Hi Infidelity

Many albums have scaled to the top of the American charts, many of them not so good, but few have been as widely forgotten and spurned as REO Speedwagon's Hi Infidelity. In a way, the group deserved this kind of success. They had been slogging it out in the arenas of the U.S., building up a sizeable audience because they could deliver live. And then, in 1980, they delivered a record that not just summarized their strengths, but captured everything that was good about arena rock. This is the sound of the stadiums in that netherworld between giants like Zeppelin and MTV's slick, video-ready anthems.

Many albums have scaled to the top of the American charts, many of them not so good, but few have been as widely forgotten and spurned as REO Speedwagon's Hi Infidelity. In a way, the group deserved this kind of success. They had been slogging it out in the arenas of the U.S., building up a sizeable audience because they could deliver live. And then, in 1980, they delivered a record that not just summarized their strengths, but captured everything that was good about arena rock. This is the sound of the stadiums in that netherworld between giants like Zeppelin and MTV's slick, video-ready anthems.

Many albums have scaled to the top of the American charts, many of them not so good, but few have been as widely forgotten and spurned as REO Speedwagon's Hi Infidelity. In a way, the group deserved this kind of success. They had been slogging it out in the arenas of the U.S., building up a sizeable audience because they could deliver live. And then, in 1980, they delivered a record that not just summarized their strengths, but captured everything that was good about arena rock. This is the sound of the stadiums in that netherworld between giants like Zeppelin and MTV's slick, video-ready anthems.

Many albums have scaled to the top of the American charts, many of them not so good, but few have been as widely forgotten and spurned as REO Speedwagon's Hi Infidelity. In a way, the group deserved this kind of success. They had been slogging it out in the arenas of the U.S., building up a sizeable audience because they could deliver live. And then, in 1980, they delivered a record that not just summarized their strengths, but captured everything that was good about arena rock. This is the sound of the stadiums in that netherworld between giants like Zeppelin and MTV's slick, video-ready anthems. This is unabashedly mainstream rock, but there's a real urgency to the songs and the performances that gives it a real emotional core, even if the production keeps it tied to the early, previsual '80s.

This box set from Sony UK features five of the Champaign, Illinois-bred AOR rockers' most notable albums, including Live You Get What You Play For (1977), You Can Tune a Piano But You Can't Tuna Fish (1978), Hi Infidelity (1980), Good Trouble (1982), and Wheels Are Turnin (1984).

By the end of the 70s and beginning of the 80s, R.E.O. Speedwagon had won the hearts, minds and airwaves of continental North America. This hard won ascendance was comprehensively documented on the 8CD “Early Years 1971-1977” collection from HNE.

Reo Speedwagon - The Hits
Release: 1988 | Label: Epic | Number: 465595 2
Genre: Pop/Rock | Mono/Stereo: 2 Channel
EAC Rip | Included: EAC Log + Cue + Flac + Covers & Booklet
Size: 437 MB | RAR files | RS.com

Album Notes
In the meantime, REO Speedwagon lost their recording contract with Epic, and ended up releasing Building the Bridge (1996) on the Priority/Rhythm Safari label. When that label went bankrupt, the album was released on the ill-fated Castle Records which also experienced financial troubles. REO Speedwagon ultimately self-financed this effort, which failed to chart. One of the finest melodic rock bands of their era, REO Speedwagon's weakness, as with many similar bands, was that their albums were too often padded out with filler. The Hits then, is an important addition to the catalogue, as it brings together all the strongest singles on one recording. Obviously the best-known tracks, 'Can't Fight This Feeling' and 'Keep On Loving You' are essential for any fan of melodic rock. This album offers much more though. The newer songs, 'I Don't Wanna Lose You' and 'Here With Me' are really top notch and set the standard for the rest of the album. Although there's the odd track dotted about that doesn't quite hit the same heights as the rest, the overall result is much more consistent than anything else they've released, and it will become an important part of your collection.

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