Dream Police
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- This article is about the album by Cheap Trick. For the comic book series, see Dream Police (comics).
| Dream Police | ||
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| Studio album by Cheap Trick | ||
| Released | October 1979 2006-03-07 (reissue) |
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| Recorded | 1978 | |
| Genre | Rock | |
| Length | 45:45 64:46 (reissue) |
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| Label | Epic/Legacy | |
| Producer(s) | Tom Werman | |
| Professional reviews | ||
|---|---|---|
| Cheap Trick chronology | ||
| At Budokan (1978) |
Dream Police (1979) |
All Shook Up (1980) |
Dream Police is a 1979 studio album by Cheap Trick. It was their fourth studio release, and third in a row produced by Tom Werman.
Contents |
[edit] Overview
Dream Police shows the band expanding into longer, more complex songs and incorporating orchestration on several tracks. It was Cheap Trick's most successful studio effort, being certified platinum within a few months of its release.
The album's lead-off title track became a Top 30 hit for the band. It is regarded by many current musicians as a neglected masterpiece, a classic 70's epic marrying the superb production that had become available by then with Queen/Meatloafian melodrama, power-pop (then just emerging), Burroughsian lyrics, and the complexity of progressive rock, somehow managing to squeeze it into less than four minutes.
[edit] Track Listing
- "Dream Police" (Nielsen) – 3:53
- "Way of the World" (Nielsen/Zander) – 3:39
- "The House Is Rockin' (With Domestic Problems)" (Nielsen/Petersson) – 5:12
- "Gonna Raise Hell" (Nielsen) – 9:20
- "I'll Be With You Tonight" (Carlos/Nielsen/Petersson/Zander) – 3:52
- "Voices" (Nielsen) – 4:22
- "Writing on the Wall" (Nielsen) – 3:26
- "I Know What I Want" (Nielsen) – 4:29
- "Need Your Love" (Nielsen/Petersson) – 7:39
[edit] Bonus Tracks (2006 Reissue)
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.
- "The House is Rockin' (With Domestic Problems)" (live) - 6:16
- "Way of the World" (live) - 3:59
- "Dream Police" (No Strings Version) - 3:52
- "I Know What I Want" (live) - 4:43
[edit] Personnel
- Bun E. Carlos - Drum Kit
- Rick Nielsen - Guitar, Vocals, Mandocello
- Tom Petersson - Bass, Vocals, Guitar (12 String), Guitar (8 String), 12-String Bass Guitar
- Robin Zander - Guitar, Guitar (Rhythm), Vocals
[edit] Additional Personnel
- Ken Adamany - Assistant
- Mike Beiriger - Engineer
- Steve Dessau - Design
- Gary Ladinsky - Engineer
- Steve Lukather - Guitar on "Voices"
- George Marino - Mastering
- Reid Miles - Photography
- Paula Scher - Design
- Tom Werman - Producer
- Jai Winding - Organ, Piano, Keyboards
[edit] Background Information
Sessions for Dream Police were completed before the recording of their previous release, the live album At Budokan. Epic Records held off on releasing Dream Police to capitalize on At Budokan's unexpected success. "Need Your Love" was actually introduced to the public as a track on At Budokan.
"I Know What I Want" is sung by bassist Tom Petersson, and is the only Cheap Trick studio track to feature someone other than Robin Zander on lead vocals. The group originally planned to have Petersson sing "Voices," but it was later recut with a slower tempo and Zander on vocals.
[edit] Charts
Album - Billboard (North America)
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | Pop Albums | 6 |
Singles - Billboard (North America)
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | "Dream Police" | Pop Singles | 26 |
| 1980 | "Voices" | Pop Singles | 32 |
[edit] Certifications
| Organization | Level | Date |
|---|---|---|
| RIAA – USA | Gold | 1980-02-06 |
| RIAA – USA | Platinum | 1980-02-06 |
