Lap of Luxury

For other uses, see Lap of Luxury (disambiguation).

1988 studio album by Cheap Trick

Lap of Luxury

Studio album by

Cheap Trick

Released| April 12, 1988 (1988-04-12)
Recorded| 1987–1988
Studio| One On One Studios, North Hollywood, California
Sound Castle Studios, Hollywood, California
A&M Studios, Hollywood, California
Genre|

* Hard rock
* power pop

Length| 41:55
Label| Epic
Producer| Richie 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

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), reaching number 16 on the Billboard 200[1] and being 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".

## Overview

[edit]

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

[edit]

Professional ratingsReview scores

Source| Rating
AllMusic| [9]
Robert Christgau| C[11]
Los Angeles Times| [10]
Rolling Stone| [12]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide| [13]

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."[14] 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."[15] 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."[16]

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."[12]

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".[17]

## Track listing

[edit]

Lap of Luxury track listingNo.| Title| Writer(s)| Length

|
|
|

1.| "Let Go"| Rick Nielsen, Todd Cerney| 4:25
2.| "No Mercy"| Jon Lind, Jim Scott| 3:54
3.| "The Flame"| Bob Mitchell, Nick Graham| 5:37
4.| "Space" (originally recorded by Charlie Sexton)| Mike Chapman, Holly Knight| 4:16
5.| "Never Had a Lot to Lose"| Robin Zander, Tom Petersson| 3:22
6.| "Don't Be Cruel" (originally recorded by Elvis Presley)| Otis Blackwell, Elvis Presley| 3:07
7.| "Wrong Side of Love"| Nielsen, Cerney| 3:59
8.| "All We Need Is a Dream"| Nielsen, Zander, Gregg Giuffria| 4:20
9.| "Ghost Town"| Nielsen, Diane Warren| 4:11
10.| "All Wound Up"| Zander, Petersson, Janna Allen| 4:45

Japanese version (2009 reissue)No.| Title| Writer(s)| Length

|
|
|

11.| "I Want You to Want Me" (studio version)| Nielsen| 3:09
12.| "I Want You to Want Me" (live at Budokan)| Nielsen| 3:38

### B-sides and outtakes

[edit]

* "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 Hangin' On" (Nielsen, Jonathan Cain; unreleased - covered by Show-Ya on Glamour)
* "Women Never Forget" (unreleased)

## Personnel

[edit]

Cheap Trick

* Robin Zander – lead vocals and backing vocals, rhythm guitars and synthesizers
* Rick Nielsen – lead guitars and backing vocals
* Tom Petersson – 12 string bass and backing vocals
* Bun E. Carlos – drums and percussion

Technical

* Richie Zito – producer
* Phil Kaffel – engineer
* Jim Champagne, Bernard Frings, Mike Tacci, Bob Vogt, Toby Wright – assistant engineers
* Howie Weinberg – mastering
* Caroline Greyshock – photography

## Charts

[edit]

### Weekly charts

[edit]

Weekly chart performance for Lap of Luxury | Chart (1988)  | Peak
position

|

Australian Albums (ARIA)[18] | 14
Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[19] | 11
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[20] | 93
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[21] | 44
US Billboard 200[22] | 16
US AOR Albums (Radio & Records)[23] | 2
Weekly chart performance for Lap of Luxury 2017 reissue  Chart  | Peak
position

|

Japanese Albums (Oricon)[24] | 100

### Year-end charts

[edit]

Year-end chart performance for Lap of Luxury | Chart (1988)  | Position

|

US Billboard 200[25] | 32

## Certifications

[edit]

Certifications for Lap of Luxury Region  | Certification | Certified units/sales

|
|

Australia (ARIA)[26] | Platinum  | 70,000^
Canada (Music Canada)[27] | Platinum  | 100,000^
United States (RIAA)[28] | Platinum  | 1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Billboard 200 - Cheap Trick". Billboard. Retrieved January 27, 2011.
2. ^ "When Cheap Trick Made a Comeback with 'Lap of Luxury'". April 12, 2013.
3. ^ "Lap of Luxury by Cheap Trick – Classic Rock Review". July 25, 2013.
4. ^ "Lap of Luxury - Cheap Trick | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic.
5. ^ Devore, Sheryl. "Cheap Trick's bass player talks music, luck, family - Lake County News-Sun". Lake County News-Sun. Chicagotribune.com. Retrieved February 1, 2019.
6. ^ a b 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. ^ a b Steve Huey. "Lap of Luxury - Cheap Trick | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved February 1, 2019.
10. ^ Los Angeles Times review
11. ^ Robert Christgau review
12. ^ a b Ira Robbins (June 2, 1988). "Lap Of Luxury – Rolling Stone". Rollingstone.com. Retrieved February 1, 2019.
13. ^ Berger, Arion (2004). "Cheap Trick". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Simon and Schuster. p. 157. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
14. ^ Billboard magazine – Album Reviews – April 30, 1988 – page 62
15. ^ Cash Box newspaper – 30 April 1988 – Album releases – page 9
16. ^ Music & Media magazine - Previews: Albums - May 21, 1988 - page 19
17. ^ "30 Years Ago: Cheap Trick Make a Comeback With 'Lap of Luxury'". Ultimateclassicrock.com. April 12, 2013. Retrieved February 1, 2019.
18. ^ "Australiancharts.com – Cheap Trick – Lap of Luxury". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
19. ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 8567". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
20. ^ Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005 (in Japanese). Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN 4-87131-077-9.
21. ^ "Charts.nz – Cheap Trick – Lap of Luxury". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
22. ^ "Cheap Trick Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
23. ^ "National Airplay: AOR Albums". Radio & Records. No. 735\. Radio & Records, Inc. April 29, 1988. p. 75\. ISSN 0277-4860.
24. ^ "永遠の愛の炎+8 | チープ・トリック".
25. ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1988". Billboard. January 2, 2013. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
26. ^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010. Mount Martha, Melbourne, Victoria: Moonlight Publishing.
27. ^ "Canadian album certifications – Cheap Trick – Lap of Luxury". Music Canada.
28. ^ "American album certifications – Cheap Trick – Lap of Luxury". Recording Industry Association of America.

* v
* t
* e

Cheap Trick

* Rick Nielsen
* Tom Petersson
* Robin Zander

* Bun E. Carlos
* Jon Brant

Studio albums|

* Cheap Trick
* In Color
* Heaven Tonight
* Dream Police
* All Shook Up
* One on One
* Next Position Please
* Standing on the Edge
* The Doctor
* Lap of Luxury
* Busted
* Woke Up with a Monster
* Cheap Trick (Cheap Trick '97)
* Special One
* Rockford
* The Latest
* Bang, Zoom, Crazy... Hello
* We're All Alright!
* Christmas Christmas
* In Another World

Compilation albums|

* The Greatest Hits
* Sex, America, Cheap Trick
* Authorized Greatest Hits
* The Essential Cheap Trick
* The Epic Archive, Vol. 1 (1975–1979)
* The Epic Archive, Vol. 2 (1980–1983)
* The Epic Archive, Vol. 3 (1984–1992)

Live albums|

* Cheap Trick at Budokan
* Budokan II
* Music for Hangovers
* Silver
* Sgt. Pepper Live

EPs|

* Found All the Parts

Singles|

* "Oh, Candy"
* "I Want You to Want Me"
* "Southern Girls"
* "Elo Kiddies"
* "Clock Strikes Ten"
* "Surrender"
* "California Man"
* "I Want You to Want Me (Live)"
* "Ain't That a Shame"
* "Dream Police"
* "Voices"
* "Way of the World"
* "Everything Works If You Let It"
* "Day Tripper (Live)"
* "Stop This Game"
* "World's Greatest Lover"
* "Reach Out"
* "If You Want My Love"
* "I Want You"
* "She's Tight"
* "Saturday at Midnight"
* "Dancing the Night Away"
* "I Can't Take It"
* "Up the Creek"
* "Tonight It's You"
* "Mighty Wings"
* "It's Only Love"
* "Kiss Me Red"
* "The Flame"
* "Don't Be Cruel"
* "Ghost Town"
* "Never Had a Lot to Lose"
* "Let Go"
* "Can't Stop Fallin' into Love"
* "Wherever Would I Be"
* "Magical Mystery Tour"
* "Woke Up with a Monster"
* "You're All I Wanna Do"
* "Didn't Know I Had It"
* "Cold Turkey"
* "Say Goodbye"
* "Carnival Game"
* "That '70s Song"
* "Scent of a Woman"
* "My Obsession"
* "Too Much"
* "Perfect Stranger"
* "If It Takes a Lifetime"
* "When I Wake Up Tomorrow"
* "Long Time Coming"
* "Gimme Some Truth"

Other songs|

* "He's a Whore"
* "Hello There"
* "High Roller"
* "Auf Wiedersehen"
* "Stiff Competition"
* "Need Your Love"
* "Gonna Raise Hell"
* "Back 'n Blue"

Related articles|

* Discography
* Fuse
* Fuse (album)
* Tinted Windows
* Tom Peterson and Another Language
* Robin Zander
* "I've Always Got You"
* Rock & Rule

Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz release group

|

*[No.]: Number
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template