I admit that it's a bit hard to take a band called Loverboy very seriously, especially when their most notable single is "Workin' for the Weekend" and their trademark is poppy hard rock. Still, I have no problem calling this a good mediocre album. Though I'm not sure it was much of an accomplishment, this album foreshadowed bands like Def Leppard and Bon Jovi with its combination of glossy production and hard rock guitars. Indeed, producer Bruce Fairbairn was later known for his work with exactly those kinds of bands (and producing Aerosmith's 'holy trinity' of terrible albums in the late 80s/early 90s.
Although this style later paved the way for hair metal and lurid videos with Steven Tyler and Alicia Silverstone, there is nothing inherently wrong with it. The first side of this record consists of pretty much all winners, showcasing catchy and exciting pop choruses, histrionic but not unendearing singing, and a lot of verve and energy in the playing. The instrumentation is energetic enough throughout the record that the cheesiness can be forgiven, and their hard rock influences not forgotten, thus ensuring that this record is a lot better than much of the dreck that it spawned. I can't give a resounding endorsement because even the best songs here are still cheesy and the second side really adds nothing to the first, repeating in the same style with weaker hooks. But it's definitely a keeper.
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