Did power pop exist before Cheap Trick? All I know is every band that came after with a similar vibe was compared to them. Released back in ’77, this is album number two and I’ve always thought the cover for this record was awesome. Not sure who came up with the idea of Team Normal in colour and Team Weird in black and white, but it was a stroke of genius.
I’m sure everyone has heard I Want You To Want Me as that was the biggest selling single they had. Well, the original version appears on this album and the live version is so ingrained in your brain that this version sounds like an interloper. There are some killer songs herein: Hello There, which the band used to open up their live show with; Clock Strikes Ten, which is such a great track; and You’re All Talk, which gets my vote as favourite tune on the album.
There is an underlying Beatles vibe about a lot of the tracks and I do know the band all name check them as an influence, if you listen to Oh Caroline it’s front and centre. A fun band and a fun listen. Everyone should own at least one Cheap Trick album.
8.5/10 from The Grooveman.
