Classic Rock Bottom

One of my early influences was an album from REO Speedwagon, it was a self-titled album often referred to as “COW” because of the cover art and the branded image of the REO in the skin of the hide. It’s likely the most cohesive REO album you can find or hear. At the time I had no idea that it represented a band coming together again, I just knew every song I heard was well written, played and catchy as catchy gets! But also the guitar works was special. This was my introduction to Gary Richrath. From this intro, I was able to go back and hear REO “T.W.O.”, and “Ridin’ The Storm Out” thanks to some friends and my brothers album collection. Around the same time their “Live: You Get What You Play For” album came out, which blew up FM radio with their live rendition of “Ridin’ The Storm Out” and “157 Riverside Avenue”. So for me real REO started with REO, make sense?

So that’s the backdrop for why I love the Gary Richrath era of REO. Though he was always creative and unique, his guitar work really started to become distinct and stand out even more with the COW album. That’s the reason this week Hidden Treasures highlights Gary Richrath and the songs he wrote, or co-wrote....


Enjoy!


PLAYLIST --> http://www.podsnack.com/sgabbert/avk5eh11

REO
1976

1 - Lightning

This was the band's last studio album to feature original bassist and founding member Gregg Philbin; he would be replaced on the following studio album You Can Tune a Piano but You Can't Tuna Fish, by bassist Bruce Hall. This album is co-sung by both Kevin Cronin and Gary Richrath. On previous albums (Ridin' the Storm Out, Lost in a Dream, This Time We Mean It) Richrath would generally only sing one song; however on this album he equally shares the vocal duties with Cronin.

Live: You Get What You Play For
1977

2 - 157 Riverside Avenue

Released as a double-LP in 1977 (and years later as a single CD). It was recorded at Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kansas, the Market Square Arena in Indianapolis, Indiana, Kiel Auditorium in Saint Louis, Missouri and Alex Cooley's Electric Ballroom in Atlanta, Georgia. It peaked at number #72 on the Billboard 200 chart in 1977. The song "Ridin' the Storm Out" reached #94 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart. The album went platinum on December 14, 1978.

Nine Lives
1979

3 - Only The Strong Survive

REO Speedwagon gets slagged regularly, but they always deliver in concert and the freewheelin' Nine Lives, their (natch) ninth, sports one cool sleeve: tight leather, suspenders, fishnets, and cat chicks. The black circle inside rocks mightily also. Bassman Bruce Hall steps up to the plate with "Back on the Road Again," a stadium stage staple that kept these Illinois boys makin' noise on the radio. The Caribbean vibe in the hard luck "Easy Money" can't touch the Scorpions' 1979 foray into reggae ("Is There Anybody There?"), but old reliable axeman Gary Richrath keeps the number burning. The obligatory ballad, "I Need You Tonight," is one of REO's best cuts ever with priceless piano from Neal Doughty, the most unsung keyboardist alive. The whole quintet cooks on the stony nugget "Meet Me on the Mountain," the Led orgasm "Heavy on Your Love," barroom showoff "Drop It," and unheard single "Only the Strong Survive." REO's next record sparked a phenomenon, and the band never kicked out a set as rocking and carefree as Nine Lives again. The track "Only The Strong Survive" also later appeared on Gary Richrath's 1992 album Only the Strong Survive.

Hi Infidelity
1980

4 - Follow My Heart

This is the sound of the stadiums in that netherworld between giants like Zeppelin and MTV's slick, video-ready anthems. This is unabashedly mainstream rock, but there's a real urgency to the songs and the performances that gives it a real emotional core, even if the production keeps it tied to the early, previsual '80s. And so what if it does, because this is great arena rock, filled with hooks as expansive as Three Rivers Stadium and as catchy as the flu. That, of course, applies to the record's two biggest hits -- the power ballad "Keep on Loving You" and the surging "Take It on the Run" -- which define their era, but what gives the album real staying power is that the rest of the record works equally well. That's most apparent on the Bo Diddley-inspired opener, "Don't Let Him Go," whose insistent beat sent it to the album rock charts, but also such great album tracks as "Follow My Heart," the sun-kissed '60s homage "In Your Letter," and "Tough Guys." What's really great about these songs is not just the sheen of professionalism that makes them addictive to listen to, but there's a real strain of pathos that runs through these songs -- the album's title isn't just a clever pun, but a description of the tortured romantic relationships that populate this record's songs. This is really arena rock's Blood on the Tracks, albeit by a group of guys instead of a singular vision, but that makes it more affecting, as well as a killer slice of ear candy.

Wheels Are Turnin’
1984

5 - Rock and Roll Star

Every track has the band sounding sharper and more alive, with even the less-extravagant material like "Break His Spell" and "Thru the Window" emanating merit. "One Lonely Night" throws the spotlight on Cronin's voice, proving that his expertise at carrying out the slow stuff hasn't dwindled, while "Live Every Moment" rounds out the last of the singles from the album, hitting number 34 in August of 1985, eight months after Wheels Are Turnin' achieved its number-seven mark on the U.S. charts. With production, songwriting, and tight instrumentation wisely dished out in equal portions, Wheels Are Turnin' was evidence that REO Speedwagon could still make some gratifying rock & roll.

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I like Richrath.  But I'm one of those folks that prefer the radio-friendly tunes from Hi Infidelity.  To me, that's just a hook and groove filled pleasure palace.  I like the follow up as well (Good Trouble), and I believe I'm the only one here who does.  

Good to hear from you! Thanks for checking in, I think you'd like all albums listed here for the same reasons you cite

I actually have all of these, but I've never listened to most of 'em all the way through.  Lightning is a nice tune.  I dig Cronin's voice and can't imagine Richrath's being as good.  I'll try to check the entire album out soon.  The piano and lead guitar solo on the live cut are both terrific.  The bass solo is kind of just "there" to me.  

I will be very surprised, If I'll like this.

1. Start makes me think of Neil Young. That's the sound of the guitar. This song actually ain't half-bad. I'm surprised. It has that 70's-sound, that I love. If I had a time-machine, I would go back to 1975. An okay guitar-solo as well. Not bad at all.

2. Start makes me think of Status Quo. A straight forward rock-song. Not bad, but not that good either. Something I've heard too many times. I'm bored.

3. And now I'm thinking Cheap Trick, at the start, that is. Yeah, it does sound like 1979, and I did like the sound of 1979, and still do. It's not bad, but again it's a straight forward song, nothing special. I'll forget it in 2 sec. But not as bad, as I'd expected.

4. Now I don''t think of other bands than REO. This is kind of the sound I think of, when I think REO. Do I ever think REO? Certainly not. Another boring song. Apparently they got worse and worse. Not a good song at all. I have a difficult time listening to it.

5. Yeah, this do nOT appeal to me at all. The only surprisingly good song was the first one. This last one is the worst. I can almost sense the squaredance...ydrk!

Do you know what the greatest album is that has never been released?

I have four of these on CD, actually had the same four on vinyl. Don't know why I had the live album on vinyl, it came with a set on CD so that explains that. The only song that I can remember is the one here, I think I played that a lot.

"Nine Lives" is their best album with one of the greatest album closing songs of all time. Good thing I did that set some time ago AND COPYRIGHTED IT. That way, nobody else can claim it was their idea.

Ok. Of course someone had to mention "In Your Letter", one of the worst songs of all time. It ranks up there with "Muskrat Love". Even though the song you posted is ok, just thinking of THAT song has made me ill.

I really, really like "Wheels Are Turnin'" for some reason. I mean REALLY like it. I remember the inside sleeve had this thing you could cut out and put on a turntable and it would have been really cool to cut it out and put it on the turntable but then you would be ruining the album. Why would you do that?    

Oh, and the answer to that question at the very top is Bruce Hall's solo album, of course.

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