy of the unauthorized biography but has not read it, he said this week from his Rockford home. "We helped them locate some photos," he said, "but we really didn't have anything to do with it."

The 304-page paperback, which takes its name from Nielsen's 1982 song, "One on One," features dozens of photos, including many never before published. The authors rely heavily on previously published articles and interviews with musicians who have played with Cheap Trick members. "We've tracked down a lot of people from their pre-record deal days," Sharp said.

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