Disco de Cheap Trick: “One On One”

Yep, "One on One" is probably the Cheap Trick album I most enjoy listening to. Over time, I've come to really love this album. If there's one problem with it, and to me it's minor, it's that it's too short.

After Tom Petersson left the band, they eventully brought in Jon Brandt to fill in on bass after the album was recorded. (If memory serves, I thik Rick Nielson actually did the bass parts on the album). The result was "One on One," an album of tight, well constructed tunes, all with the wonderful melodic Cheap Trick sound.

Like it's predecessor, "All Shook Up," Robin stretches his vocals with a lot of yelling. No other word to describe it. But Robin's voice is so good, it works. Just listen to tracks like "Love's Got a Hold on Me," "One on One," and "Oo La La La" to see how he stretches his vocals to the limit. He also does great on the ballad "If You Want My Love" -- but if you listen to the background vocals, he's still straining the vocal chords!

My favorites are actually the less well known tracks on the album: "You Love Has Got a Hold on Me," "Saturday at Midnight," "I Want be Man," and "Lookin' Out For Number One." To me, this is a loud, fun album chock full of great power pop gems.

While Cheap Trick has released a lot of great material over the years (and I love them all), this has to rank as my favorite album.

I hope Epic will someday re-issue this CD like they have done with other CT CD's. Its far from being CT's best album. But it rocks like crazy, has several fantastic songs that have become classics and is still a lot of fun to listen to, especially when driving. I think it would have been a much better album had the 2 tracks from the "Heavy Metal" soundtrack replaced a couple of the weaker tracks.

There are a lot complaints about the tinny and compressed sound of the CD, and after comparing my original 1981 LP to the CD I think its the remastering to blame. The vinyl still sounds very compressed, but has a warmer sound with more bass and "air" in Roy Thomas Baker's production work.

When CD's became big business in the 1980's most record companies grabbed the eaisest master tape they could find (many times a second or third generation master tape EQ'ed for vinyl) and used it for the CD. Cheap Trick were one of the biggest bands to suffer from CBS's assembly-line remastering jobs and these old CD's shouldn't be sold anymore. If you have any later greatest hits CD or the box set compare the tracks from this CD with them, you can really hear the difference.

I think CT fans would appreciate the bands mid 80's albums better if they were remastered better just like their classic 70's albums. I would love to see "One on One" remastered with "Reach Out" and "I Must Be Dreamin'" along with the flipside "All I Really Want" (a great overlooked song) and the dance remix of "Saturday At Midnight" (just for fun) added as bonus tracks.

This album should have been titled "One After Another", as one loud, thrashy, almost abrasive song after another assaults your ears. Don't try this one if you're feeling mellow. The songs still contain Cheap Trick's trademark melodies, but Robin Zander uses his harsher vocal style on all the songs, including the powerful anthemic ballad "If You Want My Love". A very cohesive album, all the songs contain very loud, driving drum tracks, and loud, almost screaming, backup vocals. Contains the Sophomoric, yet undeniably catchy and clever lyrical hit "She's Tight", plus original and innovative songs like the eerie pulsating "Saturday at Midnight" and the technodriver "I Want Be Man". Cheap Trick has an album for everyone, and headbangers will enjoy this one.

I have been a long time Trick Fan. Since 1979, while in the 4th grade of a Catholic grade school during rainy recess days, I began cutting my teeth on their music. Of all the bands I have ever followed this one has always pulled off very special songs. I too will admit I do not like every song on each effort, however, One On One has some very original sounds. I find from 1on1, Next Position Please, and their first self titled effort the music that Kurt Cobain, Foo Fighters, STP, and countless others were influenced by. Those bands as Cobain once stated...play louder guitars. This is where I agree with the other reviewers...corporate rock sucks! Long live originality. If only CT was allowed to release those songs as they had wished.

This isn't my favorite Cheap Trick album, but I agree with others who say that there are several moments on it which shine brightly. The best song on it, "If You Want My Love," is right up there with the songs from their first three studio albums and ties with "Voices" and "Mandocello" for the best Cheap Trick ballad ever. "Adequate" Cheap Trick is still a lot better than a lot of other band's best efforts, so good going!