Dream Police

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".{{cite web | url = http://www.allmusic.com/song/gonna-raise-hell-t2399194 | title = Cheap Trick Gonna raise Hell review | access-date = 2011-09-02 | last = Maginnis | first = Tom | work = AllMusic | publisher = Rovi Corporation}}

{{Music ratings

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}{{cite web | url = http://www.allmusic.com/album/dream-police-mw0000649966 | title = Dream Police - Cheap Trick | access-date = 2011-11-15 | last = Erlewine | first = Stephen Thomas | author-link = Stephen Thomas Erlewine |work = Allmusic | publisher = Rovi Corporation}}

| rev2 = Christgau's Record Guide

| rev2Score = B−{{cite book|last=Christgau|first=Robert|author-link=Robert Christgau|year=1981|title=Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies|publisher=Ticknor & Fields|isbn=089919026X|chapter=Consumer Guide '70s: C|chapter-url=https://www.robertchristgau.com/get_chap.php?k=C&bk=70|access-date=February 23, 2019|via=robertchristgau.com}}

| rev3 = MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide

| rev3score = {{rating|3|5}}{{cite book |title=MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide |date=1996 |publisher=Visible Ink Press |page=135}}

| rev4 = Music Week

| rev4score = {{Rating|3|4}}{{Cite magazine|date=October 6, 1979|title=Album Reviews: Cheap Trick — Dream Police|magazine=Music Week|page=44|publisher=Pensord Press Ltd.|location=Gwent|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1979/Music-Week-1979-10-06.pdf#page=44|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250301124755/https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1979/Music-Week-1979-10-06.pdf#page=44|archive-date=March 1, 2025|access-date=April 5, 2025|via=WorldRadioHistory.com}}

| rev5 = Rolling Stone

| rev5score = (mixed){{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/dream-police-19791129|title=Dream Police|access-date=2011-11-15|last=Marsh|first=Dave|author-link=Dave Marsh|date=29 November 1979|magazine=Rolling Stone}}

| rev6 = (The New) Rolling Stone Album Guide

| rev6Score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{cite book| last = Brackett | first = Nathan |author2=Christian Hoard | title = (The New) Rolling Stone Album Guide | publisher = Simon and Schuster | year = 2004 | location = New York City, New York | page = [https://archive.org/details/newrollingstonea00brac/page/157 157] | isbn = 0-7432-0169-8 | url = https://archive.org/details/newrollingstonea00brac| url-access = registration | quote = rolling stone cheap trick album guide. }}

| rev7 = Smash Hits

| rev7Score = (mixed){{cite journal|last=Hepworth|first=David|author-link=David Hepworth|title=Albums|journal=Smash Hits|issue=October 4–17, 1979|page=29}}

| rev8 = Spin Alternative Record Guide

| rev8score = 7/10{{cite book |title=Spin Alternative Record Guide |date=1995 |publisher=Vintage Books |page=80}}

}}

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."{{cite news |last1=Rockwell |first1=John |title=The Pop Life: Two disks with an appeal for teen-agers |work=The New York Times |date=28 Sep 1979 |page=C24}} The Los Angeles Times wrote that "the emphasis is on lead-fisted hard rock."{{cite news |last1=Cromelin |first1=Richard |title=Road-Happy Cheap Trick: Wrong Turn |work=Los Angeles Times |date=14 Oct 1979 |department=Calendar |page=80}}

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."{{cite book |last1=Eddy |first1=Chuck |title=Stairway to Hell: The 500 Best Heavy Metal Albums in the Universe |date=1991 |publisher=Harmony Books |location=New York |isbn=0517575418 |page=137}}

In 2010, Cheap Trick re-recorded the title track as "Green Police" for the controversial{{cite news|url=http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/Bright-Green/2010/0209/Audi-s-Green-Police-Super-Bowl-ad-controversial | title=Audi's 'Green Police' Super Bowl ad controversial | access-date=2014-06-24 | date=February 9, 2010 | newspaper=The Christian Science Monitor}} Green Police advertisement which aired during Super Bowl XLIV for Audi.{{cite web | url = http://www.cheaptrick.com/greenpolice | title = Cheap Trick and Audi of America come together for "Green Police" | access-date = 2010-02-11 | date = 1 February 2010 | publisher = Cheap Trick Official Website | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100204185401/http://www.cheaptrick.com/greenpolice | archive-date = 4 February 2010 | url-status = dead }}

All songs written by Rick Nielsen, except where noted.

{{Track listing

| title1 = Dream Police

| length1 = 3:49

| title2 = Way of the World

| writer2 = Robin Zander, Nielsen

| length2 = 3:39

| title3 = The House Is Rockin' (With Domestic Problems)

| writer3 = Tom Petersson, Nielsen

| length3 = 5:12

| title4 = Gonna Raise Hell

| length4 = 9:20

| title5 = I'll Be with You Tonight

| writer5 = Nielsen, Zander, Bun E. Carlos, Petersson

| length5 = 3:52

| title6 = Voices

| length6 = 4:22

| title7 = Writing on the Wall

| length7 = 3:26

| title8 = I Know What I Want

| length8 = 4:29

| title9 = Need Your Love

| writer9 = Nielsen, Petersson

| length9 = 7:39

}}

{{Track listing

| headline = Bonus tracks (2006 Reissue)

| title10 = The House Is Rockin' (With Domestic Problems)

| length10 = 6:16

| note10 = Recorded live at the Los Angeles Forum on December 31, 1979

| title11 = Way of the World

| length11 = 3:59

| note11 = Recorded live at the Los Angeles Forum on December 31, 1979

| title12 = Dream Police

| note12 = No Strings Version

| length12 = 3:52

| title13 = I Know What I Want

| length13 = 4:43

| note13 = Recorded live in Daytona Beach, Florida in 1988

}}

• 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.

• 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)

• "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)

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

• 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

• Jai Winding – organ, piano, keyboards, Synth
• Steve Lukather – guitar on "Voices"

• Tom Werman – producer
• Gary Ladinsky, Mike Beiriger – engineers
• Ken Adamany – assistant engineer
• George Marino – mastering
• Steve Dessau, Paula Scher – design
• Reid Miles – photography

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{{Certification Table Entry|region=Australia|type=album|artist=Cheap Trick|title=Dream Police|relyear=1980|certyear=1980|award=Platinum|certref={{cite web|url=https://i.imgur.com/HmFDCnW.jpg?1|title=Kent Music Report No 341 – 5 January 1981 > Platinum and Gold Albums 1980|publisher=Kent Music Report|via=Imgur.com|access-date= November 12, 2021}}}}

{{certification Table Entry|type=album|region=Canada|artist=Cheap Trick|title=Dream Police|award=Platinum|number=3|certyear=1979|relyear=1979|access-date=November 14, 2019}}

{{certification Table Entry|type=album|region=New Zealand|artist=Cheap Trick|title=Dream Police|award=Gold|id=1979-11-30|source=newchart|access-date=2024-11-20|relyear=1979}}

{{certification Table Entry|type=album|region=United States|artist=Cheap Trick|title=Dream Police|award=Platinum|certyear=1980|relyear=1979|access-date=November 14, 2019}}

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Category:Cheap Trick albums

Category:1979 albums

Category:Epic Records albums

Category:Albums produced by Tom Werman

Category:Albums recorded at Record Plant (Los Angeles)