"The Flame" is probably on every major compilation of 80's classics, along with other late-era gems like "Pour Some Sugar On Me" and Whitesnake's "Here I Go Again." But you know... I like it. I always have.
Cheap Trick had disappeared from the American music scene a number of years before this song came out. At one point, their Live at Budokan album was practically government issue and every kid in suburbia was singing "I Want You To Want Me." But some tepid releases followed that 1979 high mark and musical tastes in the 80's were just all over the place. We had the remnants of disco in the beginning... we had The Pointer Sisters and "Axl F," the theme from Beverly Hills Cop. Hair metal was all the rage as were the cheesy power ballads of Richard Marx and Whitney Houston. Where do rockers like Cheap Trick fit in? The answer was nowhere, until they were resurrected with their 1987 album "Lap of Luxury."
"The Flame" was the single that got Cheap Trick back on the radio. For them, it was apparently bittersweet in the beginning because they were forced to record the song, one not written themselves, by a record company who had tired of their dwindling attempts at hits. Apparently they only liked performing their own tunes live, but "The Flame" just took off and reintroduced them to America. Hard not to perform your big homecoming number.
"The Flame" is a pretty basic ballad, but what distinguishes it to me is the performance of singer Robin Zander. The cracking of his voice in lines like "You'll always be the one" and "You were the first you'll be the last" was always very affecting to me. I've said a million times that it's not how clean or perfect your voice is. It's how you use it. Ask Bob Dylan.
"The Flame" is from the album "Lap of Luxury." To hear the song, click on the icon in the widget jukebox along the side of the blog.
Cheap Trick had disappeared from the American music scene a number of years before this song came out. At one point, their Live at Budokan album was practically government issue and every kid in suburbia was singing "I Want You To Want Me." But some tepid releases followed that 1979 high mark and musical tastes in the 80's were just all over the place. We had the remnants of disco in the beginning... we had The Pointer Sisters and "Axl F," the theme from Beverly Hills Cop. Hair metal was all the rage as were the cheesy power ballads of Richard Marx and Whitney Houston. Where do rockers like Cheap Trick fit in? The answer was nowhere, until they were resurrected with their 1987 album "Lap of Luxury."
"The Flame" was the single that got Cheap Trick back on the radio. For them, it was apparently bittersweet in the beginning because they were forced to record the song, one not written themselves, by a record company who had tired of their dwindling attempts at hits. Apparently they only liked performing their own tunes live, but "The Flame" just took off and reintroduced them to America. Hard not to perform your big homecoming number.
"The Flame" is a pretty basic ballad, but what distinguishes it to me is the performance of singer Robin Zander. The cracking of his voice in lines like "You'll always be the one" and "You were the first you'll be the last" was always very affecting to me. I've said a million times that it's not how clean or perfect your voice is. It's how you use it. Ask Bob Dylan.
"The Flame" is from the album "Lap of Luxury." To hear the song, click on the icon in the widget jukebox along the side of the blog.
I will always think of this song riding with Rick from Price Club on our trip north to West Virginia on a ski trip. It always struck funny that a big guy like him would like such a sappy song. I too was captivated by this song because of the singer's cracking voice. That is what makes it 'real' to me.
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