Raw and fast, with a guitar sound closer to the garage than to the radio: that is how the self-titled debut album sounded that Cheap Trick originally released in February 1977 on Epic Records. Jack Douglas, who had worked with Aerosmith shortly before, produced the sessions. The line-up was singer Robin Zander, guitarist Rick Nielsen, bassist Tom Petersson, and drummer Bun E. Carlos. 'ELO Kiddies', 'He's a Whore', and 'The Ballad of T.V. Violence' show how the band from Rockford, Illinois tied black humour to hard riffs. The album barely sold at home; the breakthrough came two years later by way of Japan.

This edition is an LP on 180-gram vinyl, with an insert.