This first C T album kicks you know what. It has the “raw hungry edge” that grabs you. For those that think they’re not into C T check this out. Love this American band.

I discovered this album at a Tower Records store not long after it came out in 1977, and bought it (on 8-track)) primarily because I liked the oddly incongruous look of the band members, and was looking for something different and out of the mainstream. Boy, did I find it! I think I wore out the first tape over the next few months of constant play in my car. It wasn't exactly punk rock, not quite hard rock, but an energizing mixture of Beatle-esque melodies with a fresh, raw sound that is still hard to categorize. It had enough melodic content to get the tunes stuck in your head, and yet rough enough to worry parents. I was hooked. Although the next two albums were more pop-oriented, this one remains a standout that I never tire of hearing. Congrats to the band for their recent induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame -- long overdue and well deserved!

Maybe you just know Cheap Trick from Surrender, Dream Police or The Flame. Hey, these are all great songs from great albums. But, I firmly believe that this album helped legitimize CT as a worthy Hall of Fame member.