Dave2112
Level of Cherry Feather
- Joined
- Apr 17, 2001
- Messages
- 10,295
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As a fan of REO from way back in the '70s, I was fully prepared to hate this DVD. There's nothing worse than seeing one of your favorite bands trying to pull out one more cash tour at State Fairs, colleges or tiny clubs.
But this one was pretty cool.
Recorded live at Riverport Ampitheatre in St. Louis, REO proves they still are one of America's premiere rock bands. Usually when bands start losing old members and hiring new ones, the quality of the music suffers. Not so here. Back in the early '90s, the departure of drummer Alan Gratzer and guitarist Gary Richrath was seen as a death knell for REO, escpecially Richrath, the bands other key songwriter and a man I consider to be one of rock's most underrated guitarists.
However, the "new guys" have now been with REO for 12 years, and the tightness of the unit hasn't suffered a bit. As a matter of fact, after wathcing this DVD, I can't imagine the band in any other incarnation. Kevin Cronin is his usual "fun" self, providing many entertaining moments of banter with the audience as REO burns through their classics without bogging the show down with newer material that most fans aren't even aware of. It is a bit scary seeing Cronin with his trademark long hair cropped short and dyed blond, but hey...whatever keeps you young, right?
As usually happens with us "old guys", the voice isn't what it once was. Not that Kevin's vocals are at all bad, but some of the notes are a bit hard to hit these days. Like the true professional he is, though, Cronin makes up for this not by leaving out the high notes, but by a subtle re-arrangement of key and pitch. The other thing that makes this work is the awesome talent of new guitarist Dave Amato, ex of Ted Nugent and a seasoned studio musician. Not only does Dave deliver the classic solos, but adds just enough of his own style to keep things fresh. Add to this an awesome harmony singing voice, and you feel like you're right back in the old Hi Infidelity days. You really have to hear this guy's voice to believe it. New drummer Brian Hitt keeps the beat with precision and a flair for the dramatic that has also helped to keep the band fresh.
What I really liked about this DVD was the return to a time when rock was simply fun. Nothing dark or brooding, no posing, nothing too terribly serious...just a talented classic rock band having a great time, and it shows. One thing I always liked about REO is that they knew how to have fun without all the other BS sometimes associated with rock, and this hasn't changed. Even a few really old ones are brought out for this show, which is good because I hadn't heard "Music Man" in a long time. The show closes with the classic "157 Riverside Avenue", complete with audience participation and the trademark vocal/guitar solo duel at the end.
Original keyboardist Neal Doughty (the only member to appear on every REO album, for all you trivia buffs) and long-time bassist Bruce Hall deliver the backdrop for this highly enjoyable show, and Bruce even gets a chance to sing his old classic "Back on the Road Again". He's the one guy who I swear hasn't changed a bit since he joined the band in '78.
The DVD has inteview clips with Kevin Cronin and Neal Doughty that cover everything from REO's inception to the joining of the new members, plus several other cool features for fans.
If you like good rock with no pretense, and remember a time when music was more than just the pre-packaged soundtrack to the latest Pepsi commercial, do yourself a favor and check this DVD out, you won't be sorry.
But this one was pretty cool.
Recorded live at Riverport Ampitheatre in St. Louis, REO proves they still are one of America's premiere rock bands. Usually when bands start losing old members and hiring new ones, the quality of the music suffers. Not so here. Back in the early '90s, the departure of drummer Alan Gratzer and guitarist Gary Richrath was seen as a death knell for REO, escpecially Richrath, the bands other key songwriter and a man I consider to be one of rock's most underrated guitarists.
However, the "new guys" have now been with REO for 12 years, and the tightness of the unit hasn't suffered a bit. As a matter of fact, after wathcing this DVD, I can't imagine the band in any other incarnation. Kevin Cronin is his usual "fun" self, providing many entertaining moments of banter with the audience as REO burns through their classics without bogging the show down with newer material that most fans aren't even aware of. It is a bit scary seeing Cronin with his trademark long hair cropped short and dyed blond, but hey...whatever keeps you young, right?
As usually happens with us "old guys", the voice isn't what it once was. Not that Kevin's vocals are at all bad, but some of the notes are a bit hard to hit these days. Like the true professional he is, though, Cronin makes up for this not by leaving out the high notes, but by a subtle re-arrangement of key and pitch. The other thing that makes this work is the awesome talent of new guitarist Dave Amato, ex of Ted Nugent and a seasoned studio musician. Not only does Dave deliver the classic solos, but adds just enough of his own style to keep things fresh. Add to this an awesome harmony singing voice, and you feel like you're right back in the old Hi Infidelity days. You really have to hear this guy's voice to believe it. New drummer Brian Hitt keeps the beat with precision and a flair for the dramatic that has also helped to keep the band fresh.
What I really liked about this DVD was the return to a time when rock was simply fun. Nothing dark or brooding, no posing, nothing too terribly serious...just a talented classic rock band having a great time, and it shows. One thing I always liked about REO is that they knew how to have fun without all the other BS sometimes associated with rock, and this hasn't changed. Even a few really old ones are brought out for this show, which is good because I hadn't heard "Music Man" in a long time. The show closes with the classic "157 Riverside Avenue", complete with audience participation and the trademark vocal/guitar solo duel at the end.
Original keyboardist Neal Doughty (the only member to appear on every REO album, for all you trivia buffs) and long-time bassist Bruce Hall deliver the backdrop for this highly enjoyable show, and Bruce even gets a chance to sing his old classic "Back on the Road Again". He's the one guy who I swear hasn't changed a bit since he joined the band in '78.
The DVD has inteview clips with Kevin Cronin and Neal Doughty that cover everything from REO's inception to the joining of the new members, plus several other cool features for fans.
If you like good rock with no pretense, and remember a time when music was more than just the pre-packaged soundtrack to the latest Pepsi commercial, do yourself a favor and check this DVD out, you won't be sorry.
