In Color
	Produced by Tom Werman
	Released on 1977
	US CHART POSITION #73 . . . GOLD RECORD (8/13/79), PLATINUM (10/17/01)
	Find it at GEMM
PE 34884 cover [high resolution photo]

A ny fears of a sophomore slumber party were put to bed with the brilliant In Color. Producer Tom Werman captures a softer and zanier Trick on songs like “I Want You To Want Me” and “Come On, Come On” that has as much in common with The Bay City Rollers as The Beatles. However, as with their first record, underneath the perfect three-minute pop songs ran Rick Nielsen’s dark currents of sexual angst. “Hello There” asks the musical question “Would you like to do a number with me?,” and knowing Nielsen’s sense of humor picking a number from 1 to 100 is easy. “Clock Strikes Ten” is a blatant plea for booty. On later albums, Nielsen would cross the line, but he’s got his ducks lined in a perfect row here: the first four tracks on this record as strong an opening as you’ll find on any pop or rock record. In Color also has a surfer-boy swagger to it that seemed to emanate from Robin Zander’s persona: “Southern Girls,” “Oh Caroline” and “Come On, Come On” have an indelible twang to them. Yes, I actually wrote “indelible twang,” as if there are twangs that come off with a good rubbing. (Ahem.) Anyway, it’s worth mentioning to newbies that “I Want You To Want Me” is the exception on In Color. When I first bought this album as a kid, I was disappointed to find that the whole album didn’t sound like “Mr. Blue Sky.” Looking back, I can’t believe I didn’t fall head over heels for “Downed,” “Oh Caroline” and “Southern Girls,” but I was kind of a wiener as a kid. I’ve since gotten a handle on that. (Double ahem.) So to sum things up: great power pop record, half of it classic Cheap Trick, and not nearly as lascivious as my little review would make it out to be.

PE 34884 inner gatefold	PE 34884 back cover (upside down)

TRACK LISTING

1. HELLO THERE    1:39
2. BIG EYES    3:04
3. DOWNED    4:06
4. I WANT YOU TO WANT ME    3:09
5. YOU'RE ALL TALK    (Rick Nielsen/Tom Petersson)    3:31
6. OH CAROLINE    2:56
7. CLOCK STRIKES TEN    2:57
8. SOUTHERN GIRLS    (Rick Nielsen/Tom Petersson)    3:40
9. COME ON, COME ON    2:36
10. SO GOOD TO SEE YOU    3:34
    
    CD reissue bonus tracks
    
11. OH BOY
12. SOUTHERN GIRLS (DEMO)
13. COME ON, COME ON (DEMO)
14. YOU'RE ALL TALK (LIVE)
15. GOODNIGHT NOW (LIVE)
    
    All songs written by Rick Nielsen unless noted

CREDITS

BUN E. CARLOS -- drums
RICK NIELSEN -- lead guitars, vocals
TOM PETERSSON -- bass, vocals
ROBIN ZANDER -- lead vocals, rhythm guitar
Antonino Reale -- engineer
Benno Friedman -- photography
Jim Charne and Paula Scher -- design

return to CHEAP TRICK discography

For more discographies visit...

© 2005 Connolly & Company. All rights reserved.