R.E.O. Speedwagon (album)

R.E.O. Speedwagon
Studio album by REO Speedwagon
Released October 1971
Recorded 1970–1971 at Connecticut Recording Studios Inc.
"Prison Women" recorded at Columbia Recording Studios in Chicago, Illinois
Genre Rock • Hard rock
Length 38:10
Label Epic
Producer Paul Leka, Billy Rose II
REO Speedwagon chronology
R.E.O. Speedwagon
(1971)		 R.E.O./T.W.O.
(1972)

R.E.O. Speedwagon is the debut studio album by American rock band REO Speedwagon. Released in 1971, it was the only album recorded with singer Terry Luttrell until Kevin Cronin joined the band for R.E.O./T.W.O. This album concluded with one progressive rock song unlike the later arena rock songs that made them famous.[1]

The album produced the fan favorites “157 Riverside Avenue”, “Sophisticated Lady” and “Lay Me Down”, but sold very poorly, though “Sophisticated Lady” did reach number 122 on the singles charts.[2] “157 Riverside Avenue” and “Lay Me Down” were subsequently recorded on the live album Live: You Get What You Play For. “157 Riverside Avenue” and “Sophisticated Lady” were both featured on the compilation album A Decade of Rock and Roll: 1970-1980. In 2007, the British company BGO Records released REO Speedwagon and R.E.O./T.W.O. together (BGOCD775), marking the first time the band’s first album was widely available in CD format. For some unknown reason, Epic Records never issued this first album on the cassette tape format ( but they did issue an 8-Track Stereo Tape Cartridge version of it. )

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic link

Track listing

All tracks written by Neal Doughty, Alan Gratzer, Terry Luttrell, Gregg Philbin, and Gary Richrath, except where noted. 

Side one
No.TitleLength
1."Gypsy Woman's Passion"  5:17
2."157 Riverside Avenue"  3:57
3."Anti-Establishment Man"  5:21
4."Lay Me Down" (Philbin, Richrath)3:51
Side two
No.TitleLength
5."Sophisticated Lady"  4:00
6."Five Men Were Killed Today"  3:00
7."Prison Women" (Richrath)2:36
8."Dead at Last"  10:08

Personnel

REO Speedwagon[3]

Additional personnel[3]

Charts

Singles - Billboard (North America)

Year Single Chart Position[4]
1972 "Sophisticated Lady" Bubbling Under the Hot 100 122

Release history

Region Date Title Label Format Catalog #
USA October 1971 R.E.O. Speedwagon Epic Records Stereo Vinyl E-31089
USA 1971 R.E.O. Speedwagon Epic Records 8 Track ET-31089
UK 1993 R.E.O. Speedwagon Epic Records CD 9829672
UK 2007 R.E.O. Speedwagon / R.E.O./T.W.O. BGO Records 2-CD (Digitally re-mastered) BGOCD775
Japan 2011 R.E.O. Speedwagon Sony Music CD (DSD-Remaster) EICP 1480
Germany 2013 R.E.O. Speedwagon Yellow Label (Coloured) Vinyl SPV 265961 LP

References

  1. ↑ Roll Over Beethoven. Emusic Spotlight.
  2. ↑ Billboard - R.E.O. Speedwagon, Sophisticated Lady. Books.google.nl. March 4, 1972. Retrieved 2015-01-12.
  3. 1 2 R.E.O. Speedwagon — R.E.O. Speedwagon / R.E.O.T.W.O. BGO Records. 2007. p. 4.
  4. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2013). Top Pop Singles 1955-2012. Menomonee Falls, WI: Record Research, Inc. p. 702. ISBN 0-89820-205-1.
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