REO Speedwagon: Nine Lives album review

REO Speedwagon: Nine Lives

Heavy on Your Love
Drop It (An Old Disguise)
Only the Strong Survive
Easy Money
Rock & Roll Music
Take Me
I Need You Tonight
Meet Me on the Mountain
Back on the Road Again

Guitarist Gary Richrath set the tone for Nine Lives, REO Speedwagon’s ninth album, with a simple remit. “Gary felt that we should rock a little harder,” frontman Kevin Cronin said.

The guitarist got what he wanted. On this album, they played it tough. And while this approach did not translate into hit singles, it did make for a smokin’ hard rock record.

Heavy On Your Love is the most badass song REO ever recorded. The momentum carries through riff-based tracks such as Only The Strong Survive and Take Me. And to finish, there is Back On The Road Again, an REO anthem, written and sung by bassist Bruce Hall and lit up by Richrath’s guitar heroics.

They even do a killer cover of Chuck Berry’s Rock & Roll Music. What makes Nine Lives really stand out, though, is the fact that it has all the drive of Aerosmith and the flair of Van Halen at the time. Quite simply, it’s one of the best American hard rock albums of the era

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Other albums released in July 1979

Rust Never Sleeps – Neil Young and Crazy Horse
The B-52’s – The B-52’s
Low Budget – The Kinks
Highway to Hell – AC/DC
Exposed – Mike Oldfield
John Cougar – John Cougar
Bop till You Drop – Ry Cooder
Can – Can
Duty Now for the Future – Devo
First Under the Wire – Little River Band
Gamma 1 – Gamma
No Promises… No Debts – Golden Earring
New Values – Iggy Pop

What they said…

“The obligatory ballad, I Need You Tonight, is one of REO’s best cuts ever with priceless piano from Neal Doughty, the most unsung keyboardist alive. The whole quintet cooks on the stony nugget Meet Me on the Mountain, the Led orgasm Heavy on Your Love, barroom showoff Drop It, and unheard single Only the Strong Survive. REO’s next record sparked a phenomenon, and the band never kicked out a set as rocking and carefree as Nine Lives again. (AllMusic)

“Forget about the rather obvious, chintzy sleeve, Nine Lives shows its sharp claws from the opening track Heavy On Your Love, with some vicious lead guitar from Richrath. On through Drop It and Only The Strong Survive the first side continues to get your feet stamping into over-drive. This side only falters with the rather leaden Easy Money before closing with good-time version of Chuck Berry’s ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll Music, which adds nothing to the original but is no less enjoyable. (Record Mirror)

“The music is a far cry from some of their later stuff. It’s even heavier that their 1978 smash You Can Tune a Piano, But You Can’t Tuna Fish. Even the album cover suggests heavy metal. If they didn’t do it in 1979, some heavy metal band in the 80s would have definitely used a cover photo like this on their album. I will go on a limb and speculate that maybe Motley Crue got some of their image ideas from this.” (80s Metal Man)

What you said…

Justin Amrhein: The definition of “great” can be debated, but any REO album with Gary Richrath’s playing is at the very least a good REO album. Gary was a criminally underrated player that got overlooked by so many due to REO going a “softer” direction after this album and becoming more popular from the bigger hits going forward.

Douglas Mackenzie: Wow, its fantastic. I gave up on REO Speedwagon after the riduclously overrated Hi Infidelity, which bored me to tears . But this is a high energy 70’s rock album with lots of energy, fantastic energy great songwriting and great songwriting. 9/10 today and 10/10 if i was around in 1978.

Mickel Knight: Some great stuff on this album but uneven in my opinion. The edge the band displays sounds good. The bookends on this, Heavy On Your Love and Back On The Road, are great. Drop (An old Disguise) is bad. Rock & Roll Music is generic. I’d point to the self-titled R.E.O. as a better choice of REO rocking out.

Gary Claydon: Hard rock? REO Speedwagon? Don’t know about ‘hard’, musically speaking these boys were walking round with a semi on at best, most of the time. Sure, there would be the occasional glimpse of rampant, fully engorged rock’n’roll but they were few and far between. Once they discovered the formula for arena status stardom, they would become totally – and terminally – flaccid.

No, REO Speedwagon spent the ’70s peddling the sort of anodyne, ultra-conservative stuff that always seems to find a sizable audience, particularly in the U.S.

From that, you’d think I don’t care much for REO Speedwagon, wouldn’t you? Truth is, I’m pretty ambivalent toward them, in much the same way as I am toward bands like, say, Nickelback. They hit on a style that suited them, they went with it and they built up a loyal fanbase along the way. The ‘overnight’ success that would eventually come their way was years in the making and was earned the ‘right’ way – through hard work and hard gigging. I have nothing but respect for that, even though it was the result of a sharp left turn in terms of style. They also had Gary Richrath, a truly excellent guitarist, although one who was very much under utilised.

If you need evidence of Richrath’s prowess, look no further than the bookends of Nine Lives. Album opener Heavy On Your Love is one of those rare times that the boys from Champaign, Illinois really do cut loose and much of that is down to Richrath, as well as some tidy work from drummer Alan Gratzer. The other stand-out is perennial favourite and album closer Back On The Road Again. In between, the tracks are all pretty forgettable (and somebody really should have told them to forget the cover of Rock & Roll Music). I’ve never been a fan of Kevin Cronin. I don’t think his vocals carry enough weight or power and are much more suited to the shit-with-sugar-on that was just around the corner. Having said that, he does a decent job on the album opener.

Nine Lives is much better than what would follow but that’s damning with faint praise and still doesn’t elevate it above being OK. 5/10.

Evan Sanders: This harder rock version of REO Speedwagon results in a fun album, which can stand along many other midwestern bands of the time, including April Wine and pre-Top 40 Styx. In fact, Styx is a good comparison for a band that had a harder rock sound that went away with commercial success.

On the down side, I didn’t find any of the songs standing out as ones that I would want to listen to repeatedly. I would enjoy this version of REO as a bar band, opening act, or one of the afternoon bands in a music festival. And I do have to subtract one point for the regrettable version of Rock & Roll Music, about as bad as the Beach Boys’ attempt in the 70s. 6/10.

Adrian Smith: Their ninth album and nine tracks. This was the album before the band broke big with Hi Infidelity. It starts promisingly with Heavy On Your Love, Drop It (An Old Disguise) and the excellent Only The Strong Survive. Good driving rock songs, the only gripe really being Kevin Cronin’s high pitched vocals.

The album then loses its way, with the next three tracks being instantly forgettable (including a completely pointless cover of Rock & Roll Music), before picking up for the final three songs, the highlight of which is the closer, Back On The Road Again. This was written by bassist Bruce Hall, who also took on lead vocals – and showed so much more grit than Cronin.

Its not a bad album by any means, but I would rather listen to Two, R.E.O. (the cow album) or Tuna – or better still the live You Get What You Play For. Gary Richrath was a superb guitar player who never appears on any top guitarist lists, but could play with the best of them. Check out the live versions of Back On The Road Again on YouTube. Score wise 7.5/10 I think.

Chris Downie: Undoubtedly, Nine Lives is a classic exhibit in the annals of ‘the one before they got big’ albums. Like many such albums, it deviates significantly from the sound that later made the band in question a household name (cue the inevitable ‘sell-out’ debates) and as such, has been relegated to something of, at best, a curiosity among classic rock fans and at worst, a diehards-only place in relative obscurity.

Those reasonably familiar with REO Speedwagon’s back catalogue will be aware that, for every AOR staple like Can’t Fight This Feeling there is a hard rock classic such as Ridin’ The Storm Out and a timeless anthem like Take It On The Run. The major debating point was often how neutered the excellent guitar work of Mr. Richrath was from album to album.

Looking back at this particular album with a fresh perspective, it is a solid continuation of its predecessors, while foreshadowing the smash hit-laden decade to come. It is bookended by fine slabs of classic, melodic hard rock, while Only The Strong Survive is a standout hit. The only downside is a pointless (if honourable) cover version of Chuck Berry, which arguably serves to do little other than pad out the short running time. 7/10.

Greg Schwepe: REO Speedwagon is a true Midwestern band. In their quest to make it, they most likely crisscrossed the Midwest states from their original home base in central Illinois, playing in every small college town bar, college basketball gymnasium, and minor league hockey arena. And if you grew up in the Midwest where I did, chances are your first time to see them early in their career was at one of those venues (or an even larger one once they hit the big time), and the FM rock station you listened to played a few of their songs. And they did eventually graduated to full blown arenas and big outdoor amphitheaters.

Nine Lives is an interesting album. I will state upfront that it is most likely the hardest rocking REO album in their catalogue, hands down. Trouble is, while I wouldn’t call this a “lost album,” it’s wedged between the album that brought them their first taste of more radio airplay (You Can Tune A Piano…) and the album that brought them a lot of radio airplay (Hi Infidelity). The average music fan might pass this one by and miss the band at their rockin’ best.

Right out of the gate Heavy On Your Love makes a statement; “yeah, this album will be heavy.” With Neal Doughty’s Hammond organ and Gary Richrath’s wah-infused guitar solo, they let you know you will be pumping your fist while listening to this.

Drop It (An Old Disguise) follows and the accelerator is still close to the floorboard. Lots of rowdy guitar and Kevin Cronin’s vocals set the tone. The chugging Only The Strong Survive comes next and is tasty rock and roll bread and butter; more loud guitar, sing along chorus, and another stellar Gary Richrath solo. And following that is Rock & Roll Music from the guitar player across the Mississippi River in St. Louis that most likely inspired REO and many other artists; Chuck Berry.

Easy Money tells the tale of a little across the border pharmaceutical money-making endeavor that went awry. Yes, evidently you can put illicit things in a guitar case other than a guitar; but just don’t get caught. Take Me and I Need You Tonight find REO slowing things down a little. Meet Me On The Mountain once again has the REO staple of Neal’s Hammond organ and Gary’s Les Paul.

The album closes with Back On The Road Again, sung by bassist Bruce Hall and might be my favorite REO song. To this day it’s the only track from this album in their set.

So, if you are only aware of REO’s output from Hi Infidelity or after, your initial inclination of the band may be “gee, don’t they play a bunch of syrupy ballads?” Well, yes, but if you play Nine Lives in its entirety you will certainly hear a band that can rock out and have an audience on their feet most of the night.

Full disclosure, REO Speedwagon was a band that my close circle of high school friends all liked (among other harder rocking bands too!). Whether it was this album or any other, if a cassette featuring REO was stuck in one of our aftermarket car stereos to be played; nobody complained. Heck, our parents even let us cross state lines from Ohio into Michigan on a school night to see them for the first time on the tour for this album (well, graduation was only a few weeks away, so school was an afterthought by then!).

9 out of 10 for me on this one. REO shows that they truly rocked before the ballads took them to the next level with future albums.

Paul Roberts: Great rocking album. The last hurrah before the insipid Hi Infidelity. The richer picking are much earlier in their career. REO Two, Cronin’s first album, was a real raw rocker with a smattering of prog, or the double live from 1977 You Get What You Play For. Gary Richrath in all his unmuted glory. Nine lives I’ll go 9. The other two are solid 10s.

Mike Canoe: REO Speedwagon are another one of those classic rock bands that you have to discuss at some point. Before the endless ballads, they trafficked in unpretentious rock’n’roll, lifted by the upbeat songwriting of frontman Kevin Cronin and lead guitarist Gary Richrath and solid musicianship throughout.

Ironic, then, that the only song I knew going in was bassist Bruce Hall’s excellent radio staple, Back on the Road Again, which is of the best “Babe, I got to ramble” songs ever recorded.

Most of the rest of the album is fun with the lyrics generally about relationships or doing your own thing but without getting maudlin or angry. It’s always a pleasure to hear Richrach play and his interplay with keyboardist and drummer Alan Gratzer is great. New favourites include Only The Strong Survive, Meet Me On The Mountain, Heavy On Your Love, and Drop It (An Old Disguise).

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve gained a greater appreciation for the shortness of albums originally released on vinyl. Still, with only nine songs – and one of those an inessential Chuck Berry cover, Nine Lives feels undercooked. Apparently they were trying to make a connection between the nine songs and the title of the album but it being their ninth album – and nine people (including catwomen) on the album cover – were good enough for me. .

Nine Lives is a great “cusp” album – the classic lineup had solidified and the songs and playing were only getting stronger, paving the way for the smash success of Hi Infidelity

Mark Herrington: Nine Lives is a high-octane, good-time, driving rock album. There is only a hint of the softer, radio-friendly path that REO Speedwagon would subsequently follow in the next decade.

Sporting a cover that wouldn’t be out of place in the late 1980s, this is an album best taken on its own merits. The LP title refers to this being their ninth release, along with nine tracks and nine humans on the cover (plus a big cat, supposedly with nine lives). It signals its intentions from the start, with Heavy On Your Love, a hard-pounding rocker, complete with swirling guitar solo.

The tempo continues in this vein with Drop It and Only the Strong Survive, both good-time rockers. Easy Money has hints of the trademark sound to come, but still carries that harder edge. The cover of Chuck Berry’s Rock & Roll Music sits a little uncomfortably here in its familiarity but does continue the overall rocking theme of the LP.

Take Me gets things back on track with its catchy pounding sound and air guitar solo. I Need You Tonight feels out of place, a little too cheesy for my liking. Meet Me On The Mountain carries an almost Eagles-type vibe, and delivers further guitar noodling.

REO Speedwagon save the best to last, with one of their best-ever rockers in Back On the Road Again, a thrilling, pounding anthem and another air-guitar staple.

A pretty good album , and probably their hardest, most consistent rocker, capping this stage of their career. It all changed after this. 8/10.

Philip Qvist: Confession time – there was plenty about REO Speedwagon that appealed to me and that includes Hi Infidelity, which is an AOR Classic. Yet I do agree that they had a harder rock sound that the mainstream only caught glimpses of – and Nine Lives is definitely one of those moments.

It does fit in with what was happening to the US music scene in the late 1970s, and while it never set new boundaries this is still an enjoyable album. Guitarist Gary Richrath is on great form, Kevin Cronin is in fine voice while Neal Doughty brought some good moments on the piano.

Bruce Hall may have only written one song on Nine Live, but it is a scorcher with the closing track Back On The Road Again. Other highlights were Heavy On Your Love and Drop It, while the cover of Chuck Berry classic Rock & Roll Music fits in quite nicely. I Need You Tonight is probably the weakest track on the album. It’s not bad, but it does hint where the band is going in the future. Nine Lives is a good fun, rocking album. A 7 from me.

John Davidson: Having been exposed to the singles off High Infidelity I never really felt the urge to explore REO Speedwagon’s back catalogue, assuming it was more of the same, although I remember seeing the cover to You Can Tune a Piano (was it by Hipgnosis?) and thinking it was terrible. I don’t recall ever coming across Nine Lives.

Heavy On Your Love is a fantastic opener, setting the tone as a party rock album with plenty of guitars. I don’t think the rest of the album quite lives up to the first track but it’s not bad at all.

It’s a little bit of a bad sign when your album is less than 35 minutes long and one your tracks is a mediocre cover of Rock & Roll Music, but I’d rather a band played a few good tunes than be faced with 88 minutes of mostly filler (as the 90s will testify).

Overall, a 7/10. Not bad at all and will probably add Heavy On Your Love to my party rock playlist.

Gary Furtrapper: High water mark for these guys. They took Richrath off his leash and the results were epic. Forever neutered after this, at least they went out with a bang.