POLL: REO Speedwagon - Take It On the Run: The Best Of

Between KOLY and TIOTR for me.

― The inexorable rise of identity condiments (Sund4r), Friday, August 17, 2018 8:34 AM (yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

CFTF all the way.

― Scottish Country Twerking (Tom D.), Friday, August 17, 2018 8:38 AM (yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

TIOTR all day long

― Johnny Fever, Friday, August 17, 2018 9:37 AM (yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

No Roll With The Changes no credibility

― kornrulez6969, Friday, August 17, 2018 10:02 AM (yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

hell yeah thread of the year

― princess of hell (BradNelson), Friday, August 17, 2018 10:06 AM (yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I got a soft spot for REO Speedwagon as they were just one of those ubiquitous rock bands that was just everywhere when I was a kid growing up in Indiana at the end of the 70s early 80s. Those guys toured the midwest all the time (kinda still do) and had a really big following. Not Bob Seger or John Cougar popular, but but not far either at least in that 79-81 time.

"Keep On Loving You" is a much darker love song. Gary Richrath hits a couple of truly epic pick slides in this one and he was really good at that. Richrath's were also very melodic like a vocal line.

Talk is cheaper when the story is good, I might prefer "Take It on the Run" to either one.

Boston and REO definitely got that huge overdub chorus of voices down cold and that pretty much became Def Leppard's sound too.

Foreigner's "Waiting for a Girl Like You" is another tune that has a similar vibe as the REO power ballads.

All this music takes me back to being 11-12 years old and brokenhearted at the skating ring.

― earlnash, Thursday, August 16, 2018 4:48 PM (yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

classic post from the other thread imo. brokenhearted at the skating rink otm

― princess of hell (BradNelson), Friday, August 17, 2018 10:07 AM (yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

And what about Don't Let Him Go? Not to mention Time For Me To Fly. I think you people need an REO refresher course.

― kornrulez6969, Friday, August 17, 2018 10:08 AM (yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

this is so KOLY, a great song, insisting on it's vulnerability, and it has the lyrics "When I said that I loved you I meant that I loved you forever"

― niels, Friday, August 17, 2018 10:22 AM (yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Can't Fight This Feeling. What a song. I can virtually smell the leather in the back of my mate's dad's gold Granada.

― The shard-borne beetle with his drowsy hums (Chinaski), Friday, August 17, 2018 10:24 AM (yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

yeah, very car music

― niels, Friday, August 17, 2018 11:14 AM (yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

tbh only came across KOLY a few months ago on youtube (or was it the freaks and geeks soundtrack?) but it has such an immediate appeal, beautifully sentimental

I assumed REO were a hard rock band and this was their big soft single, the guards down ballad any hair metal band needs, but listening through their top tracks on Spotify I guess REO were all about big ballads?

― niels, Friday, August 17, 2018 11:17 AM (yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Foreigner's "Waiting for a Girl Like You" is another tune that has a similar vibe as the REO power ballads.

All this music takes me back to being 11-12 years old and brokenhearted at the skating ring.

― earlnash, Thursday, August 16, 2018 4:48 PM (yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

classic post from the other thread imo. brokenhearted at the skating rink otm

― princess of hell (BradNelson), Friday, August 17, 2018 8:07 AM (three hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

helll yessss, "waiting for a girl like you" is all time

― brimstead, Friday, August 17, 2018 1:18 PM (yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

REO had other tunes, some still played off the quiet/loud/quiet dynamic.

"Take It on the Run" is a ballad and then it goes totally Stairway2heaven during the solo break.

Check out some tunes from the "Live: You Get What You Play For"* live record, it shows their hard rock side. Many of these live versions are the one that is known and were big time radio staples.

Golden Country
Riding the Storm Out
Flying Turkey Trot
Keep Pushin

'Roll with the Changes' is a pretty driving tune too with a couple of epic pick slides.

https://youtu.be/M4665KTZkVM

*This one has to be on 'I've Got My Own Album to Do' list right?

― earlnash, Friday, August 17, 2018 9:04 PM (yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

appreciating the "i've been waiting" comp, ive sampled the shit out of that song the last few years.

"KOLY" is the most popular jesus and mary chain song in us chart history

― 21st savagery fox (m bison), Friday, August 17, 2018 9:25 PM (yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

tiotr is a banger

― call all destroyer, Friday, August 17, 2018 9:30 PM (yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

"One Lonely Night" is probably my other keeper from the best-of.

― The inexorable rise of identity condiments (Sund4r), Friday, August 17, 2018 9:37 PM (yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

just can't say enough for those guitars going into the chorus of Can't Fight This Feeling. they are really whaling on this poor song! BRAOW DOW!!!

― Doctor Casϵϵno (Doctor Casino), Friday, August 17, 2018 9:41 PM (yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

waitin' for the fallout

― mookieproof, Friday, August 17, 2018 9:51 PM (yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Keep On Loving You not only gets a bigger reception live, the band places it in the set as a tune of greater importance.

so....voting Take It On the Run

― fuck the NRA (Neanderthal), Friday, August 17, 2018 10:29 PM (yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

All these songs are classics, but the actual correct answer is "Time for Me to Fly."

(As noted, "Roll With the Changes" is also missing. So is "Keep the Fire Burnin'." (PHEAR my mad punctuatin' skillz, yo.))

― some kind of meunster (Ye Mad Puffin), Friday, August 17, 2018 10:35 PM (yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

these guys are the biggest cornballs live btw

― fuck the NRA (Neanderthal), Friday, August 17, 2018 10:37 PM (yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

or at least, Cronin is

― fuck the NRA (Neanderthal), Friday, August 17, 2018 10:37 PM (yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

neanderthal otm. I recently watched their Soundstage live video and was transfixed. I embrace the cheez of this band, and I find these songs offer compelling hooky drama that cannot be denied.

Of these three, I go with "Take it on the Run," if only for the line "talk is cheap when the story is good."

Plus, when I was like 11 years old I misheard "even if it is, keep this in mind" as "even if it is, keep kissin' mine." Which is decidedly more racy, and possibly even a superior lyric.

― some kind of meunster (Ye Mad Puffin), Friday, August 17, 2018 10:48 PM (yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

wait -- are they cornier than dennis deyoung

― mookieproof, Friday, August 17, 2018 10:53 PM (yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

That's like comparing Iowa sweet corn to Minnesota sweet corn.

They're both delicious, why do we need a hierarchy?

― some kind of meunster (Ye Mad Puffin), Friday, August 17, 2018 10:56 PM (yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

fair

― mookieproof, Friday, August 17, 2018 11:01 PM (fourteen hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Styx, Foreigner, REO, Toto, Journey, Asia, Triumph = 53% of a suburban white kid's Walkman in 1980-82. It's a rich source of corn, which for me evokes a very specific time. A year later and it's all new wavey and synthpoptimistic. We also had access to equally rich streams of less-lily-white music. Kool + gang, Debarge.

But for a moment there, a syrupy power ballad could rule the 6th grade dance with a particular kind of cornball majesty. And there's no shame in acknowledging its weird attraction.

― some kind of meunster (Ye Mad Puffin), Friday, August 17, 2018 11:23 PM (thirteen hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

as a 6th-grade dancer at the time, i can tell u that 'faithfully' and, to a slightly lesser extent 'open arms' blew away all the rest

REO *might* have gotten played, but certainly none of the others were

― mookieproof, Saturday, August 18, 2018 12:33 AM (twelve hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

have always loved the vocal phrasing on keep on loving you. one of the all time great songs to sing along to.

― InfoWarriors (Spottie), Saturday, August 18, 2018 2:40 AM (ten hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

First 2 lps and the Session tv show of them from that period. I think the line up changed in 1973 and you're left with the drek of the rest of their career

― Stevolende, Saturday, August 18, 2018 4:04 AM (nine hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

everybody so otm itt!

they're def in got my own album to do territory, p sure "you can tune a guitar but you can't tuna fish" has been posted a few times

that live album rocks on first listen, clearly the guys can play

were the other bands as romantic as REO? so many love songs

― niels, Saturday, August 18, 2018 5:24 AM (seven hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Journey was def sappily romantic. Foreigner was more creepy than romantic imo

― Οὖτις, Saturday, August 18, 2018 8:28 AM (four hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

definitely sweatier

― Doctor Casϵϵno (Doctor Casino), Saturday, August 18, 2018 8:30 AM (four hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

...

No Ridin the Storm Out = you & I can never be REO bros Sund4r

― bedraggled vorticist (Drugs A. Money), Saturday, August 18, 2018 1:02 PM (fourteen minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

No Tough Guys? This is an outrage

Time for Me To Fly gets points for using the “word” intoleration, but it’s Roll With The Changes

Immediate reaction with the three choices in the old thread is "Take It on the Run." Just always moved by the I-IV-V as a build-up-and-nothing-but in the verses and the hammer of the vi chord in the chorus.

"Golden Country" is a bit of midwest protest rock ala early G-Funk Railroad. It might be my favorite tune by REO. It was written by Gary Richrath.

I'm going to have to get this album, I've been saying I'm going to buy a best of for a long time - to the astonishment of my friends.

Time for Me to Fly / Take it on the Run / Roll with the Changes

Really close between these three. All else can suck it.

keep on lovin you is actually a really moving song for me

Roll With The Changes
over
Riding The Storm Out
and
Golden Country

haha love u guys for doing this poll

I've heard KOLY a tonne but never watched the video with the therapy session until just now, ha. V satisfying to hear that Cronin spoke with the exact same vowel sounds he sang with.

The narrative of wanting to make a marriage work despite infidelity and resentment is p mature for a power ballad.

it sure is. the song has always stood out for that reason

Good point about the vowels. Not thrilled that your post led me to this one though:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v92_F_dSPiA

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

Roll With the Changes wuz robbed!

can't argue with that #1

And I meant
Every word I said

When I said that I loved you
I meant that I loved you
Foreeeveer!!!

i felt that

That was my pick too but it's interesting to see how much better some of the earlier ones did compared to "Can't Fight This Feeling" and "Take It on the Run". (I'm about to use the latter as an example of a deceptive resolution in a lesson, btw.)

And though I know all about those men
Still I don't remember
'Cause it was us, baby, way before them
And we're still together

I change my vote retroactively to this. because my 12 year old brain always wants to change "Take It on the Run" to "Take It in the Bum"