Together Gary and Kevin were fantastic. As the times changed, the industry changed and pressure mounted to be able to stay commercially relevant, so went the band. Like nearly every 70s act, they fell prey to horrible videos, bad management, too much following and not enough leading. I had the pleasure of meeting Gary 4 times from 1987 to 1992. He was a real person. Kind hearted, no ego at all. He hung out with had some beers, talked. Nice person. He has to be one of the most underrated and appreciated on a commercial or public level as a guitarist. His playing and his tone was unreal. His songs were fantastic. The Tuna album has to be Gary and Kevin's masterpiece as a duo. Kevin certainly ate the commercial and ego pie. His desire to soften the band was debilitating. The road crew and production in the studio had the guitars turned down lower and lower... Until they started to sound like Air Supply. If you saw REO from 1981 and back, you got the real deal. Though there was some good material uo to Wheels are Turnin, it was over. Life as We Know it was a disaster of an album. There was nothing left of the rock in REO from that point on. Its a shame, but makes you appreciate their greatness before. That material is timeless. Gary's guitar and lyrics was the foundation.
gary richrath was one of the greatest and most under appreciated guitarist of all time no one ever truly appreciated his true genius with the guitar he could make it sing he was that damn good
It never ceases to amaze me and warm my heart every time I see a video on REO and the vast majority of comments express love and praise for a guitar legend who should be as well known as any of the big names. You see a similar love for Steve Clark of Def Leppard in comment sections Gary Richrath and Steve Clark have something big in common. Following their departure (in Clark's case, death) from their very successful bands, those bands never wrote magical and popular tunes anymore. REO might still technically exist, but Gary has been gone from the lineup for 32 years and they are barely relevant -- and they've accomplished less in 32 years than in the 21 years with Gary. Gary was amazing on his own, but I do believe there was a special chemistry with Gary and Kevin. Kevin hijacked Gary's role in the band, and instead of doing all he could to stick by Gary, he led a coup. He was quick to abandon a guy he had accomplished so much with. But, it would be only two years after Gary left that grunge and alternative would displace a lot of legendary bands. So in a way, Gary went out on top. He deserved better than to have been playing small clubs for a decade, sharing the bill with a ventriloquist (this really happened in the 90s). But come the turn from the 90s to 2000s, Kevin should have reached out and mended fences with Gary as they got back to touring popularity. I refuse to see the band with an imposter in Gary's shoes.
You hit the nail smack dab on the head!! I have been saying for years that Kevin Cronin submarined Gary. Gary thought of him like a brother so he didn't see it coming until it was too late. Kevin had an agenda and he saw it through. Kevin used Gary's weaknesses and insecurities against him to intensify Gary's demons. Ensuring a successful coup. It really pains me everytime I think of how Gary was treated. RIP Gary!! Your true fans know the real deal! REO now is just a cover band for the REO prior to 1989.
SFC MP, I agree wholeheartedly with your comment. Kevin was a sneaky, backstabbing a$$hole. You are so right that he used Gary’s insecurities against him. My heart aches for the way he was treated. Did you know that with the exception of Alan Gratzer, NONE of the band ever stayed in touch with Gary? I now despise Neal & Bruce for that reason. Especially Neal since he was with Gary the longest. Ugh, it makes me so angry. 😡 I only hope Gary somehow knew how much his true fans loved him.
@Kathi L I didn't know that those two never spoke to him afterward. When Neal came out of rehab Bruce had Neal stay with him until he was sure he was okay. No one did that for Gary. At least Gary is in a much better place now. On that Behind the Music episode, When it got to the part where Kevin was Blowing Gary off, I stopped the video. Haven't watched it since.
@@sfcmp7005 I saw an interview somewhere with Alan Gratzer & that’s how I found out he was the only one to stay in touch with Gary. I can’t stomach watching any interviews with Kevin. It almost makes me physically ill. Kevin was jealous of Gary, I’m sure of it & he found a perfect way to get rid of him. Kevin & Neal both had addiction issues & they were allowed to get help & rejoin the band, but not Gary. I think Gary was too soft hearted for his own good & it hurt him in the end. But you’re right, Gary is in a much better place & he still has so many fans who love him.
@Kathi L Kevin makes me physically sick as well. I just can't look at him. He also used to get stuff written in their contracts when they performed on TV, or anything that was going to be recorded in a video, that he was supposed to have a certain amount of camera time. I heard that from another person on CZcams, so I am not really sure where they got the info. That being said, it does sound like something Kevin would do. He was pretty much full of himself.
Both Styx and REO rode the same path, with the lead singer being responsible for both their success and downfall. Both Kevin Cronin and Dennis DeYoung penned an amazing list of hit songs and both fell into the same rut of ballads and schmaltz, tearing their bands apart.
Neither Can't Fight This Feeling or Keep On Loving You would have ever been the big hits they were without the soaring guitar of Gary Richrath. It's the contrast between the mellow and the raging guitar.
That, and MTV! They were a great band from 72 on, but never was worldly known until MTV recorded their first live concert. Yep, it was R.E.O. Speedwagon, that was the first live concert on MTV. By late 1973 or early 1974, almost everyone around the Fort Wayne Indiana area, and surrounding areas knew who R.E.O. Speedwagon was and had their T.W.O. album. We loved them!
God, i remember when this song came out, I was a teenage rockn young man ! I HATED THIS SONG, STILL DO, make KC a lot of money, I’m sure all of them did , BUT REO was a ROCK BAND !! I felt so bad for Gary , I still do and he’s been gone for almost 6 years! He is the reason I play a Les Paul and rock hard!! Such a shame, us fans have said it all before, we all wish that Gary could of quit his demons and got in shape and still kept there Rockn Edge !! I miss him !
@@jamessator5564 one thing is for sure, noone sounds like him to this day. That says a lot about his playing style and the special technique in his fingers. And he still sounded great the year before he past away. There will never be another Gary Richrath!
Similar to Styx...some members wanted to ROCK 🔥🎸 and the singer wanted to go softer. Creative differences always wreck bands. Gary's shredding was unique and totally incredible. Too bad he sort of faded away.
I think as REO got more popular in 80's, Kevin kept his face glued to the cameras to "force" the public to see him as the "face" or REO. That in turn gave him the power to take the band his way. Styx had Dennis D Young, which tried a similar angle, and the band said no to the theme albums. Thankfully Mr Roboto was maybe the straw the broke the groups back. Domee Otto, Mr Mieogee. Lol
Can't Fight This Feeling would have never been a hit with just piano and Cronin's expertise at holding out "rrrr"s. Gary was the founder, the glue, the spirit of REO Speedwagon and when he left (abandoned by his so-called brothers), they never had another hit. I love the end of his guitar solo in Can't Fight This Feeling when he bends the not up towards dissonant. . so Gary. He had a vibrato and sense of rhythm like no other guitarist and wore his emotional musical joy on his sleeve. Cronin is conciliatory now, after Gary's passing, but the deep truth that he fell prey to his ego/greed at the expense of Gary will be on his tombstone. And don't tell me that "Gary had his demons", "Gary abused alcohol", and the like - NO rock and roll band has been devoid of working on issues with their members (see Aerosmith, Rolling Stones, Fleetwood Mac, the Eagles, Red Hot Chile Peppers, CS&N, Guns 'n Roses, Beach Boys, etc.). Cronin lead the abandonment Bandwagon and the rest of the band meekly followed his narcissistic lead. Thank you Gary for all of the music - you were (are) the best. I'm sorry those you counted on did not work to keep you healthy and the value how you uniquely contributed to making great Richrath/REO inspired guitar music. Also, thanks for Golden Country - more relevant today than ever.
In my view, Kevin helped make and also destroy REO. A nice ballad with a snarling guitar once in a while? No problem. An overly cloying acoustic approach with odd vocalizations as your signature style? Umm, no thanks. In many songs Kevin is unlistenable. He's the reason REO wasn't taken seriously by many, and also in my view a contributor to why Gary is held in such high regard. Thanks for the video!
Good points and very true. The early REO albums when Gary was featured and was leading the direction of the band are the best for me. I liked Luttell and Murphy on vocals better than Cronin. Just never liked the guy - Gary was REO.
Interesting but as Kevin will admit “without friction there can be no sparks” and what do people want? All bands to sound the same, all “rock” bands to have a heavy distortion guitar and screaming solos on every song. REO employed a folk singer to be their front man and yes he led the band in a particular direction but that’s why they’re still around over 54 years since they started. Only a very small number of bands have achieved this.
Together Gary and Kevin were fantastic. As the times changed, the industry changed and pressure mounted to be able to stay commercially relevant, so went the band. Like nearly every 70s act, they fell prey to horrible videos, bad management, too much following and not enough leading. I had the pleasure of meeting Gary 4 times from 1987 to 1992. He was a real person. Kind hearted, no ego at all. He hung out with had some beers, talked. Nice person. He has to be one of the most underrated and appreciated on a commercial or public level as a guitarist. His playing and his tone was unreal. His songs were fantastic. The Tuna album has to be Gary and Kevin's masterpiece as a duo. Kevin certainly ate the commercial and ego pie. His desire to soften the band was debilitating. The road crew and production in the studio had the guitars turned down lower and lower... Until they started to sound like Air Supply. If you saw REO from 1981 and back, you got the real deal. Though there was some good material uo to Wheels are Turnin, it was over. Life as We Know it was a disaster of an album. There was nothing left of the rock in REO from that point on. Its a shame, but makes you appreciate their greatness before. That material is timeless. Gary's guitar and lyrics was the foundation.
I couldn't have said it any better
REO as we locals knew was over with Hi Infidelity. It just wasn't the same.
gary richrath was one of the greatest and most under appreciated guitarist of all time no one ever truly appreciated his true genius with the guitar he could make it sing he was that damn good
❤️ you Gary
It never ceases to amaze me and warm my heart every time I see a video on REO and the vast majority of comments express love and praise for a guitar legend who should be as well known as any of the big names. You see a similar love for Steve Clark of Def Leppard in comment sections
Gary Richrath and Steve Clark have something big in common. Following their departure (in Clark's case, death) from their very successful bands, those bands never wrote magical and popular tunes anymore. REO might still technically exist, but Gary has been gone from the lineup for 32 years and they are barely relevant -- and they've accomplished less in 32 years than in the 21 years with Gary.
Gary was amazing on his own, but I do believe there was a special chemistry with Gary and Kevin. Kevin hijacked Gary's role in the band, and instead of doing all he could to stick by Gary, he led a coup. He was quick to abandon a guy he had accomplished so much with.
But, it would be only two years after Gary left that grunge and alternative would displace a lot of legendary bands. So in a way, Gary went out on top. He deserved better than to have been playing small clubs for a decade, sharing the bill with a ventriloquist (this really happened in the 90s).
But come the turn from the 90s to 2000s, Kevin should have reached out and mended fences with Gary as they got back to touring popularity. I refuse to see the band with an imposter in Gary's shoes.
You hit the nail smack dab on the head!! I have been saying for years that Kevin Cronin submarined Gary. Gary thought of him like a brother so he didn't see it coming until it was too late. Kevin had an agenda and he saw it through. Kevin used Gary's weaknesses and insecurities against him to intensify Gary's demons. Ensuring a successful coup. It really pains me everytime I think of how Gary was treated. RIP Gary!! Your true fans know the real deal!
REO now is just a cover band for the REO prior to 1989.
SFC MP, I agree wholeheartedly with your comment. Kevin was a sneaky, backstabbing a$$hole. You are so right that he used Gary’s insecurities against him. My heart aches for the way he was treated. Did you know that with the exception of Alan Gratzer, NONE of the band ever stayed in touch with Gary? I now despise Neal & Bruce for that reason. Especially Neal since he was with Gary the longest. Ugh, it makes me so angry. 😡 I only hope Gary somehow knew how much his true fans loved him.
@Kathi L I didn't know that those two never spoke to him afterward. When Neal came out of rehab Bruce had Neal stay with him until he was sure he was okay. No one did that for Gary. At least Gary is in a much better place now. On that Behind the Music episode, When it got to the part where Kevin was Blowing Gary off, I stopped the video. Haven't watched it since.
@@sfcmp7005 I saw an interview somewhere with Alan Gratzer & that’s how I found out he was the only one to stay in touch with Gary. I can’t stomach watching any interviews with Kevin. It almost makes me physically ill.
Kevin was jealous of Gary, I’m sure of it & he found a perfect way to get rid of him. Kevin & Neal both had addiction issues & they were allowed to get help & rejoin the band, but not Gary. I think Gary was too soft hearted for his own good & it hurt him in the end. But you’re right, Gary is in a much better place & he still has so many fans who love him.
@Kathi L Kevin makes me physically sick as well. I just can't look at him. He also used to get stuff written in their contracts when they performed on TV, or anything that was going to be recorded in a video, that he was supposed to have a certain amount of camera time. I heard that from another person on CZcams, so I am not really sure where they got the info. That being said, it does sound like something Kevin would do. He was pretty much full of himself.
Both Styx and REO rode the same path, with the lead singer being responsible for both their success and downfall. Both Kevin Cronin and Dennis DeYoung penned an amazing list of hit songs and both fell into the same rut of ballads and schmaltz, tearing their bands apart.
you could add Steve Perry and Journey in there as well.
just saying..
Neither Can't Fight This Feeling or Keep On Loving You would have ever been the big hits they were without the soaring guitar of Gary Richrath. It's the contrast between the mellow and the raging guitar.
At least to us rock guys. For some reason the ballads are what sells. That contrast is what I love about this band, along with Styx and Journey.
That, and MTV! They were a great band from 72 on, but never was worldly known until MTV recorded their first live concert. Yep, it was R.E.O. Speedwagon, that was the first live concert on MTV. By late 1973 or early 1974, almost everyone around the Fort Wayne Indiana area, and surrounding areas knew who R.E.O. Speedwagon was and had their T.W.O. album. We loved them!
Ned rocks! Gary Richrath is my favorite guitar player. Thanks for the flashback
Gary Richrath rocked the guitar strings!
Most anything with Gary playing guitar is great. I always appreciate the videos about Gary.
Thanks for bringing back the good memories Ned!
God, i remember when this song came out, I was a teenage rockn young man ! I HATED THIS SONG, STILL DO, make KC a lot of money, I’m sure all of them did , BUT REO was a ROCK BAND !! I felt so bad for Gary , I still do and he’s been gone for almost 6 years! He is the reason I play a Les Paul and rock hard!!
Such a shame, us fans have said it all before, we all wish that Gary could of quit his demons and got in shape and still kept there Rockn Edge !! I miss him !
@@jamessator5564 one thing is for sure, noone sounds like him to this day. That says a lot about his playing style and the special technique in his fingers. And he still sounded great the year before he past away. There will never be another Gary Richrath!
Back from when MTV was great!!! Cant even watch it now.
Similar to Styx...some members wanted to ROCK 🔥🎸 and the singer wanted to go softer. Creative differences always wreck bands. Gary's shredding was unique and totally incredible. Too bad he sort of faded away.
I think as REO got more popular in 80's, Kevin kept his face glued to the cameras to "force" the public to see him as the "face" or REO. That in turn gave him the power to take the band his way. Styx had Dennis D Young, which tried a similar angle, and the band said no to the theme albums. Thankfully Mr Roboto was maybe the straw the broke the groups back.
Domee Otto, Mr Mieogee. Lol
Love you Gary. RIP ❤❤
Can't Fight This Feeling would have never been a hit with just piano and Cronin's expertise at holding out "rrrr"s. Gary was the founder, the glue, the spirit of REO Speedwagon and when he left (abandoned by his so-called brothers), they never had another hit. I love the end of his guitar solo in Can't Fight This Feeling when he bends the not up towards dissonant. . so Gary. He had a vibrato and sense of rhythm like no other guitarist and wore his emotional musical joy on his sleeve. Cronin is conciliatory now, after Gary's passing, but the deep truth that he fell prey to his ego/greed at the expense of Gary will be on his tombstone. And don't tell me that "Gary had his demons", "Gary abused alcohol", and the like - NO rock and roll band has been devoid of working on issues with their members (see Aerosmith, Rolling Stones, Fleetwood Mac, the Eagles, Red Hot Chile Peppers, CS&N, Guns 'n Roses, Beach Boys, etc.). Cronin lead the abandonment Bandwagon and the rest of the band meekly followed his narcissistic lead. Thank you Gary for all of the music - you were (are) the best. I'm sorry those you counted on did not work to keep you healthy and the value how you uniquely contributed to making great Richrath/REO inspired guitar music. Also, thanks for Golden Country - more relevant today than ever.
For the reasons you stated, I HATE Kevin Cronin!!! 😡
@@connietaubert1776 me too!
I was watching MTV recently but I Can't Fight The Feeling to turn the channel.
Gary Richrath did a side job as Dexter Morgan on the Showtime series Dexter on his days off.
In my view, Kevin helped make and also destroy REO. A nice ballad with a snarling guitar once in a while? No problem. An overly cloying acoustic approach with odd vocalizations as your signature style? Umm, no thanks. In many songs Kevin is unlistenable. He's the reason REO wasn't taken seriously by many, and also in my view a contributor to why Gary is held in such high regard. Thanks for the video!
If only REO have a Vocalist like Steve Perry or Lou Gramm.
Good points and very true. The early REO albums when Gary was featured and was leading the direction of the band are the best for me. I liked Luttell and Murphy on vocals better than Cronin. Just never liked the guy - Gary was REO.
@@pierceelyhibionada342 Imagine Lou Gramm at the front of Gary and the other boys in REO. Man would that be dynamite!
@@danielfronc4304 Damn!
@@flyingburritobro68 agree 100%
Journey went to that mellow sound aswell
Songs like this are why I didn’t follow them. Gary and rocking guitar fronting the band would have made the difference!
Interesting but as Kevin will admit “without friction there can be no sparks” and what do people want? All bands to sound the same, all “rock” bands to have a heavy distortion guitar and screaming solos on every song. REO employed a folk singer to be their front man and yes he led the band in a particular direction but that’s why they’re still around over 54 years since they started. Only a very small number of bands have achieved this.
Think Gary hated this song
That Peter cetera stuff was not my cup of tea. Gary's guitar solo 3:00 into golden country live album was there peak
I am #TeamGary. He was a wonderful rock & roll guitar player. REO turned into bubble gum with these horrid ballads.
Agree totally!!! Kevin has ruined REO 😡. REO is nothing without Gary! Love Gary’s band; I still watch those videos! RIP Gary ❤😢