i agree. and here's one of his best beast modes: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/frhodtGJ056wiWQ.html

💯% agreed

spot on, the tastiest licks in rock

His sound has Gibson written all over it! A rough and edgy feel which I refer to as the "corn cob" sound.

@@Ibanezed210 great description! I absolutely love his sound

Excellent EXCELLENT post, thank you. Kevin Cronin has serious pipes I do forget about him, errantly. I remember now thank you, what happened. REO Speedwagon went soft, going for the Top 40 AM radio songs fame. That is really what happened and it was most likely the agents and producers meddling. But I suppose with a beautiful voice you want to strip the instruments back, highlight his singing. It's understandable completely, but probably took REO Speedwagon out of a lot of rock listeners off their mix tapes.

……..well said !! I got to see them in late 70’s and again last summer ❤️🔥🎸

Close but not quite. Kevin Cronin is not the original singer, that was Terry Luttrell, later of Starcastle. (Well, technically the original, original singer was Joe Matt, but he left long before they got a record deal.) It had taken four years to get a deal, and when the debut album stiffed, Luttrell walked away. (Footage of Luttrell leading the band can be found on KZfaq. It's marked 1971, "The Session".) Gary Richrath drew the short straw in looking for a new singer. (Gary had also done some singing, but didn't want the whole job.). He checked out an ad for a "Musicians Referral Service", which turned out to be an enterprising young folk singer, Kevin Cronin, trying to refer himself into a job. Gary admired Kevin's chutzpah, and besides he was tired of searching. So Kevin did the vocals on the 2nd album, "T.W.O." and they did a tour and started working on a third album. However, the 2nd album (while it is great) hadn't sold either, and when Kevin started missing rehearsals and getting into arguments with the others in the studio, he was out of there, and they hired Mike Murphy instead. Mike got along fine with everyone and his "Southern Rock" voice seemed good for the marketplace. But while the band enjoyed making three albums with Mike, they STILL weren't selling, and since the band was coming to the end of their 6-album deal (the industry standard), the record company was in a jam. REO had built a reputation as a top live act and they could sell tickets, but not so much with selling the music itself. The label wanted to bring back Kevin, thinking that the 2nd album had been the best so far. (Correct.). The band was…less enthusiastic. Gary was really interested in hiring Greg X. Volz, but Greg had decided he was too committed a Christian to join a secular band and passed. (Greg later became the singer for the popular Christian group, Petra.). So, the band did agree to bring Kevin back, after all. (Kevin had done a few solo gigs, and written some songs. "The Ballad of the Illinois Opera" which found its way onto a REO record decades later, was one.) Detailed agreements were drawn up. Gary and Kevin would split the songwriting and the lead vocals equally. (Gary wasn't too thrilled but decided to give it a try.). The 6th album, entitled "R.E.O." wasn't a big smash either, but the company believed in the band enough to give them a new deal. After the band did an EXCELLENT double live album, bassist Greg Philbin started wondering why they couldn't just credit the songs to the whole band, as they'd done on the first album. (Luttrell was still making money from songs such as "Lay Me Down" and "157 Riverside Avenue" which had been on the debut and were now placed on the live album, 5 years after Luttrell.had quit.). Of course Kevin wasn't about to give away rights to HIS songs to people who had already fired him once before (and Gary wasn't thrilled about it either, especially after what a hassle the new contracts had been), so a simpler solution was reached; Philbin was out of the band and the new bassist was Bruce Hall, a California guy they already knew, as he had co-written the title track to the 4th album "Lost in a Dream" with Mike Murphy. (Pretty good song, too.) And that's how the band you just heard came to be. Drummer Alan Gratzer took retirement in 1987 and Kevin fired Gary two years later (Revenge!), but since then they've been completely stable. Bruce Hall has been with them for 45 years, which isn't bad for a fill-in gig.

Just curious-have you ever seen REO live in concert? I've seen them live over 50 times from 78 to 2020 so curious of your impressions of seeing them live in concert??

@@Davelakful I've seen them at least 20 times since 1984 including 3 times in 5 days in 1996. I've always enjoyed the live concerts except for the crowds who most of the time are distractions because most of the people (especially outdoor events) are there to drink and talk during the songs. So i've soured over the years from attending their concerts. First as I said too many distractions and too expensive and no diversity in their play set anymore. Plus they don't come to my area too much anymore. This state has sadly become home for ignorant redneck hillbillies and their stupid country "music" I would prefer to watch a video of their concerts. I wish they would make a new one and play all the old songs before Hi Infidelity.

Well, next to Zappa, most underrated.

I had 3 or 4 friends always turning up the volume on REO Speedwagon. I saw it as a challenge to my bands, but REO is top talent entirely. And yes their keys, guitars and vocals second to few. Very very few.

top 10 in my favorite guitar songs of all time. 🎸🎸🎸

Yes! Excellent song!

I'm from Illinois. They used to play at the bars in Champaign, location of U of I. Bars were Chances R and The Red Lion.

Yes they were!!!! boy those were the days!!

I can attest to the live show being great, saw them at the Academy Of Music on 14th street in NYC early 1970s

Amen

Agreed the live version is unsurpassed excellence! Rip Great Gary a true guitar monster!!!

@@petepotaczek5844 I love how the live video shows Gary absolutely in his happy place

@@wdrauch I know right! Such a shame how it all ended for Gary.

@@wdrauch I completely concur, I dig it when Gary kisses the pick as it transitions from Neal Doughty's organ solo over to his solo.

They were a great band way before they went pop.

@@michaelherbert1395 I only know REO from what i got on the radio... Hard rock was more to my liking at that time.

Thank you!! I agree with all of this.

Earworm Journey era over, thank God. Good band, but went soft fast.

I had never heard them. I found 157 Riverside Ave album (1973) in a pawn shop. I bought it and was a fan ever since! Golden County is another one worth reacting to.

Absolutely, the live version is the best!

Saw these guys at 1981 Day of Rock n Roll in the SuperDome. Top notch band.