Cheap Trick: One on One
1982
Epic Records
Format I Own it on: Vinyl
Track Listing: 1. I Want You 2. One on One 3. If You Want My Love 4. Oo La La La 5. Lookin' Out for Number One 6. She's Tight 7. Time is Running 8. Saturday at Midnight 9. Love's Got a Hold on Me 10. I Want Be Man 11. Four Letter Word
I had a ridiculously hard time finding this album for some reason...I've combed record stores all the way from Michigan to Arizona trying to score a copy, but I just could not get my hands on it...
My eyes popped out of my head when I found a copy at FYE records, but when I inspected the record more closely I was horrified to discover it was all scratched to shit. Finally, I stopped by Zia Records about 5 months ago and finally scored "One On One."
I was thrilled when I put this on the turntable and heard album opener "I Want You." It was just the type of finely-tuned pop-rocker that was missing from "All Shook Up."
This is power-pop with extra power...Almost heavy metal at times, particularly on the part of Robin Zander, who spends a good chunk of the album almost screaming, but if there's any singer who can pull that off, it's Robin, so...Check out album closer "Four Letter Word" (possibly the band's heaviest track) for proof ...
The album's not perfect...There's the meat-headed "Looking Out for Number One," and the album's worst moment, the new wave monstrosity "Saturday at Midnight." "Saturday at Midnight" apparently has a 8-minute remix version out there...What!?!?? Thankfully the version contained here is three minutes and change... The song's only point of interest is hearing the band find a place for the "Lovin' Money" lyrics six years after the fact...
...but for the most part it's pure Beatlesque melodies with heavy guitars...I mean, check out "Time Is Running," so damn catchy!! I swear to God I heard it once and the next day at work it was so deeply lodged in my brain that it almost drove me crazy...As soon as I got home I had to give it a spin just to get it out of my head! And "If You Want My Love" is one of those effortless pop-songs that you can't believe didn't exist, already...Well, if you don't' count the part that sounds exactly like "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," but a nice accomplishment, nonetheless!
For a record that doesn't get mentioned too often, "One on One" ended up being one of my favorite Cheap Trick albums...I'm placing it in 5th or 6th place depending on how I feel about "Dream Police" on the day I'm doing the rankings...Let's call it number five for today...
Alright, it's finally Friday, so let's get our record party started for reals...Let's crack open a 'ha...
...and crank up "Time is Running" by Cheap Trick...This song's a good cranker, too...So turn it up...
I hear She's Tight quite often on that radio station I'm always telling you about. It's a good tune! Every time I hear it I think of Andrew W.K. Especially in the chorus. Man did he rip this song off, lol.
ReplyDeleteI was just listening to that song last Friday Night...I busted out a big pile of Cheap Trick albums and was in the mood to hear "She's Tight"...Great song and it always cracks me up for some reason...I've never really heard Andrew WK...Which song does he rip it off on? I've got to hear it...
ReplyDeleteI haven't looked at this post since I wrote it...I can't believe I didn't even mention "She's Tight"...lol...
ReplyDeleteI really can't pin point exactly what Andrew WK song it sounds like it just reminds me of him for some reason. Remember Bruce loved him! Actually the album I Get Wet is pretty generic but not all that bad.
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