Cheap Trick - In Color

Cheap Trick's second album (and second of '77!) doesn't exactly pick up where its classic, hard-edged debut left off; it was the "Power" and this is the "Pop." Their workaholic gigs as an unsigned Midwest bar band in the mid-'70s left them with an impressive backlog of original material, another batch of which forms the core of In Color. Though the band disdained producer Tom Werman's bubblegum-flavored touches, it was indeed the kinder, gentler Cheap Trick that Japanese audiences first took to their hearts at Budokan, with the rest of the world soon to follow. That approach is best exemplified by the evergreen "I Want You to Want Me" (which didn't become a hit until Live at Budokan), here dolled up with a Fats Domino-flavored piano break. While Werman's poppy approach dilutes the band's wall-of-noise live bent, it also underscores their impressive individual musical talents: Rick Nielsen's manic riffing on "Big Eyes" and the album's other retro-burner, "Clock Strikes Ten"; Robin Zander's vocal multiple-personalities that range from the suicidal angst of "Downed" (surely a favorite of Trick admirer Kurt Cobain) through the sweet anticipation of "I Want You" to the world-weariness of "So Good to See You"; and the rhythm section of Tom Petersson and Bun E. Carlos anchoring everything (especially the delicious "Southern Girls") with a flawless wallop. This expanded edition features significantly upgraded audio quality, new notes and photos, and five bonus tracks: the unpredictable instrumental B-Side "Oh Boy"; 1975 demos of "Southern Girls" and the anthemic "Come On, Come On" that ably display just the "before" side of the producer argument; and live versions of "You're All Talk" and longtime show closer "Goodnight" recorded at L.A.'s Whiskey in 1977. No sophomore jinx here. --Jerry McCulley Amazon.com

Cheap Trick - Sophmore Slump

Cheap Trick's second album would contain the studio version of the song "I Want You To Want Me". The song would go on to become one of the band's biggest hits a few years later when it was released on the "Live At Budakon" album, but here it did not do much for the band. "In Color" suffers from a bit of a sophomore slump. I don't think that most of the songs are nearly as clever as the ones contained on the band's debut album, and it is just generally not as good. There are a few great songs here though. "Southern Girls" has always been one of my favorites. "Hello There" and "Clock Strikes Ten" are also good ones, although not quite as energetic as the live versions found on "Budakon". The rest is all rather average Cheap Trick with is not necessarily a bad thing, but I think both the album that came before and after this one were better than "In Color". September 12, 2008

Cheap Trick "In Color"

I've been reading a lot of negative reviews about this album.I'm not sure why that is.This is a classic rock album!

When this album came out in 1977 it was huge,probably more so in the midwest,where Cheap Trick hail from.But none the less,it was an album that you'd find at most of your friends house's.Different cuts were being played on the radio,and so on...

This album is a much more melodic affair than their eponymous debut just a few months earlier and the songs have weathered the ravages of time much better than their first album.In fact,many people consider "In Color" Cheap Trick's first album,as their first release (Cheap Trick) didn't make much of an impact.
I'll spare you the song by song narrative and just implore you to put the CD on and turn it up.You'll soon hear for yourself what all the clamor was about back in 1977! July 15, 2008

Good, but too Polished

A damn fine album, from Cheap Trick, this is. Melodic, gritty, and just a rockin' good time. But, as with Cheap Trick, their sound remains too polished and pretty, in their studio work, and doesn't live up to the live material. February 2, 2008

Cheap Trick at their best

Cheap Trick's second album, In Color, is track for track, their best album. While their self-titled debut and their next album, Heaven Tonight, have several great songs, every song on In Color is a winner. "Hello There", "Clock Strikes Ten", "Come On, Come On", and "Big Eyes" are outstanding anthems and would play an integral part of their breakthrough release, Live at Budokan. "Southern Girls" and "I Want You to Want Me" are great power pop tunes, chock full of memorable melodies and choruses, as the latter would become a huge hit single in a live version on the aforementioned Budokan. The remaining tracks; the energetic "You're All Talk", the dramatic "Downed", the poppy "So Good to See You", and "Oh Caroline", are also top notch. The remastered version includes several unreleased tracks including raw demos of "Southern Girls" and "Come On Come On" and a live cut of "You're All Talk" that is even more exciting than the original. Simply put, In Color is Cheap Trick at their best and is one of the best power pop albums ever. Highly recommended. January 8, 2008

super sophmore

I have the old 10-track CD version of In Color, Cheap Trick's 2nd album (I had the gatefold LP back in the day of course). In Color can be easily overlooked because it falls between the band's incredible debut and the chart-topping Heaven Tonight. And to be honest, yes it's not as good as either of those two but Cheap Trick on a bad day is still one of the best bands around. In Color is a fantastic record, HIGHLY recommended to any Trickster. It's fun to hear the "lame" version of I Want You To Want Me, and In Color contains two of my all time favorite songs, Downed and Come On Come On. Southern Girls is also great. The lyrics to Downed get to me every time, I love the opening verse:
I'm gonna live on a mountain
Way down under in Australia
Its either that or suicide
Its such a strange strain on you
December 27, 2007

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