Standing on the Edge (Cheap Trick album)

Standing on the Edge is the eighth studio album by the American rock group Cheap Trick, released by Epic in 1985. The album was produced by Jack Douglas, the producer of Cheap Trick's 1977 debut album Cheap Trick. Standing on the Edge reached No. 35 on the Billboard 200 and remained on the charts for 18 weeks.[1]

Standing On The Edge
Studio album by
Cheap Trick
ReleasedJuly 19, 1985
Recorded1984-85
StudioAtlantic Recording Studios, New York City, Cherokee Recording Studios, Los Angeles, CA, Unique Recording, New York City
GenreRock
Length39:44
LabelEpic
ProducerJack Douglas
Cheap Trick chronology
Next Position Please
(1983)		 Standing On The Edge
(1985)		 The Doctor
(1986)
Singles from Standing On The Edge
  1. "Tonight It's You"
    Released: July 1985

Overview

Standing on the Edge saw Cheap Trick return to their standard hard-rocking sound. The album was produced by Jack Douglas, who produced the band's eponymous debut album as well as the Found All The Parts EP. Originally, Cheap Trick planned on returning to the rough sound of their first album. However, Douglas backed out of the mixing process due to legal issues he was having with Yoko Ono. Mixer Tony Platt was called in, and as a result, keyboards and electronic drums were featured more prominently than the band and Douglas had intended.

The first single, "Tonight It's You", is the most successful and well-known track from the album and also appears on numerous greatest hits compilations. Two promotional music videos were made for the song and both clips received much airplay on MTV.

The song "Love Comes" was re-recorded for Zander's solo album Countryside Blvd. This album was due for release in 2010 but has been held back, remaining unreleased to date, although various download sites did legally offer the album for a few hours.

Background information

Bun E. Carlos insisted on being credited with "acoustic drums" because of Platt's addition of electronic drums to much of the album during post-production.

Song doctor Mark Radice was brought in to help the band with the songwriting process. He played keyboards and co-wrote 8 of the album's 10 tracks.

Guitarist Rick Nielsen's name is misspelled on the back cover of the original pressing as "Rick Nelson", although the Japanese version has his name spelled correctly.

Physical copies of the album were out of print for several years (except in Japan), making the original pressing of the CD something of a collectors' item.

Reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
Billboardpositive[3]
Cash Boxpositive[4]
Rolling Stonepositive[5]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[6]

Upon release, Billboard stated: "Cheap Trick's checkered recent career could get a boost from this spirited set; lusty, layered production spotlights the band's sense of guitar-driven rock classicism."[3] Cash Box wrote: "The pranksters of pop are back in full splendor. This record really could be the one that pulls this band out of its recent doldrums. All the elements that contributed to the group's worldwide success are here."[4] David Fricke of Rolling Stone commented: "Cheap Trick roars back to life with its best collection of bubblegum bazooka rock in years. Standing on the Edge recombines the devious Beatlesque gestures and Who-ish arena-rock jolt of the band's brief platinum period with melodic authority and playful wit."[5]

In a retrospective review, Mike DeGagne of AllMusic felt the album's only highlight was the "silvery-sounding" "Tonight It's You". He added: "Like 1983's Next Position Please, Standing on the Edge finds the band without any pizzazz or rock & roll exuberance. The tracks are dull and colorless, with only the single sporting any signs of enthusiasm."[2] Dave Swanson of Ultimate Classic Rock highlighted tracks such as "Little Sister", "Tonight It's You", "Cover Girl" and the title track, but felt the album was "bogged down by the use of contemporary production techniques".[7]

Track listing
  1. "Little Sister" (Nielsen) – 3:55
  2. "Tonight It's You" (Nielsen, Zander, Brant, Radice) – 4:47
  3. "She's Got Motion" (Nielsen, Radice) – 3:17
  4. "Love Comes" (Zander, Nielsen) – 4:40
  5. "How About You" (Zander, Nielsen, Radice) – 3:00
  6. "Standing on the Edge" (Nielsen, Zander, Radice) – 4:44
  7. "This Time Around" (Zander, Nielsen, Brant, Radice) – 4:33
  8. "Rock All Night" (Nielsen, Zander, Carlos, Radice) – 2:51
  9. "Cover Girl" (Nielsen, Radice) – 3:41
  10. "Wild Wild Women" (Nielsen, Zander, Carlos, Radice) – 4:16

2010 Reissue

11. "Tonight It's You" (Single Re-Mixed/Edited Version) – 3:31

Outtakes
  • "A Place in France" (Available on the Sex, America, Cheap Trick box set)
  • "Don't Ever Let Me Go" (Unreleased)
  • "Lesson in Love" (Unreleased)
  • "X-Rated" (Unreleased)

The original Jack Douglas mixes of "Little Sister" and "She's Got Motion" were released on the "Epic Archive Volume 3" in 2015.

Personnel

Cheap Trick

Additional Musicians

Technical
  • Jack Douglas – producer
  • Paul Klingberg – engineer, keyboards (Sound Summit Recording)
  • Bill Dooley – engineer (Atlantic Recording)
  • George Tutko – engineer (Cherokee Recording)
  • Bob Rosa – engineer (Unique Recording)
  • Tony Platt – mixing
  • John Patterson, Eddie Garcia, David Eaton, Roey Shamir – assistant engineers
  • Mark-Larson – art direction
  • Gilles Larrain – photography

Chart performance

Album
Chart (1985) Peak
position
U.S. Billboard 200[8] 35

Single
Year Single Billboard Hot 100[9]
1985 "Tonight It's You" 44
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gollark: ++roll d20
gollark: I summon a black hole.
gollark: I stick the bee halves back together.
gollark: ++roll d20

References
  1. Billboard. "Cheap Trick Standing On The Edge Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved 2019-02-01.
  2. AllMusic Review by Mike DeGagne. "Standing on the Edge - Cheap Trick | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 2019-02-01.
  3. Billboard magazine – Reviews: Albums – August 3, 1985 – page 74
  4. Cash Box newspaper – August 3, 1985 – Album releases – page 10
  5. David Fricke (1985-10-10). "Standing on the Edge – Rolling Stone". Rollingstone.com. Retrieved 2019-02-01.
  6. Brackett, Nathan; Christian Hoard (2004). The Rolling Stone Album Guide. New York City, New York: Simon and Schuster. p. 157. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
  7. "30 Years Ago: Cheap Trick Slip While 'Standing on the Edge'". Ultimateclassicrock.com. Retrieved 2019-02-01.
  8. "Billboard 200 - Cheap Trick". Retrieved November 15, 2017.
  9. "Billboard Hot 100 - Cheap Trick". Retrieved November 15, 2017.
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