

The Doctor (CD)
The career choices of Rockford, IL's most famous quartet are always perversely peculiar: After a strong return to straight power pop for Standing on the Edge, Cheap Trick promoted Standing's engineer Tony Platt (AC/DC, Patto) to producer and inauspiciously squeezed out the Doctor. Overbearing keyboards trample through decent ideas ("Take Me to the Top," sole single "It's Only Love") and careen into bizarre throwaways ("Man-U-Lip-U-Lator," the Kiss-referencing "Doctor"), resulting in the shrill nadir of bad '80s radio or lost Rundgren records. Hit producer Ritchie Zito harnessed Trick's combusting commercial soundscape for the follow-up smash, Lap of Luxury, but he also forced outside songwriters on the band. Thus, the glib but slight Doctor now stands as guitarist/guiding light Rick Nielsen's last gasp, a chipped nugget of Americana from pop's greatest disposable heroes who romance their brief reign in the review mirror. ~ Doug Stone, All Music Guide
| Tracklisting | |
| Disk | 1 | |
| 1 | It's up to You |
| 2 | Rearview Mirror Romance |
| 3 | Doctor |
| 4 | Are You Lonely Tonight |
| 5 | Name of the Game |
| 6 | Kiss Me Red |
| 7 | Take Me to the Top |
| 8 | Good Girls Go to Heaven (Bad Girls Go Everywhere) |
| 9 | Man-U-Lip-U-Lator |
| 10 | It's Only Love |