When Cheap Trick Ruled

I can remember rushing to the store the day Dream Police came out. Cheap Trick were riding the wave of Budokan, and it seemed like they were going to take that momentum to greater things. But Dream Police was only okay. I remember listening to it over and over, wondering where the next "I Want You To Want Me" was. All of this comes to me as Epic/Legacy reissues Dream Police and its followup, All Shook Up. The latter I never heard. Chuck Eddy is big on it, but everyone else says avoid it. In fact the last Cheap Trick song I really loved was "Tonight It's You", a minor hit in 1985. The last album I bought by them was the box set, which was too long, and I've also been disappointed by the various comps that have come out. For prime Trick, get Budokan, In Color and Heaven Tonight. By Dream Police they were already gassed. It's too bad. They were power-pop heroes to me more than rock ones. I've heard small rumblings throughout the years that they belong in the RRHOF. To me they're like an athlete who could've done more, but just falls short. But I still own my vinyl of Dream Police.