Lost/Forgotten Album #176

[Jon]

Maybe it's the album title. Maybe "The Earth, A Small Man, His Dog And A Chicken" was too weird of an album title. So weird that people didn't buy this album? I sure didn't, but it wasn't because of the album title, which I admit is very weird. 

Maybe it was the previous album, "Life As We Know It", turned fans off. I bought that album, only because of the song "Variety Tonight" which I still think is a really good song. 

Before "Life..." there was the mega-selling "Wheels Are Turnin'" which I really dig. Now, to go from "Wheels..." to Life..." was quite the downfall. Maybe that's why this album sold maybe 3 or 4 copies? Nah. It's the album title.

Let's see....I dig "You Can Tune A Piano, But You Can't Tuna Fish", "Nine Lives" and "Wheels Are Turnin"". "Hi Infidelity" and "Good Trouble" have their moments, but "Hi Infidelity" is brought down by that atrocious song about the letter. Probably one of the worst songs ever written.

So, what about this week's album? There's a couple songs I've heard before, and they weren't too bad. I took my time though, and finally bought this 23 years after it was released. And you know what? I totally dig this album (it helps that I spent about $1.50)!

Gone is Gary Richrath, replaced by Dave Amato (Ted Nugent), and Alan Gratzer, replaced by Bryan Hitt (Wang Chung, Nick Gilder) and to me there's really nothing missing. 

The first half of the album is fairly mellow, with some uptempo songs thrown in, while the second half is mostly harder-edged, especially "L.I.A.R." which rocks harder than anything REO did since "Back On The Road Again".

I'll think you'll enjoy this. I was going to post something that was better than I thought it would be next week but I've been told I need to take the next two weeks off. Something to do with the union, I think. 

The Earth, A Small Man, His Dog And A Chicken

1. Love Is A Rock
2. The Heart Survives
3. Live It Up
4. All Heaven Broke Loose
5. Love In The Future
6. Half Way
7. Love To Hate
8. You Won't See Me
9. Can't Lie To My Heart
10. L.I.A.R.
11. Go For Broke

Availability: Around $8 on Amazon, but I'm sure you can find it much cheaper if you look hard enough.

[RJhog (Admin)]

Cool, I have always wanted to hear this.  Well, not always, but I have wanted to hear it.  Now I can.

[Scott]

I too got burned by Variety Tonight on "Life..."  Great song on a weak album that made me forgot about the band for awhile.  I too look forward to this listen as Ive heard pieces and parts which have sounded very good.

[RJhog (Admin)]

Wow, what a total let down.  This is undoubtedly the worst REO album I've ever heard.  Here's what I think on the individual tracks:

1. Cheesy

2. Cheesy and sappy.

3. Upbeat, but still sappy.

4. Off the sappy Richter scale.

5. Sappterrible.

6. Sappawful.

7. Finally, upbeat song no. 2.  At least it's not sapnasty.

8. Upbeat song no. 3, I'm getting tired of this album.

9. Thank God, another sapphorrendous ballad.

10. Way too late for a decent song.

11. Why didn't they name this song G.F.B?

Whew, you saved me however much this cost.  Thanks.

[RJhog (Admin)]

I am amazed that you like this but you hate In Your Letter.  Just amazed.

[Jon]

I first listened to this last week and liked it the first time. Thought maybe I was in a sappy mood when I listened to it, but when I listened to it again while posting this, I still liked it. Maybe it's because their previous album was horrible, but I haven't listened to that for a few years. Who know why I like it.

[RJhog (Admin)]

You like it 'cause I don't like it.  Plain and simple.

[Scott]

I like LOVE IS A ROCK, I had it on their second decade of tunes package (which got lost and nerver replaced - how I dont know)  

anyway ...  Cheesy?  Yes, but the opener is quite nice..  Moving on it is easy to hear Richrath missing, that second track is a bit on the cheesy side thats for sure, but I didnt mind it, didnt like it much, but didnt hate it or skip it. 

Live It Up is another track Ive heard before and totally forgot about until just now.  Amato is s fine guitarist for sure.  And a suitable replacement player, but here again, the songwrioting sufferes without RIchrath.  I will probably forget about this tune, again, as soon as it ends.

All Heaven Broke Loose is as forgettable as that one song that preceded it.  But I did like Love In The Future and then Halfway spoiled the good vibe, yuck!  That one was a bad as those earlier forgettable songs ...  So someone sent me a video of a bunch of Santa Clauses beating each other up in NYC hahahaha, meanwhile the music played and I totally forgot about it until LIAR came on and then I remembered that one because it was also on that second decade package that I lost but dont know how I lost it.

Wait, what did I just listen to?  Who posted this?