The result? A brutalist, stripped-down re-recording of their 1977 classic, In Color . Officially released as a promo CD in 1998 (and later a very limited Japanese tour item), this isn’t just a remaster; it is a full-throated exhumation. Today, we are analyzing the of that elusive disc.
This isn't the Cheap Trick your dad plays at the BBQ. This is the Cheap Trick that played CBGBs when the Ramones were still afraid of them.
The band hired him to re-record In Color to prove a point: That they were punks before punk went mainstream. That they could be as raw as The Stooges. Albini didn't just produce this; he wired it. Live room, no isolation booths, vintage mics, and a mandate: "Play it like you hate it."
The original album starts with a crowd cheer. Albini deletes it. Instead, you hear Robin Zander count in, "One, two..." followed by the ring of Bun E. Carlos’s snare that sounds like a gunshot. The FLAC reveals the room —you hear the wood creak. The result
Streaming services (Spotify/Apple) use the 2008 "remaster," which brick-walled the dynamics. The Albini session is available on some platforms, but streamed at 256kbps AAC.
Rick Nielsen’s guitar solo is sloppy. Not lazy, but aggressive. You can hear him stomp a distortion pedal in the left channel 0.5 seconds before the solo starts. Most producers would edit that out. Albini left it in because "that’s what playing feels like."
This disc is out of print. Copies on Discogs run for $150+. However, the band has hinted at a "Raw Albini Box Set" for 2025. Until then, if you find a used copy, rip it to FLAC immediately. Today, we are analyzing the of that elusive disc
The drum sound here is the definitive Albini sound. Bun E. Carlos’s kick drum doesn't thump; it punches you in the sternum. The FLAC preserves the transient perfectly. On MP3, that attack blurs. On FLAC, it’s a surgical spike.
Deep Dive: Cheap Trick’s “In Color” – The Lost Albini Raw Nerve (1998 CD FLAC Review)
9/10 for sound quality (Loses one point because the vocals are intentionally too quiet in the mix). Mood: Angry, sweaty, and perfect for a winter garage. The band hired him to re-record In Color
Do you own the original 1998 promo CD? Have you compared the vinyl pressing of this session to the FLAC? Drop your thoughts in the comments below.
But here is the truth: In Color (1977) sounds like a beautiful photograph. In Color (Albini 1998) sounds like the negative. It is visceral. It is the sound of four guys in a room who hate the fact that they have to play their own hits again.
Critics in 1998 hated this. Rolling Stone called it "unlistenable." Why? Because Albini stripped the double-tracked vocals. Zander sounds isolated and angry. The backing harmonies are buried.