REO SPEEDWAGON – The Classic Years 1978-1990 [HNE BOX 9-CD Remastered] (2019)

British label Cherry Red / Hear No Evil has just released a golden pot for fans of classic US Melodic Rock: “REO SPEEDWAGON – The Classic Years 1978-1990 [HNE BOX 9-CD Remastered]”, a nine disc Box-set containing the seven albums that arguably defined the Illinois outfit as they took them to mega-chart success.
Also in evidence is a separate disc of rarities, B-sides & demos, and other with an unreleased live compilation – all coming remastered – making this release the definitive REO Speedwagon ’80s collection.

Apart of being fully remastered, this expansive Box-set features a wealth of bonus tracks.
Into the pack you’ll find the studio albums ‘You Can Tune A Piano But You Can’t Tuna Fish’ (plus bonus studio and live tracks), ‘Nine Lives’ (plus bonus and live tracks), ‘Hi Infidelity’ (plus a bonus CD of Hi Infidelity Demos / Rarities), ‘Good Trouble’, ‘Wheels Are Turnin’ (plus bonus edits and radio mixes), ‘Life As We Know It’ (plus bonus tracks), ‘The Earth, A Small Man, His Dog And A Chicken’ (plus bonus tracks), and a great bonus live CD collection.

Who would have suspected that an album titled ‘You Can Tune A Piano, But You Can’t Tuna Fish’ would pave the way to REO glory, but with two singles, “Roll With The Changes” and “Time For Me To Fly”, charting at the top 100 in the US and Canada in 1978, the line-up of singer/guitarist Kevin Cronin, lead guitarist Gary Richrath, new bassist Bruce Hall, keyboard man Neal Doughty and drummer Alan Gratzer, would ride this double platinum opus into the US top 30.
It’s a great album.

Follower ‘Nine Lives’ would cement REO’s popularity, and it’s easily among the band’s more rocking, and underrated. This remaster is stupendous.
‘Hi Infidelity’ is a must have into any respected Melodic Rock collection, this and the bonus disc with rarities / demos from the sessions are also to treasure. Some of these rarities appeared into the Hi Infidelity [30th Anniversary] reissue, but half the tracklist is previously unreleased.

Touring the world to promote that breakout album, two years would pass before the band’s second top ten record, ‘Good Trouble’, would appear in 1982, with its “Keep The Fire Burnin’” single also selling a ton. Another great album with that classic first half of the Eighties sound.
Then you need ‘Wheels Are Turnin’ (1984) = REO goes AOR. ‘Nuff said.

‘Life As We Know It’ followed in 1987, and while it didn’t make it big in the chart it rocks greatly with a polished production. Listed as bonus track, the ‘Here With Me (Radio Edit)’ version is impossible to find.
1990’s ‘The Earth, A Small Man, His Dog And A Chicken’ is highly underrated, and for me one of the best REO albums with a glossy ’89-90 production. Lots of rare bonus tracks here as well.

Bonus Disc 9 is an excellent 17 track live compilation that draws together performances of the band’s best loved numbers from 1981 to 1990 and proves once and for all that no matter the studio success, the stage was REO Speedwagon’s natural home. The sound quality is top notch.

“REO SPEEDWAGON – The Classic Years 1978-1990 [HNE BOX 9-CD Remastered]” is a must for all US Melodic Rock / AOR fans.
I really dig the remastering job, not saturated / not brickwalled, Kevin Cronin’s voice is nicely separated flying high over, and all instruments come clear, pristine.
HIGHLY Recommended

Disc 1: YOU CAN TUNE A PIANO BUT YOU CAN’T TUNA FISH (1978)
01. Roll With The Changes
02. Blazin’ Your Own Trail Again
03. Time For Me To Fly
04. Lucky For You
05. The Unidentified Flying Tuna Trot
06. Say You Love Me Or Say Goodnight
07. Runnin’ Blind
08. Do You Know Where Your Woman Is Tonight?
09. Sing To Me
BONUS TRACKS:
10. Roll With The Changes (short Version)
11. Roll With The Changes (long Version)
12. Time For Me To Fly (edit) Live Again [promo 1978]
LIVE AGAIN [PROMO 1978]:
13. Son Of A Poor Man
14. (I Believe) Our Time Is Gonna Come
15. Flying Turkey Trot
16. Keep Pushin’
17. Ridin’ The Storm Out
18. Piano Interlude
19. 157 Riverside Avenue

Disc 2: NINE LIVES (1979)
01. Heavy On Your Love
02. Drop It (an Old Disguise)
03. Only The Strong Survive
04. Easy Money
05. Rock & Roll Music
06. Take Me
07. I Need You Tonight
08. Meet Me On The Mountain
09. Back On The Road Again
BONUS TRACKS:
10. Easy Money (edit)
11. 157 Riverside Avenue (live)
12. Ridin’ The Storm Out (live)

Disc 3: HI INFIDELITY (1980)
01. Don’t Let Him Go
02. Keep On Loving You
03. Follow My Heart
04. In Your Letter
05. Take It On The Run
06. Tough Guys
07. Out Of Season
08. Shakin’ It Loose
09. Someone Tonight
10. I Wish You Were There

Disc 4: HI INFIDELITY BONUS TRACKS / PREV. UNRELEASED
01. Someone Tonight
02. Tough Guys
03. In Your Letter
04. Follow My Heart
05. Take It On The Run
06. Don’t Let Him Go
07. Keep On Loving You
08. Shakin’ It Loose
09. I Wish You Were There
10. Don’t Let Him Go (edit)
11. Take It On The Run (edit) Live Promo
12. Don’t 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 5: GOOD TROUBLE (1982)
01. Keep The Fire Burnin’
02. Sweet Time
03. Girl With The Heart Of Gold
04. Every Now And Then
05. I’ll Follow You
06. The Key
07. Back In My Heart Again
08. Let’s Be-bop
09. Stillness Of The Night
10. Good Trouble

Disc 6: WHEELS ARE TURNIN’ (1984)
01. I Do Wanna Know
02. One Lonely Night
03. Thru The Window
04. Rock ‘n Roll Star
05. Live Every Moment
06. Can’t Fight This Feeling
07. Gotta Feel More
08. Break His Spell
09. Wheels Are Turnin’
BONUS TRACKS:
10. I Do Wanna Know (short version)
11. Live Every Moment (edit)
12. Wherever You’re Goin’ (It’s Alright) (remix)
13. Gotta Feel More (radio Mix Long Version)
14. Gotta Feel More (radio Mix Short Version)
15. Wherever You’re Goin’ (It’s Alright) (Goonies OST)

Disc 7: LIFE AS WE KNOW IT (1987)
01. New Way To Love
02. That Ain’t Love
03. In My Dreams
04. One Too Many Girlfriends
05. Variety Tonight
06. Screams And Whispers
07. Can’t Get You Out Of My Heart
08. Over The Edge
09. Accidents Can Happen
10. Tired Of Gettin Nowhere
BONUS TRACKS:
11. Variety Tonight (edit)
12. I Don’t Want To Lose You (the Hits)
13. Here With Me (the Hits)
14. Here With Me (radio Edit)

Disc 8: THE EARTH, A SMALL MAN, HIS DOG AND A CHICKEN (1990)
01. Love Is A Rock
02. The Heart Survives
03. Live It Up
04. All Heaven Broke Loose
05. Love In The Future
06. Half Way
07. Love To Hate
08. You Won’t See Me
09. Can’t Lie To My Heart
10. L. I. A. R
11. Go For Broke
BONUS TRACKS:
12. All Heaven Broke Loose (album Version-more Guitar)
13. All Heaven Broke Loose (single Version-more Vocal)
14. Just For You (radio Edit)
15. Just For You (the Ballads, Full Length Version)
16. ’til The Rivers Run Dry (the Ballads)

Disc 9: REO LIVE (UNRELEASED)
01. Don’t Let Him Go (Kemper Arena 1985)
02. Tough Guys (Kemper Arena 1985)
03. Take It On The Run (Kemper Arena 1985)
04. I Do Wanna Know (Kemper Arena 1985)
05. Can’t Fight This Feeling (Kemper Arena 1985)
06. Keep The Fire Burning (Rockford Metro Centre 1983)
07. Roll With The Changes (Rockford Metro Centre 1983)
08. That Ain’t Love (Kiel Auditorium, St Louis 1987)
09. Back On The Road Again (Blaisdell Arena, Honolulu 1989)
10. Live It Up (Club Eastbrook, Grand Rapids)
11. Roll With The Changes (Denver, Co 1981)
12. Ridin’ The Storm Out (Denver, Co 1981)
13. Keep On Lovin’ You (Indianapolis, In 1984)
14. Johnny B. Goode (Indianapolis, In 1985)
15. Can’t Fight This Feeling (Grand Rapids, Mi 1990)
16. Say You Love Me Or Say Goodnight (alpine Valley, Wi 1980)
17. Time For Me To Fly (St. Louis, Mo 1987)

BUY IT !
www.amazon.com/Classic-Years-1978-1990-R-SPEEDWAGON/dp/B07KZBRKXM
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