You Can Tune a Piano But You Can't Tuna Fish [Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered]

REO Speedwagon | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 21, 2000)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B000051Y0I
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #146,979 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 8-Tracks, Cheap beer and REO!, July 9, 2005

By 

Somewhere in Texas (Planet Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: You Can Tune a Piano But You Can't Tuna Fish (Audio CD)

When I was in high school (class of 80!) my favorite classes were auto shop and electronics. One day in 1978 I worked on a guy's Jeep and took a peek inside his 8-track tape box. The guy had about 6 REO tapes and I thought "who are these guys?". I was a big Styx, Kansas, and Van Halen fan but never heard of them before. A few months later I helped a freind install a new Pioneer Supertuner 8-Track deck with Jensen tri-axel speakers, and we tested it out using his new tape - you guess it - their classic "Tuna" album! It sounded so great that I bought my own copy that night. It's been my favorite REO album ever since.

REO has always been a classic bar band "made good" at heart. At the time they were relentlessly touring across the mid-southwest while building up a following of die-hard fans. REO finally went platinum with thier 1977 Live album (sadly chopped up on CD - the Vinyl LP is still the definitive version), which set the stage for "Tuna", and 2 years later leading to a nationwide breakthrough with "Hi Infidelity".

The great things about this album - excellent songwriting from Cronin and Richrath, a wide variety of styles with tight musicanship, going from all-out rockers, sweet ballads, and midtempo pop-rock. After being unfocused for so many years, REO finally got it's act together on one album to become a great Album Rock band. REO was never ment to be a "Critic's Darling" - they were a band for teenagers and working class young adults who wanted to party and Rock!

Compared to the reverbed-to-death "Hi Infidelity" and "Good Trouble" LP's - the production of "Tuna" still sounds clean and well recorded. The new CD is a huge improvement in sound quality over the old CD that was released in the 80's. Toss the old one in the trash, or give it away and get this CD instead.

Listening to REO reminds me of great times in the Seventies when you could buy beer and cigarettes as a teenager, listen to music played by real musicans that wasnt sampled and pieced together on computers, and gettin' laid without the fear of HIV!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars I can name that tuna in 5 notes..., January 28, 2001

By 

eveoflove (North York, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: You Can Tune a Piano But You Can't Tuna Fish (Audio CD)

Made in CAN in 2000, Serial# EK-61613, Playing Time: 34 min.

Originally released back in 1978, this album (#8) shows a trend towards rockier melodies than its predecessor. Now remastered and re-issued at the same time as "Hi Infidelity", this album shows a band performing much more straight-ahead rock than the latter, but not quite as effective as on their ninth album, "Nine Lives".

This CD contains a few classics, like "Roll With Changes", "Time For Me To Fly" and "Say You Love Me Or Say Goodnight".

Up here in the Great White North, Sony has applied a sticker that reads "Digitally Remastered! Bonus Tracks!" Unfortunately, there are no bonus tracks.

If you're into the rockier side of the band and enjoy tracks like "Don't Let Him Go" from the "Hi Infidelity" album, "You Can Tune A Piano..." and "Nine Lives" (not to be confused with Aerosmith's) belong in your CD collection.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Their Best Studio Album!, February 22, 2002

By 

Sonterro (Lakeland, Florida USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: You Can Tune a Piano But You Can't Tuna Fish (Audio CD)

REO Speedwagon.... To me, their studio albums were never as good as the live performance. However, when this album came out they finally figured out how to capture the intensity. This is truly a great recording.

Every REO fan should have this in the collection.