Special One (Bonus DVD)

Their studio output hampered by label turmoil for the better part of a decade, the veterans in Cheap Trick instead focused on burnishing their history and stellar live reputation with 1999's Music for Hangovers and 2001's Silver. But that back-to-the-future tack hardly heralded their descent into nostalgic act, as this warm surprise of a studio album reaffirms on virtually every track. Largely sidestepping the blistering pop thrash and hook-filled acoustic ballads that have long tempted stereotyping, the Trick has produced arguably the most texturally intriguing album of their long career, a forceful reminder of the true depth of their talents and breadth of eclectic influences. The opening single, "Scent of a Woman," goes from simmer to boil in record time, while "Too Much" and the title track give a Trick spins on late '60s UK psych-pop. From there, they seem to consciously tip their hats to the growing cadre of young pop and alt stars who claim them as inspirations, with the help of Chris Shaw and guest fellow producers Jack Douglas (Aerosmith and the first CT album) and Steve Albini (the sexed-up minimalism of "Low Life in High Heels" and encroaching darkness of "Sorry, Boy"). This is an album spawned by four lifelong love affairs with rock's disparate possibilities--and a special one, indeed. --Jerry McCulley