Do you remember that scene in Fast Times at Ridgemont High? Mike Damone, trying to score points and sell Cheap Trick tickets, passionately asks, “Can you honestly tell me you forgot? Forgot the magnetism of Robin Zander, or the charisma of Rick Nielsen?” He then bursts into a mini-concert, belting out lines from “Surrender” and “Dream Police” with some air guitar theatrics. Whether he sold those tickets remains a mystery, thanks to Jennifer Jason Leigh’s character dropping a bombshell, but the scene perfectly captures the energy and excitement surrounding Cheap Trick, especially the enigmatic Rick Nielsen.
Luckily, you don’t need Damone’s sales pitch or a time machine back to 1982 to experience Cheap Trick. They recently rocked the Providence Performing Arts Center, and I had the awesome opportunity to chat with the guitar slinger himself, Rick Nielsen. For the uninitiated, Nielsen is the heart and soul of Cheap Trick‘s guitar sound – the guy with the ever-present baseball cap and the mind-boggling collection of multi-neck guitars.
Calling from his Illinois home after a Cancun gig, Rick was a whirlwind of energy and humor. He mentioned upcoming shows in Mexico, and our conversation was a hilarious, rambling journey. I confessed to being an old-school fan from the 70s. His reply? “If you’re old imagine how old I am!” Reminiscing further, I shared a story about bumping into Cheap Trick bassist Tom Petersson at a Blue Oyster Cult show back in the day. Rick’s immediate, joking concern: “What did he do? Did he punch you or did you punch him?”
The Mythical Five-Neck Guitar: A Weighty Issue
Naturally, I had to dive into the legend of his five-neck guitar. My burning question: how much does that beast weigh? Rick’s succinct answer: “too much!” I mentioned my own (comparatively lightweight) Gretsch, thinking it was hefty. He scoffed, “That’s a hollow body, that’s not heavy! I have a Gretsch Malcolm Young Model and that’s heavy! You must be a weakling, not one to carry a five-neck. The five-neck weighs a lot. I tell people I used to be two inches taller. I didn’t need to shrink as an old man but now there’s extra shrinkage.” The image of Rick Nielsen, slightly shorter thanks to his guitars, is both funny and iconic.
Being a guitar player myself, I was also curious about the tunings of this multi-necked marvel. Rick’s response was wonderfully chaotic: “Well, I have three five-necks so that’s fifteen necks. The first two have 36 strings and the other has 38, it has a mando-cello on it.” Fifteen necks! It’s a testament to Nielsen’s unique approach to guitar playing – pushing boundaries and embracing the visually and sonically outrageous.
Pick Flinging and Rotator Cuffs: The Price of Rock Stardom
Our conversation then veered into the topic of guitar picks and Rick’s legendary pick-flinging prowess. However, there was a slight snag. “I used to be better, I tore my rotator cuff a couple of months ago. I can’t even take my clothes off or on so I’ve been wearing the same clothes for months!” This injury, however, doesn’t stop him from performing. When asked how he manages to play guitar with a torn rotator cuff, he deadpanned, “It doesn’t affect my playing it affects my pick throwing which is more important than playing!” It’s classic Rick Nielsen – humorous self-deprecation combined with a rock-and-roll showman’s priorities. He even recounted his generous pick distribution habits: “I’ve never sold one of them but other people have. I order 60,000 at a time. I’ve never sold one but have given a million away”. For fans who caught those picks back in the 70s, they are indeed treasured souvenirs.
Bun E. Carlos, Kansas, and Other Rock and Roll Tales
The topic shifted to Cheap Trick‘s history, including the complicated relationship with original drummer Bun E. Carlos. Rick acknowledged the situation with typical dry humor. Carlos, still technically a band member but not performing live due to back issues and subsequent lawsuits, has been replaced by Nielsen’s son, Daxx. When I asked about Daxx’s age, Rick quipped, “He never told me. You don’t think I talk to him, do you? I think he’s old enough to drink though.” The family dynamic within Cheap Trick, even with its quirks, seems to fuel the band’s enduring spirit.
Delving deeper into rock history, I brought up a hazy memory of a controversy involving Kansas and Cheap Trick’s name on a Las Vegas venue marquee. Rick chuckled, “Yeah, they didn’t want anything known as a cheap trick out there. I mean it was Las Vegas, of all the cities in the world.” Apparently, the venue, not Kansas themselves, had the issue. Rick fondly recalled Kansas as “good beer drinking hellions back then, until they found God and they quit the band. One of them became a minister.” His wry “Oh, Jesus!” perfectly punctuated the rock-and-roll trajectory of some bands.
From American Pickers to 500 Guitars: Nielsen’s Obsession
I also touched on Rick’s appearance on American Pickers, knowing his reputation as a collector. His response confirmed the rumors: “Oh, Oh, yeah, I have a couple warehouses, a couple garages, a couple houses. I got a lot of stuff! Those are good guys, they didn’t even see my house or the other warehouse stuff, they only saw a fraction.” For guitar enthusiasts, this is akin to discovering Aladdin’s cave. My next question was inevitable: “What is your current guitar count?”. Rick’s answer was both impressive and casually delivered: “Well, I try to keep it right around 500, but I screwed up; I bought four last month. I just enjoy them. Better than blowing it on fast cars.” His preference leans towards vintage instruments: “Always used, they already have scrapes and scratches all over them so I don’t have to do that.”
When pressed to name a favorite from his vast collection, Rick demurred, “It’s like picking my favorite kid or asking which guitar I would want on a desert island. What would I be going to a desert island for?” However, he did mention a prized possession: “I’ve got a ’63 Merle Travis that they only made three of but now I found out they made four. They were 2000 bucks in 1963 but if you had that kind of money you could have bought a Volkswagon or a Mustang…so it really didn’t sell well. That’s one of the rarest things I have.” This glimpse into his collection reveals not just a love for guitars but a deep appreciation for their history and rarity.
The Enduring Appeal of Cheap Trick and Rick Nielsen
Considering his legendary status and decades in the music business, I posed the question: “You’re 72 years old now, you don’t have anything to prove, you’ve had hits, success, you’re in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, you don’t have to do this anymore so you must do it for the love of it, right?” Rick’s response was grounded and honest: “You mean riding in a plane everyday and getting frisked at the airport? Playing is fun, the traveling kind of blows but I like to do it, and I get to talk to guys like you and tell you about the five-neckers! How many strings were on it again? Who cares about this stuff other than guys like you?” His passion for playing and connecting with fans is palpable. He even downplays his guitar skills, stating, “I am more of a songwriter than a guitar player anyway. There are always these super-whiz guys that can play rings around me.” He admires technical players like Jeff Beck, who he calls his “favorite guitar player,” but acknowledges Cheap Trick‘s strength lies in songwriting and creating hits.
Referencing “Surrender”’s iconic status, including its use in That ‘70s Show, I asked about its origin. He explained the theme song evolution: “Originally they wanted ‘In The Street’ by Big Star or ‘Surrender’ but they chose the Big Star song the first year but realized that they should have done “Surrender”, so we did it but we had to do it the same tempo as the other one so it fit in there right, we had to do a different arrangement, so we just added ‘We’re all alright to it”, and it made it more to go with the show.” This anecdote highlights Cheap Trick‘s adaptability and enduring relevance in popular culture.
Finally, we touched on a slightly unexpected topic: KISS. When asked about the KISS connection, Rick offered a humorous take on generational divides: “You come home and your parents are listening to KISS albums. It’s like the most embarrassing thing you can think of. Every kid thinks their parents are weird… but just the thought of them listening to music that you weren’t supposed to listen to was weird. And it was pretty amazing that KISS asked us out on the road in 1977, that was a big plus for us because that’s when the Japanese press saw us which was big…and Gene [Simmons] loved it, because any reference to KISS was a money maker, love those guys!” This unlikely pairing proved pivotal for Cheap Trick‘s international breakthrough.
Cheap Trick, led by the ever-entertaining Rick Nielsen, continues to bring their energetic performances to audiences worldwide. For more on Cheap Trick and their tour dates, check their official website. And as Rick jokingly demanded at the end of our chat, hopefully, this article is “something good” about Cheap Trick and the unforgettable Cheap Trick Guitar Player, Rick Nielsen.
