RIP: Jim Steinman

[Scout]

I approve of this REO Speedwagon threadjack.

My contribution: My uncle (Mom's younger brother) worked at a Sears in their AV department. When I turned 9 years old, he decided to give me a rock 'n roll record for my birthday (2/9/81). He chose "Hi Infidelity" by REO Speedwagon.

I remember my Mom was pissed because of the suggestive picture on the cover.

She needed to roll with the changes.

 

[cyclingwriter2]

Somewhere in the afterlife Jim Steinman is saying, "how did my death lead to a discussion on the merits of ELO vs. REO Speedwagon?"

 

[Jake from State Farm]

I remember as a kid we all thought REO Speedwagon was a local (Lansing, MI) band because of the name and because they never skipped the Lansing Civic Center on a tour. We were all surprised to learn that they hailed from an even more nondescript third-tier Rust Belt/aggie college town media market.

When I was at Michigan State in the 70s they played The Brewery, one of the big off campus bars, all the time

 

[garrow]

Now, back in the day, Rolling Stone classified REO, Styx, Kansas, Boston, Foreigner and 70s Journey as "faceless, corporate rock": due to their commercial sound and the relative anonymity of the band members.

 

[Machine Head]

Two. This and Riding the Storm Out.

Which version?

Mike Murphy or Kevin Cronin?

 

[Junkie]

Now, back in the day, Rolling Stone classified REO, Styx, Kansas, Boston, Foreigner and 70s Journey as "faceless, corporate rock": due to their commercial sound and the relative anonymity of the band members.

I always love that depiction. Bands that sold out 15,000-seat arenas and strung multi-platinum albums for a decade or so were somehow bad. All those bands listed featured some incredible musicians/singers. Was their music deeper than a kiddie pool? Not most of it. But who cares? It was fun to play and listen to and much of it holds up well, unlike almost everything that followed.

 

[Junkie]

Loved Hi Infidelity in the early '80s. Spun it a couple months ago for the first time in 30-some years. It did not hold up well.

While I would agree with most of the rest of their catalog, I disagree. That album has some great songs (Don't Let Him Go, Tough Guys and Shakin' It Loose come to mind). Overplaying and the resulting deluge of power ballads that followed kind of sully Keep on Lovin' You and Take It On The Run, but they're still good songs. But I don't know that they ever wrote another one, in so much as they just kept writing the same song over and over for another 10 years.

 

[2muchcoffeeman]

Now, back in the day, Rolling Stone classified REO, Styx, Kansas, Boston, Foreigner and 70s Journey as "faceless, corporate rock": due to their commercial sound and the relative anonymity of the band members.

The only American bands that really mattered at Rolling Stone were the Grateful Dead, CSNY, Nirvana and maybe Pearl Jam.

 

[Sam Mills 51]

Now, back in the day, Rolling Stone classified REO, Styx, Kansas, Boston, Foreigner and 70s Journey as "faceless, corporate rock": due to their commercial sound and the relative anonymity of the band members.

To believe this is to give Jann Wenner the credit he so desperately craves and does not deserve.

We bash him for the Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame, so why start feting him now?

 

[Machine Head]

@Junkie

Steely Dan.

Your thoughts?

 

[2muchcoffeeman]

To believe this is to give Jann Wenner the credit he so desperately craves and does not deserve.

We bash him for the Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame, so why start feting him now?

He wasn't the one who wrote that. He just paid the bills.

I want to blame Rob Tannenbaum, but I think he was too young for some of that.

 

[Captain_Kirk]

I always love that depiction. Bands that sold out 15,000-seat arenas and strung multi-platinum albums for a decade or so were somehow bad. All those bands listed featured some incredible musicians/singers. Was their music deeper than a kiddie pool? Not most of it. But who cares? It was fun to play and listen to and much of it holds up well, unlike almost everything that followed.

Yea, there was a lot of musical snobbery back in the day. A lot fueled by Jann Wenner and his cronies at Rolling Stone. Patti Smith, Ramones = cutting edge = good; Styx, REO = middle of the road rock = meh. Even though REO and Styx outsold the Ramones by probably a 5:1 margin, and most people couldn't name 2 Patti Smith songs.

The artists themselves fed that as well. The oldsters on here will remember when it was considered in poor form to allow a song of theirs to be used in a commercial ad. Selling out, as they say. Fortunately, we've gotten past that type of self absorbed pomposity. If I enjoy hearing a song, it shouldn't be an affront that it's played over a sports drink, perfume or automobile commercial.