I love that trio of initial Cheap Trick releases (and wish that Legacy would reissue a spiffed-up version of the lesser-but-still-fun Dream Police.) Thanks for the memories. . .

Thanks Bill, those first three are magic!

ever 'em do "Magical Mystery Tour" live? way cool.

They do the Beatles very well, one of the more appealing things about them. My girlfriend in college lived in Peoria, and we saw them at medium sized clubs many times - saw so many shows we had pick marks on our faces.

I want to drop in a plug here for the All Shook Up album, which ranks maybe third in the catalogue only to Budokan and Heaven Tonight. Sweet stuff, and second as a groovy album cover only to the underappreciated Dream Police.

Though I love the song "Dream Police" - one of their best - a lot of that album sounds like filler to me. My absolute fave is In Color and Black and White - not a fart in the bunch.

Granted, Dream Police might have a couple of lesser songs, but it's still pretty hot. "Gonna Raise Hell" probably would rank in my top 10 Trick classics. WFBQ, local AOR kings and home of Bob and Tom, played that sucker every Friday night for years.

That one rocks, you're right.

Dream Police was always my favorite. "Voices" is an amazing pop song. Although "Need Your Love" may seem needlessly long, I think it's long in a good, moody way.

In Color definitely sounds less "homogenized" than Dream Police, but I'm still not sold on that arrangement of "I Want You To Want Me"; they nailed it better live. And do you really think "You're All Talk" is better than, say, "I Know What I Want" off Dream Police?

I would rank All Shook Up as the most under-rated Cheap Trick album. I'm glad to see somebody else apprediated it. The only time I saw them live was on that tour. Needless to say, they were great.

Fortunately, with bands like Fountains of Wayne and Rooney, power pop seems to be experiencing a renaissance these days.

Budokan was cool. Haven't much got into the rest of the Cheap Trick releases to date.

Fortunately, with bands like Fountains of Wayne and Rooney, power pop seems to be experiencing a renaissance these days.

Hmm, just realized we haven't had a Rooney review at Blogcritics yet.

Has anyone heard Cheap Trick's newest release?

The latter day power poppers seem to me light on the power - not to say they aren't appealing in their own ways, but there usually isn't the drive of a smoking Cheap Trick, Raspberries, Sweet, Records, 20/20 or Plimsoles tune. It's like they're embarrassed to exert themselves. That's why I see some of the pop punk bands as the real inheritors of power pop.

The authorized hits album is a fun listen. Cheap Trick has always been one of the good rock bands to follow. I remember telling my friends in the early 80's that they were among the most animated groups of their day. There are not many bands where you instantly remember them. So much personality! When Peterson left the band after 'Stop This Game; the band lost something...a myth of sorts. Not only did he look good at bass but he was an authority on it as well, helping come up with the double bass concept. That's not to say that the latter albums after that were not good. To the contrary, One on One, Next Position Please produced by Todd Runtgren, and 'The Doctor were fine records... All there records are worth knowing. I believe though there was a momentum lost that seemed to be recaptured when Peterson returned for 'The Flame'. The industry has changed so much since then but it is great to see a new generation getting hip to Cheap Trick. I hear that they are planning to rerecord their debut album 'In Color" which is interesting. I always thought that album needed to have the guitars to the fore like 'Heaven Tonight' did.

Nice thoughts Ralph, thanks, you should join Blogcritics.

I agree about Peterson - I met him in L.A. in the '80s when he was away from the group and he seemed kind of sad, glad he rejoined. I agree In Color and Black and White is less punchy than it might be, but it's still my fave and I fear what a redo might entail. In Color was their second, by the way. Their first one had some great stuff on it too, especially the very rocking "Hot Love."