Busted (©1990 Epic)

the songs: Back 'N Blue / I Can't Understand It / Wherever I Would Be / If You Need Me / Can't Stop Fallin' In Love / Busted / Walk Away / You Drive, I'll Steer / When You Need Someone / Had To Make You Mine / Rock N' Roll Tonight

Another one of the Richie Zito albums, while Lap of Luxury kickstarted the boy's popularity. Busted shows the guys trying to capitalize on the success of their last album, and the results are forced, and not what you'd expect from a Cheap Trick effort. There are some good moments, and Robin, Rick, Tom and Bun E. can still play circles around most bands, sadly you'd never guess from this album.

Reviewed July 26, 2001

Woke Up With A Monster (©1994 Warner Bros)

the songs: My Gang / Woke up With A Monster / You're All I Wanna Do / Never Run Out Of Love / Didn't Know I Had It / Ride The Pony / Girlfriends / Let Her Go / Tell Me Everything / Cry Baby / Love Me For A Minute

The guys are back on a new label, and the familiar Cheap Trick logo is nowhere to be seen. Musically there are no surprises, just crunchy pop with all the big hooks, guitars and stuff you'd expect.

Thankfully they weren't trying to be a silly pop band this time out. If you're a fan you have this, if you're not then you probably don't. Still this is another good record from one of the best bands that ever was.

Reviewed January 7, 2001

Special One (©2003 Big 3 Records)

1: Scent Of A Woman 2: Too Much 3: Special One 4: Pop Drone 5: My Obsession 6: Words 7: Sorry Boy 8: Best Friend 9: If I Could 10: Low Life In High Heels 11: Hummer

DVD: 1: Say Good Bye 2: Hot Love 3: Hard To Tell 4: Woke Up With a Monster 5: He's a Whore

Has it really been three years since this one came out? Man oh man, where does the time fly? This has been playing on and off for a few years, and while it's a pretty decent album, it's just not quite all there, which is a shame since the guys have found their groove.

It's not like the songs suck or anything, they're solid pop songs with the Robin's ageless voice, Rick's big hooks, Tom's 12 string assault, and Bun E.'s pounding. I like this stuff - a lot. It's just that there's not much here that really stands out begging for attention. I mean really, "Scent of a Woman" is a smoker, but for the life of me I can't get the image of Al Pacino going "Hoo Hah!" out of my mind when I hear this song. "Too Much" is a really good song, and is probably one of the best Cheap Trick songs I've heard in a long time. "If I Could" is a song that got under my skin which was a bit of a surprise since I didn't really think that much of it at first.

As usual the guys demonstrate that they have a sense of humour. "Low Life in High Heels" and "Hummer" which are essentially the same song in two parts shouldn't work, they're annoying and irritating, and boy howdy if they aren't vintage Cheap Trick.

The DVD that came with the limited release was cool, and features videos from Cheap Trick II, Music For Hangovers, Silver, Woke Up With A Monster, and an old video for "He's a Whore". They're a great little extra. It's too bad there wasn't anything for this album included, even live stuff. Oh well.

While there's nothing overly special here, it is Cheap Trick, and they manage to do more with their near misses than most bands do with their A list material.

Reviewed December 21, 2005

Rockford (©2006 Big 3 Records)

1. Welcome to the World 2. Perfect Stranger 3. If It Takes a Lifetime 4. Come On Come On Come On 5. O Claire 6. This Time You Got It 7. Give It Away 8. One More Day 9. Every Night and Every Day 10. Dream the Night Away 11. All Those Years 12. Decaf

Touted by fans as the band's big comeback, this is indeed one of their strongest albums in a while - but it wasn't strong enough to turn back the hands of time. I went out and snaged a copy as soon as I was able to find one and was somewhat surprised when it didn't jump out at me and overwhelm me right off. In fact I was almost inclined to dismiss this as yet another Cheap Trick record (how's that for damning with faint praise?). But there was something about it I kept coming back - after all, this is Cheap Trick the Clown Princes of Power Pop. They may be getting long in the tooth but they aren't fading quietly away.

There are a some vintage moments scattered throughout Rockford: "If it Takes a Lifetime", "Oh Claire" "Every Night and Every Day" and Dream the Night Away" are really good songs.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. For a bunch of guys who were more or less written off after 1979, they've managed to make a career of defying the odds. If you're wondering whatever happened to these guys, they never went away - where'd you go?

Reviewed December 20, 2007