Cheap Trick - Dream Police (1979/2015) [Hi-Res]

Although Cheap Trick's fourth studio album, „Dream Police“, was ready for release at the beginning of 1979, it was delayed for nearly a year due to the surprise success of their hit single "I Want You To Want Me" and album „At Budokan“. When it did finally come out in September, it became the band's biggest studio album, peaking at #6 on the charts and going platinum.

There are more than a few Trick classics included on „Dream Police“. The fiercely rocking title track (one of the band's most renowned compositions), "Way of the World," and two epics--the nearly ten-minute-long "Gonna Raise Hell" and a seven-and-a-half- minute rendition of "Need Your Love" (originally released as a live version on „At Budokan“) are all standouts. You'll also find a forgotten ballad, "Voices," which almost cracked the top 30.

„At Budokan unexpectedly made Cheap Trick stars, largely because "I Want You to Want Me" had a tougher sound than its original studio incarnation. Perversely -- and most things Cheap Trick have done are somehow perverse -- the band decided not to continue with the direct, stripped-down sound of At Budokan, which would have been a return to their debut. Instead, the group went for their biggest, most elaborate production to date, taking the synthesized flourishes of Heaven Tonight to extremes. While it kept the group in the charts, it lessened the impact of the music. Underneath the gloss, there are a number of songs that rank among Cheap Trick's finest, particularly the paranoid title track, the epic rocker "Gonna Raise Hell," the tough "I Know What I Want," the simple pop of "Voices," and the closer, "Need Your Love." Still, Dream Police feels like a letdown in comparison to its predecessors, even though it would later feel like one of the group's last high-water marks.“ (Stephen Thomas Erlewine, AMG)

Robin Zander, vocals, rhythm guitar
Rick Nielsen, lead guitar, background vocals
Tom Petersson, bass, background vocals, lead vocals on "I Know What I Want"
Bun E. Carlos, drums, percussion
Additional musicians:
Jai Winding, organ, piano, keyboards
Steve Lukather, guitar on "Voices“

Recorded and mixed 1978–1979 at Record Plant, Los Angeles
Engineered by Gary Ladinsky, Mike Beiriger
Mastering by George Marino at Sterling Sound Studios, New York
Produced by Tom Werman

Digitally remastered