And again with his lightning fast fingers, stage presence, 1000 watt Richrath smile, the man captivated and rocked the joint as he always did. 1979 was such a pivotal year for them, they had found their niche, guitar centered, harder, louder moving away from sounds like Journey or Styx. No, they had a sound that was all their own and no, they were not a chick band or a power ballad band. Anyone who thinks that needs to read how many guys comment on the band, more notably what an incredible guitar player Gary Richrath was. He wrote the mainstay hits from 70-79, granted this ong is Cronin's song, and it's a good one but Gary's guitar makes it a great song. His solo, his timing, his searing sound are all trademark Richrath. Gary Richrath put the R in REO. He steered this garage band from obscurity to what they became, the biggest band of the early 80's. Then, he said, no....ballads, not my thing. He stepped back, didn't conform and the rest is history. Gary's life was raw, rough, loud, restless...always looking for the perfect symmetry of what could have been one hell of a band. REO was wonderful, I grew up on them, hell I loved them, saw them probably 20 times, maybe more. When the chemistry was there, when Gary was happy, it worked. Then it just ended. Now he's gone and the hope of ever finding what he heard in his head, maybe even his soul, well now it's gone forever. What a loss for everyone that loved great guitar, solid rock and just plain fun music that could rattle the windows and your body if you put your Pioneer speakers on full throttle and let it rip. So much for Easy Money, Heavy On Your Love, Golden Country, Like You Do and so very many others....remember Ridin the Storm Out? First song they ever charted. And if you like 157 Riverside Avenue, you are a Gary Richrath fan and maybe you don't even know it. If you haven't heard it, give it a listen, maybe the 1985 version in the Rock AM Arena....watch the legend at work because if you don't know Gary the song or the story, there ain't no one who talks with their guitar the way Gary does....and that's not a quote from me. Miss you Gar. Rock On!
Excellent review Donna. This is the best tribute I've heard anyone give to this amazing band. My friend turned me on to them in the mid 70's. I didn't pay attention till late 70's. Hi Infidelity. By no means am I an authority on this band but let me share this... I was at the Red Rocks show in August of 86 I believe. KC told everyone to take off a shoe and hold it in the air. They wanted a picture for their next album. I told my friend the name of that album would be.."Put your best foot forward" Less than a year later I was in a record store in Germany and came to the R section. There it was, the new REO album. "Best foot forward..The Best of REO Speedwagon".. I thought the pic from Red Rocks would be on the front cover. It wasn't. It was on the back. It was just a small pic. Wished it had been bigger and on the front. I heard CFTF for the first time on the radio. I liked it enough to tell the person with me it would go to No 1. It wasn't a great song to me then. I was driving through Kansas on a Sunday morning several months later listening to Kasey Kasem's countdown. When he got to No1 he said it belonged to a band from Champaign Illinois. By then I already knew it was a great song. I guess because I had listened to it 100's of times.
Gary Richrath is the reason I play a Gibson Les Paul through a Marshall amp, distortion and volume all the way up. Gary was the energy for the Speedwagon and every time I saw them live I watched his fingers. You Get What You Play For is still my favorite album to jam to and listen to at max volume. RIP Gary, you are missed greatly.
This 1979 concert is recorded a lot better than the Live Infidelity stuff where many times Gary will be doing a guitar solo and the camera is somewhere else.
sweet what a great band REO Speedwagon& the guitar man.
And again with his lightning fast fingers, stage presence, 1000 watt Richrath smile, the man captivated and rocked the joint as he always did. 1979 was such a pivotal year for them, they had found their niche, guitar centered, harder, louder moving away from sounds like Journey or Styx. No, they had a sound that was all their own and no, they were not a chick band or a power ballad band. Anyone who thinks that needs to read how many guys comment on the band, more notably what an incredible guitar player Gary Richrath was. He wrote the mainstay hits from 70-79, granted this ong is Cronin's song, and it's a good one but Gary's guitar makes it a great song. His solo, his timing, his searing sound are all trademark Richrath. Gary Richrath put the R in REO. He steered this garage band from obscurity to what they became, the biggest band of the early 80's. Then, he said, no....ballads, not my thing. He stepped back, didn't conform and the rest is history. Gary's life was raw, rough, loud, restless...always looking for the perfect symmetry of what could have been one hell of a band. REO was wonderful, I grew up on them, hell I loved them, saw them probably 20 times, maybe more. When the chemistry was there, when Gary was happy, it worked. Then it just ended. Now he's gone and the hope of ever finding what he heard in his head, maybe even his soul, well now it's gone forever. What a loss for everyone that loved great guitar, solid rock and just plain fun music that could rattle the windows and your body if you put your Pioneer speakers on full throttle and let it rip. So much for Easy Money, Heavy On Your Love, Golden Country, Like You Do and so very many others....remember Ridin the Storm Out? First song they ever charted. And if you like 157 Riverside Avenue, you are a Gary Richrath fan and maybe you don't even know it. If you haven't heard it, give it a listen, maybe the 1985 version in the Rock AM Arena....watch the legend at work because if you don't know Gary the song or the story, there ain't no one who talks with their guitar the way Gary does....and that's not a quote from me. Miss you Gar. Rock On!
Excellent review Donna.
This is the best tribute I've heard anyone give to this amazing band.
My friend turned me on to them in the mid 70's.
I didn't pay attention till late 70's.
Hi Infidelity.
By no means am I an authority on this band but let me share this...
I was at the Red Rocks show in August of 86 I believe.
KC told everyone to take off a shoe and hold it in the air.
They wanted a picture for their next album.
I told my friend the name of that album would be.."Put your best foot forward"
Less than a year later I was in a record store in Germany and came to the R section.
There it was, the new REO album.
"Best foot forward..The Best of REO Speedwagon"..
I thought the pic from Red Rocks would be on the front cover. It wasn't. It was on the back. It was just a small pic.
Wished it had been bigger and on the front.
I heard CFTF for the first time on the radio.
I liked it enough to tell the person with me it would go to No 1.
It wasn't a great song to me then.
I was driving through Kansas on a Sunday morning several months later listening to Kasey Kasem's countdown.
When he got to No1 he said it belonged to a band from Champaign Illinois.
By then I already knew it was a great song.
I guess because I had listened to it 100's of times.
Gary Richrath is the reason I play a Gibson Les Paul through a Marshall amp, distortion and volume all the way up. Gary was the energy for the Speedwagon and every time I saw them live I watched his fingers. You Get What You Play For is still my favorite album to jam to and listen to at max volume. RIP Gary, you are missed greatly.
This 1979 concert is recorded a lot better than the Live Infidelity stuff where many times Gary will be doing a guitar solo and the camera is somewhere else.
where is this venue?........markethalle..?
i think that is the way it is spelled.
Gary is my favorite guitarist of all time. So no disrespect, but did anyone notice that he kind of messed up the first few bars of his outro solo?