You Can Tune A Piano, But You Can't Tuna Fish
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Album Summary
REO Speedwagon laid down 'You Can Tune A Piano, But You Can't Tuna Fish' in 1978 for Epic Records, and baby, this one came straight from the road. Produced by the band alongside their guitar-slinging heart and soul Gary Richrath, this record carries the sweat and fire of a group that had been burning up the concert circuit night after night across the American heartland. Kevin Cronin and the boys didn't walk into the studio trying to reinvent the wheel — they walked in knowing exactly who they were, and they put that raw, live-energy spirit right onto the vinyl. This was REO Speedwagon at full throttle, a band that had paid every single due there was to pay, and this album was their moment to show the world what all those years of hard work had built.
Reception
- The album cracked the Billboard 200 at number 29 and earned REO Speedwagon their first gold certification in the United States — a long-overdue commercial breakthrough for a band that had been grinding for years.
- Critics acknowledged the album as a genuine showcase of the band's arena rock identity, though some felt the record favored the comfort of proven hard rock formulas over adventurous new territory.
- 'Roll With The Changes' emerged as the album's crown jewel, becoming one of the most beloved tracks in the band's entire catalog and a driving force behind the record's radio presence and sales momentum.
Significance
- The album's gloriously punny title carved out a permanent place in classic rock lore, becoming one of the most instantly recognizable and affectionately remembered album titles the era ever produced.
- It represented a genuine commercial turning point for REO Speedwagon, proving that their massive and devoted touring fanbase could be converted into mainstream album success on a national scale.
- The record stands as one of the defining artifacts of late-1970s Midwestern hard rock — a full-blooded document of the blue-collar, high-voltage spirit that would carry arena rock triumphantly into the next decade.
Tracklist
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A1 Roll With The Changes 93
5:35
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A2 Time For Me To Fly 81
3:41
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A3 Runnin' Blind 148
3:06
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A4 Blazin' Your Own Trail Again 76
3:30
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A5 Sing To Me 158
2:34
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B1 Lucky For You 90
5:00
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B2 Do You Know Where Your Woman Is Tonight? 133
2:51
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B3 The Unidentified Flying Tuna Trot 83
2:17
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B4 Say You Love Me Or Say Goodnight 146
4:57
Artist Details
REO Speedwagon burst onto the scene out of Champaign, Illinois back in 1967, a hard-driving rock and roll machine that spent years grinding through the Midwest club circuit before the whole world finally caught up to what they were laying down. They carved their sound right out of the heart of American heartland rock — equal parts muscle and melody — and when the 1980s rolled around, albums like *Hi Infidelity* turned them into bona fide superstars, proving that years of dues-paying on the road could absolutely pay off in gold and platinum. REO Speedwagon stands as a testament to the blue-collar spirit of rock and roll, bridging the raw energy of the seventies with the polished, emotionally charged anthems that would define an entire generation's soundtrack.
