Description

By the end of the 70s and beginning of the 80s, R.E.O. Speedwagon had won the hearts, minds and airwaves of continental North America.

R.E.O. Speedwagons long history goes way back to their formation in Champaign, Illinois in 1967. Initially a covers band playing bars and fraternity houses, the initial line-up featuring Neal Doughty on keyboards and Alan Gratzer on drums and vocals, named themselves after the R.E.O. Speed Wagon, a model of American flat-bed truck. By the time they recorded their debut LP for Epic Records in 1971, the line-up had settled around Terry Luttrell on lead vocals, driving force Gary Richrath on guitar and Gregg Philbin on bass. By the release of second LP, R.E.O./T.W.O., the band were joined by Kevin Cronin on lead vocals, guitar and keyboards. Following 1977s self-explanatory You Get What You Play For: Live, Bruce Hall would replace long time bassist Gregg Philbin in time for the punningly titled YOU CAN TUNE A PIANO BUT YOU CANT TUNA FISH [1978].

As well as extensive liner notes from Malcolm Dome, this expansive 9 disc set features a wealth of bonus tracks. Produced By Kevin Cronin and Gary Richrath with Paul Grupp, CD1 features YOU CAN TUNE A PIANO BUT YOU CANT TUNA FISH, which includes both long and short versions of the radio friendly Roll With The Changes, as well as a single edit for Time For Me To Fly. CD1 is completed by the rare promo LP, LIVE AGAIN from 1978, which features exclusive on-stage versions of Son Of A Poor Man, (I Believe) Our Time Is Gonna Come, Flying Turkey Trot, Keep Pushin, Ridin The Storm Out, Piano Interlude and 157 Riverside Avenue

Produced by Kevin Cronin and Gary Richrath with Kevin Beamish, CD2s NINE LIVES [1979] includes a cover of Chuck Berrys Rock & Roll Music, and concludes with Bruce Halls hard rocking road anthem, Back On The Road Again. Bonus Tracks are Easy Money (Edit) plus rare live versions of 157 Riverside Avenue and Ridin The Storm Out

With CD3s HI INFIDELITY [1980], R.E.O. truly conquered the American mainstream, with huge radio hits in Dont Let Him Go, Keep On Loving You and Take It On The Run. Once again it was produced by Kevin Cronin, Gary Richrath and Kevin Beamish and co-produced by Alan Gratzer.

CD4 kicks off with a collection of demos made for HI INFIDELITY, giving a unique insight into the creation of this huge record. CD4 is completed with live promo versions of Dont Let Him Go, Keep On Loving You, Take It On The Run and In Your Letter as well as a 1989 reggae version of Keep On Loving You.

Once again produced by Kevin Cronin, Gary Richrath, Kevin Beamish & Alan Gratzer, CD5s GOOD TROUBLE [1982] continued R.E.O.s continued domination of the charts with Keep The Fire Burnin.

CD6s WHEELS ARE TURNIN [1984] featured another massive hit in Cant Fight This Feeling. Bonus Tracks include a short version of I Do Wanna Know, Live Every Moment (Edit) and Wherever Youre Goin (Its Alright) taken from The Goonies film soundtrack.

Produced By Kevin Cronin, Gary Richrath, Alan Gratzer and David DeVore, the bonus cuts on CD7s LIFE AS WE KNOW IT [1987] are Variety Tonight (Edit), I Dont Want To Lose You, plus two versions of Here With Me. And as the sleeve proudly states, R.E.O. Speedwagon were still were Neal Doughty, Alan Gratzer, Gary Richrath, Kevin Cronin and Bruce Hall.

It was three years before R.E.O. would release a new album, and by the time of CD8s THE EARTH, A SMALL MAN, HIS DOG AND A CHICKEN [1990] Dave Amato had joined on lead guitar and Bryan Hitt was on drums and percussion. Bonus Tracks include two alternative versions apiece of All Heaven Broke Loose and Just For You, plus Til The Rivers Run Dry.

R.E.O. Speedwagon were very much a live act, and this mammoth nine disc set concludes with a collection of rare and exclusive live recordings, including Dont Let Him Go, Take It On The Run and Cant Fight This Feeling from Kemper Arena in 1985, Keep The Fire Burning and Roll With The Changes from Rockford Metro Centre 1983, Back On The Road Again from Blaisdell Arena, Honolulu 1989 and Keep On Lovin You from Indianapolis in 1984.

DISC ONE:
YOU CAN TUNE A PIANO BUT YOU CANT TUNA FISH (1978)
1. ROLL WITH THE CHANGES
2. BLAZIN YOUR OWN TRAIL AGAIN
3. TIME FOR ME TO FLY
4. LUCKY FOR YOU
5. THE UNIDENTIFIED FLYING TUNA TROT
6. SAY YOU LOVE ME OR SAY GOODNIGHT
7. RUNNIN BLIND
8. DO YOU KNOW WHERE YOUR WOMAN IS TONIGHT?
9. SING TO ME BONUS TRACKS
WITH THE CHANGES (SHORT VERSION)
WITH THE CHANGES (LONG VERSION)
FOR ME TO FLY (EDIT)

LIVE AGAIN [PROMO 1978]
OF A POOR MANN
14.(I BELIEVE) OUR TIME IS GONNA COME
TURKEY TROT
PUSHIN
THE STORM OUT
INTERLUDE
19.157 RIVERSIDE AVENUE

DISC TWO:
NINE LIVES (1979)
1. HEAVY ON YOUR LOVE
2. DROP IT (AN OLD DISGUISE)
3. ONLY THE STRONG SURVIVE
4. EASY MONEY
5. ROCK & ROLL MUSIC
6. TAKE ME
7. I NEED YOU TONIGHT
8. MEET ME ON THE MOUNTAIN
9. BACK ON THE ROAD AGAIN

BONUS TRACKS
MONEY (EDIT)
11.157 RIVERSIDE AVENUE (LIVE)
THE STORM OUT (LIVE)
DISC THREE:
HI INFIDELITY (1980)
1. DONT LET HIM GO
2. KEEP ON LOVING YOU
3. FOLLOW MY HEART
4. IN YOUR LETTER
5. TAKE IT ON THE RUN
6. TOUGH GUYS
7. OUT OF SEASON
8. SHAKIN IT LOOSE
9. SOMEONE TONIGHT
10. I WISH YOU WERE THERE

DISC FOUR:
BONUS TRACKS / PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED DEMOS
1. SOMEONE TONIGHT
2. TOUGH GUYS
3. IN YOUR LETTER
4. FOLLOW MY HEART
5. TAKE IT ON THE RUN
6. DONT LET HIM GO
7. KEEP ON LOVING YOU
8. SHAKIN IT LOOSE
9. I WISH YOU WERE THERE
10. DONT LET HIM GO (EDIT)
11. TAKE IT ON THE RUN (EDIT)

LIVE PROMO
12. DONT LET HIM GO
13. KEEP ON LOVING YOU
14. TAKE IT ON THE RUN
15. IN YOUR LETTER
16. KEEP ON LOVING YOU (89 REGGAE VERSION)

DISC FIVE:
GOOD TROUBLE (1982)
1. KEEP THE FIRE BURNIN
2. SWEET TIME
3. GIRL WITH THE HEART OF GOLD
4. EVERY NOW AND THEN
5. ILL FOLLOW YOU
6. THE KEY
7. BACK IN MY HEART AGAIN
8. LETS BE-BOP
9. STILLNESS OF THE NIGHT
10. GOOD TROUBLE

DISC SIX:
WHEELS ARE TURNIN (1984)
1. I DO WANNA KNOW
2. ONE LONELY NIGHT
3. THRU THE WINDOW
4. ROCK N ROLL STAR
5. LIVE EVERY MOMENT
6. CANT FIGHT THIS FEELING
7. GOTTA FEEL MORE
8. BREAK HIS SPELL
9. WHEELS ARE TURNIN

BONUS TRACKS
10. I DO WANNA KNOW (SHORT VERSION)
11. LIVE EVERY MOMENT (EDIT)
12. WHEREVER YOURE GOIN (ITS ALRIGHT) (REMIX)
13. GOTTA FEEL MORE (RADIO MIX LONG VERSION)
14. GOTTA FEEL MORE (RADIO MIX SHORT VERSION)
15. WHEREVER YOURE GOIN (ITS ALRIGHT) (THE GOONIES OST)
DISC SEVEN:
LIFE AS WE KNOW IT (1987)
1. NEW WAY TO LOVE
2. THAT AINT LOVE
3. IN MY DREAMS
4. ONE TOO MANY GIRLFRIENDS 5. VARIETY TONIGHT
6. SCREAMS AND WHISPERS
7. CANT GET YOU OUT OF MY HEART
8. OVER THE EDGE
9. ACCIDENTS CAN HAPPEN OF GETTIN NOWHERE BONUS TRACKS
TONIGHT (EDIT) 12.I DONT WANT TO LOSE YOU (THE HITS)
WITH ME (THE HITS)
WITH ME (RADIO EDIT)

DISC EIGHT:
THE EARTH, A SMALL MAN, HIS DOG AND A CHICKEN (1990)
1. LOVE IS A ROCK
2. THE HEART SURVIVES
3. LIVE IT UP
4. ALL HEAVEN BROKE LOOSE
5. LOVE IN THE FUTURE
6. HALF WAY
7. LOVE TO HATE
8. YOU WONT SEE ME
9. CANT LIE TO MY HEART
10.L.I.A.R
FOR BROKE

BONUS TRACKS
HEAVEN BROKE LOOSE (ALBUM VERSION-MORE GUITAR)
HEAVEN BROKE LOOSE
(SINGLE VERSION-MORE VOCAL)
FOR YOU (RADIO EDIT)
FOR YOU (THE BALLADS,FULL LENGTH VERSION)
THE RIVERS RUN DRY (THE BALLADS)

DISC NINE:
1. DONTLETHIMGO(KEMPERARENA1985)
2. TOUGHGUYS(KEMPERARENA1985)
3. TAKEITONTHERUN(KEMPERARENA1985)
4. I DO WANNA KNOW (KEMPER ARENA 1985)
5. CANT FIGHT THIS FEELING (KEMPER ARENA 1985)
6. KEEP THE FIRE BURNING (ROCKFORD METRO CENTRE 1983)
7. ROLL WITH THE CHANGES (ROCKFORD METRO CENTRE 1983)
8. THAT AINT LOVE (KIEL AUDITORIUM, ST LOUIS 1987)
9. BACK ON THE ROAD AGAIN (BLAISDELL ARENA, HONOLULU 1989)
IT UP (CLUB EASTBROOK, GRAND RAPIDS)
WITH THE CHANGES (DENVER, CO 1981)
THE STORM OUT (DENVER, CO 1981)
ON LOVIN YOU (INDIANAPOLIS, IN 1984)
B. GOODE (INDIANAPOLIS, IN 1985)
FIGHT THIS FEELING (GRAND RAPIDS, MI 1990)
YOU LOVE ME OR SAY GOODNIGHT ALPINE VALLEY, WI 1980)
FOR ME TO FLY (ST. LOUIS, MO 1987)