REO SPEEDWAGON: Nine Lives LP 1979. Used. Fantastic, must have for every Hard Rock fan

Description

Nine Lives is the eighth studio album by REO Speedwagon and featured nine songs (hence the title Nine Lives). It was their eighth studio release and the last REO album to prominently feature a more hard rock sound. The band would turn to more pop-oriented material with 1980s Hi Infidelity.

REO Speedwagon gets slagged regularly, but they always deliver in concert and the freewheelin’ Nine Lives, their (natch) ninth, sports one cool sleeve: tight leather, suspenders, fishnets, and cat chicks. The black circle inside rocks mightily also. Bassman Bruce Hall steps up to the plate with “Back on the Road Again,” a stadium stage staple that kept these Illinois boys makin’ noise on the radio. The Caribbean vibe in the hard luck “Easy Money” can’t touch the Scorpions’ 1979 foray into reggae (“Is There Anybody There?”), but old reliable axeman Gary Richrath keeps the number burning. The obligatory ballad, “I Need You Tonight,” is one of REOs 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.” REOs next record sparked a phenomenon, and the band never kicked out a set as rocking and carefree as Nine Lives again.

Label: Epic ‎– EPC 83647
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album NOT A GATEFOLD.
Country: UK
Released: 1979
Genre: Rock
Style: Hard Rock, Classic Rock

Side one
“Heavy on Your Love” (Kevin Cronin, Gary Richrath) 3:35
“Drop It (An Old Disguise)” (Cronin) 3:14
“Only the Strong Survive” (Richrath) 3:52
“Easy Money” (Richrath) 4:01
“Rock & Roll Music” (Chuck Berry) 2:55

Side two
“Take Me” (Cronin) 3:29
“I Need You Tonight” (Cronin) 3:35
“Meet Me on the Mountain” (Richrath) 4:04
“Back on the Road Again” (Bruce Hall) 5:39

Personnel
Kevin Cronin lead vocals, background vocals, rhythm guitar, acoustic guitars
Gary Richrath lead guitars, rhythm guitars, B-52 guitar
Neal Doughty Hammond organ, piano, Moog synthesizer, tack piano
Bruce Hall bass, background vocals, lead vocal on “Back on the Road Again”
Alan Gratzer drums and percussion, background vocals

Additional personnel
Steve Forman percussion, sound effects, congas
Tom Kelly vocals, background vocals, chorus
Bill Champlin background vocals