American Standard: Cheap Trick from the Bars to the Budokan and Beyond

Ross Warner’s American Standard: Cheap Trick from the Bars to the Budokan and Beyond gives readers a close look at one of rock’s most enduring bands. With a history spanning from their origins in Rockford, Illinois, to international stardom with the live album At Budokan, the book is rich with archival material and personal interviews. Warner, a long-time music writer with credits from Deadbase and Glide Magazine, approaches the biography with the passion of a fan and the meticulousness of a historian. This combination is evident in his deep exploration of the band’s rise, and the foreword by Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready further emphasizes Cheap Trick’s lasting impact on rock music. But is this book worth your time? Let’s dig in.