"Gonna Raise Hell" | |
---|---|
Song by Cheap Trick | |
from the album Dream Police | |
Released | 1979 |
Genre | Rock |
Length | 9:20 |
Label | Epic Records |
Songwriter(s) | Rick Nielsen |
Producer(s) | Tom Werman |
"Gonna Raise Hell" is a song written by Rick Nielsen and originally released on Cheap Trick's 1979 album Dream Police . The subject of "Gonna Raise Hell" has been disputed. Some authors, such as Ira Robbins of Trouser Press , have believed that the song was about the Jonestown Massacre. [1] [2] However, the song was written before that event. [1] AllMusic critic Tom Maginnis claims that the song is about having a good time despite the apathy in the world; since we can't change the world "we might as well raise some hell." [3] Composer Rick Nielsen claims that the song is about "religious, political and nuclear fanatics." [1]
"Gonna Raise Hell" has a disco beat. [2] [3] At one point the band was planning to issue a 12" disco record of the song. [4] According to Nielsen, the band has performed the song "in a 10 minute version for discos," although he also stated that "I never thought of it as a disco song, but it does have that Detroit jungle beat." [5] [6] The guitar melody played by Rick Nielsen mostly follows that of the vocals. [3] Both AllMusic's Maginnis and Trouser Press' Robbins praise Tom Petersson's strong bass line, which Ultimate Classic Rock critic Dave Swanson described as "infectious." [2] [3] [6] The song contains an interlude for violins and cellos that was scored by Rick and Jai Winding. [1] According to drummer Bun E. Carlos, producer Tom Werman enhanced the snare drum sound on the recording by overdubbing the sound of two wooden boards hitting each other. [1]
AllMusic's Maginnis praises aspects of the song, including its "nice build ups, breakdowns and solos," but does not think that the string interludes work as well in "Gonna Raise Hell" as they did in the title track of the Dream Police album. [3] Maginnis also criticizes the song's length, at over nine minutes. [3] Carlos has explained the length by stating that the song was originally intended to be about five minutes long, but when the band decided to go for a disco interpretation, they improvised an additional five minutes during the recording. [1] According to Carlos, the first take of the improvised music sounded good enough to the band to be left in. [1]
Fellow AllMusic critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine praises "Gonna Raise Hell" as an "epic rocker" that ranks "among Cheap Trick's finest." [7] Rolling Stone critic Dave Marsh sees the song as a "variation on 'Helter Skelter'" by The Beatles, and believes that the layering of the vocals was inspired by The Beatles' Abbey Road . [8] Ultimate Classic Rock critic Annie Zaleski rated "Gonna Raise Hell" as Cheap Trick's 6th greatest song, saying it sounds like "Alice Cooper having a go with David Bowie" and commenting on the scary sounding instrumental elements. [9] Mojo Magazine claimed that "Gonna Raise Hell" and "Need Your Love," another song from Dream Police, "proved the Trick could do heavy, freaky rock jams as well as any of their peers." [10] Audio Magazine found the track amusing but complained that Cheap Trick was willing to go so far as to record a disco track in order to be successful. [11] Cheap Trick biographer Mike Hayes claims that with this song, producer Tom Werman achieved "the definitive Cheap Trick sound," even though the song's style differs from typical Cheap Trick fare. [1] Classic Rock critic Malcolm Dome rated it as Cheap Trick's 9th greatest song, saying that it "builds from a low key opening into an almost sombre, heavy song, with Zander's vocal and Carlos' drumming adding to the sinister atmosphere." [12]
The song has been popular live at Cheap Trick concerts. [1]
It has been said that "Gonna Raise Hell" contains a hidden satanic message. Using back-masking, it was claimed you can hear, "You know Satan holds the key to the lock" when played backwards. [13]
Since its original appearance on Dream Police, "Gonna Raise Hell" has been included on a number of Cheap Trick compilation albums, including Sex, America, Cheap Trick in 1996 and The Essential Cheap Trick in 2004. [3] It was also included on the live album Silver in 2001. [3] In Japan, it was included on the 1991 compilation album The Greatest Hits .
It was used in the soundtrack of the television show Freaks and Geeks in the episode "Tricks and Treats." when Sam, Neil, and Bill put on their costumes and later as Sam gets egged by Lindsay. [14] [15]
Sam Kinison covered "Gonna Raise Hell" on his 1990 album Leader of the Banned . [16] AllMusic critic Bret Adams called Kinison's recording a "horrible hair metal version" of the song. [16]
"Renegades of Funk" by Rage Against the Machine uses the riff.
Cheap Trick is an American rock band from Rockford, Illinois, formed in 1973 by guitarist Rick Nielsen, bassist Tom Petersson, lead vocalist Robin Zander and drummer Bun E. Carlos. The current lineup of the band consists of Zander, Nielsen and Petersson. Their work bridged elements of '60s guitar pop, hard rock, and punk rock, and would help set the template for subsequent power pop artists.
Brad M. Carlson, better known by the stage name Bun E. Carlos, is the original drummer for American rock band Cheap Trick. He recorded and performed with the band from 1973 to 2010. Carlos was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016 as a member of Cheap Trick.
Heaven Tonight is Cheap Trick's third studio album, produced by Tom Werman and released in 1978. The album was remastered and released with bonus tracks on Sony's Epic/Legacy imprint in 1998. The album cover features lead singer Robin Zander and bassist Tom Petersson on the front, with guitarist Rick Nielsen and drummer Bun E. Carlos on the back.
Dream Police is the fourth studio album by American rock band Cheap Trick. It was released in 1979, and was their third release in a row produced by Tom Werman. It is the band's most commercially successful studio album, going to No. 6 on the Billboard 200 chart and being certified platinum within a few months of its release.
Cheap Trick is the debut studio album by the American rock band Cheap Trick, released in 1977. It was released under Epic Records and produced by Jack Douglas, a frequent collaborator of the band. The album did not reach the Billboard 200 chart but did "bubble under" at number 207 for one week in April 1977.
"I Want You to Want Me" is a song by the American rock band Cheap Trick. It is originally from their second album In Color, released in September 1977. It was the first single released from that album, but it did not chart in the United States in its original studio version, which was influenced by music hall styles.
In Color is the second studio album by Cheap Trick, released in 1977 and produced by Tom Werman.
All Shook Up is the fifth studio album by American rock band Cheap Trick. Released in 1980, it was produced by former Beatles producer George Martin. It was the first studio album since their debut to be produced by someone other than Tom Werman.
"The Flame" is a power ballad released in 1988 by the American rock band Cheap Trick and the first single from their tenth album Lap of Luxury. It was written by songwriters Bob Mitchell and Nick Graham.
"Dream Police" is a song written by Rick Nielsen and originally released in 1979 by the American rock band Cheap Trick. It is the first track on the group's album of the same name. The single peaked at #26 on the Billboard Hot 100. Nielsen has stated that the song "is an attempt to take a heavy thought - a quick bit of REM snatched right before waking up - and put into a pop format." He also stated that "the song was about Big Brother watching you."
"Hello There" is a song written by Rick Nielsen and first released on Cheap Trick's 1977 album, In Color. The song was also often used as the first song of Cheap Trick concerts, and as a result was the first song on the band's seminal live album Cheap Trick at Budokan.
"Voices" is a song written by Rick Nielsen and recorded by American rock band Cheap Trick which appeared on the album Dream Police. The single was released in 1979 and peaked at number 32 in the US. The single has become one of the band's more widely known tracks.
Need Your Love is a song written by Rick Nielsen and Tom Petersson that was originally performed by American rock band Cheap Trick. The song appeared on Cheap Trick's 1979 album Dream Police. A live version was included on the 1978 album Cheap Trick at Budokan, which initially appeared only in Japan but eventually was in the United States in early 1979. Because Cheap Trick was immensely popular in Japan, the band's Japanese label demanded that At Budokan include three new songs. The three songs were "Ain't That a Shame", "Goodnight Now" and "Need Your Love."
"Auf Wiedersehen" is a song co-written by Cheap Trick guitarist Rick Nielsen and bassist Tom Petersson and first released on the band's 1978 album Heaven Tonight. It was also released as a single as the B-side of "Surrender". Since its original release, it has also been released by Cheap Trick on several live and compilation albums, including Budokan II; Sex, America, Cheap Trick; The Essential Cheap Trick, and the 30th Anniversary Edition of Cheap Trick at Budokan, which also includes a DVD with a video performance of the song. Allmusic critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine described the song as one of the peaks of Heaven Tonight and as one of Cheap Trick's "stone-cold classics." It has often been used by the band to close their concerts. Since its original release, it has been covered by Anthrax, Cell, John Easdale, and Steel Pole Bath Tub.
"High Roller" is a song written by Robin Zander, Rick Nielsen, and Tom Petersson that was first released on Cheap Trick's 1978 album Heaven Tonight. It later appeared on a number of Cheap Trick live and compilation albums, and was covered by Scrawl on their 1991 album Bloodsucker.
"Never Had a Lot to Lose" is a song by the American rock band Cheap Trick, which was released in 1989 as the fifth and final single from their tenth studio album Lap of Luxury (1988). It was written by lead vocalist Robin Zander and bassist Tom Petersson, and produced by Richie Zito. The song reached No. 75 on the Billboard Hot 100.
"Way of the World" is a song by American rock band Cheap Trick, which was released in 1980 as a single from their fourth studio album Dream Police (1979). The song was written by Rick Nielsen and Robin Zander and produced by Tom Werman. In February 1980 it was released as a 7" vinyl single in the UK only, backed by "Oh, Candy," from the first Cheap Trick album, and peaked at #73. It attempted to capitalize on the success of the mid-1979 single "I Want You to Want Me" and the live album Cheap Trick at Budokan which both entered the top 30.
"Southern Girls" is a song written by Rick Nielsen and Tom Petersson that was first released by Cheap Trick on their 1977 album In Color, produced by Tom Werman. It was also released as a single. It has been covered by a number of artists, including Bangs, Everclear and Gilby Clarke.
"Stiff Competition" is a song written by Rick Nielsen that first appeared on Cheap Trick's 1978 album Heaven Tonight. It is famous for the sexual double entendres in the lyrics, and subsequently appeared on live and compilation albums. In the UK, "Stiff Competition" was the B-side to Cheap Trick's second single from Heaven Tonight, "California Man."
"World's Greatest Lover" is a song by American rock band Cheap Trick, which was released in 1981 as the second and final single from their fifth studio album All Shook Up (1980). The song was written by Rick Nielsen and produced by George Martin.
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