Poll--The Weakest Link: Cheap Trick DREAM POLICE, Round 1

I try to sleep, they're wide awake, they won't let me alone................................


Hi everyone. This week, I continue my slowly run Cheap Trick series (so slow, it missed last year). The 1st album was done back in March 2019 with "He's A Whore" winning, then In Color was done June 2019 with "Southern Girls" winning, and then "Surrender" won Heaven Tonight in December 2019. (@JoeySelf did the live album earlier than 2019). We're finally continuing with 1979's landmark Dream Police. We will start with voting off two songs. Choose your first two weakest links.

Discussion question: When did yo first hear Dream Police, and what was your initial opinion of it?

 

Writing
Know what I want

First heard it in the late 80's, I had high expectations because of the title track, but I always felt this one to be a letdown after the 1st three, still a fun album to listen to LOUD

 

Gonna Raise Hell - too long and boring. I don't feel it justifies its length.
I'll Be With You Tonight - like this one, but its my next least favorite.

 

Way Of The World
Writing On The Wall
I re-listened to the album last night and remember most of the album, but not these two. I do remember not liking them very much.

 

Way Of The World
House Is Rockin'

I was late to join the Cheap Trick bandwagon so I bought the album in the early nineties. Solid.

 

I'll be with you
Way of the World

I was a big Cheap Trick fan back then and I loved this album when it first came out. I bought the 8-Track at Sears. Gonna be hard to do this one; a lot of strong songs on this album.

 

Had to go with:

The House Is Rockin'
Writing On The Wall

Don't hate either...just tough to choose two of my least favorites!

 

This is hard but I'll say Writing on the Wall and I'll Be With You Tonight.

I heard it right when it first came out and I loved it. I also saw them on the tour.

It was one of my first big shows and I've always been glad I got to see them when they were headlining arenas.

 

I can't believe all these votes for Way of the World. That's one of their best songs!

 

Voices and Writing on the Wall. I wonder how long I Know What I Want will last, with Tom Petersson singing. It has really grown on me over the years. Not quite as brash as some other stuff, but pure CT to me.

 

Bar the title track I could choose any!

 

Gonna Raise Hell
The House is Rockin'

 

There is no weakest track on this album.

 

Tough call, there's no real clunkers on this album. I like the album much better than In Color, not that the songs are better but the production on IC really blows. The first time I heard the studio version of IWYTWM way after the live album was a hit I couldn't believe how bad it was compared to the live version.

 

This was my line of thinking, as well. Don't dislike either. More a matter of least favourite.

Re: the DQ - I got the album when it came out. Without question in 1979 Cheap Trick was THE biggest band in North America on the heels of Budokan.

Looking forward to this WL thread.

 

Eep - I dunno, a decade or so ago?

Went on a minor CT binge at some point and got copies of the 1st 4 studio albums.

I thought it was... okay. Perfectly listenable but it didn't bowl me over.

That said, none of those 4 albums wowed me. I might just be a "Budokan" fan and that's about it!

 

The House Is Rockin' and I Know What I Want

but even that is a little arbitrary....

I first heard this when my sister got it for her Birthday, or Christmas or something. I think I liked it more than her ... I think she and her friends just thought the boys were cute or something.
Anyway, I waited for the novelty to wear off, and it ended up in my collection.
A great album. To me it is just a great rock album, but I hear folks saying power pop all the time ... and I can live with that.

 

I didn’t realize when I planned to do this album that they announced a concert in my area..........going to see them at Count Basie, Red Bank on September 8th.

DQ: I'm a later comer to Cheap Trick only having the live album for a long time.......bought in the late 90s after the first three albums were released with bonus tracks. I thought it was good first listen, but didn't blow me away. Some unevenness like Tom Petersson's song (one of my votes). I also mentioned on the previous album games that I don't always love the synths/sweetness. Prefer the rawness of the 1st album and Budokan.


I first I definitely remember the title song and others from the radio back in the day. (Actually heard "I'll Be With You Tonight" a fair amount).

 

The House is Rockin'
Writing On the Wall

I bought the cassette when originally released and saw them on this tour at Will Rogers Auditorium in Ft. Worth, Tx. I now have the vinyl and the CD remaster. I've always liked this album but not near as much as their first three albums.

 

Tough calls from the start, YIKES!

"Need Your Love" is my least favorite. It is good, but too long.
"Writing on the Wall" I think, but I may regret this pick once I listen again.

 

1 hour left

 

DQ: I had known Dream Police from my younger childhood (my father is really cool) and had heard Voices somewhere so I bought it on a whim alongside In Color. When I got home, I immediately put this in. I really liked it, and still do!

 

Poll--The Weakest Link: Cheap Trick DREAM POLICE, Round 2