Cheap Trick - 'The Latest'

Tuesday, Cheap Trick will reenter the music market with a new album called The Latest. Not coincidentally, Tuesday, June 23rd, is also the day Cheap Trick hits the road with Def Leppard and Poison. Now, from a straight musicianship point of view, some purists would argue Cheap Trick should headline that bill versus Def Leppard - but I digress. 

The Latest features 13 tracks, including "When the Lights Are Out." The Slade cover gives Robin Zander a chance to really use his voice, proving once again he has one of the best sets of pipes in the business. Apparently this tune was in the Cheap Trick vaults since 1976 or something equally crazy. Slade + Robin Zander's voice = Glam happiness. 

The band's first official single from The Latest is "Sick Man of Europe." The video is below. Have a listen and I think you'll agree the track is very good, especially the guitars. I like the punch.

The cover art amuses me: the members of Cheap Trick, hanging out on a beach with metal detectors, trying to strike gold. The subtle implications in that cover shot are great: who isn't trying to search for hidden gold these days?

You can pre-order The Latest now, or just wait a few hours until Tuesday rolls around. Push comes to shove, Cheap Trick sure sound like summer to me.

"Sick Man of Europe"

"When the Lights Are Out"

Thanks to Bring Back Glam! reader Brennan for the tip!

Now We Can All Pretend We Were There!

Tune-in to FUSE TV tonight at 9PM EST, for the Fuse Fest: Bonnaroo 2009 premiere. You'll see performances by Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band, Beastie Boys, Phish, Snoop Dogg, Coheed & Cambria, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and more.

Over on http://fuse.tv, you can download some free (legal) music from 2009 'Roo artists as well. Since I was supposed to go to Bonnaroo and life certainly got in the way, this is a chance for me to see what I missed. I'll be honest: I *did not* miss standing in the blazing heat for four days. I've got enough heat + festival fun coming my way in a couple weeks.

Click for more info!

Did you attend Bonnaroo this year? Let me know in the comments section!

You Vote, You Decide Next Week's Content!

Vote in the poll below by 1pm ET Sunday, June 21 to help choose content for all next week on Bring Back Glam! Majority rules unless I get bored and then I'll do whatever I want - as per usual.

Next week, BBG! should focus on...

• The top 7 women in rock
• 7 days of rock n' roll freebies

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Biggest of them All?

I was getting ready to do a "What If...AC/DC" entry for today and as I started to write this sentence: "AC/DC is the biggest rock band in the world..." it dawned on me that this might not be true.

In fact, I guess I really don't know which rock band is *the* biggest of them all.

Do you?

I think AC/DC definitely has to be in the mix. I mean, their current sold-out world tour is testament enough to their longevity, massive record sales notwithstanding.

If I was looking for the biggest American rock band, the title would easily go to Aerosmith. The band has been around forever, still enjoys mass appeal and has huge name recognition. Of course, Van Halen is huge - but can we count them since it's not really the original lineup anymore? I think to win the distinction as "biggest of them all" the current lineup needs to be fairly true to the original.  I think the Rolling Stones definitely count, lineup changes and all because, well, they are the Rolling freaking Stones. Mick Jagger can just *think* the word "tour" and millions of dollars hit him over the head.

Who else?

The really big bands are fading I fear. I'm not sure we are living in an entertainment climate that can produce another rock act that will be around for 20, 30 or even 40 years. We've all got too many distractions and too many choices and it seems that cultivating the next "big" band isn't high on that many people's priority lists. We better choose the big one now - while they still exist.

So, I'll ask again: "Which rock band is the biggest of them all?"

___ is the Biggest Rock Band of them All

• Aerosmith
• Rolling Stones
• AC/DC
• Van Halen
• Other

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Rocklahoma Signed Guitar Auction; Help Ryan Cunningham Live His Dream

Ryan Cunningham (left) is an 8 year old bundle of fun from Dunedin, Florida. Ryan is a huge fan of 80's music!  He was born with Cystic Fibrosis, a horrible disease that attacks the lungs, preventing them from clearing out mucus and disturbs the digestive track. Ryan is forced to take more than 30 pills a day and is often forced to drink protein shakes. He has frequent hospital stays and has to go through daily respiratory therapy. Ryan dreams of attending Rocklahoma and meeting all his favorite rock heroes.

Catch the Fever Music Festivals, Bigg Time Entertainment, Inc., Just Having Fun Productions, Great White, Nelson and Keel are going to make this happen.

Bigg Time Entertainment, Inc. is proud to coordinate this venture.

Just Having Fun Productions, Great White and Nelson is graciously providing airlines tickets for Ryan and his parents Dave & Cathy.

Catch the Fever Music Festivals is kindly providing hotel accommodations and all access passes.

Keel spoke with their endorser, Dean Guitars, and convinced them to donate a guitar for auction.

A guitar signed by Great White, Nelson, Kix and Keel as well as others performing at Rocklahoma 2009 will be auctioned to raise money for miscellaneous expenses of Cunningham’s journey to Rocklahoma as well as the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation www.cff.org. Click here to bid on the donated Dean guitar - and be sure to act fast!

If you wish to donate toward Ryan’s dream of attending Rocklahoma and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, PayPal donations to RocklahomaForRyan@att.net

Got a Question for Joe Elliott of Def Leppard?

If you've ever wanted to interview Def Leppard - read on.

Noisecreep is interviewing Def Leppard front man Joe Elliott next week - and your help is needed. Dearest Bring Back Glam! readers, here's all you need to do:

To submit a question to Joe, just leave it in the comment section. I'll give you until Sunday at 11:59pm ET to leave questions and then the comments will be closed. Do not email me questions! I'll choose the best of the bunch for the interview (I cannot guarantee Joe will answer your question or even how many BBG! questions will make the final cut – but it’s definitely worth a shot!) The interview will be in video format. I'll alert you when the clip is ready via Noisecreep.

So, what do you want to know? Why Def Leppard is *really* touring with Poison this summer? What Joe thought while performing during the Country Music Television Awards? The sky is the limit and ask away - but please - keep it real.

This Version of "Hound Dog" Owns You

What happens when members of Bon Jovi, Cinderella and the Scorpions get together at the Moscow Peace Festival? Awesomeness ensues, of course. The bands jammed to Elvis Presley's "Hound Dog" way back when. The clip below is nothing short of a piece of classic Glam: our favorite bands in their heyday in front of a MASSIVE crowd. If I had a time machine, I'd definitely roll back the years and try to get backstage at this show. Good times.