When Cheap Trick parted from their label, Epic, in 1991, Zander felt he had the opportunity to record a solo album while the band secured a new record deal. Zander told Billboard in 1993: "It just seemed like the right time. There's absolutely no dissatisfaction within the Cheap Trick realm. It's sort of like when you have this career, you need a hobby on the side. That's how I think of it." Speaking of the album itself, Zander commented: "It's not a half-baked Cheap Trick album. A lot of the solo albums I've heard over the years sound just like the band the person used to be in, or is in, and I didn't want to do that."[1]
Song information
"I've Always Got You" was released as a single and peaked at No. 13 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart.[2] "Show Me Heaven" was released as the second and final single from the album.
"Emily" was written with David A. Stewart (of the Eurythmics) and features Cheap Trick bassist Tom Petersson on bass guitar. "Secret" was written with the songwriting team Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly along with Rick Nielsen, lead guitarist of Cheap Trick. Cheap Trick later performed "Time Will Let You Know" live in 2000, which was released the following year on their live release Silver. Holland Zander, Robin Zander's daughter and former lead singer of The Snaggs, made a guest appearance to sing a duet version of the track. The song "Walkin' Shoes" was re-recorded for Zander's intended 2010 solo follow-up Countryside Blvd..
For the German version of the "I've Always Got You" single, an extra non-album track was added, "Stone Cold Rhythm Shake", written and originally performed by singer/songwriter Robert Vaughn on his 1991 album Songs from the Riverhouse.[3] The track was added as a bonus track to the Japanese version of the Robin Zander album.[4]
Upon release, Mark Blackwell of Spin commented: "...yawn as you mist as the prospect, Zander has 'surrendered' his debut, and has actually done a damn fine job of it. From the opening Mellencamp-Petty-esque riffs of the drivin'-down-the-highway-with-the-top-down pop of 'Reactionary Girl' to the Queen-10cc-esque layered balladry of 'Time Will Let You Know', Zander digs through his classic rock collection to appropriate a wide variety of styles—almost every track has a different, recognizable feel, the least 'in-effect' of which is standard Cheap Trick power pop."[6]
Pan-European magazine Music & Media considered the album to "boast a bewildering array of different styles, although the respect for "the song" always remains the focal point." They added: "Zander not only proves to be a very able songwriter himself, he also knows how to pick songs by others and turn them into something of his own."[7]Billboard described the album as "well-sung", but one that "unfortunately suffers from underambitious writing and song selection". They added: "The best tracks here have the snap of Zander's finest work with [Cheap Trick], but much of the remainder just doesn't match the quality of the singing."[8]
Tom Demalon of AllMusic retrospectively said: "It's a balanced mix of taut, power pop, heartfelt ballads, and tasty covers. Zander's not redefining pi here. Instead, it's fifty minutes of well-crafted rock delivered by one of the most-gifted vocalists and frontmen in rock history."[5]
