Cheap Trick: Robin Zander (vocals, guitar); Rick Nielsen (guitar, keyboards, bass); John Brant (bass); Bun E. Carlos (percussion).

Recorded at Pierce Arrow Recorders, Evanston, Illinois.

Personnel: Robin Zander (vocals, guitar); Rick Nielsen (guitar, keyboards); Bun E. Carlos (drums, percussion).

Recording information: Pierce Arrow Recorders, Evanston, IL.

Photographer: David Michael Kennedy.

Tom Petersson left the group after the muddled All Shook Up, which was another sign that Cheap Trick was entering a confused period. One on One, the first record the group recorded with his replacement, Jon Brant, confirms that suspicion. Though it has two fine singles with the power ballad "If You Want My Love" and the lewd rocker "She's Tight," both songs fall short compared to their old standards. Still, they sound like gems compared to the remaining album. Though One on One is nowhere near as ambitious as All Shook Up, the songwriting is forced and stilted, lacking not only imagination but also hooks. A couple of cuts -- "Lookin' Out for Number One" and "Love's Got a Hold on Me" -- work as standard-issue arena rockers, but by and large, One on One is another disappointment. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Tom Petersson left the group after the muddled All Shook Up, which was another sign that Cheap Trick was entering a confused period. One on One, the first record the group recorded with his replacement, Jon Brant, confirms that suspicion. In comparison to their earlier efforts, the album is a little muddled and directionless, yet the group manages to pull it together on a few cuts, such as the power ballad "If You Want My Love" and the lewd rocker "She's Tight." Those two songs, along with some other cuts, confirm that even with the album's flaws, Cheap Trick is still worth hearing. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Cheap Trick's previous album to ONE ON ONE was produced by Beatles guru George Martin, and yet sounds no more Beatles-influenced than any of their previous albums. Similarly, this follow-up was overseen by Queen/Cars producer Roy Thomas Baker and yet still sounds exactly like earlier Cheap Trick, i.e. not at all over the top.

It's enough to make you think that these guys are producer-proof, or at the very least totally secure in their artistic vision. That being the case, this is more of the band's typically smart, melodic pop rock, and the anthemic "If You Want My Love" may be one of their all-time best songs.