Cheap Trick
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Audio CD (29 September, 1998)
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Editorial Review

Once largely written off by critics as arena-rock dinosaurs, Rockford, Illinois's favorite musical sons have become darlings of an influential cadre of alternative and modern-rock superstars and the subjects of an overdue catalog upgrade--and for a slew of good reasons. The first of those would be Cheap Trick, the blistering 1977 debut that confounded reviewers nearly as well as it captured the band's edgy song sensibility and musical chops honed by their 200-plus-gig-a-year work ethic. Producer Jack Douglas wisely opted for a deceptively raw tack that captured Cheap Trick's manic live essence better than any other album--save, of course, Live at Budokan. The band's later bubble-gum rep is viciously and hilariously undercut here by songs about youth-culture cynicism ("Elo Kiddies"), pedophilia ("Daddy Should Have Stayed in High School"), mass murder ("The Ballad of TV Violence"), and gigolos ("He's a Whore"), not to mention a tasty cover of Terry Reid's "Speak Now or Forever Hold Your Peace." Guitarist Rick Nielsen's loud, trashy fretwork presaged "grunge" by a good 15 years, and Robin Zander's vocals show why he's since been tagged the Man of a Thousand Voices. And the rhythm section of drummer Bun E. Carlos and Tom Petersson was (and is) one of rock's most underrated.This Sony Legacy "Expanded Edition" restores the album's original running order (the previous version flipped the vinyl's A and B sides) and features new photos, liner notes, and five bonus cuts. One of rock's greatest albums, unsung or otherwise. --Jerry McCulley ... Read more

Features

• Original recording remastered

Reviews (39)

A great rock 'n' roll album!!
CHEAP TRICK with their self-titled debut really hit the mark. I remember hearing these songs way back when I was 9 years old. I grew up listening to them and have always found myself going back and listening to their music whenever I am bored with whatever may be current today. The band is really tight musically here and showed why they still are a band to be recognized. ELO KIDDIES, DADDY SHOULD HAVE STAYED IN HIGH SCHOOL, TAXMAN MR. THIEF, HE'S A WHORE, MANDOCELLO, and THE BALLAD OF TV VIOLENCE(I'M NOT THE ONLY BOY) in my opinion are the standout tracks that need to be listened to. Robin Zander has got what is one of the greatest rock voices that we have been lucky to listen for over the last 20 years. Classic rock fans will find this album a great addition to their collections. The 5 bounus tracks are not bad to listen to either. We get to hear an early version of WANT YOU TO WANT ME before the live version and the finished album version hit. I recommend this album highly. As the liner notes on the CD state: Twenty years after its release,CHEAP TRICK still sounds bold,dangerous, teetering on chaos- A nearly perfect rock 'n' roll album.

The truth is out there and it is CHEAP TRICK
I've always rejected the term "fan" as it's derived from that creepy word fanatic so what do you call someone who's entire perception of music was changed by one band and one album and will never be the same, crazy? Then commit me. Cheap Trick's debute album flew in the face of everything that was wrong with rock music in the late seventies (and frequently still is), pompous, arrogant and overblown. In one fell swoop the boys from Rockford changed all the rules and like Sherman to the sea set about a scorched earth policy that would make the General proud. What can be said about Robin Zanders vocals on this disc, on The Ballad of TV Violence he's a caged banshee relentlessly tearing at our ear drums and making us beg for mercy and more, while on Mandocello he takes us to some dark melodic place and shows us how to feel his pain. Rick Nielsen's master strokes of song craft and bone jarring riffs gave all of us junior high geeks a reason to beleive that maybe, if we ate our vegetables and said our prayers, we could grow up to be a guitar hero just like Rick. Ah, Bun E., coolest cat behind a drum kit with the uncanny knack of impersonating the sound of a jack hammer on concrete, nuff said! And oh the sweet growning and moaning of Tom Petersson's twelve string bass, while the rest of the world was having trouble with only four strings, Tom single-handedly informed wanna be bass players everywhere that maybe it was time to put the damn thing away and get a real job. Cheap Trick is everything that was right about the Sex Pistols, E.L.O., Sweet and the Move and at the same time made it painfully clear what they lacked, it made us realize what we were missing with everything else we listened to. It's the greatest non-live, live performance ever captured on tape. The tunes are irreverent, mind numbing, singable, screamable and perfect from start to finish. Dare yourself not to sing along with He's A Whore or Oh, Candy and it will be just another resolution you can't keep. If NASA were to have a mind to shoot one CD into space as a representation of everything that is right and good about American music this would be the one, and who could resist a higher intelligence belting out Hot Love. The truth is out there and it is Cheap Trick. For over twenty years Cheap Trick has reminded us that it's time to get over ourselves a little and with this, there very first album, they've shown us that throwing caution to wind can be a little scary sometimes but it's always one hell of a ride!

She's Got a Face That Could Stop a Clock
Just about any Cheap Trick fan, obsessive or not, would be quick to agree that for better or worse, their prime came right during their first releases in the late '70s. The general consesus, of course, is that "at Budokan" is the best live album and "Heaven Tonight" is the best studio album. However, I'm going to be frank and admit that although "In Color," "Heaven Tonight," and "Dream Police" are classic power pop, I really don't listen to them all that much these days. I heared "Heaven Tonight" and "Dream Police" first, but once I heared "In Color," that became my favorite. Then I heared the first album, and I knew my mind was made up. No offense to the band, but the first album proves that subsequent studio albums didn't really need all that polished production. Some bands just sound better with all their raw,rough edges intact and Cheap Trick proved they were one of those bands with "at Budokan." No offense intended to those who disagree, but the next time any Trick fanatic finds the sugar-coated gloss of the other early albums hindering the enjoyment of the songs, they should return to the debut, which will always be the studio album that rocked the hardest. The standout tracks for me are "Elo Kiddies," "Daddy Should Have Stayed in High School," "Taxman, Mr. Thief," and "He's a Whore." The other tracks are great too and have grown on me with time. The only track I have a minor qualm with is "Mondecello," which, while a decent song by itself, breaks up the flow of the album and doesn't really fit in with the rest of the rockers. So pick it up; surely it's one of the more underrated debuts of '77. ... Read more

Asin: B00000C28I

Dream Police
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (25 October, 1990)
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Editorial Review

Its initial release delayed by the fluke success of Live at Budokan, Cheap Trick's fourth studio album showcases a powerhouse band that was quickly trading in the rough-hewn charms of its club days for this hard-won studio showcase. They skipped "slick" entirely and went straight on to "polished." And if the material here is just a little less visceral than the holy trinity of its first releases, it's also brainier and more musically compelling. The title track remains a marvel of pop-rock perfection, a Jungian nightmare that rocks with all the wallop the Tricksters can muster. "Way of the World" and the underrated ballad "Voices" highlight Robin Zander's vocal range and prowess, while "Gonna Raise Hell" and the ghostly "Need Your Love" offer the band rare chances to show off its awesome musical interplay. Most underrated gem: Tom Petersson's playful, punky three-chord monster, "I Know What I Want." --Jerry McCulley ... Read more

Reviews (25)

The Exemplary Cheap Trick Album
Cheap Trick, one of the most unique and entertaining, and if not unappreciated bands of all time has always been a purveyor of a wide range of emotions--raw energy, power, glammour, rage, and subtle splendor. No one has done such a great job of vending so many bleeding-hearted emotions before them or since. Their 1979 album "Dream Police" is the quintessential Cheap Trick record.
"Dream Police" was nearly unappreciated by critics, many of whom were still in woe from their previous two hit albums ("Heaven Tonight" and "Live at Budokan"). But nonetheless, this album truly puts the prowess of Zander, Petersson, Nielsen, & Carlos right in the listener's eardrum. The elegant dementia of the title track is a prime example, while 'Voices' and 'Need Your Love' are ironic yet fitting, ghostly yet surreal. 'I Know What I Want' is a punk-backlash, another example of the band's wide range of talents when one looks at the hints of glam-rock in their music. 'Writing on the Wall' is a subtle Cheap Trick ruby and 'The House is Rockin' (With Domestic Problems)' is sure to bring on a guilty grin or two.
"Dream Police" is the exemplary Cheap Trick album, neatly bundling all of their wide ranges, then letting them go in a burst of energy. But although their supreme reaches are included don't stop here--an entire career's worth of achievement is still available.

Criminally Underated
The surprise success of "At Budokan" bumped this album, which was already complete, to the back burner while the hits ran their course. Likely because of a budding backlash from the post Budokan overexposure and increased expectations, "Dream Police" took an unjust drubbing at the time. But it was really the sound of the band evolving. The almost disco thump of "Gonna Raise Hell" and the nightmare vision of the title track proved Cheap Trick still had the brains, "Way Of The World" and "Need Your Love" provided the brawn.

It was just that the band had become so competent that some of the edgy charm had slipped away. "Voices" was the kind of ballad that Cheap Trick might not have been able to pull off prior to this, and there were a few who viewed this kind of open balladeering as selling out. They missed the point.

Cheap Trick was exploring their range on "Dream Police." Be that in Robin Zander's polished vocal on "Voices" or in that Tom Petersen took to the mike for the stunning "I Know What I Want," "Dream Police" became a showcase for the boys from Rockford IL. If you compare the Tricksters' sound here to new wave acts like Blondie and the Cars that were now in the same arena (Blondie's "Eat To The Beat" arrived roughly the same time as "Dream Police" and covers a lot of the same ground), you'll see how "Dream Police" remains an excellent album from a band in their prime.

One of their best, together with "All shook up"
"Dream police" (1979) is a very good album from the guys who seem to not think that rock 'n' roll is a dead serious business. The title track is very melodic and captivating, and the "House is rocking" is a steamy rocker. "I'll be with you tonight" and "Writing on the wall" show this band's talent for writing memorable tunes, and the ballad "Voices" is just beautiful. "Gonna raise hell" is a groovy number but it is far too long, and you actual get a bit bored at the end. The rest of the material is alright and "Dream police" is an album of rather high standard. The proper rating should be somewhere between 3 strong and 4 weaker stars. I believe this album together with "All shook up" is the best ever from Cheap Trick, and I advise you to get them both - you'll never know how long they will be available, since this most likely isn't considered to be cool among kids of today. ... Read more

Asin: B0000025FJ

Heaven Tonight
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (29 September, 1998)
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Editorial Review

The unexpected success of Live at Budokan (originally available in America only as a Japanese import) in 1978 very nearly overshadowed the band's most accomplished studio album, Heaven Tonight, released just months earlier. In Color's occasionally candy-ass studio gloss isn't entirely lost, just supplanted by healthy doses of the band's awesome raw power. Kicking off with the crypto-anthemic "Surrender," Heaven maintains a level of quality in songwriting, performance, and production rare in a rock album; some lesser band would covet this as its greatest-hits collection. There's another peerless Trick cover choice (the Move's "California Man") and a batch of originals that cover everything from suicidal tendencies ("Auf Wiedersehen") and drug abuse (the eerily moving title track) to blank nostalgia ("Takin' Me Back"), FM bliss ("On the Radio"), and jaded big spenders ("High Roller"). This "Expanded Edition" is sonically superb and includes new liner notes, photos, and a pair of live-in-the-studio outtakes. --Jerry McCulley ... Read more

Features

• Original recording remastered

Reviews (26)

CHEAP TRICK TAKE YOU TO HEAVEN AND HELL!
THIS IS THE BLISTERING THIRD ALBUM IN A TRILOGY THAT REPRESENTS SOME OF THE MOST INSPIRED ROCK N' ROLL EVER PRODUCED. CHEAP TRICK WERE A BAND THAT CREATED WELL STRUCTURED HIGHLY MELODIC MELODY COMBINED WITH LYRICS THAT WERE HUMOUROUS,THOUGHT PROVOKING,AND IMAGINATIVE. "HEAVEN TONIGHT" COMBINED THE RAW EDGE PUNCH OF THE FIRST ALBUM WITH THE POP CANDY GENIUS OF THEIR SECOND ALBUM TITLED "IN COLOR". WHAT MAKES "HEAVEN TONIGHT" SUCH A MAGICAL EXPERIENCE IS THE GUTS AND GLORY FIRE THAT CHEAP TRICK PUTS INTO EVERY SONG. THIS BAND LOVES TO ROCK AND THEY GOT THE CHOPS TO DO IT. "AUF WIEDERSEHEN" IS A DARK METAL PUNK MARCH THAT CONCLUDES IN A MAD HYSTERIA OF RAW THRASHING FORCE. "CALIFORNIA MAN" IS SPIRITED SURF MUSIC PLAYED WITH A CHILD LIKE ENTHUSIASM AND VITALITY. "HIGH ROLLER" IS A CREEPING SINISTER HARD ROCK GEM THAT IS HIGHLIGHTED BY A SLASHING GUITAR SOLO BY RICK. GHOST LIKE VOCALS AND A NEW WAVE FLAVOR EMBODY THE HAUNTING TITLE TRACK AND "SURRENDER" IS A LYRICALLY COLORFUL FIST POUNDING ANTHEM THAT IS SHEER BOMBASTIC PUNK POWER POP. THIS ALBUM ALSO INCLUDES THE SHIMMY SHAKE APPEAL OF "STIFF COMPETITION" AND THE ADRENALINE ROCK N' ROLL RUSH OF "ON TOP OF THE WORLD". WHAT CAN I SAY EXCEPT THAT THIS IS A FANTASTIC ROCK N' ROLL ALBUM! WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? GO AHEAD AND BUY SOME HEAVEN TONIGHT. CIAO. O.F.

cheap, trick and out of control
Plenty of drive, variety and pluck characterize one of the best power pop albums ever released on 8-track.

From the requiem-like 'Heaven Tonight' to the punked-rooted 'Auf Wiedersehen,' every song still sparkles after almost 25 yrs.

It still amazes me that Cheap Trick ruled the rock world for a mere couple of years. Few bands ever were able to marry pop melodies with this much punk urgency. The bonus tracks also rock, they offer some hints at what things sounded like before they made it into the studio. The only mis-step on this album is that 'Oh Claire' fades after only one minute. That song was never long enough.........

The album that put it all together
While any of the first three Cheap Trick studio albums are must-haves in any music collection, Heaven Tonight has always been my personal favorite. I was introduced to it driving home from bowling one Saturday in high school. The Bear had a $75 Plymouth that he had outfitted with a stereo that consisted of an 8-track and a set of house speakers that sat on the back seat. ("Don't step on my speaker wires, man!") As we pulled away from Walt's, Bear popped an 8-track into the player and made a comment about my lack of taste in music. For the rest of the ride I sat back and marvelled at the fact that he was right. Whatever we were listening to was way better than what I had at home. It turned out to be Cheap Trick's - Heaven Tonight and as soon as I had saved up enough I went to the Records, Tapes and Posters shop in the Newport Shopping Center and bought myself a copy. Since then I've owned it on everything except cassette, but I made up for that by owing the cd twice. (The original and the remaster.) Like Cheap Trick and In Color, it's a great listen from front to back, but it strikes a happy medium between the straight ahead rock of the debut and the poppier rock of In Color. In my opinion it's a medium that they should never have gotten away from, but the success of Budokan changed people's perceptions of the band forever. Too bad. It's a formula I could listen to even today. ... Read more

Asin: B00000C28K

In Color
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (29 September, 1998)
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Editorial Review

Cheap Trick's second album (and second of '77!) doesn't exactly pick up where its classic, hard-edged debut left off; it was the "Power" and this is the "Pop." Their workaholic gigs as an unsigned Midwest bar band in the mid-'70s left them with an impressive backlog of original material, another batch of which forms the core of In Color. Though the band disdained producer Tom Werman's bubblegum-flavored touches, it was indeed the kinder, gentler Cheap Trick that Japanese audiences first took to their hearts at Budokan, with the rest of the world soon to follow. That approach is best exemplified by the evergreen "I Want You to Want Me" (which didn't become a hit until Live at Budokan), here dolled up with a Fats Domino-flavored piano break. While Werman's poppy approach dilutes the band's wall-of-noise live bent, it also underscores their impressive individual musical talents: Rick Nielsen's manic riffing on "Big Eyes" and the album's other retro-burner, "Clock Strikes Ten"; Robin Zander's vocal multiple-personalities that range from the suicidal angst of "Downed" (surely a favorite of Trick admirer Kurt Cobain) through the sweet anticipation of "I Want You" to the world-weariness of "So Good to See You"; and the rhythm section of Tom Petersson and Bun E. Carlos anchoring everything (especially the delicious "Southern Girls") with a flawless wallop. This expanded edition features significantly upgraded audio quality, new notes and photos, and five bonus tracks: the unpredictable instrumental B-Side "Oh Boy"; 1975 demos of "Southern Girls" and the anthemic "Come On, Come On" that ably display just the "before" side of the producer argument; and live versions of "You're All Talk" and longtime show closer "Goodnight" recorded at L.A.'s Whiskey in 1977. No sophomore jinx here. --Jerry McCulley ... Read more

Features

• Original recording remastered

Reviews (18)

The Complete Picture...In Color and in Black and White!
Given the near heavy metal of their debut album, the second offering from Cheap Trick was decidedly more subtle. Producer Tom Werman understood the band's song writing dynamic and brought out the best in the individual members. By downplaying the heavier aspects of (for instance) "I Want You To Want Me," as compared to the live version that would become a hit, the strength of the composition shines through, as well as the song's melody.

That is not to say that Cheap Trick had wimped out. "Clock Strikes Ten" and "Big Eyes" pounded out guitar chords for the former and a booming drum sound on the latter. Zander had become even more assertive vocally, as his aching on "Downed" and his powerful glee on "Come On Come On" run the gamut.

The remaster here is excellent, from the sound to the CD book reproduction. The bonus tracks give you an idea of what the band originally had in mind for the songs, and how the live show was taking shape prior to "At Budokan." This was a re-issue worth the wait.

Great Pop/Rock Songs...but...
An album that should have rated 10 stars based on the quality of guitarist Rick Nielsen's songs, which range in quality from excellent ('Big Eyes', 'Clock Strikes Ten') to brilliant ('Downed', 'So Good To See You'). The problem is this recording plays as if the band was told by producer Tom Werman 'don't play or sing too loud or make too much noise or you will disturb the neighbors'. The low point is the lame, honky-tonk version of 'I Want You to Want Me'. It is an undeniable pleasure to listen to these great songs, but there is no definite high-point because the album never reaches a high sonic level of intensity. Also, none of the bonus tracks are really exceptional.

Between the CDs 'Music for Hangovers', 'At Budokan The Complete Concert' and the bonus track 'You're All Talk' from the remastered 'Cheap Trick (1977)' CD, better, harder rocking versions of all the original 10 cuts are available.

Hard Rocking Fun
Cheap Trick is a band that never took itself too seriously, with a hard rock sound, but a fun attitude. It all works, and "in Color" hits it right on. The album cover plays the "pretty boy" toughness of singer Robin Zander and Bassist Tom Pettersson versus the bad-boy-geek of guitarist Rick Nielsen and drummer Bun E. Carlos perfectly, with Zaner & Petersson looking cool (in color) astride Choppers, and Carlos and Nielsen (in black and white) on scooters. Packaging aside, the music is great. Cheap Trick rocks, but never looses their pop sensibilities. Fully half of this disc would end up on the megahit live set "At the Budokan" ("I Want You To Want Me","Hello There", "Come On, Come On", "Big Eyes" and "Clock Strike Ten"), and these original versions have all the energy of the live set. The rest of the songs are every bit as good, especially "Southern Girls", "Oh Caroline" and "Downed", which is one of my all time favorite songs.

I've had this record since it's release on vinyl, it was one of the first records I bought on CD. ... Read more

Asin: B00000C28J

Cheap Trick [1997]
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (29 April, 1997)
list price: $15.98
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Editorial Review

Cheap Trick's recent 4 CD collection, Sex, America, Cheap Trick, thoroughly documented and neatly wrapped up the group's first 20 years together. Though one might have assumed Cheap Trick were history, this 1997 self-titled (their second such) disc proves those notions false. In fact, they are as vital as they've ever been, and their sweet-yet-tough, Beatles-influenced pop is as relevant today as it was in the band's late-'70s heyday. Cheap Trick sound much as they did in those first five classic albums. The band has stuck closely to the simplicity of two guitars, bass, drums, and vocals, and it works superbly. The songs are some of the strongest Cheap Trick have written--instantly hummable and brimming with fine pop hooks. Robin Zander's voice is flawless, and the simple, sparkling recording gives him the spotlight without overshadowing Rick Nielsen's fine guitar work and the understated rhythm section of drummer Bun E. Carlos and bassist Tom Peterson. Freed of the shackles of their previous recording contract, with Cheap Trick (1997), Cheap Trick return to writing the caliber of songs--some light, some serious--that made them rock & roll icons in the '70s. Welcome back! --Adem Tepedelen ... Read more

Reviews (17)

It's criminal that this recording got buried.
I know the critics got it, and the longtime Trick fans probably got it...but this CD somehow got lost in the shuffle when it was released. I don't know anything about this "Red Ant" label it was released on...but...HELLO...did you guys listen to this at all? I could go into the specifics, list songs, etc...but why? This is a great album, period. Isn't there some major label that sees that this band still "has it" and can probably be signed for next to nothing? If you think there's no modern market for these guys, consider this: The last 4 CD's I bought before this one were: Alanis, Sheryl Crow, Cornershop, All Saints (ok, sue me for the last one...I like to dance as well as rock). Anyway, Puhleeeeeze don't let these guys die on the vine!!!

The album you knew they could make
Sometimes the cut-out bin yields treasure. Cheap trick deftly integrates their roots (Beatles and Who) with their own strong pop chops. The album starts with the most generic song in the collection ("Anytime"), but quickly gets on track with "Hard To Tell", and then the incredible "Carnival Game". Robin Zander's howl is a dead ringer for Roger Daltrey's on "Eight Miles Low".

This album rocks to hard to easily fit into the "power pop" category, yet it is too melodic and hook laden to sit comfortably in the "hard rock" bin. So forget the labels and treat yourself to an album by a band that has finally regained their composure after too many years of being lead around by the nose by some big label A&R man.

My only complaint about this album is it's too short!

What a bunch of crappy crap doo!
ere, sorry let me state why the title is the way it is:

----being bored (like i usually am) i decided to look through my CD collection (some 350 odd cds WITH a printed list) and looked at this here CD. I almost threw up...because i remembered how i got it. Just so happened one day i went into a Dollar General for...something i forget and saw this CD...FOR 5 FREAKING DOLLARS!!!! Brand new never opened...i almost had a brain anursym (SP?) and on the spot payed for it and not for what i initally went in for. I strolled home and pulled in to the stereo and i listened to it...and i wanted to slap these Red Ant fools but i had never heard of such a company.

Now with the tracks:

1. Anytime: 4.5/5 I don't like the singing at the begining, but the chourus and the simple guitar work sticks!

2. Hard to Tell: 5/5 IT'S NOT THAT HARD TO TELL...this song has a great chorous and great drumming.

3. Carnival Game: 4.5/5 Don't ask me why but the piano bit at the begining followed by some power work from Rick really nails this song down.

4. Shelter: 3.5/5 I like it, but i'm personally not a huge slow song man.

5. You let a lot of people down: 5.5/5 This is all around greatness and is a reason this CD puts there 80's work to shame.

6. Baby No More: 4.5/5 By CT standards, quick and brutal with some funny but repetative vocals.

7. Yeah yeah: 5/5 I always dug this song don't ask me why but it's great...i would of liked it longer but hey.

8. Say Goodbye: 4/5 Not bad but is normal CT stuff.

9. Wrong all along: 4.5/5 quick (2:10) song and the ending is funny (Seems to me, oh my life is reallying goin' to hell)

10. Eight miles low: 5/5 the lyrics are weird as hell but the instrumental part is great.

11. All comes back to you: 3/5 Okay song.

Overall: 4.9/5 This marked something of a comeback for the guys known as Cheap Trick, proving that they are not dead but rather taking sometime off to find there true sound: god forbid we got another CD like The Doctor or Standing on the Edge again! ... Read more

Asin: B000006M9T

Busted
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (27 June, 1990)
list price: $9.98
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Reviews (7)

Middle aged pap from Cheap Trick
This was another of the albums where the press release claimed they were getting back to their roots to make the rock album we'd been waiting for since the turn of the 80's. Guess what? I'm starting to think that press releases are just ginned up by the record company to drum up advance interest in their product because NOTHING COULD BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH in the case of "Busted". All it did was give us three actively bad CT albums in a row. In baseball, that's a strikeout, but music fans are more forgiving. I still faithfully pick up each CT release and have even kept this bowl-swirler around just to keep my set complete, but the dust that sits on it could qualify as "vintage". Maybe I should sell it on Ebay.

Busted But Not Beaten
So much outside influence had been exerted on "Lap Of Luxury," that you can almost hear the clashing of swords on "Busted." Cheap Trick wanted more control over the sound, Epic Records wanted another "Flame." Between the marketers and the musicians, some sort of balanced was reached. The end result is a album that is good but not inspired, and manages not to become a total bow wow ala "The Doctor."

"Back'N'Blue" is the closest thing to a Stones knock off that Cheap Trick has ever attempted. It totally out rocks anything else on the CD. Almost as if to balance that kind of power, the title track sounds like a piece of modern rock radio piffle. "Can't Stop Falling Into Love" was the band's attempt at writing a hit ballad (it made the top twenty), the label honchos served up another Diane Warren contender with "When You Need Someone."

What all parties seemed to miss (or at least until the "Authorized Greatest Hits" was released) was that the best song here was "Walk Away." This was the kind of song I longed to hear on my radio during those times, a near perfect power-pop-rock confection featuring the Pretenders' Chrissie Hynde. Although you can do better in your Cheap Trick CD collection, "Busted" is worth having on that single song alone.

Does its Best to Make Up For "Lap of Luxury"'s Flaws
Cheap Trick's previous record, 1988's "Lap of Luxury" sure brought them out of an eight-year commercial slump, but its reliance on session writers was disappointing. But thankfully in 1990, Cheap Trick released "Busted." The album scaled the similar platinum status as its predecessor, but more importantly, it re-introduced the band's fans to Cheap Trick's innovative originality.
Though their label, Epic, had it in their heads to control track selection, the band does their best with an otherwise bleak situation, by pouring their unique musical combination of cynycial glam, pop, heavy blistering rock, and emotionally vivid tunes. "Busted" is (so far) the best example of Cheap Trick keeping in step with the times (while avoiding conformity) without completely losing their uncompromising flare. In some places, such as 'Walk Away' and 'Had to Make You Mine,' fans are reminded of the pop loved by screaming teenage girls, as reflected in 70's albums "Heaven Tonight" and "Live at Budokan." The hit 'Can't Stop Fallin' Into Love' is one of the few good early 90's pop-rock songs, while excellent tunes such as 'Back 'N Blue,' 'Busted,' 'You Drive I'll Steer' and a version of Roy Wood's 'Rock and Roll Tonight' re-confirm Cheap Trick's hard rocking talent and witty humor.
While "Busted" was a disappointment to the fans who were stuck in the 70's, it still proves their broad range of musical territory and rock-n-roll progression. ... Read more

Asin: B00000271W
Sales Rank: 124843

All Shook Up
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (25 October, 1990)
list price: $9.98 -- our price: $9.98
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Reviews (30)

A Disappointment
Since 1977 Cheap Trick has been my second favorite band of all time, behind only The Beatles. From their debut LP in 1977 up through the release of 'Dream Police' two and a half years later, Cheap Trick was at their creative peak and produced a body of work that stands among the best rock n roll ever. The 'Dream Police' LP that preceded 'All Shook Up' was somewhat of a disappointment also and although it sold well critics and fans were somewhat let down. But on 'All Shook Up' the fans' and critics' worst fears were confirmed. After several years of relentless touring and cranking out one great song after another, Cheap Trick's creative fires had all but burned out. Except for the songs 'Can't Stop The Music' and 'High Priest Of Rhythmic Noise' this album isn't worth the 30 minutes it takes to sit through it. Besides the weak songs, this album is also poorly produced and just doesn't sound good. With all due respect to the legendary George Martin, his work here isn't very good. The guitars sound terrible and Martin's attempt to incorporate orchestral elements into the band's raw sound just doesn't work.
If you want to hear the 'real' Cheap Trick, skip this dud and get any of their first four releases ('Cheap Trick' and 'In Color'from 1977, 'Heaven Tonight' from 1978, or 'Live At Budokan'from 1979).

The last great Trick album
I was hooked the first time I heard Stop This Game on local radio one of the handful of times that they actually played it locally, and as such I'm always amazed at the negativity that this album spawns as far as reviews go. After the relative disappointment of Dream Police I always considered this album to be Cheap Trick's return to being a rock n roll band after the unfortunate sideways journey to trying the waters as a top 40 band. Less power pop than actual rock, All Shook Up has shown up in it's entirety on most of the dozens of CT compilations that I've recorded on tape or cd over the years. On the odd occasion that I find myself short of space, only Go For The Throat has occasionally found itself left off, which is a huge testament to it's top to bottom listenability. To me, the true killer has always been that the song that I would argue might be their best ever, Everything Works If You Let It, was somehow left off this album despite being recorded near the same time. For years I eagerly awaited the remastered version of All Shook Up, thinking that EWIYLI would be one of the bonus tracks included along with the other potential great surprises. I think it's going on seven years now, and still no remasters past the first three albums. They were great. What's the holdup?

Mediocre at best
I spent more time than I'd like to remember in my teenage years wishing Cheap Trick had never made this record. Why? Because for a brief few years at the end of the 70's Cheap Trick meant everything to me. Their music was like magic to a generation of teenagers who were bored with the all too orderly music of the big time arena rock bands, but who also couldn't handle the cacaphoneous mess the punk rockers called music. For a few years, I practically listed to nothing but Cheap Trick, but after All Shook Up was released, I stopped, and pretty much never went back to their music again over the last 20+ years until just lately.

So what was, and is so dissapointing about this album? I can't speak for the 14 year old I was in 1980 hearing this album for the first time, but now looking back on it as an adult, it's easy to see the biggest problem with this album is that it's mediocre. There's nothing bad about it, but there's nothing great either. Like a pulp fiction novel, you forget everything that was in it the minute you are through with it. It is no more outstanding than a dozen other overproduced albums by big name arena rockers that came out around the same time or shortly after. And that would be just fine if it were a Journey, Foreigner, Styx, or REO album, but it wasn't. Cheap Trick had been better, more clever, more talented than any of those guys up until this point, but suddenly they morphed into just another Dinosaur Rock band on this album. As I remember, at the time, I thought they had sold out. Now it seems to me they were just trying too hard to hold on the fame they had garnered from Budokan, by letting George Martin turn them into something they weren't in the vain pursuit of having another hit album.

But to make a long story short, the worst thing about this album is that everything that had made them so attractive on their first 3 albums, and Budokan was gone on this album. The wild, frenetic intensity they'd had in the past is nowhere to be found on this album. In short this album is not fun! If you don't know what I'm talking about, go back and listen to Cheap Trick, In Color, Heaven Tonight, and even Dream Police and it'll hit you right away. That wild, crazy, makes you want to get up and dance till you drop, spirit of the first albums is just not here.

And with all due to respect to everyone who stayed with Cheap Trick through the Eighties and Nineties, yes I know they have made worse records than All Shook Up. I've heard a few of them, which I won't go into here. But when you put this record in the context of their history, I'd vote for it as the most dissapointing album they ever made. Cheap Trick was on top of the world in 1980, and it always seemed to me they could have had it all for a long time to come if they'd been able to find the strength of will to stay true to themselves and the unique sound they'd created at this point in their history. If they had, they might still be selling out Arena's all over the country even today, instead of playing county fairs and opening for other old Dinosaur rockers. ... Read more

Asin: B0000025IK
Sales Rank: 82837

One on One
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (25 October, 1990)
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Reviews (20)

This one's a loud rocker that won't let you catch your wind!
This album should have been titled "One After Another", as one loud, thrashy, almost abrasive song after another assaults your ears. Don't try this one if you're feeling mellow. The songs still contain Cheap Trick's trademark melodies, but Robin Zander uses his harsher vocal style on all the songs, including the powerful anthemic ballad "If You Want My Love". A very cohesive album, all the songs contain very loud, driving drum tracks, and loud, almost screaming, backup vocals. Contains the Sophomoric, yet undeniably catchy and clever lyrical hit "She's Tight", plus original and innovative songs like the eerie pulsating "Saturday at Midnight" and the technodriver "I Want Be Man". Cheap Trick has an album for everyone, and headbangers will enjoy this one.

An Essential Cheap Trick Album
I've read so many BAD reviews about "One on One" that I had to voice out what I really think about this often overlooked CHEAP TRICK album. Fisrt of all, this has to be one of their (if the not, THEIR)heaviest albums. The production, as you might read somewhere else, is NOT crappy. Roy Thomas Baker produced this, so if you think this stinks, well, the same might go for QUEEN (after all it's the SAME producer!). It's got a very loud guitar and drums sound, with some songs sounding even techno oriented ("Saturday At Midnight"). The album opens with a the very powerful "I Want You", a song that wears the "Power Pop" badge with pride and the type of style that Cheap Trick became best known for. The title track follows with the same intensity, with a nice metal ovetone. "If You Want My Love" is the mandatory ballad, with a nice vintage sound. It may remind you of what the BEATLES might have sounded like had they recorded with modern equipment. "She's Tigh" is another Pop-Metal masterpiece (Glam rockers POISON stole this riff and used it in "Talk Dirty To Me"!). We hear the band expanding on their sound in songs like the Techno-dance oriented, "Saturday At Midnight", achieving a memorable and catchy melody, and on the punkish "Love's gotta hold on me". "I Want Be Man" is another hard driving rocker with some futuristic sounds thrown in for good measure and the album's closer, "Four Letter Word" is an all-out-heavy metal affair that sounds like a mix of AC/DC and MOTORHEAD. "One on One" has to be one of CHEAP TRICK's most versatile albums. It retains that special flavor that made them classics, but dares to venture into new territory in a convincing way. This is a much better album compared to latter releases,which saw the band writing with a laid back and conventional approach. If you want to hear a revitalized Cheap Trick, then THIS is the album to own!

Some Great Songs, Poor Production
Despite coming up with some killer songs for the follow-up to the poorly received "All Shook Up," Cheap Trick took another misstep when Roy Thomas Baker robbed them of all subtlety. Fortunately, Rick Nielsen still had plenty of tricks up his songwriting sleeve. It makes the first half of "One On One" pure Cheap Trick, but just after the terrific "She's Tight" ends, Baker's misguided production sabotages what's left. For whatever reason, he tried to make the band come off like The Cars on "Saturday At Midnight" and "I Want Be Man." Bun E. was never a drummer with a robotic sound, and here he sounds like a machine. Thank heaven that such lines like "turned the door and opened the key" or songs like "If You Want My Love" or "Four Letter Word" are here to remind us exactly why Cheap Trick was (and remains!) an American Rock Treasure. But kinda like the album to follow, (Todd Rundgren's massively underproduced "Next Position Please"), "One on One" is a batch of great songs that needed a great producer. Roy Thomas Baker wasn't the man. ... Read more

Asin: B0000025R8
Sales Rank: 35246

Special One (Bonus DVD)
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (22 July, 2003)
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Editorial Review

Their studio output hampered by label turmoil for the better part of a decade, the veterans in Cheap Trick instead focused on burnishing their history and stellar live reputation with 1999's Music for Hangovers and 2001's Silver. But that back-to-the-future tack hardly heralded their descent into nostalgic act, as this warm surprise of a studio album reaffirms on virtually every track. Largely sidestepping the blistering pop thrash and hook-filled acoustic ballads that have long tempted stereotyping, the Trick has produced arguably the most texturally intriguing album of their long career, a forceful reminder of the true depth of their talents and breadth of eclectic influences. The opening single, "Scent of a Woman," goes from simmer to boil in record time, while "Too Much" and the title track give a Trick spins on late '60s UK psych-pop. From there, they seem to consciously tip their hats to the growing cadre of young pop and alt stars who claim them as inspirations, with the help of Chris Shaw and guest fellow producersJack Douglas (Aerosmith and the first CT album) and Steve Albini (the sexed-up minimalism of"Low Life in High Heels" and encroaching darkness of"Sorry, Boy"). This is an album spawned by four lifelong love affairs with rock's disparate possibilities--and a special one, indeed. --Jerry McCulley ... Read more

Reviews (63)

A Special Comeback!
I've waited for 6 years (along with all their other fans) for some new Cheap Trick music and the wait was absolutely worth it, folks! This album, song-for-song is better, IMO, than the last one (CT '97). Whereas the previous album had the totally excellent and under-rated tracks "Carnival Game", "Hard To Tell", & "Say Goodbye", and the rest was hit-or-miss, "Special One" is a fun listen all the way through. They sound like they and the producer Chris Shaw just jelled in the studio - the songs, the performances, and the sound quality are quite excellent and more consistent throughout this album than any Cheap Trick release in many years. Another reviewer saying that "The Doctor" is 10 times better than this one is so far off base, it's not even funny - "sorry, boy" but that one was when they were at their lowest creative point ever. This new one is a 360 comeback from "The Doctor" and their bleak late 80's/early 90's period.
Best tracks: "Too Much", "Pop Drone", "My Obsession", "If I Could", "Sorry Boy". I can hardly wait to see the band again in concert to hear these new songs on stage alongside the classic stuff. Let me close by saying that if you don't like this one, then you must not like great power pop. This is good stuff. And, not only is the music great, the recorded audio quality is superb for a rock release. Congrats to the Rockford Fab Four!

A Man's Just A Day In The Life Of A Woman.
I'm biased--I like Cheap Trick. "Special One" is neither their best, nor their worst effort. It has classic Cheap Trickish songs like "Scent Of A Woman" and "My Obsession", the two best tracks, and it has more experimental work like "Pop Drone", "Sorry Boy", "If I Could" and the unusual two-part ending "Low Life In High Heels" and "Hummer". It even has "The Flame" sound alike "Too Much" and the Beatlesesque "Special One". While all of these songs are competently played and well produced, they lack the inventiveness of former works by the band. After a six year gap from their last effort, 1997's "Cheap Trick", I was expecting a bit more originality. Yet, as a long time fan, I recognize that the band has slipped before ("All Shook Up", "The Doctor", "Standing On The Edge"), but even when they slip they still deliver some goods ("Scent Of A Woman" and "My Obsession"). So, overall, Cheap Trick purists may find this cd dull, but less discriminating fans may enjoy it like I did. The bonus dvd was interesting. Basically a hodge podge of previous material. There's fifteen minutes worth of footage, some are videos like the video for "Woke Up With A Monster" and then there's concert footage of earlier material like "He's A Whore". The dvd was a nice addition.

It's a "Special One" alright
This is a pretty darn good album. There are 11 tracks, and each one is a good song. Zander's vocals sound as good as they always have, Bun E's drumming is superb, Nielson is his usual eccentric self, and Petersson still plays the 12-string bass like none other. In other words, this is the Trick at their best, and showing no signs of age. The sound is a little different than vintage CT. The guitars and drum sound is much more out in front than on previous albums (but isn't that what we wanted anyway?) The rockers definitely rock, and the ballads get pretty heavy too.

"Special One" is just that. Put it in, crank it up, and get ready for Cheap Trick at their finest. ... Read more

Asin: B00009V7TJ
Subjects:  1. Pop    2. Rock   

Woke Up With a Monster
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (22 March, 1994)
list price: $15.98
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Reviews (3)

Hey, wait! They DID get somewhat back to form on this one.
Too bad no one noticed. Woke Up With A Monster was quite a pleasant surprise coming as it did on the light-loafered heels of the abysmal Busted. They still felt the need to include the nauseating prom ballad Never Run Out Of Love, but much of the rest of this album cranks along much like a Cheap Trick album did back in the good old days with four out of the other five opening tracks being pretty good ol' CT. It's not Heaven Tonight, it's more like Next Position Please, but in the process of being a decent Cheap Trick album it throws up enough of a smoke screen to obscure the sewer stench of the previous three albums. At this point, I'll accept that.

The Clown Album
Cheap Trick were always more than a mindless rock/pop group.
WOKE UP WITH A MONSTER is in itself a monster of an album.
LET HER GO,DIDN'T KNOW I HAD IT,and TELL ME EVERTHING are all great songs.The band never sounded better.I call it the clown album because of the cover and the inside photos. Any band that releases an album with a cover like this one is alright in my book.The sound is good,Robin Zander is in great voice, Rick's guitar is clear, sharp and biting, as usual.Petersen's bass and Carlo's drums are wonderful,rich and strong.Listen to the drum intro to LET HER GO. Another great song is GIRLFRIENDS. Zander just screams the song! The band photos are hilarious. I think one vital element missing in today's new bands is a sense of humor.Cheap Trick provides that as well as great writing, singing, and playing. Get this album and enjoy.

Keep On Going
This Cheap Trick cd is amazing. I remember first seeing the She's Tight video on MTV, and was also amazed by Rick Neilsen's five guitars stuck together. That image is still with me today as my love for their great music keeps on going. For a band that started in 77 they have some of the best cd's I ever heard and Woke Up With A Monster does it again. All the songs are really good. If your a big fan of Cheap Trick like me your difently want to check out this cd. Just for the fact alone it's Cheap Trick. For all you die hard fans you can also check out a cameo by Rick Nielsen in a movie called Disordelies, where Rick Neilsen gets pulled over by the Fat Boys. Check out this cd and you diffently won't be disapointed. ... Read more

Asin: B000006L4W
Sales Rank: 59059
Subjects:  1. Rock   

Next Position Please
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (25 October, 1990)
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Reviews (21)

I Don't Care What You Think, This Album is GOOD!
Todd Rundgren is an excellent producer (I refer the reader to the Badfinger album Straight Up, which he did in conjunction with George Harrison,) and he really lets the band shine here. The album itself is very tuneful. "I Can't Take It" showed that Robin Zander could write just as well as Rick Nielsen. The album's rude title track was originally intended for the Dream Police album, believe it or not. It shows, as it is the hardest rocking track on the record. I originally heard my dad's copy on vinyl, minus "You Talk Too Much" and "Don't Make Our Love A Crime." Those two are okay, the first one sounds Who-ish, for the latter I'd say the demo version on the boxed set is better. Apart from "Dancing The Night Away" there isn't a bad song here. It's a great album to listen to while in love ("Borderline," "YOYOY," "Heaven's Falling,") or when you're not ("I Don't Love Here Anymore," "I Can't Take It," "Next Position Please.") Many people complain about the pristine sound. I say it's good, especially in contrast to One On One. It's my second fave Trick album, tied with the first album, second to Dream Police. Listen to it-the proof's in the pudding. God Bless.

One of My Top Ten Favorite Albums of All Time
Whereas nowadays I feel lucky if a CD I buy has two or three decent songs, this album, produced by Todd Rundgren, has FIVE that I'm crazy about. All other Cheap Trick albums I've bought have been dissapointments compared to this one. Hard-rockers "Younger Girls" and "Next Position Please" I can never play without cranking up to rafter-rattling levels and prancing around playing air guitar like a teenager. "I Can't Take It," "Borderline," and the symphonic "Heaven's Falling" are also incredible songs. Strangely, the album is marred by a couple of awful songs: "Dancing the Night Away" and "3D" and a few others that are decidly mediocre. But the fact that I still rate this as one of my ten all-time favorites tells how great the best songs on the CD are.

The pleasant early 80's surprise
In the liner notes to the box set, Rick mentioned that I Can't Take It was a number one hit down under and advised the American public to wake up. It's a sentiment that I wholly agree with on one hand, but also one that worries me on the other hand. After hitting the top 40 with the Dream Police and Voices from the Dream Police album, the band suddenly found themselves in a top 40 slump that lasted until the Lap Of Luxury vomit-fest. Despite four singles that seemed like sure fire hits in the 1980-83 time period (Everything Works If You Let It, Stop This Game, If You Want My Love, and I Can't Take It,) the band couldn't break a song into the top 40. While this doesn't say much for the musical tastes of the top 40 audience, it isn't really a bad thing considering that the next Cheap Trick song to have a chart impact was The Flame. Given the choice between the bowl-swirling nausea of Lap Of Luxury and Busted, I'll take the early 80's near misses in a heartbeat. Next Position Please and Heaven's Falling are two other songs from this album that have made every compilation I've ever made. ... Read more

Asin: B0000025VN
Sales Rank: 56836

Lap of Luxury
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (25 October, 1990)
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Reviews (10)

Multi-Platinum Success Costs Cheap Trick Their Class
The time prior to Cheap Trick's 1988 release "Lap of Luxury" must have been a confusing era in the band's history. Since 1980, they had begun a commercial and critical slump, slowly slipping further and further down the charts (and down the approval of critics). But leave it to the fresh and unique Cheap Trick to keep their originality, when most bands in this situation would have conformed to the dreaded 80's pop sound as soon as they could. Though it was clear the band had kept its cool, any band would want at least one hit to pull them out of a slump. Unfortunately, the band bowed to the pressure (it's amazing they survived as long as they did) and with "Lap of Luxury" Cheap Trick employed outside writers to compose a good deal of the album's songs.
Full of synthed-up pop tunes, "Lap of Luxury" is an example of Cheap Trick keeping in step with the times, but in many places, it costs them their class. Nonetheless, Top 40 tracks such as 'The Flame' and an oddball version of Elvis Presely's classic 'Don't Be Cruel' are consummate Cheap Trick performances. Aside from the aforementioned tracks, 'Space' and 'Ghost Town' are two of the album's highlights, while the conformity to the one-dimensional 80's sound is way too evident on 'Never Had a Lot to Lose' and 'Wrong Side of Love' (though 'All We Need is a Dream' is the better of these kinds of songs).
When a band relies too heavily on session musicians to do the composing, it's usually a sign that all is not well. But fortunately for Cheap Trick, they already had a decade's worth of original and unique material under their belt, so the result is not as devastating as it would be with many other bands. And though the outside contributions are too often frustrating, the trick must have worked, for "Lap of Luxury" acheived multi-platinum status, confirming their dramatic re-entrance in US rock and roll.

"Comeback Album"
Lap of Luxury would probably have to considered Cheap Trick's comeback album, in that it produced a #1 hit in "The Flame", after a period that had found them at their lowest level commercially. This album is slickly produced, and lacks the raw, rocking sound of a lot of their other albums. The songwriting and lyrics are subpar, but the playing is great. "Let Go" starts the album off well, it's a strong, energetic song with a good chorus. "Never Had A Lot To Lose", Space, and their remake of "Don't Be Cruel" are all solid efforts. However, most of the other songs are lacking for one reason or another, and I find "Ghost Town" to be a dismal, boring ballad, though the members of Cheap Trick are said to enjoy the song. "The Flame" is a rare item, a ballad that has staying power, and even sounds better live when Rick puts more edge into the guitar work. Not a rocker, but an album that should please a very wide range of buyers.

Thanks, but no thanks.
Most people considered this the Cheap Trick "comeback" album. Sixteen years after the fact I'm forced to admit that it ranks as more of a "go-back" album instead. While Cheap Trick didn't set the music world on fire with most of their 80's releases, it wasn't until the rot set in on the unbelievably sub-par release "The Doctor" that I actively had to search for something good to say about one of their albums. On "The Doctor" I searched but came up empty. "Lap Of Luxury" isn't quite that bad, but it set a bad tone for the releases to follow. I've made dozens of Cheap Trick compilations over the years and "Let Go" was the only song that I included off of LOL. The thing that consistently irritated me with each subsequent release in the 80's and early 90's was the press release that was issued saying how this was the album that took the Trick back to their rockin' roots. Well let me tell ya, this is far from it. I know. I remember. ... Read more

Asin: B0000026D1
Sales Rank: 45414

Standing on the Edge
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (25 October, 1990)
list price: $9.98
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Reviews (10)

Cheap Trick is often described as a Power Pop band, so this
album shouldn't disappoint any buyer. It is the best power pop I've heard (tell me, who are the other bands in this genre?). All band members contributed on songwriting, and it shows. Every song has a powerful chorus that provides an excellent hook. The choruses make it a great album that you and your friends will sing along to. "Tonight It's You" is a powerful tune that builds into an exciting chorus, and "How About You" delivers the same effect. "Love Comes" and "This Time Around" are great, original sounding ballads. A few songs have risque lyrics that may offend some, and "Rock All Night" is plodding, but this is an excellent album from start to finish.

Far from their best, but contains some worthy tracks
This album is Cheap Trick's really bad attempt to ape mid-80s hard rock, with "Rock All Night" standing out with its putrid Billy Squier imitation. As a result, the lyrics are the blandest they've ever written. The band who gave us "Surrender" is reduced to making sexual grunts and singing about females perched at the edge of their beds. The whole album isn't a waste, however. The minor hit single "Tonight It's You" uses its tempo changes to construct a enaging song and "Little Sister" and "She's Got Motion" are among their best rockers. Basically, enjoy the first five tracks and ignore the rest.

a good one but badly produced
i dont know how Bun e Carlos let the producer get away with the sound of the drums on some of these songs. Little Sister, and Tonights its You are great songs but the drums are totallly lost in the mix. Aside from that complaint there are some great songs like Rock all Night which Rick said was "our tribute to Spinal Tap" . as usual there are some crap songs but there are a few standouts so i guess its worth it. ... Read more

Asin: B00000261M
Sales Rank: 181074

The Doctor
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (25 October, 1990)
list price: $9.98
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Reviews (11)

Too Many Doctors In The Kitchen
This is the only Cheap Trick album to have left my collection. I consider myself a die hard fan, but this album had exactly two good songs ("Kiss Me Red" and "Take Me To The Top"), and wretchedly out of character production, forcing keyboards over Nielsen's guitars and blanding out Bun E.'s drums. It sounded like a completely different band. "The Doctor" showed a patient on life support. Give it a pass, and pray it remains out of print.

Cheap Tricks Worst cd?
I own all of the cheap trick cd's and this one is the one that I do play the least but it has grown on me after a while and it is really not that bad if you listen to it more than once. It's cheap tricks most underated album and is out of print. I fyou like cheap trick then this is a must have if you can find it. If you are just a casual listener stick with the greatest hits package instead.

A glimpse of the horrors to come
This was the first Cheap Trick album that I bought new on cd, so you can imagine what a disappointment it was to me. I taped it and took it to work with plans to spend the whole day discovering it's genius, only to find that as Cheap Trick albums go, it's a drooling, nose-picking idiot. Only "Are You Lonely Tonight" consistently makes the Cheap Trick retrospectives that I've either taped or recorded to cd, and it exists just to have a representative from each album. It's not that good. ... Read more

Asin: B00000267K
Sales Rank: 96205