Cheap Trick All Washed Up
Cheap Trick's All Washed Up arrives as a sprightly late-career statement that leans into playful nostalgia while proving the band still delivers punchy hooks and arena-sized heart. Across three professional reviews, critics point to the title cut “All Washed Up” as the album's calling card, with other highlights including “The Riff That Won't Quit”, “The Best Thing” and “All Wrong Long Gone” as standout tracks on the record.
The critical consensus is broadly favourable: All Washed Up earned a 73.33/100 consensus score across 3 professional reviews, and reviewers consistently praise the record's blend of power-pop revival, tight songcraft, and enduring musicianship. Commentators note a balance between high-octane rockers and unexpected tenderness - the bruising opener “All Washed Up” gets singled out as pugilistic and exciting, while “The Best Thing” and “Twelve Gates” reveal the band's knack for big, glistening balladry. Critics agree that Robin Zander's voice remains a central asset and that Nielsen's hooks and inventive guitar work keep the arrangements lively.
Still, reviews temper enthusiasm with small caveats: a few tracks land as lighter filler and the record occasionally trims its sails rather than radically reinventing the template. Even so, the consensus suggests All Washed Up is worth listening to for fans seeking the best songs on All Washed Up and for anyone curious whether Cheap Trick can still summon vitality in late career. The collection positions the band as both heirs to their power-pop legacy and active practitioners of strong songcraft, setting the stage for deeper critical takes below.
Critics' Top Tracks
The standout songs that made critics take notice
The Best Thing
2 mentions
"The Best Thing is one of those dreamy, sunny ballads the band excel at"— Record Collector
Twelve Gates
1 mention
""Twelve Gates" is another great example of mainstream Cheap Trick"— AllMusic
All Washed Up
3 mentions
"a strident opener in the title track - a pugilistic rock'n'roller and one of the most exciting songs the band have written"— Record Collector
The Best Thing is one of those dreamy, sunny ballads the band excel at
Track Ratings
How critics rated each track, relative to this album (0-100). Only tracks that made critics feel something are rated.
All Washed Up
All Wrong Long Gone
The Riff That Won't Quit
Bet It All
The Best Thing
Twelve Gates
Bad Blood
Dancing With The Band
Love Gone
A Long Way to Worcester
Wham Boom Bang
What Critics Are Saying
Deep insights from 4 critics who reviewed this album
Critic's Take
Cheap Trick make it plain on All Washed Up that they can still deliver the best songs with both muscle and melody, from the bruising title track to the tender The Best Thing. The record stitches together high-octane rockers like The Riff That Won't Quit and jangling, melodic numbers such as A Long Way to Worcester, and it is the big, glistening ballads like The Best Thing and Twelve Gates that surprise most. In short, the best tracks on All Washed Up marry Nielsen's oddball hooks with Zander's undimmed zing, making this album both a sampler of past glories and a current triumph.
Key Points
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The Best Thing stands out for heartfelt vocals, huge hooks, and sheer charm.
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The album's core strengths are versatile songcraft, strong harmonies, and sustained rock energy.
Themes
Critic's Take
Cheap Trick sound revitalised on All Washed Up, with the title cut and All Wrong Long Gone standing out as best tracks on the record. The reviewer’s tone is affectionate and wry, noting the energised power-pop of All Washed Up and Robin Zander’s “supernaturally intact” vocals on All Wrong Long Gone. There is room for the odd bit of filler - the record trims its sails neatly and even reserves the Beatlesque charm of A Long Way to Worcester for the end. Overall, the album reiterates Cheap Trick’s brash, noisy brilliance without overstaying its welcome, making these the best songs on All Washed Up for fans of their prime-era sound.
Key Points
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The title track is best for its energised power-pop riffing and self-referential charm.
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The album’s core strength is its ability to recapture Cheap Trick’s classic noisy, brash power-pop with assured vocals and concise songwriting.
Themes
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Critic's Take
Cheap Trick’s All Washed Up is a sprightly, diverse celebration of why the band still matters, with the title track and The Riff That Won't Quit emerging as clear highlights. The reviewer calls the opener a "pugilistic rock'n'roller" and one of the most exciting songs the band have written, and praises The Riff That Won't Quit as a funky foot-tapper guaranteed to blow away the blues. Also singled out are the dreamy, sunny ballad The Best Thing and the Bowie-esque Love Gone, which together showcase Randy Zander’s voice and Nielsen’s inventive guitar work. Overall the tone is admiring and upbeat, framing the album as balanced, well-crafted, and far from washed up.
Key Points
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The title track is best for its pugilistic energy and status as a showstopping opener.
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The album’s core strengths are its sprightliness, strong hooks, and the band’s playful, well-crafted songwriting.