In Color (album)

In Color
Studio album by Cheap Trick
Released September 1977
Recorded Kendun Recorders, Los Angeles, 1977
Genre Rock, hard rock, power pop
Length 32:00
Label Epic
Producer Tom Werman
Cheap Trick chronology

Cheap Trick
(1977)		 In Color
(1977)		 Heaven Tonight
(1978)
Singles from In Color
  1. "I Want You to Want Me"
    Released: October 31, 1977
  2. "Southern Girls"
    Released: 1977
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic [1]
Robert Christgau B+[2]
Rolling Stone (positive)[3]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide [4]

In Color (full title, "In Color and Black and White") is the second studio album by Cheap Trick, released in 1977. It was produced by Tom Werman.

This album is considered a classic of the power pop genre as well as one of the best rock albums ever recorded. The album was ranked No. 4 on Shake Some Action: The Ultimate Power Pop Guide. In 2003, the album was also ranked number 443 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

Overview

In Color, as opposed to the band's self-titled debut, features a more polished production in the hopes of making a commercial impact. While the band members complained that the album lost its power through Tom Werman's overproduction, In Color does show the band's more melodic side that was partially lost on the debut.

The album made the band superstars in Japan, where "I Want You to Want Me" and "Clock Strikes Ten" were hit singles, with the latter hitting #1 on the Japanese charts.

Five of the ten tracks on In Color were later released in live form on Cheap Trick's classic live album Cheap Trick at Budokan ("Hello There", "Big Eyes", "I Want You to Want Me", "Clock Strikes Ten" and "Come On, Come On").

In Color's front cover has a color photo of Zander and Petersson sitting on motorcycles with the words "Cheap Trick, In Color." across the top. Its back cover has an upside-down black-and-white photo of Carlos and Nielsen sitting on mopeds with the words "And In Black and White." across the top.

Re-recorded version

In Color was re-recorded by the band in 1998 with producer Steve Albini. The band's intention was to record the album on their own terms and for the songs to sound the way that they had originally intended. However, the album was never officially completed or released, but it was leaked onto the internet along with a handful of other tracks recorded during the same session.

In September 2008, the re-recorded version of "Hello There" was featured as a playable song in the video game Rock Band 2, raising suspicions that the album may have been finished.

"Oh Boy," the B-side of the single "I Want You to Want Me" was re-recorded with vocals in 1980. It was released in 2003 on the "Oh Boy (Demo)/If You Want My Love (Demo)" promotional seven-inch vinyl record.

In April 2010, Rick Nielsen confirmed to the online music site Spinner that the band had in fact finished re-recording the album and planned to release the new version in "the not so distant future".[5]

Track listing

All songs written by Rick Nielsen, except where noted.

Side One

  1. "Hello There" – 1:41
  2. "Big Eyes" – 3:10
  3. "Downed" – 4:12
  4. "I Want You to Want Me" – 3:11
  5. "You're All Talk" (Rick Nielsen, Tom Petersson) – 3:36

Side Two

  1. "Oh Caroline" – 2:59
  2. "Clock Strikes Ten" – 2:59
  3. "Southern Girls" (Nielsen, Petersson) – 3:44
  4. "Come On, Come On" – 2:41
  5. "So Good to See You" – 3:37

Bonus tracks (1998 Reissue)

The 1998 reissue of In Color featured five bonus tracks, including "Oh Boy," which was the b-side to "I Want You to Want Me," and "Goodnight," the live show-closing variation on "Hello There."

  1. "Oh Boy" (Instrumental version) – 3:09
  2. "Southern Girls" (1975 Demo) (Rick Nielsen, Tom Petersson) – 3:03
  3. "Come On, Come On" (1975 Demo) – 2:04
  4. "You're All Talk" (Live) (Rick Nielsen, Tom Petersson) – 3:41
  5. "Goodnight" (Live) – 2:19

Unreleased Outtakes

Singles (Side A/Side B)

Personnel

Additional personnel

Certifications

Organization Level Date
RIAA – USA[6] Gold August 13, 1979
RIAA – USA Platinum October 17, 2001
CRIA - Canada[7] Platinum June 1, 1979

References

  1. ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "In Color - Cheap Trick". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 2011-11-06.
  2. ↑ Christgau, Robert. "CG: Cheap Trick". Robert Christgau. Retrieved 2011-11-06.
  3. ↑ Marsh, Dave (22 September 1977). "In Color". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2011-11-06.
  4. ↑ Brackett, Nathan; Christian Hoard (2004). The Rolling Stone Album Guide. New York City, New York: Simon and Schuster. p. 157. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
  5. ↑ Ayers, Mike (9 April 2010). "Cheap Trick Planning to Release New Version of 'In Color'". Spinner. AOL. Retrieved 2011-11-06.
  6. ↑ "RIAA Database Search for Cheap Trick". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 2011-11-06.
  7. ↑ "Gold Platinum Database : Cheap Trick". Music Canada. Retrieved 2011-11-06.