Cheap Trick released their first album in 1977 and impressively they still consists of original members; Robin Zander on vocals, Rock Nielsen on guitar, Tom Peterson on bass and Bun E. Carlos on drums.
27 years later the Midwest rockers still sound good and hungry on "Special One", which encompasses classic
Cheap Trick elements. It also displays
Cheap Trick's well-known diversity, which unfortunately makes the album a bit uneven also.
"Special One" opens with the strong single
Scent of a Woman, which along with
Too Much is among the album's highlights. Other great moments are the dark
Pop Drone and
My Obsession, which draws lines back to "Busted", "Lap of Luxury" and early
Cheap Trick.
Best Friend proves there is no need for the older gentlemen in
Cheap Trick to consider retirement. They are still capable to add an edge to their 3 chord tunes.
"Special One" has many parallels to classic
Cheap Trick albums. However, it also maintains
Cheap Tricks status as a multi faced band, which isn't always an advantage. The last songs on the album are weaker and the two last tracks
Low Life in High Heels and
Hummer is the same track. The chorus is basically Robin Zander humming with only a few vocal lines. Since it is weakest track on "Special One", it is unnecessary to stretch the material into 2 separate songs with a repeated riff and lots of humming.
Speaking of Robin Zander - his voice amazingly still sounds the same. Zander's vocals are powerful and his voice still spellbounds the listener.
"Special One" is a solid
Cheap Trick album with its bright moments in
Scent Of A Woman,
Too Much, and
My Obsession. The album does lack obvious melodic hits, but proves that
Cheap Trick is still going strong. These guys will never surrender.
Written by
Michael Thursday, September 23, 2004
Show all reviews by MichaelRatingsMichael: 6/10Members: No members have rated this album yet.
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