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Cheap Trick on Austin City Limits . . .
- Thread starter fenwickbacker
- Start date
Thanks for the link!I agree with Jimmy,Robin Zander is the greatest....Also on ACL there is Them Crooked Vultures.
- Feb 24, 2004
- 4,103
- 642
- 68
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist: Phantom Guitars, Eastwood Guitars
It was the release of Heaven Tonight and At Budokan that drove me crazy wanting a 12-string. Took me to 1990 before I got my first, a Hamer B12S, as close as I could get to the "Budokan" bass without the Quad option. It became THE sound of my 3-piece band during the 90s, quickly bought a second one as a backup. After the band broke up I sold one but still have the other.
My best Austin City Limits memory:
My best Austin City Limits memory:
Here's a clip of Tom Petersson playing a 12-string bass solo. It's based on George Harrison's "Within You Without You".
Gives an idea what the 12-string sounds like by itself.
Gives an idea what the 12-string sounds like by itself.
I enjoyed the show! I was a fan of Cheap Trick during the late 70's,80's. I think Tom Peterson is a good bass player. He might not play a lot of flashy licks, but he has a good sound and when he does play something cool, it usually stands out.
A good example is the studio version of Surrender. Have you ever heard a glissando like the one he plays at the second intro before the second verse? Sure he had some help from the mixing board making it stand out like that but when I hear that, It practically makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up.
How about the solo bass vamp on the song "gonna raise hell" or if you have heard the song 'Big eyes' to listen to the heavy pick grinding tone he has during that little bass solo lead.
When any bass player plays something that gets me off
he's OK in my book regardless how under-rated or what the snobbish elites may think of him or his band.
Is that the ultimate compliment???
I agree completely... tp has always been perfect for Trick and what they do- same as Bun. I do like what Dax did on ACL, tho: he was spot on.
That show is why I continue to go back to CT, Rush, Kings X, etc... they just keeping banging out good music and tours. Now if I can just catch BOC
I used to see these guys in small clubs near Milaukee and the "Brat Stop" in Kenosha Wi. After they had their first few albums out every once in a while they would do a surprise show in a small club and wow what a treat to watch them in a small club while they were also playing major concerts at the time. We would see the, I believe "Hardy Boys" playing somewhere and sure enough CT was playing. Zifcos Ballroom, The palms, The Brat Stop, Zaks. what an era and cool band that loved the small clubs and getting out with the folks that they played for in the early days in and around Chicago Milwaukee area. Our lead singer went to school Zander and he used to come over and talk to him. Very cool memories. I have a cassette tape of them in the early days playing at a bowling alley hehe in Waukesha WI. They were singing "Lady" by Styx and poking fun at them. It is very funny. (sorry Styx fans). Bar age was 18 to that meant 16-17 at the time. Not that that was good but the clubs would pack for bands.
Anyway back to this decade.
Oh Yeah, and that's why I traded for the Chandler JB out of interest, Chandler at one time made a 12er for Tom.
Anyway back to this decade.
Oh Yeah, and that's why I traded for the Chandler JB out of interest, Chandler at one time made a 12er for Tom.
Tom Petersson ROCKS! One of the best, IMO. The guy can play, no doubt, but also has the class and finesse to not have to play a thousand notes every measure. He does what is needed for the song. And sounds great with a 12 string bass doing it! I have to go play my Waterstone TP 12 string bass now!
Except for his moments in the spotlight, Tom generally plays for the song. He's come up with some nicely complementary melodic basslines over the years.
BTW, did you sell off some of your TP-12s, Rob? I thought you had a number of them?
BTW, did you sell off some of your TP-12s, Rob? I thought you had a number of them?
I sold a couple of them, I still have a few! Love them. I have a 34" scale in trans pink I want to sell.
Agreed. Robin Zander is Rock n Roll Gold. Check out their first 5 albums. The man is one of the most badass vocalists of all time.
To politely disagree. Tom Petersson is one of the most powerful rock voices in the bass department. Understated, Subtle but clanging, chiming, aggressive power - and some great Harmony ideas as well. Without Tom's 12 string bass invention there would be no King's X signature sound, No Pearl Jam
s Jeremy, No Gonna Raise Hell - his massive 12 string sound can be heard through all of their records.. (except a few from the mid 80s that he wasn't on.
Cool, I missed this! I'll definitely be watching the show online this week.
CT was my first concert--the Dream Police tour, no opener. Perfect first show.
CT was my first concert--the Dream Police tour, no opener. Perfect first show.
Yep, that ACL archive is a treasure trove for me. I was going through it extensively last summer, I see they've added more really good ones since then.
fair enough. i do like his playing. i don't quite see it at the level you do, but he works very well for ct.
I've seen cheap trick in a rodeo arena (All Shook Up 1980), Las Vegas Strip at some hotel ( around 1997 ), Free concert in the park at the Peoples Fair in Denver about 4 years ago. They are the foot soldiers, the first in - last out guys of rock n roll. they've worked hard.
Reviving old thread- but just saw these guys last weekend in Dubuque and they sounded REALLY great. Always liked CT but was never that blown away by Tom Petersson- well, I tell you I stood directly in front of his rig all night and that has got to be one of the mostly godly rock bass sounds I've ever heard. The man knows tone. Not so much a chops player but I was knocked over by his sound. He played what looked like an 8-string Gibson T-Bird through two HiWatt heads and two Marshall Stacks. The rack also had something maybe a Sansamp in it. The Marshalls looked like guitar cabs and he was definitely running through them.
Agree with everything said about Zander as well. Hit every note with ease as far as i could tell. I saw these guys twice in the late 70's early 80's and they are every bit as good if not better now.
Agree with everything said about Zander as well. Hit every note with ease as far as i could tell. I saw these guys twice in the late 70's early 80's and they are every bit as good if not better now.
- Feb 24, 2004
- 4,103
- 642
- 68
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist: Phantom Guitars, Eastwood Guitars
While Tom has some "interesting" chops, his tone is what makes him unique, IMO. There's just something about his 12-string sound that's really cool....
In the past few years, I've heard Robin struggle a bit with holding pitch in the upper range. He used to be very precise with his vocal delivery. Maybe I've noticed the change because he previously set a pretty high standard? His voice also seems to have become somewhat rougher and deeper than it used to be. Though, to be fair, most rock singers tend to lose a bit of the top octave over time. When I saw Aerosmith last fall, Steven Tyler surprised me with a nearly perfect vocal performance, especially considering he's over 60!
TP's sound has caused me to rethink my idea of good bass sound recently. I was always aware of them but after watching their SGt. Pepper DVD I fell in love with that thick T-Bird through a Reeves/Hiwatt sound...then I discovered he can do that with anything. BTW Robin Zander put out a solo album years ago. The production is dated but the songs and vocal performance are great.
Robin Zander has a new solo album in the can called Countryside Blvd. which has yet to see a proper release. Not sure why it is being held back.
Petersson played a T-bird on a lot of Cheap Trick's earlier tracks. When I saw them in Calgary a few years back he played a P-bass for part of the show and it sounded quite similar to his 12-string... probably due to going to the same rig.
Petersson played a T-bird on a lot of Cheap Trick's earlier tracks. When I saw them in Calgary a few years back he played a P-bass for part of the show and it sounded quite similar to his 12-string... probably due to going to the same rig.
Seen cheap trick tons throughout the years and I have to say they have been the most consistent band. Every show has been great.....and musically it takes a crowbar to get those guy's apart....
