continued from page 26
er you were doing , even if you didn ’ t want to do it . And that ’ s kind of the idea behind “ Surrender ” — “ Mommy ’ s alright , Daddy ’ s alright , they just seem a little weird .” You can give up , but don ’ t give up totally . For the first couple of years , everybody thought my name was Fender when I started doing that when I put my name on the picks . But that ’ s just one thing . I like the idea that you come to something , and you get something in return . Even if it ’ s just that stupid pick , which , like I said , a lot of ‘ em sell for a ton of money now . And I just gave ‘ em away . But we were kind of the perfect band to have tchotchke . Or swag , although we didn ’ t call it that at the time — it was just all the junk that goes along with it . And I like all that stuff , too . Like The Beatles — they were unbelievable , with lunch boxes , and this , that , or
the other . But we were never popular enough , like Kiss , so we didn ’ t go hogwild on that stuff .
IE : It looks like you even have a checkered Cheap Trick hearing aid prominently displayed . RN : I do . And you ’ ve seen my teeth , right ? It was about 15 years ago now — I broke a tooth , and the tooth next to the broken tooth was something that I had from when I was 10 years old , where the dentist put lead or something in there . I don ’ t know what it was , but it was kind of dark . So since I had to get a crown to fix the thing , instead of a gold grille or all pretty white teeth — which both were wrong for me — I designed it like I do my picks . I made a checkerboard , but I didn ’ t want the checks so big that it looked like a cavity , and I didn ’ t want it so small that you couldn ’ t see it . So I had a number of my teeth done like a checkerboard . And at my age , who cares what I do ?
IE : Besides a hearing loss , how ’ s your health ? RN : Well , my dad had asthma his whole life , and I ’ ve had asthma my whole life , but not so bad where I worry about it . I just always worked my way through it rather than sit around and whine about it . And it helped me get out of the draft . There were three busloads of volunteers in 1968 or ’ 69 , and we went from Rockford to Chicago for selective service . And out of the three busloads , a midget , a huge fat guy , and myself , [ we ] were the only ones that were rejected . So I knew I wouldn ’ t make it in . And I would fight for my country , but not for a
28 illinoisentertainer . com april 2021 war that was so wrong . I knew enough about right and wrong — my dad had graduated from college when he was 17 , and he was a smart cookie . But he wanted to be involved in religious music , so he was never driven by money . And I ’ ve never been driven by money — I ’ m driven by doing what I want to do . And I ’ m still married to my wife — we got married in 1969 . And there were always people that were better looking than me , but I never wanted to be — or tried to be — somebody else . I was always the goofy guy . I was the guy that got thrown out of the band — I was banned from band ! In seventh grade ! And you ’ ve gotta be pretty bad to be thrown out of band — they couldn ’ t get enough people IN there . But I shot my mouth off , and look what happened . Then to fast forward , I went to college here , and I had 59 credits or hours or whatever , and then I flunked the selective service , so I quit school . I wouldn ’ t go one more minute because I knew what I wanted to do , and that wasn ’ t learning it in school . And then 35 years later , the music department gave me the last credit to graduate ,
and I graduated with a Master of Arts degree or something . I don ’ t know what it was . But they gave me the credit from the music department , which I wasn ’ t involved with , but I guess they appreciated what I ’ d done for the city . So now I ’ ve got a degree . Now , what am I gonna do ?
IE : Going back to The Beatles , there are two Fab Four connections on this record — your cover of John Lennon ’ s “ Gimme Some Truth ,” obviously . But “ So It Goes ” sounds very Beatles-like . And Cheap Trick can do The Beatles better than anybody . RN : Well , I tell people that I ’ ve got perfect pitch . But I don ’ t have a good voice . My father was a lyric opera tenor who studied all this stuff . And he was a choir director , too , in WWII , in the Aleutian Islands , and Roswell , NM . So he was legit . And Robin is a trained singer — he was in chorus , and in fact , he took some lessons FROM my dad . But he ’ s a real singer . And if I sang as good as him , we would sound way different . So Robin ’ s good voice and my in-tune , crummy kind of voice really makes Cheap Trick . And I usually do the high stuff . Like when we did the theme song to The Colbert Report — that song is called “ Baby Mumbles ,” because that ’ s what we did . When I was going back to work with John Lennon , Robin and I were gonna do baby voices , that stuff that ’ s in the background but really kind of adds to the whole sound .
IE : And you worked with George Martin , too . But what made you want to cover “ Gimme Some Truth ”? Obviously , we ’ re
continues on page 30
Continued from page 26 arrangements . The album also drew upon John Fogerty ’ s favorite sounds from the Stax Records stable and Motown . “ Born to Move ” features an organ workout in the style of Stax house band Booker T . and the MG ’ s , gliding atop a sturdy foundation laid by bassist Stu Cook and drummer Doug Clifford that is reminiscent of Stevie Wonder ’ s “ Signed , Sealed , Delivered I ’ m Yours .” Fogerty set his guitar aside for supple saxophone solos during the grooving “ Sailor ’ s Lament ” and percolating pop of “ Molina .” The latter is another example of Cook and Clifford ’ s intuitive chemistry . The pop appeal of “ Sailor ’ s Lament ” benefits from layered background vocals by the group during a catchy call-andresponse hook . The Wilson Pickett-styled soul-rocker “ Chameleon ” also features Fogerty ’ s one-man saxophone section . Bristling ballad “( Wish I Could ) Hideaway ” remains an overlooked gem , although it may recall the Animals ’ “ Don ’ t Let Me Be Misunderstood ” a bit too closely to have been a credible single . Pendulum concludes with an interesting but perplexing instrumental , the experimental and psychedelic “ Rude Awakening No . 2 .”
Pendulum had been composed entirely of songs written by John Fogerty . By contrast , 1972 ’ s Mardi Gras featured songs written by all three of the band ’ s remaining members – the results of public complaints by Cook and Clifford over lack of input . The democratic effort results in an uneven album , with more than half of the songs written and sung by the rhythm section . Drummer Clifford ’ s songs aren ’ t without the type of charms that were further explored on his 1972 solo album Cosmo ( although Clifford himself dismissed his songwriting and singing on that album as subpar , while praising the musicians ). Nonetheless , a decent Clifford song like “ What are You Gonna Do ” comes across more like Dr . Hook & the Medicine Show than CCR , and doesn ’ t measure up to even Fogerty ’ s B-list country two-step “ Lookin ’ for a Reason .” The Fogerty song is about leaving a loveless romance on the surface , but it ’ s no stretch to apply the sentiment to the band – and it ’ s the song that launches the album . The band ’ s sprightly honky-tonk playing sparks Clifford ’ s “ Tearing Up the Country ,” but the unpolished vocal sounds like a rough demo looking for a lead vocal by late great Beat Farmers drummer Country Dick Montana . Cook ’ s forced singing on songs including the Band-influenced “ Take it Like a Friend ,” earnest bar-band fare “ Sail Away ,” and boogie “ Door to Door ” would have been unlikely to earn major label support as a solo artist . The album also includes a cover of Gene Pitney ’ s “ Hello Mary Lou ” ( a 1961 hit for Ricky Nelson ), with sharp guitar playing but uninspired vocal by Fogerty . Fogerty ’ s three songwriting contributions include the feral raver “ Sweet Hitch- Hiker ” and heartfelt but melancholy “ Someday Never Comes .” The latter song describes the failings of fathers passed down from one generation to the next . The album would likely be remembered more fondly if Fogerty hadn ’ t given his short-timer bandmates the rope upon which to hang themselves . The seasoned
band ’ s playing is high caliber , despite any interpersonal difficulties . Clifford ’ s songs , in particular , are at least in CCR ’ s sonic ballpark and would have worked better if Fogerty had sung them .
– Jeff Elbel
Pendulum
7 4
Mardi Gras
BOB HILLMAN &
SPOOKY GHOST Bob Hillman & Spooky Ghost
Self
These five songs document the “ noise folk ” collaboration between singer / songwriter Bob Hillman and guitarist Gerry Leonard , aka ambient musician Spooky Ghost . Leonard is known for his work on David Bowie ’ s Heathen , Reality , and The Next Day albums , as well as service as musical director for the Reality tour . Leonard ’ s arc also includes notable work with Suzanne Vega , which brought him into contact with Hillman . “ Somebody ’ s Watching You ” pairs Hillman ’ s inviting but alienated acoustic folk storytelling with Leonard ’ s ambient and asynchronous textures . “ Can you be scared to death ?,” asks Hillman on behalf of his paranoid protagonist . “ I ’ ve had a heart attack walking alone at night just to the bar and back .” The tuneful and subdued “ We May Be Getting Better ( When We ’ re Not Getting Worse )” is unsettled by lopsided shards of jagged guitar . “ Elena ( The Shadow of a Shadow )” describes the fruitless pursuit of beloved but reclusive Italian author Elena Ferrante ( a pseudonym ). Hillman ’ s otherwise understated delivery is accompanied by the type of burbles , stuttering glitches , squeals and twinkles that Leonard also deployed on Bowie ’ s “ New Killer Star .” The mournful and resigned “ Las Vegas ” is populated by characters in an emblematic corner of a faded American dream , where the offering of another chance or a fresh start is an empty promise . “ Morning is a lie in Las Vegas ,” sings Hillman . The EP ’ s most sanguine selection is “ Urban Wildlife ,” which glides with sun-dappled ease atop Yuval Lion ’ s relaxed percussion . Hillman describes a wary truce between usurping civilization and nature returning to claim its territory , with both parties required to adapt .
– Jeff Elbel
7