Lap of Luxury

Lap of Luxury is the tenth studio album by American band Cheap Trick. Released on April 12, 1988, it is the band's second-most commercially successful studio album (trailing only 1979's Dream Police), having reached number 16 on the Billboard 200[1] and having been certified platinum in sales. The album contains the band's only US number-one hit, "The Flame", as well as the additional hit singles "Don't Be Cruel" (an Elvis Presley cover) and "Ghost Town".

For other uses, see Lap of Luxury (disambiguation).
Lap of Luxury
Studio album by
Cheap Trick
ReleasedApril 12, 1988 (1988-04-12)
Recorded1987–1988
StudioOne On One Studios, North Hollywood, CA
Sound Castle Studios, Hollywood, CA
A&M Studios, Hollywood, CA
Genre
Length41:55
LabelEpic
ProducerRichie Zito
Cheap Trick chronology
The Doctor
(1986)		 Lap of Luxury
(1988)		 Busted
(1990)
Singles from Lap of Luxury
  1. "The Flame"
    Released: March 1988
  2. "Don't Be Cruel"
    Released: July 1988
  3. "Ghost Town"
    Released: October 1988
  4. "Let Go"
    Released: 1988 (Australia only)
  5. "Never Had a Lot to Lose"
    Released: January 1989

Overview

Lap of Luxury was considered a comeback album for Cheap Trick.[2][3][4] Before its recording, original bassist Tom Petersson rejoined the group.[5] Owing to the band's last few albums failing to live up to commercial expectations, Epic insisted that Cheap Trick work with outside songwriters.[6] Don Grierson, the senior VP of A&R for Epic, told Billboard in 1988: "What we attempted to do was make a statement for a band that had lost its mass-market appeal. We needed to make a record that sounded contemporary. We addressed all the reasons why [Cheap Trick] may be in trouble [commercially] and agreed that certain changes were necessary. [We found] outside writers the band was comfortable with who would make music that still sounded like Cheap Trick."[7]

The mainstream ballad "The Flame" became a No. 1 hit single, and the album went platinum.[6] Speaking to Billboard in 1990, Cheap Trick guitarist Rick Nielsen stated: "Lap of Luxury was a tough record to make. We could lie to you and tell you it was all wonderful and great. It wasn't. It was tough working with other writers. But it was a lesson for us."[8]

Reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[9]
Billboardpositive[10]
Cash Boxpositive[11]
Los Angeles Times[12]
Music & Mediapositive[13]
Robert ChristgauC[14]
Rolling Stone[15]

Upon release, Billboard commented: "After a long hitless streak, Cheap Trick brings it all back home. This is the quartet's punchiest effort since its mid-'70s heyday."[10] Cash Box noted: "Cheap Trick could score big at both radio and retail with what is easily their best (and most accessible) album in years."[11] Pan-European magazine Music & Media considered Lap of Luxury to be an "excellent LP", adding: "A very mature album, made with renewed enthusiasm and energy. Ringing melodies and a few wonderfully restrained moments."[13]

Ira Robbins of Rolling Stone stated: "The entire album lurches unpredictably; fortunately, Zander's superhuman vocals pull it out of the fire, transcending the inferior material and occasionally misguided arrangements. While not [a] stunning return to top form, Lap of Luxury proves that Cheap Trick can still rock with flair and power. The album's songwriting credits and halfhearted echoes of Journey, Survivor and the Eagles, however, signify a tragic loss of self-confidence."[15]

In a retrospective review, Steve Huey of AllMusic noted: "Cheap Trick's comeback album is by no means a return to the creativity and vitality of their glory days. But even though Lap of Luxury is largely formulaic, the band's strongest collection of material in some time fills that late-'80s pop-metal formula quite well. Combining grandly romantic power ballads with catchy hard rockers, Lap of Luxury consistently delivers strong hooks and well-crafted songs."[9] Dave Swanson of Rolling Stone commented: "The album suffers from the same identity crisis the band had been experiencing throughout the decade, and the label's demand for outside assistance in songwriting was both a blessing and a curse." Swanson noted the strongest material on the album was those written by Cheap Trick and added: "The dated '80s production is hard to tolerate at times".[16]

Track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Let Go"Rick Nielsen, Todd Cerney4:25
2."No Mercy"Jon Lind, Jim Scott3:54
3."The Flame"Bob Mitchell, Nick Graham5:37
4."Space" (originally recorded by Charlie Sexton)Mike Chapman, Holly Knight4:16
5."Never Had a Lot to Lose"Robin Zander, Tom Petersson3:22
6."Don't Be Cruel" (originally recorded by Elvis Presley)Otis Blackwell, Elvis Presley3:07
7."Wrong Side of Love"Nielsen, Cerney3:59
8."All We Need Is a Dream"Nielsen, Zander, Gregg Giuffria4:20
9."Ghost Town"Nielsen, Diane Warren4:11
10."All Wound Up"Zander, Petersson, Janna Allen4:45
Japanese version (2009 reissue)
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
11."I Want You to Want Me" (studio version)Nielsen3:09
12."I Want You to Want Me" (live at Budokan)Nielsen3:38

B-sides and outtakes
  • "Through the Night" (R. Zander, T, Petersson, R. Nielsen,) – 4:19 (available on the Sex, America, Cheap Trick box set)
  • "You Want It" (R. Zander, R. Nielsen) – 3:41 (available on the Sex, America, Cheap Trick box set, and the soundtrack to Say Anything...)
  • "Magical Mystery Tour" (J. Lennon, P. McCartney) – 4:10 (available on The Greatest Hits)
  • "Money (That's What I Want)" (J. Bradford, B. Gordy, Jr.) – 3:15 (available on the out-of-print Caddyshack II soundtrack)
  • "If Only My Girl Was a Little More Like You" (unreleased)
  • "A Long Way from Memphis" (unreleased)
  • "Ready for the Sun" (unreleased)
  • "Right Between the Eyes" (unreleased)
  • "A Taste of Love" (unreleased)
  • "We'll Still Be Hanging On" (unreleased)
  • "Women Never Forget" (unreleased)

Personnel

Cheap Trick

Technical

Chart performance

Album
Chart (1988) Peak
position
Australian Album Charts[17] 14
Canadian Album Charts[18] 11
New Zealand Album Charts[19] 44
U.S. Billboard 200[1] 16

Singles
Year Single Billboard Hot 100[20] UK Official Charts[21] Australia Single Charts[22]
1988 "The Flame" 1 77 3
1988 "Don't Be Cruel" 4 77 13
1988 "Ghost Town" 33 - -
1989 "Never Had a Lot to Lose" 75 - -

References
  1. "Billboard 200 - Cheap Trick". Retrieved 2011-01-27.
  2. http://ultimateclassicrock.com/cheap-trick-lap-of-luxury/
  3. http://www.classicrockreview.com/2013/07/1988-cheap-trick-lol/
  4. https://www.allmusic.com/album/lap-of-luxury-mw0000651929
  5. "Cheap Trick's bass player talks music, luck, family - Lake County News-Sun". Chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2019-02-01.
  6. Greene, Andy (April 8, 2016). "Inside Cheap Trick's Unlikely Renaissance". Rolling Stone. Retrieved September 24, 2018.
  7. Billboard magazine - Talent: 'Lap' splash no cheap trick - Bruce Haring, Steve Gett - July 9, 1988 - page 20
  8. Billboard magazine - Talent: Cheap Trick offers new audio treat - Ed Christman - October 6, 1990 - page 32
  9. AllMusic Review by Steve Huey. "Lap of Luxury - Cheap Trick | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 2019-02-01.
  10. Billboard magazine – Album Reviews – 30 April 1988 – page 62
  11. Cash Box newspaper – 30 April 1988 – Album releases – page 9
  12. Los Angeles Times review
  13. Music & Media magazine - Previews: Albums - May 21, 1988 - page 19
  14. Robert Christgau review
  15. Ira Robbins (1988-06-02). "Lap Of Luxury – Rolling Stone". Rollingstone.com. Retrieved 2019-02-01.
  16. "30 Years Ago: Cheap Trick Make a Comeback With 'Lap of Luxury'". Ultimateclassicrock.com. Retrieved 2019-02-01.
  17. "Australian Charts - Cheap Trick". Retrieved 2011-01-27.
  18. "RPM Charts - Cheap Trick". Retrieved 2011-01-27.
  19. "New Zealand Charts - Cheap Trick". Retrieved 2011-01-27.
  20. "Billboard Hot 100 - Cheap Trick". Retrieved November 20, 2017.
  21. "Official Charts - Cheap Trick". Retrieved November 20, 2017.
  22. "Australian Singles Chart - Cheap Trick". Retrieved November 20, 2017.
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