"My Obsession" is a song by

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

rock band

Cheap Trick Cheap Trick is an American rock band from Rockford, Illinois, formed in 1973 by guitarist Rick Nielsen, bassist Tom Petersson, lead vocalist Robin Zander and drummer Bun E. Carlos. The current lineup of the band consists of Zander, Nielsen and ...

, released in 2003 as the second single from their fourteenth studio album ''

Special One ''Special One'' is the fourteenth studio album by the band Cheap Trick. It was released in 2003 to mixed reviews and features the single " Scent of a Woman." It charted for one week, reaching 128 on the album charts. Background ''Special One'' ...

''. It was written by

Tom Petersson Thomas John Peterson, better known as Tom Petersson, is an American musician who is best known for being the bass guitar player for the rock band Cheap Trick. Career Before joining Cheap Trick, Petersson played in a number of bands, including t ...

Rick Nielsen Richard Alan Nielsen (born December 22, 1948) is an American musician best known as the lead guitarist, primary songwriter, and leader of the rock band Cheap Trick. He is well-known for his numerous custom-made guitars from Hamer Guitars, incl ...

Robin Zander Robin Wayne Zander (born January 23, 1953) is an American musician, best known as the lead singer and rhythm guitarist for the rock band Cheap Trick, but is also a solo artist. Zander was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016 as a ...

and

Julian Raymond Julian Raymond is an American songwriter and music producer. He has worked with various music artists, including Insane Clown Posse, Glen Campbell, Cheap Trick, Jennifer Nettles, Fastball, Albert Lee, Fleetwood Mac, Kottonmouth Kings, among othe ...

, and produced by Chris Shaw and

Background

Following the radio-hit " Scent of a Woman", "My Obsession" was released as the second promotional single from ''Special One'', aiming at generating airplay. During one of the band's 2004 live concerts in the United States, Nielsen introduced the song by stating "This next one has been getting airplay all around the world, everywhere except here."

Release

The single was released in United States only as a promotional CD single, where it aimed to generate radio play. Two different CD singles were released in total. The main release was a 1-track CD-R acetate, which featured a "Radio Edit" version of the song on a custom printed disc, with a laminated promo picture title insert. A test press disc single was also issued to radio programmers in limited quantity, which included a bonus track, "Come on Christmas", taken from the band's 1996 EP ''Gift''. On August 21, 2003, the band performed a set of songs for an AOL session, which included "My Obsession".

Critical reception

Upon release, ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' commented: "Fans and rock programmers will find plenty to love in such tracks as "Scent of a Woman," "My Obsession" and "If I Could." Cheap Trick's reliable tunefulness is in full force here; its music continues to be an irresistible confection." '' Sun Herald'' said: "My favorite song right now is "My Obsession," with its Beatles-Who song construction that features many different sides of Zander." '' Las Cruces Sun-News'' commented: "On their newest release ''Special One,'' Cheap Trick wears their influences on their sleeves, with the Alex Chilton-esque "Pop Drone" and "My Obsession." ''

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel The ''Milwaukee Journal Sentinel'' is a daily morning broadsheet printed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where it is the primary newspaper. It is also the largest newspaper in the state of Wisconsin, where it is widely distributed. It is currently o ...

'' stated: "Make no mistake, this is Robin's record, and the thin man flexes the velvet of his million dollar voice on each and every number. On the outstanding "Words," "My Obsession," "Pop Drone" and five other peerless instant classics, he is the perfect blend of Lennon, Bryan Ferry, Marc Bolan and Roy Orbison." ''Concert Shots'' felt "My Obsession" recalled the Beatles, adding: "this time the melodic, minor key beauty of ''

Revolver A revolver (also called a wheel gun) is a repeating handgun that has at least one barrel and uses a revolving cylinder containing multiple chambers (each holding a single cartridge) for firing. Because most revolver models hold up to six roun ...

'' is conjured. Heart-wrenching harmonies make the song even more overwhelming." ''

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'' noted: "There's a lot fewer rockers here than Cheap Trick is usually known for, but the Lennon-ish "Words" and the poppy "My Obsession" make for interesting listening." ''MelodicRock.com'' said of the song: ""My Obsession" is another uptempo number that comes just in the nick of time. This is another sweet, feel good pop track and another that fits the Zander solo style. One of the album's most instant tracks." ''

Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...

'' felt that Cheap Trick "recalls George Harrison" on the song. ''

Buffalo News ''The Buffalo News'' is the daily newspaper of the Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area, located in downtown Buffalo, New York. It recently sold its headquarters to Uniland Development Corp. It was for decades the only paper fully owned by W ...

'' described the song as "cunning power-pop". ''

Star-News ''Star-News'' is an American, English language daily newspaper for Wilmington, North Carolina, and its surrounding area (known as the Lower Cape Fear). It is North Carolina's oldest newspaper in continuous publication. It was owned by Halifax Me ...

'' described the song as "psychedelic rock". ''

Worcester Telegram Gazette The ''Telegram & Gazette'' (and ''Sunday Telegram'') is the only daily newspaper of Worcester, Massachusetts. The paper, headquartered at 100 Front Street and known locally as ''the Telegram'' or the ''T & G'', offers coverage of all of Worceste ...

'' described the album as being "pure Cheap Trick", adding that "My Obession" had a "scrappy street feel". '' KNAC'' writer Frank Meyer was critical of the album and song, stating: "..."Too Much," "My Obsession" and the title track prolong the boredom even further and find this once ferocious band sounding as tame and declawed as ever."

Track listing

;CDr Single (3K2210435874 - promo) #"My Obsession (Radio Edit)" - 3:34 ;CDr Single (Bonus track promo) #"My Obsession (Radio Edit)" - 3:34 #"Come on Christmas (Bonus Track)" - 2:21

Personnel

;Cheap Trick *

- lead vocals, rhythm guitar, producer *

- lead guitar, backing vocals, producer *

- bass guitar, backing vocals, producer *

Bun E. Carlos Brad M. Carlson, better known by the stage name Bun E. Carlos, is the original drummer for American rock band Cheap Trick. He recorded and performed with the band from 1973 to 2010. Carlos was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016 ...

- drums, percussion, producer ;Additional personnel * Chris Shaw - producer, mixing * Howie Weinberg - mastering

Charts

References

{{Cheap Trick 2003 singles Cheap Trick songs Songs written by Rick Nielsen Songs written by Robin Zander Songs written by Tom Petersson