Label Told STRUGGLING Band: GIVE Us a Hit or You're DONE…DELIVERED 15 Weeks at #1!-Professor of Rock

[@ProfessorofRock]

Poll: Bottom line...What is your pick for the greatest rock album of the 80s?

[@witchy6978]

SONIC TEMPLE

[@christineml1476]

Styx "Paradise Theatre"

[@catherine6653]

U2 Joshua Tree Tom Petty, Full Moon Fever

[@ueno1]

Eliminator!!

[@SPak-rt2gb]

MSG - All there albums from the 80s especially Assault Attack

[@Whisper_292]

I love the fact that Kevin Cronin, after all these years of fame, is still surprised and just _thrilled_ how much people love their music.

[@ProfessorofRock]

He's one of the best guys in music! I'm telling ya!

[@kathycuster1714]

Can't go wrong with REO!

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

He still has that passion for music, and his spark has not dimmed.

[@jaimeballester840]

@@ProfessorofRock - you just made my day Interviewing Kevin! I'm 67 and he is 72. Listened to their music since the beginning! He looks terrific. Amazing human as well as musician. Thanks! 🙏🙏

[@elijahablaze]

Saw REO in Idaho Falls Idaho live. Their final tour. It was a GREAT show

[@adventuresoflittlejohnny]

Here's an REO story: Reo was playing a Sunday Night gig in Evansville Indiana in the early 70's at the Coliseum [Packed House as usual]. My band {Freedom Railroad} was playing the ONLY bar open on a Sunday called the Stage Door. We were all pissed, as we were all REO fans and couldn't go because we had a gig to play From 8pm to midnight. We are about to go back on at around 10:00 pm when one of the waitresses comes over and says "REO Speedwagon is in the house and would like to play...you guys mind"? Uh...well...NO! So come to find out apparently some drinking had started before they got there and the bass player was too drunk to play and Kevin's voice was a little strained so anyway Gary Richrath was the only one to play with us and we opened the set with "Ridin the Storm Out" and it was the 10 minute version cause Gary was on fire!!! When it was over the standing ovation was like nothing we ever experienced before or after. It was a great night and is one of those unbelievable lifetime experiences, and our 15 mins of fame. Also it was recorded on our lead singers reel to reel who still has it...I need to get that out. Kevin great interview and I hope somebody passes on this story about Gary and it makes you smile!

[@TheGoatShowMan]

Perhaps the most underrated band of the 80's.

[@TWayneD1020]

Great !! Thank you for sharing !!

[@robertfrederick4714]

Great story!!!

[@najibkhan7299]

I love the Hi Infidelity album. Every song is a winner imo. We were so spoilt with the sheer quality of melodic Rock in the early 80s....landmark works from Journey, Toto, Foreigner, Styx all made their mark with classic albums at the start of that decade. REO Speedwagon definitly in that category.

[@Mick_Ts_Chick]

I'm a big REO fan. Gary was a great guitar player and doesn't get the recognition he deserves. I saw them in concert in 81, and it was awesome. Gary just blew me away. Kevin does a good interview. He's very forthcoming and enthusiastic. Thanks for posting. RIP Gary.💔🎸❤️‍🔥

[@roaldyboy]

Summer of 81 / 23 years old, heading up to the California Delta to go water skiing with my girlfriend! Gary Richrath blasting that solo on the old Pioneer Supertuner! Good old days! Olympia beer! Ha Ha! Yeah Baby! REO

[@flavellinator]

It was THE #1 song requested and played at the roller rink I worked at in 1981. In fact, on weekend matinees we'd just play the whole album and everyone was quite happy with it. Kevin is such a kind and humble dude!

[@purplelove392]

One of the best albums ever!

[@ProfessorofRock]

A roller rink classic! What's your favorite by them Flave?

[@ProfessorofRock]

Such classic!

[@tubeyouall2]

Adam, I just want to thank you for all these great video's you share. You having these personal interviews with all these great artist make them even more special. These video's take me to another place and another time when life seemed so much more simpler and carefree. Taking time out of a stressful day to watch these video's means more to me more than you will ever know. Adam, you definitely have earned the title and degree of the Professor of Rock!

[@flavellinator]

That's easy Professor... It's "Roll With The Changes" 👍

[@deebedwell580]

They’re one of those bands that takes on a new appearance when you see them live. Much more of a rock show than some would want to believe.

[@ReverendDr.Thomas]

I'm a child of the 1960s-1970s, but in the 1980s there were a handful of popular musicians who attracted my ear, including REO Speedwagon.

[@LazyIRanch]

REO Speedwagon actually formed the band in 1967, and had at least 9 albums released during the 1970s. "Riding The Storm Out" was the first song of theirs that got my attention because it's awesome! I'm kinda stunned because I looked it up and found that song and album came out in 1973! I thought it was an 80s song. My memory is failing. Dang, I feel so old. I should have remembered this, because my best friend in Jr. High was the one who turned me on to this band when we were 12 years old!

[@Zzus321]

​@@LazyIRanch Riding, Keep pushing, Golden County and more were the Greatest

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

Hey there Reverend! Long time, no see.

[@ReverendDr.Thomas]

@@LazyIRanch, in my home country, Australia, they were unknown until this song was released.

[@ReverendDr.Thomas]

@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980, I have multiple KZbin accounts. 🤪

[@christineml1476]

"Keep On Loving You" is a beautiful marriage of soft and hard rock. It's a sound that appeals to many musical tastes. It's no wonder it topped the charts for as long as it did.

[@ProfessorofRock]

Well said! It's a true classic!

[@istankimjong-unbutcantstan3398]

Battle-Yacht Rock.

[@LazyIRanch]

So many songs presented on this channel for deep dives bring up memories for me! This one is about my former housemate, Kathy back in the 1980s. Kathy's a wonderful woman, very smart, funny, sweet, and as kind a person one could meet. She was about 5'2", and... zaftig. She met a man at work who was very handsome, and they started spending most of their free time together. I was so happy that someone saw Kathy for the beautiful woman she truly is! She told me this song was THEIR song. They had so much in common such as camping and hiking and music. Then that day came when he ripped her heart out and stomped on it... He shows up with his glamorous girlfriend who just returned after spending 6 months in Paris working as a model for a fashion designer. He introduces her to Kathy, "This is my good friend I told you about! Kathy, meet my FIANCE!" Meanwhile, Kathy looks like she just got kicked by a mule. It got worse... "I told you that you didn't have to worry about me cheating since I spent all my free time with Kathy!" He said to the heavily made-up, underdressed bamboo pole he called his fiance, actually insinuated that Kathy was "too ugly" for such a "catch" like him. Actually, bamboo has more personality than that vapid twink did. He'll never know that he already had a fine woman who truly loved him and would be faithful to him! JERK! Kathy picked herself up after a brief mourning period, and then she joined the Peace Corp and went to the Côte d'Ivoire to help build clinics and give medical care to deserving citizens. She had a degree in animal husbandry and veterinary experience, so she was a big help teaching them basic medical care for their goats and oxen, too. She sent back a picture of her sitting on an old flatbed truck in a lovely but primitive place. She's got a big grin, the same big grin as the children who are hugging her. She's never looked more beautiful! Sorry about the long story, but this is what comes to mind every time I hear that song! I bet that guy caught some exotic VD from his model girlfriend, and she dumped him soon after she returned from Paris. I don't know where Kathy is today, but I know the people who love her are glad she's there.

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

It’s a smart song, that uses the power ballad formula to its advantage.

[@stuBdoc]

When I was a student of U of IL from 70-74, REO Speedwagon was one of the house bands at a local bar, and were sometimes paid to play a show in the dorm parking lot. We all thought they were far too good for that small life, with Richrath playing damn near as good as Jimmy Page. The rest is history! Great memories.

[@rogerdeahl9629]

❤ Love REO Speedwagon. Great band before Hi Infidelity.......... Remember: You Can Tune a Piano But You Can't Tuna Fish. 😊 Thanks Professor. Kevin Cronin is one of the good guys of Rock 3:51

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

You can keep on loving a fish though.

[@rogerdeahl9629]

@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤪🤪🤪

[@jessehayes486]

Interviews with Kevin are always gold. He seems like a good old friend with Adam, and they're always just hanging out talking about the good ol' days.

[@tombarry1824]

Those REO Speedwagon songs are like a time machine. So many memories rush in when hearing those great songs.

[@richarddenman842]

REO is the best concert band I've ever seen or heard. Their songs sound fantastic live and like Kevin said they play them much better now. The fact that they're not in the RRHOF is criminal.

[@ProfessorofRock]

I agree. They should be in!

[@SGray44444]

Rrhof is a joke. Nothing R-R about it. It should just be called the pop music hof.

[@1twistedcpl6575]

@@SGray44444 older stuff is harder. Radio didnt play it. Riding the storm out" was a rock for sure

[@1twistedcpl6575]

@@SGray44444 so motown shouldnt be in? Or blues? Beatles were "pop"

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

When did you see them?

[@Lam_3-22-23]

The fact that Marty Robbins, Floyd Cramer and Speedwagon were recording simultaneously in the same studio is just more proof great music has no genre.

[@ProfessorofRock]

Exactly! So cool.

[@witchy6978]

How does that prove that great music has no genre?

[@Lam_3-22-23]

@@witchy6978 as he said, they were the first non-country act to record in that Nashville studio . The piano ending was Floyd's. Whenever you start combining greatness genres disappear, it simply becomes MUSIC.

[@flavellinator]

Strangely, I've always felt that Keep on Loving You would be a pretty good country song...

[@williambenner701]

Absolutely! It has a country feel to it.

[@jefff2223]

When Hi Infidelity came out, it blew up in my high school. No one had ever heard of REO but then those songs came out and it was like people went crazy.

[@BF309th]

What a fantastic interview. Kevin was so energetic and enthusiastic about sharing R.E.O.'s story that I truly felt compelled to watch and learn. Thanks to you, sir... and especially, thank you Kevin Cronin. Salute!

[@Trix897]

Being someone who grew up in Champaign, I’m always so proud to be from that area of Illinois when my hometown is highlighted like it is here with REO Speedwagon.

[@lowellfultz1990]

I enjoy almost all of your stuff Adam, but this one really hit home. The 70's were my "formative" years. Graduated in 79, and REO Speedwagon was a big part of the soundtrack to SO many memories of that time of my life, and right into the 80's. A lot of chills while watching this one! Thanks for the memories!

[@ProfessorofRock]

Thanks for watching!

[@kimnach]

Same here, Class of '79. The 70s had the greatest variety of music from Motown to Metal.

[@saveriosalemme5366]

Same goes for me, class of 81.

[@bubblehed738]

I was one of those Midwestern fans that Kevin talks about that already knew who REO was and love them. When High Infidelity came out, I had already seen them in concert twice. But, Take It On The Run blew my mind.

[@fuiplu]

My teen years represented by this great band. Gary Richrath one of my favorite guitarists

[@ProfessorofRock]

So good!

[@fuiplu]

@@ProfessorofRock great interview Adam

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

R.I.P. Gary Richrath.

[@Zzus321]

​@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980He played so clean. Another underated guitarist

[@BlessYourHeart254]

Same

[@jenniferedwards1752]

Going to high school in central Illinois in the early 80s, REO was OUR band!

[@jerryoxley1827]

REO Speedwagon is terrific to this day. I played Hi Infidelity into the ground the year it came out. Keep On Loving You was just a stroke of genius. Epic was lucky to have them on the label.

[@purplelove392]

Me too! Wore out the 8-track & cassette and got the CD!

[@ProfessorofRock]

I agree. They really came through!

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

What was your favorite song on it?

[@dukecraig2402]

I was in high school from 80 to 83, during that period the two must have albums was Hi Infidelity and Back In Black, both came out in 80 and both of them ripped through every high school in America like a wildfire.

[@jerryoxley1827]

Take It On The Run and Out Of Season

[@userperson5259]

I'm not ashamed to admit that to this day, the song that is the most nostalgic for me, that takes me back to the 80s and has been stuck in my head more than any other song since the day I heard it.. is I Can't Fight This Feelin' Anymore from REO Speedwagon. In My Dreams takes me to a magical place in my mind, right back to my youth like no other song can. This stuff was the soundtrack of my young life and I'll be forever grateful. JEALOUS of you Adam that you got to sit down with Kevin Cronin, an American Treasure who is still with us!!

[@williedonovan8085]

Seen them in concert a couple years ago and he still amazes me how his voice and live singing still sounds like the original years ago. Amazing singer

[@saigonexile531]

Must've been cool to be at Kevin's home just chatting about great music. Lucky you!!! BTW, great interview so THANKS!

[@trinaq]

This song is even more heartbreaking when you learn that Kevin Cronin's wife had been cheating on him before they were even married, yet he continued to love her despite her betrayal. You can really hear all of his pain in his vocals.

[@ProfessorofRock]

Where did you hear about this? Just curious. Thanks Trina

[@trinaq]

@@ProfessorofRock I looked it up on Songfacts, so it might not be 100% accurate.

[@1twistedcpl6575]

Story been published several times over the years. Idk if he ever confirmed it himself. Seems unlikely since Gary Ritchrath penned the first verse himself and presented it to Cronin when they were looking for songs to write for the album. Again...idk lol

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

I would be helpless in that moment, for sure.

[@markchapman7326]

@@ProfessorofRock I will find it in my collection of interviews of the 80' and send it to you (and audience). Yes He was being cheating by his girl in the middle of 1979- till middle 1980

[@TTT-1961.]

I’m from St Louis and KC is right about the sellout at Busch in the ‘70’s. Ridn’ the Storm Out is what got me into playing bass in a rock band in high school. We played a bunch of REO.

[@martint.ingham7132]

I was born the year this album came out, and I remember my Uncle Stephen introducing me to REO Speedwagon in the late 80's as my music interests began to expand. Take it on the Run was an instant favorite! Keep on Loving You didn't quite resonate until I was more into my teens and could "feel" the songs with a more mature mindset.

[@heystarfish100]

Kevin Cronin is the pride of southwest suburban Chicago’s Village of Oak Lawn. Woo! Wooo! 🤘😎✌️

[@garyedwardgray7549]

This band is beyond words. I saw them in concert “past their prime”. One of those tours where they team up with a couple other 80s bands. I was there to see one of the other bands. Eh, sure, I liked REO, so I was okay to listen to them, but, meh, whatever… that’s not why I was there. Then… They performed. My God. They might’ve been past their peak, but they still had it. I was blown away. And believe me, not everyone can keep it past their prime. I also saw Steely Dan in a similar concert. You couldn’t pay me money to ever watch Steely Dan again. I’ve also seen Styx many time. They did remain great, but definitely a bit off their peak. REO was top of their game. Go to an REO concert in 2005 and you thought it was 1985. I’ve only been shocked (positively) by a performance one other time in my life (Lionel Richie is beyond imagination). I also liked REO, but seeing them live launches them into my top tier of bands. They are phenomenal.

[@Kaotiqua]

I love this interview- and I loved you referencing Casey Kassem, because I've been binging your eps, had only just minutes before you mentioned him, realized that's who your voice (and delivery) reminded me of!

[@70gabino]

Man, I was 11 when this song came on the radio, and it completely captivated me. I was sitting in the dentist office, reading a magazine (a Sports Illustrated with John Hannah of the Patriots on the cover), the rain beating against the windows, happy to have gotten out of school early, and feeling like my life was on the verge of some great years ahead. Even now, hearing it it takes me right back to that moment. It's crazy, I suddenly feel cold and can smell the rain and the plants inside of that office! I'm not kidding. Great episode!!!!!!!

[@davidmc1489]

The song remembers when....😊

[@kengoetz4567]

Growing up in St. Louis listening on KSHE-95, stalwarts included REO Speedwagon and the Red Rocker. Love that the Live album was partially recorded in the Lou.

[@jonhammer7109]

Guess it's only fitting. Professor is a blessing to tunes. Glad he was blessed to sit across so many music legends

[@neftalifigueroa4740]

I've seen this one twice! Always a great joy listen to Kevin Cronin and the professor talk about the music business!

[@johnarmstrong6227]

Saw REO last year and they were terrific. Kevin really comes across like a genuine, kind, grounded guy which makes me like them even more.

[@joanwillis3642]

I love this band! While I loved the later hits, Riding the Storm Out was always my favorite. Definitely one of my favorite groups!

[@stevendavid5370]

I saw Reo Speedwagon with Molly Hatchet at the Oakland Auditorium. Molly was so loud, I was hearing the emergency broadcasting system buzz in my ears. Kevin and the whole band were brilliant that night. My favorite Reo Album though is Nine Lives cover to cover. Other albums are really good, but there isn't any so-so's on Nine Lives. Gary was one hell of a guitarist - RIP!!

[@LadyCin611]

Excellent interview. I love REO. Thank you, Adam.

[@ProfessorofRock]

Thanks for watching!

[@xojewel1]

First concert fall of 1974 St Louis, at the Kiel. Met Gary R. Super nice to a young fan.

[@steveturner3999]

I had this album on cassette and played it continually in my Sanyo bi-amp stereo in my ‘77 Camaro LT. Take It On The Run was always my favorite. That opening line is just as you said Professor. It makes you immediately want to know what comes next. REO Speedwagon and The Cars were my constant companions. You were 4 Professor? I was married one year to the month this album came out. God I miss the 80’s and my late wife! Miss you Rhonda Lynn!

[@jeffjohnson1302]

I loved REO. Hey did not know you were only 46. Glad to hear you love the music of the 60s on up. Keep up the good work and iconic stories!!

[@dillsplace]

The quality of these daily vids are over the top. I can't imagine how much work goes into putting these together. Every one of them captures my interest for so many different reasons. Great job Professor!!

[@michaeln1683]

Love your channel.. as a 80s music fan I can listen to you talk music all night. Great job

[@SockMonkeyofcourse]

Kevin is SO cool...what a gift to all of us. Great interview!

[@ProfessorofRock]

Thanks for watching!

[@mwaynem]

One of the few albums that I've had the vinyl, the cassette and the cd. Also multiple copies because got played so much that they were worn out. Great interview. Thanks for putting this together.

[@1twistedcpl6575]

Gary Ritchrath...one of the most underrated, uncredited guitar players in rock n roll. Lyricist as well. He and Chris Degarmo too often overlooked. JMO

[@cojaxart8986]

Five of us guys lived on campus at UW-Oshkosh, Wisconsin in a big old house. When the weather was nice, we would open all the windows, crank up REO Speedwagon, and it seemed like half of the student body would come by for beer and listen to the music . This was back in 1974. Their music would run at least 12 hours a day in our house! Loved me some REO!

[@T10elC]

Great interview. HiInFidelity is fantastic. Although one of my favorite REO Speedwagon songs is still "Riding The Storm Out." I've been stuck in storms, so it has always resonated with me. The story behind that song is interesting.

[@ProfessorofRock]

Love Riding the Storm out! So good!

[@jimchristopher2340]

True 😊

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

Do you live in Tornado Alley?

[@pagit69]

Don't Let Him Go great is a great first track with the drums with the Bo Diddley beat sounds awesome. Keep On Loving You has the guitar juxtaposing the piano and vocals balances out the song. I love the reverb and guitar work on this album.

[@brenturquhart7090]

This album was a true bargain. Every song was good. For a young teenager, albums were expensive. I bought this album and still listen it today. I remember when I first listened to this album. I was on vacation and of course there was a girl. While I lost her at then end of the summer, the album will be mine forever.

[@ProfessorofRock]

It was like a greatest hits record!

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

I’m sure everybody wanted their hands on this album in 1981.

[@stevegallo8483]

Love REO Speedwagon. Hi Infidelity is one of the first albums I ever got. I wore out multiple copies of it on cassette and now have it on CD. Still listen to it often.

[@MrSeanwick1969]

No one ever talks about how important Bruce Hall was to this album. His vocals and bass playing was the perfect offset to the tension between Cronin and Ritchrath

[@ProfessorofRock]

Agree!

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

Good call.

[@CaptainCraigKWMRZ]

1980, my Senior year, I skipped my prom to see REO in Bloomington, IN. First time I heard this song. I play a solo gig once a week now in SWFL and play it every gig. Old people sing along!

[@MyName-pl7zn]

Definitely one of my favorite interviews you have done, I was totally entertained! To think Gary was trying to rip Kevin's beautiful ballot with that screaming guitar but it fit perfectly to make it really wail! I was graduating that year and even my friends that loved heavy metal when singing keep on loving you and take it on the run and many others from this amazing album. Great episode!!

[@ProfessorofRock]

Thanks My Name! Love Kevin. What's your favorite by them?

[@MyName-pl7zn]

@@ProfessorofRock it is almost impossible to top hi infidelity, one of my favorite albums, 2nd would be you can tune a piano, then riding the Strom out then REO. I am from the Midwest and they were big here before they smashed it with hi infidelity and then everyone knew them

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

The song really needed to rock, so I’m glad Gary came up with the idea.

[@MyName-pl7zn]

@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 hi Lilly! This whole album is great too

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

@@MyName-pl7zn Of course. Hi Infidelity is awesome.

[@billallen1307]

Thank you Adam. I saw REO at Freedom Hall in 1981 and was lucky enough to see them again in Elizabethtown Kentucky sometime around 2010 at an outdoor setting near Freeman Lake. Atlanta Rhythm Section opened for them there. Great memories.

[@brentcox7772]

Awesome interview again Professor!! Love this song and band!!🤘🔥

[@ProfessorofRock]

Thanks Brent!

[@gunnyhighway7283]

Kevin seems so genuinely kind here that it makes me an even bigger fan! That album was one of the best ever! Enjoyed this interview!

[@constipatedinsincity4424]

I have seen REO Speedwagon, Styx, Journey and or Foreigner in concert together plenty of times .

[@thomasluttkus9956]

Convenient, since they are all the same band.

[@constipatedinsincity4424]

@@thomasluttkus9956 Quite perceptive Youngling

[@danaharris5654]

I grew up listening to REO and my favorite album is still Tuna Fish. 9 Live a close 2nd.

[@robertneal4244]

What a great album. I got to see REO Speedwagon twice in concert. Great memories.

[@rickyblackburn-n9e]

I love how you do these interviews and segments. You have such an affection for the artists and material. It is infectious. I'm gonna keep on loving it.

[@tedbecker4051]

Love your interviews with Kevin Cronin. He seems like a cool dude, and you both look like you're having a great time. I remember well hearing "Keep on Loving You" for the first time. I was instantly hooked. I ran out and bought the album with my papaer route money. I loved the album so much that I ran back out and bought 3 or 4 more REO Speedwagon albums. It's crazy that the record execs told them they needed a hit album or they were gone. After hearing their album "You Can Tune a Piano, but You Can't Tuna Fish," I couldn't decide which album was better. That album is waaaay underrated. "Time For Me to Fly" is my favorite REO Speedwagon song and should have been a number 1 hit. "Roll with the Changes" is right up there. Would love to see more interviews with Kevin Cronin. Thanks for another great episode, Professor

[@ProfessorofRock]

It was such a fun interview. Thanks Ted!

[@bobdavis4848]

My first REO Speedwagon record was the 45 rpm single "Time For Me To Fly," which I bought with paper route money. I had no idea if I'd like it; I was taking a chance based on song title and band name I didn't know. I liked it enough to start collecting on REO in general, despite how the single was edited despite how the album version was not really long. I agree with you about songs and albums and Kevin seeming very cool.

[@beenaplumber8379]

When I first heard those guitars hit that first power chord I felt rock music change. It was an entirely new sound and a new kind of power. The piano with the blasting guitar was a combination of sounds that made me feel huge inside. Boston's 1st is the only other one that did that to me, the instant sound that gave me a whole new and awesome perspective on the power of rock. It told the world what I looked like on the inside, and I wanted to scream it loudly to everyone.

[@clarkdevan]

Best Channel on KZbin!! Thanks for all the hard work Adam. Along with Just Audio’s and Quickybaby’s channel yall are my daily watches. Love all the nostalgia and music.

[@ProfessorofRock]

Wow, thanks! Appreciate that!

[@janhofschulte6229]

The whole album is gold and brings back so many great memories listening to it on our new record player when we were in our early teens. That was our go-to album- we still know every word to every song! I especially love the Little Rascals opening to the song Tough Guys. I would love to hear the story behind that song! Thanks for keeping the music alive!

[@craigparse1439]

REO was one of the foundational bands of my childhood. I was 13 when it came out and Hi inFIdelity prompted me to get all the old REO albums and I love their musical journey. I always enjoyed Gary's piping hot serving of Rock-n-Roll and the back and forth solos between Neil and Gary. Best album to me was the live one, but for me, it all started the first time I heard "Keep on Loving You".

[@allanjuhl9574]

Funny! I got done watching this interview and went straight to “you get what you play for”. Golden Country jamming in my ears right now. It’s the best.

[@mr.intensity2685]

Professor Adam, my mom actually went to high school with Neal Doughty from REO Speedwagon, 1960-61. I used to frequently see his brother, Mark, at a local bar, and he was always happy to hear his brother and the band playing on the jukebox. The bar closed in 1997, and Mark passed away in 2001. RIP, Mark 🙏

[@michaelberthelot3594]

I love Hi Infidelity! Every song on the album is great. The album has such a unique, crisp, clean sound. Love it! It came out my first year of college. Such great memories!

[@ProfessorofRock]

Couldn't agree more!

[@marktait2371]

agree fidelity and tuna both great sounding records i have both double live which we listended to in school hard to find in good condition last one i saw waa like 40 dollars

[@Zzus321]

You've got to Listen to Decade of Rock

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

What’s your favorite song on Hi Infidelity? Mine is In Your Letter

[@marktait2371]

​@@Zzus321yes thats a hard one to find on vinly at least local

[@jayrough3383]

This is why you have the very best content on KZbin! Awesome music to bring us back to the past! Thank you for all the hard work you put in for us

[@lauriemeidinger7031]

You played dead, but you never bled. "In stead you layed still in the grass all coiled up and hissing". Freaking genius! Also that Little Rascals clip intro to Tough guys. " Alfalfa will you push me on the swing? Sure Darla. Hey Romeo what about your promise to the he man woman haters club? I'm sorry Spankey. I've got to live my own life. Made me smile every time I heard it.

[@taraschneider6115]

My mom grew up lower middle class, her mom's family were farmers, her dad's family came over from England & died young-putting my grandfather into foster care. She LOVED & still loves music & singing but she was very frugal. Afterall, radio was free. So, if SHE had an album, you better bet she LOVED at least one song on there. One of the albums she owned was this R.E.O. Speedwagon vinyl. I remember listening to it on her combo radio, record, tape cassette player. I would lay on the floor, right in front of the speakers, & be consumed by the music. I didn't really appreciate REO until I was a little older & understood the lyrics better & had grown to appreciate guitar solos. I was born in '79 & started to appreciate them more in the late 80's/early 90's.

[@timesurfingalien]

Always loved REO Speedwagon

[@ProfessorofRock]

Amen!

[@magneto7930]

Kevin was right, that is definitely one of the greatest opening lines to a song. If somebody repeats the first five words, that is the song you think of.

[@BillGraper]

It's the song that started the 80's power ballad style, with the heavy guitar! When it was out, I wanted the 45 really bad. I told my older sister I think it's by "Red Speedwagon." 😆 Give me a break, I was 9!

[@waynevanstanley3795]

That's ok. When I first heard Iron Man by Black Sabbath, the lyric: "for the future of mankind"? --- I thought Ozzy was singing: "put the future on a dime." Yeah, whatever the heck that was supposed 😢to mean, eh?

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

I believe the first power ballad was Lady by Styx, but Keep on Loving You was no doubt an 80s trailblazer song.

[@waynevanstanley3795]

@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 You may be right. That was a pretty epic love song for the era. That was before their A&M record deal. The label they were on then was Wooden Nickel.

[@loriswincher2426]

Just can't deny that Speedwagon has always been legit. But, you know, they were born in the '70s - when we really did truly have it all.

[@sariahut1]

This is one of those songs that just seems like it’s been around my whole life. I honestly can’t remember when I first heard it. It’s definitely on the soundtrack to my life. A song I know all the words to but have no idea how I memorized them. A true classic.

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

I’m with you.

[@SkiGolfer]

I started in the R&R business in 1979 as an IA stagehand and went on my first major tour in 1981 with Jimmy Buffett, RIP. On the tour bus, we had a crude stereo set-up with a turntable that we would listen to our favorite albums before and after shows when we were just hanging out. Thank goodness for the fairly new Sony Walkman for when the bus was moving. I remember on that tour we literally wore out the following albums: REO Speedwagon: Hi Infidelity; Loverboy: Get Lucky; Molly Hatchet: Flirtin' with Disaster; The Marshall Tucker Band: Carolina Dreams; and .38 Special: Wild-Eyed Southern Boys. Also, the Georgia Satellites albums were played to excess on later tours. I have been a long-time REO Speedwagon fan going back to college days in the mid-70's. Thanks for the great content (as always) and for a great trip down memory lane!

[@bartbluemusic]

This was the 1st song I ever remember hearing from REO Speedwagon and it made me an instant fan. The album it's off of, Hi Infidelity, has one of my favorite all-time album covers as well. This really takes me back. Loved it. :)

[@ProfessorofRock]

Thanks Bart!

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

I love that album cover.

[@elvis13577]

Class of ‘81…. And Keep on Lovin’ You was my Senior Prom Song 🎶 Album 💿 was AMAZING !!!

[@jesscasalla224]

the stories of how they all started was just so amazing it's all so beautiful..thank you Adam for featuring this one..

[@ProfessorofRock]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@stephenbrown4211]

Soundtrack to my college days. I actually bought the album at a little record shop round the corner from the college

[@witchy6978]

Aw Cool !

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

Did you go to a prestigious college?

[@stephenbrown4211]

@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 unfortunately not.

[@trinapatterson8872]

Love your interviews with Kevin he’s such a nice guy and really makes you sew that reo’s music in a new and better way

[@bishdizzle67]

I've seen REO twice when they toured with Styx. Perfect combination on bands. Not a bad song was played. REO Hi Infidelity was played so often at the same time period I was rocking out to Foreigner 4, Paradise Theater, and Escape. They don't make records like that anymore and it's a crying shame.

[@ProfessorofRock]

Very cool! I love those guys together!

[@flavellinator]

Those, along with Moving Pictures by Rush and Crimes of Passion by Benatar for me... All of them are end-to-end classics!

[@LazyIRanch]

At the risk of sounding like an old fart, I can't think of two current bands or musicians that could possibly put on as good of a show as Styx and Speedwagon playing the same show! I hope you bought a t-shirt at that one.

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

Gosh, what a year.

[@marktait2371]

i think my brother attended that show in richmond back in the day i think.he had the tshirt reo one side styx on the back

[@RVWeekendsRC1]

REO was great in concert! I remember being in the tangerine bowl stadium in Orlando pushing my way to the front to watch them shed the stage! Amazing performance with killer guitar solos, what a great memory. I still have my ticket stub:)

[@TerryKrysinski]

Thanks for your time with these interviews,Adam...great stuff,bro! I could listen to behind the scenes stories from the artists about entire classic albums,song per song! It's like those 'Storytellers' series-- I think bands/artists should do entire tours in that format. Fans love stuff like that! Great work as always...Cheers, T

[@ProfessorofRock]

Thanks for watching! Please subscribe!

[@colinturner4158]

Gary was a awesome guitarist may he RIP

[@FurandFeathers71]

Sweet Interview! What a humble person. Love Keep on Loving You and thanks for asking about Take it on The Run. Love the energy in that as well.

[@ericbgordon1575]

REO Speedwagon was kind of an enigma for me. Instead of being one of those acts whose music I knew but whose name I didn't, I knew the Speedwagon name and their music - apart from each other. Who does that happen to? During 2001 when REO was featured on VH1: Behind the Music, I learned of how co-founder Neal Doughty chose the band name when he saw it written on the blackboard in his history of transportation class at University of Illinois, referring to a fire engine built in 1911 by Ransom Eli Olds (of Oldsmobile fame). In 2002 when my mentor and I went to a car show in Westchester County, NY where my sister and future brother-in-law were showcasing their Studebaker, I asked a security guard at the outsiide checkpoint if there was an iriginal R-E-O Speed Wagon on site - and this guy thought I was referring to the band. I needed to specify where they got the name from. I'm sure Kevin misses Gary greatly.

[@ProfessorofRock]

He does. They made magic together. No question.

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

I’ve always believed there was a man named Robert EO Speedwagon whom the band was named after but it turns out it’s the other way around.

[@AnneDowson-vp8lg]

Yes, I can identify with knowing REO Speedwagon and their music separately. I had no idea who sang Keep on Loving You. And I used to get REO Speedwagon mixed with REM. Not really similar at all, but both good bands.

[@blatherama]

Now I'm going to have this song stuck in my head all day.

[@peterflynn2111]

Top song that peaked at 3 in May 1981; Album peaked at number 6 spent 28 weeks in our chart here in Australia only one other single charted in 81 Take It On The Run number 30

[@ProfessorofRock]

Thanks Peter! Appreciate the insight.

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

Interesting. 🤨

[@corazondelince]

"Keep On Loving You" was the perfect song for the lovestruck teenage boy in The Last American Virgin.

[@TheNecronacht]

I was always baffled as to why they weren't more popular prior to the album High Infidelity... I'd been a fan since 1973's Ridin' The Storm Out as a pre teen. And my favorite album by REO is You Can Tune a Piano, but You Can't Tuna Fish.

[@marktait2371]

same here friends older bros. had the first two records on 8 track hand me down to us and live record was big in school but didnt go mainstream until.this song one of the best 70s bands was telling other por viewer saw live waa like 40 and rarely see first two but i did buy tuna gc for like 10 dollars at an antique store

[@TheNecronacht]

@@marktait2371 Yeah man, mine was a mix of old vinyl, 8-tracks, cassettes, and finally CD's. Still have most of them on CD to this day. REO and Kansas were my favorite bands. They don't make music like they used to and it's a damned shame...

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

It’s one of the best album titles ever.

[@marktait2371]

yeo same as told other viewer my older brother still says dont make them like that anymore i have tuna and fideliry but other records i guess old fans like us hold onto record store big price if they have any

[@kengoodman7637]

I absolutely love this song and the whole album. It brings me straight back to the 80s . When you have Kevin with a piano, you cant help to ask him to sing. Roght there with you, Prof.

[@kengoodman7637]

I think those videos that played in the first 24 hours of MTV are permanently ingrained in our brains.

[@spark556]

Amazing band with an incredible ballads 🔥

[@ProfessorofRock]

For sure!

[@robbounds4868]

Huge REO fan... Remember all those so well... Riding the storm out was what got me into playing.... I still follow Bruce to this day and always admired his contribution to the band

[@waynevia6976]

Great band. Great album. Love the whole album. In your letter and follow my head or my heart is one of my favorites.

[@ProfessorofRock]

Great songs! Love the throwback sound of In your lEtter!

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

I think In Your Letter is my favorite song by them.

[@judibarton8807]

I have to say, this is my favorite episode so far. Thank you!