Another Excellent REO Speedwagon Concert!
They Were Tourin' an Album I Did Not Buy...
(I Had Already Drawn The Line By Then...)
Life As We Know It...
There's Only One Song from That Record Here...
(The First One Performed...)
The Rest Are REO As I Knew Them!
Great Westwood One Radio Broadcast Sound...
And The Awesome Guitar of One Mr. Gary Richrath!
He Would Leave the Band in 1989...
And, He Left This World in 2015...
But, He Left Us With Some Stellar Songs!
whoa..... Golden Country song No6 ??!! That looks really odd. Need to listen carefully to this one. Think I may be disappointed.
ReplyDeleteYou are right LAWKI was a poor album. Drummer and glue that held the band together (Alan Gratzer) retired and the whole thing fell apart. Cronin had a solo record deal with Geffen and left the band. Gary recruited Michael Jahnz as replacement singer for Reo.
Cronin's deal didn't happen so he "rejoined the band" & fired Gary.
Still would like to hear Bruce Hall & Neal Dougherty's take on this as they have been ominiously quiet all these years.
Cronin will have a book out later this year where he will again re-write history. I've heard him state that he co-wrote Riding the Storm Out amongst other things.
Sorry Rant over... I do feel passionately about the way Gary was treated....then cast aside & forgotten by his own band.
Robbo
Oh yes thanks for another Reo boot
Rant Well Received and Approved by Me!
DeleteYeah Neal, Alan & Gary were the Wheels on This Wagon!
You can Look Up The Setlist - Golden Country Still in Odd Place...
They Played More From That Album, But Radio Listeners Were Thankfully Spared...
Thanks for The Great Comment, Robbo...
Thanks Rocket
ReplyDeleteHad a quick listen. To be honest it's not too bad. Gary's guitar tone seems out on some tracks (I think he changed from his beloved Les Paul on this album/tour due to sponsor commitments).
Keyboards much more prominent and the Band seem to be trying out new intro's and subtle arrangement changes to some established songs.. presumably to keep things fresh.
I've checked out the setlist Screams & Whispers would have been a good inclusion from LAWKI.
Riding & 157 are rock solid as one would expect.
Looking back with hindsight it is easy to comment that all the signs of the wheels falling off the Speedwagon where there. I think they limped on until 1989 when Gary left was/fired.
If you've got anything prior to 1980 I would love to hear these - I've got all the ones posted on HRC. Lutteral/Murphy period would be a bonus like wise Cronin on his first tenure.
Keep up the good work mate!
thanx
ReplyDelete