Like Brian Kramp, my book features a guest foreword by a member of Pearl Jam. It's no secret that almost any band from the '80s and '90s was influenced by Cheap Trick. Of course, those shout outs didn't put money in the band's pocket in the years after their initial ascent. I know many Cheap Trick fans find something good (at least in retrospect) in almost every era and album. However, all Cheap Trick was hearing was how good they used to be and that the stuff that all these younger (and at the time, bigger) bands loved about them WAS NOT what they were doing in that given moment.
When they were opening for Mötley Crüe, for instance, Rick would say in interviews that he didn't share much musically with them. However, Nicky Sixx in particular, LOVED Cheap Trick. In his book The Heroin Diaries, he talked about them being his favorite and Rick being his idol. Then he told the story of how he pissed on his leather jacket.
When Cheap Trick hung out with Guns N' Roses during the Appetite For Destruction era, they felt similarly disconnected. Bun noted how hard they partied and Rick punched Slash when he was shitfaced. Rick later told the same story on Howard Stern.
Today is also the anniversary of Kurt Cobain's death. Nirvana, and later the Foo Fighters, were also hugely influenced by Cheap Trick. Green Day, Smashing Pumpkins, were also huge fans. Even Stone Temple Pilots, for whom Cheap Trick opened in 1997 and had a rough go of it, rubbed off on them. Rick and Robin both discuss trying to help Scott Weiland through some very rough times, sadly to no avail. When he played in Velvet Revolver with GNR's Matt Sorum, another huge fan, they did "Surrender" on the Bonus edition of their huge Contraband album.
My point is that Pearl Jam is one of many bands who cite Cheap Trick as a huge influence. When they played Budokan themselves for the first time, they tucked their own (albeit profane) version of "I Want You To Want Me" into the "tag" of "Daughter."
You can hear and download the show here.
Mike McCready kindly wrote the foreword for my book even though we have never met. We connected through Rob Bleetstein, the only person who hosts shows on Sirius' Pearl Jam and Grateful Dead channels.
When Pearl Jam played Budokan, Mike was not in a great place. By his own admission, he was drinking way too much. I never touched on that in my book, but he has talked about his stay at Hazelden in interviews like this one. Rob Kilroy, who graciously spoke with me for the book, served as Pearl Jam's roadie during Mike's hard-partying days. You can read Rob's story here. The one thing Rob got from his time on the road with Pearl Jam was how much they shared his love of Cheap Trick.
During the summer of 1998, Cheap Trick opened on the Yield tour. When they played their "album shows" that year, Smashing Pumpkins famously opened for them at the Metro. On October 8, Pearl Jam did the same at Seattle's famed Crocodile Cafe. Strangely, Mike played that show in a Van Halen shirt. You can hear or download it here. You will see from the notes, the show was apparently off the charts.
Right before their Hall of Fame induction, Cheap Trick returned the favor by playing Mike's 50th birthday in Seattle.
Needless to say, Mike McCready loves Cheap Trick. Although we've never met, I hope he has a great day. In the words of the Beatles,
I'm glad it's your birthday
Happy birthday to you.
RLW