What would have been the next step forward for Cheap Trick was partially derailed when their Budokan live album ended up becoming a building smash, slightly trapping them in amber as a result. It’s a pity because Dream Police really showed the quartet building on past successes to new heights, from the orchestrated drama of the title track to the long, slow burn of “Gonna Raise Hell,” a song the equal of something like Prince’s “1999” when it comes to partying while the end of it all looms.

– Ned Raggett