Ralph Notaro/Getty ImagesCoinciding with Cheap Trick‘s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame tonight, the band’s founding drummer, Bun E. Carlos, has announced plans to release a new solo album called Greetings from Bunezuela! on June 24.
An eclectic variety of guest artists collaborated with Carlos on the record including original Cheap Trick singer Randy “Xeno” Hogan, the pop group Hanson, ex-Soul Asylum frontman Dave Pirner, Guided by Voices singer Robert Pollard and Wilco bass player John Stirratt.
The album features 13 tracks, 10 of which are covers, including songs previously recorded by The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, The Who, The Bee Gees and Paul Revere and the Raiders. Greetings from Bunezuela!‘s first single and lead track is “Do Something Real,” a song written and sung by Pollard that originally appeared on a solo album he released in 1999. The track got its premiere today at RollingStone.com.
Pollard also lends his voice to a rendition of The Bee Gees’ “Idea,” Hanson is featured on a cover of Paul Revere and the Raiders’ “Him or Me,” Stirratt sings The Who’s “Armenia City in the Sky” and Pirner takes on Dylan’s “It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry.” In addition, the album includes a cover of The Stones’ “Tell Me” sung by Texas roots rocker Alejandro Escovedo and a rendition of Them‘s “I Can Only Give You Everything” with vocals by Rick Rizzo of Eleventh Dream Day.
Interestingly, Bun E. previously played with Hanson singer Taylor Hanson several years ago in the short-lived group Tinted Windows, which also featured ex-Smashing Pumpkins guitarist James Iha and Fountains of Wayne‘s Adam Schlesinger.
Carlos tells Rolling Stone that he’d planned to record an album like Greetings from Bunezuela! for decades.
“I talked about a covers album since 1978,” he reports. “After 35 years, I’m finally making this record.”
As previously reported, Carlos, who hasn’t played with Cheap Trick since 2010, is expected to take part in a one-off reunion with his old band mates during the Rock Hall ceremony tonight.
Here is the full track list of Greetings from Bunezuela!:
“Do Something Real” — with Robert Pollard
“Him or Me” — with Hanson
“Armenia City in the Sky” — with Wilco’s John Stirratt
“I Love You No More — with Alex Dezen
“Tell Me” — with Alejandro Escovedo
“It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry” — with Dave Pirner
“Let the Mystery Be” — with Xeno
“Idea” — with Robert Pollard
“Le Cactus” — with Nicholas Tremulis
“I Can Only Give You Everything” — with Eleventh Dream Day’s Rick Rizzo
“Slow Down” — with Alejandro Escovedo
“Count on Me” — with Xeno
“I Don’t Mind” — with Alex Dezen
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