Dream Police

Dream Police is the fourth studio album by American rock band Cheap Trick. It was released in 1979, and was their third release in a row produced by Tom Werman. It is the band's most commercially successful studio album, going to No. 6 on the Billboard 200 chart and being certified platinum within a few months of its release.

Overview

Dream Police shows the band expanding into longer, more complex songs and incorporating orchestration on several tracks. Three videos were produced: "Dream Police", "Way of the World" and "Voices". The album had been completed by early-1979, but its release was pushed back several months due to the surprise success of Cheap Trick at Budokan.

The album's title track became a Top 30 hit for the band. "Voices" was also a hit for the band, reaching No. 32 on the Billboard chart.

Near the end of "Gonna Raise Hell" the orchestra is citing a snippet from "Heaven Tonight". That song was described by AllMusic critic Tom Maginnis as having an "extended, disco-inflected, slowburn groove".

Critical reception

The New York Times called Dream Police "a busy, diverse album, one that can be applauded in many ways... But it doesn't suggest that Cheap Trick has anything really important to say." The Los Angeles Times wrote that "the emphasis is on lead-fisted hard rock."

The Spin Alternative Record Guide praised the "audacity of its loopy concept."

Chuck Eddy wrote that it is a "fresh-from-Budokan heaviness-move [that] entails a simultaneous artiness-move that pegs it like Billion Dollar Babies–meets–ELO's Greatest Hits only not so clever, a shame 'cause cleverness was why these goombahs were born."

Variations

In 2010, Cheap Trick re-recorded the title track as "Green Police" for the controversial Green Police advertisement which aired during Super Bowl XLIV for Audi.

Track listing

All songs written by Rick Nielsen, except where noted.

The bonus tracks of the 2006 reissue of Dream Police consisted mainly of rare live versions of songs from the album. "I Know What I Want" is noteworthy for being the b-side to their 1988 single "Don't Be Cruel" and the only non-live track is a demo of the title track without its trademark strings.

Singles

1979: "Dream Police" b/w "Heaven Tonight" – #26 US, #4 Canada, #79 Japan
1979: "Voices" b/w "Surrender" (Live) – #16 Australia (UK)
1979: "Voices" b/w "The House Is Rockin' (With Domestic Problems)" – #32 US, #12 Canada,(US & Canada)
1980: "Way of the World" b/w "Oh Candy" – #73 UK
1980: "I'll Be with You Tonight" b/w "He's a Whore" & "So Good to See You" (UK)

Unreleased outtakes

"It Must Be Love" (This song was given to Rick Derringer who covered it on his 1979 album Guitars and Women)
"Next Position Please" (Features Robin, Rick, and Tom on vocals, later re-recorded for the 1983 album of the same name)
"See Me Now" ("Way of the World" with alternate lyrics)
"Way of the World" (with Rick Nielsen on vocals)
"I Know What I Want" (with Robin Zander on vocals)

Covers

Sam Kinison covered "Gonna Raise Hell" on his comedy album Leader of the Banned.

Personnel

Cheap Trick

Robin Zander – lead vocals, rhythm guitar
Rick Nielsen – lead guitar, backing vocals, lead vocals (middle eight) on "Dream Police"
Tom Petersson – bass guitar, backing vocals, lead vocals on "I Know What I Want"
Bun E. Carlos – drums, percussion