Nine Lives
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Album Summary
Nine Lives, the ninth studio album from Champaign, Illinois rock warriors REO Speedwagon, came rolling out of Epic Records in 1979 like a freight train that had no intention of slowing down. Produced by the band's own Kevin Cronin and Alan Gratzer — two cats who knew exactly what they wanted this record to sound like — the album was laid down during one of the most competitive periods in American rock music, when the arenas were full and the FM dial was a battlefield. REO Speedwagon had been grinding it out on the road for years by this point, and that road-hardened hunger is all over this record. Nine Lives captured a band in the thick of their journey, doubling down on the muscular, emotionally charged sound they had been building album by album, and planting their flag firmly in the arena rock landscape of the late 1970s.
Reception
- Nine Lives climbed into the top 40 of the Billboard 200, a testament to the band's growing commercial momentum and their loyal fanbase that had been cultivated through relentless touring across America.
- Tracks from the album found a welcome home on FM rock radio throughout 1979 and into 1980, with program directors recognizing the album's consistent quality and its appeal to the heartland rock audience that REO Speedwagon owned.
Significance
- Nine Lives stands as a genuine artifact of the late-1970s arena rock era, delivering that unmistakable blend of hard-driving guitars and emotionally raw vocal performances that made REO Speedwagon one of the most beloved live acts of their generation.
- The album showcases the songwriting maturity that Kevin Cronin and the band had developed over nearly a decade together, with cuts like 'Back On The Road Again' and 'Take Me' reflecting a band that had found its voice and was not afraid to use it.
- Nine Lives served as a crucial stepping stone in REO Speedwagon's artistic evolution, bridging the hard rock grit of their earlier catalog with the more polished, emotionally direct approach that would carry them to massive mainstream success in the years ahead.
Tracklist
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A1 Heavy On Your Love 145
3:34
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A2 Drop It (An Old Disguise) 147
3:12
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A3 Only The Strong Survive 130
3:51
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A4 Easy Money 145
3:59
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A5 Rock & Roll Music 157
2:54
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B1 Take Me 96
3:29
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B2 I Need You Tonight 146
3:34
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B3 Meet Me On The Mountain 121
4:04
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B4 Back On The Road Again 126
5:37
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.
