REO Speedwagon - The Hits

Everyone misses the point about REO Speedwagon: the critics who call their music corporate and faceless, even fans looking for a 70s-80s nostalgia trip every summer with Frampton Comes Alive XXIII.
Unlike studio-born contemporaries such as Toto and Journey, REO came from the midwest and built its reputation on non-stop touring. Even amidst changes in personnel and musical tastes, their music, reflected in their best and most popular songs contained here, reflect persistence and perserverence. Look down the titles: "ROLL with the Changes," "KEEP on Loving You," "KEEP Pushing," "Don't Let Him Go," "Ridin' The Storm Out." (Not to mention "Keep The Fire Burnin'" a great 1982 hit which didn't make it here.) These songs are about staying in the game (whether the game is love or career) when many feel it's no longer necessary. It's no accident that their breakthrough 1977 live album was called, "You Get What You Play For"; REO's success was belated but earned. This is more than a best-of CD. Even with the hit ballads it's a mission statement that rocks.

REO Speedwagon began life as a rock group, edging toward the harder side. However, the group's success came with ballads, typically power ballads.

This album contains a taste of REO Speedwagon's harder edge with songs "Keep Pushin'," "Roll with the Changes," "Back on the Road Again" and "Ridin' the Storm Out." However, fans of REO Speedwagon's early material will likely be disappointed because the remainder of the album is largely ballads, and even those songs that skirt the definition of ballad are still love songs. This album also focuses on the years from "Hi Infidelity" to 1987, with nine of the fourteen songs in this collection from those years.

"Ridin' the Storm Out" was from the album of the same name, which reached #171 on the Pop Album chart. This song reached #94 and probably has as much air play today as when it was released in 1973.

The 1976 album "R.E.O.," which reached #159 on the Pop Album chart, contributes the song "Keep Pushin'," which I believe was not released as a single.

The 1978 album "You Can Tune a Piano, But You Can't Tuna Fish" was a breakthrough album for REO Speedwagon, reaching #29 on the Pop Album chart. This album contributes the songs "Time for Me to Fly," which reached #56, and "Roll with the Changes," which reached #58.

The 1979 album "Nine Lives" was about as successful as the 1978 album, reaching #33 on the Pop Album chart. That album is represented by the song "Back on the Road Again," which I believe was not released as a single.

The songs to this point are generally fast with a solid beat. However, in 1980 REO Speedwagon changed styles with the #1 album "Hi Infidelity," which lends three songs to this compilation. "Keep on Loving You" is a beautiful ballad that reached #1. "Take It on the Run" followed, reaching #5 on the charts. "Don't Let Him Go" was faster than the previous two songs, and varied from the previous releases enough that it only reached #24.

REO Speedwagon had another successful release with the 1982 album "Good Trouble," which reached #7. However, neither of the singles released from that album ("Keep the Fire Burnin'" and "Sweet Time") are in this collection.

In 1984, REO Speedwagon released their last top ten album, "Wheels are Turnin'," which reached #7 on the Billboard 200. That album provided two mellow hits, the #1 hit "Can't Fight this Feeling" and the #19 hit "One Lonely Night."

The last original album in this collection is 1987's "Life as We Know It," which provides two songs. "That Ain't Love" is dramatic mainstream pop, and reached #16. "In My Dreams" is mellower, and reached #17.

Two new songs were released on this album. "I Don't Want to Lose You" had a style similar to "That Ain't Love." The second new song was "Here with Me," which was released as a single and hit #20.

This album reached #56 on the Billboard 200 chart, and was one more indication that REO Speedwagon was waning in popularity. I find it unfortunate that a group that had so much to offer ended up going down a commercial path that yielded hits, but ultimately left the group high and dry as musical styles changed. However, for a time REO Speedwagon offered something creative and dramatic, and, even more important, something enjoyable to play on the stereo.

If you prefer REO Speedwagon's early, harder rock music, you may want to avoid this collection and buy the early albums. If you like the REO Speedwagon that released "Hi Infidelity," this collection may contain everything you need.

REO Speedwagon was one of those bands that came out of the 70's with an attitude that they'll do it their way. Disco was on it's way out, punk was just hitting its stride, and glam-rock hadn't started but these guys just wanted to ROCK! Although they had acheive some success in the late 70's with their first top 40 hit "Roll with the Changes" and the live album "Nine Lives" which re-introduced "Riding the Storm Out", it was 1981's "Hi Infidelity" which took them to superstar status. Hits like "Take it on the Run" and "Keep on Loving you" brought many new fans to the concerts. Unfortunitly, here is where they also started to sell out. Instead of being Rock & Roll stars they tried to become top 40 hit-makers. Songs like "Can't Fight This Feeling"(1984) and "In My Dreams" (1986) reek of sell out to the masses. What a shame.
This Greatest Hits collection covers just about all their albums, from mid-70's to late 80's, and is a great testament to their staying-power. If I were to buy only one REO Speedwagon CD, it would be Hi Infidelity. However, this collection would be second.