MY MUSIC FIXATIONS number 6, REO Speedwagon - GOLDEN COUNTRY
Written: Jul 04 '03 (Updated Jul 15 '03)
Product Rating:
Pros: Excellent middle of the road rock.
Cons: Can be a little monotonous.
The Bottom Line: Although this is a live recording, it is excellent quality and, at almost 70 minutes, is well worth buying. You get some great songs and a darn good album.
daumco's Full Review: Live: You Get What You Play For by REO Speedwagon
For those of you who have read my previous installments of "My Musical Fixations" I apologize but for those who haven't a brief explanation is in order
I am writing a series of reviews, not on certain full albums but upon those songs within that I obsessed on for a period of time, songs that no matter how many times I played them I never got tired of them. Many times these songs also remind me of milestones in my life, when I hear them. I'm sure you've had similar circumstances where certain songs got under your skin. You know, those songs that really grabbed you for two weeks or two months or more. The songs that you just couldn't get enough of and you had to play over and over and over and over .......... and still you never got sick of them. The ones you had on vinyl but you went back and bought again on CD if it was available and probably never played much - it was dated - just to know you had the best copy of it that you could get. And the funny thing is most of the time the song wasn't even by one of your favorite artists. This is the 6th installment, the band is REO Speedwagon and my fixation is "Golden Country"
REO Speedwagon built their fan base through extensive touring. Many times their live shows were more exciting than their records, which is why You Get What You Play For, a live run-through of their greatest hits, is one of their better albums of the era. They are one of the more prolific of the 70s and 80s rock bands having logged some twenty-nine albums but they were slow starters and had six previous albums out before this album which was their first certified gold and platinum release. They experimented with their sound and their lineup until, with hard work and with shear tenacity, they made the big time.
SONG / TRACK LIST
1. Like You Do (Richrath) - 6:54
2. Lay Me Down (Philbin/Richrath) - 3:38
3. Any Kind of Love (Richrath) - 3:34
4. Being Kind (Can Hurt Someone Sometimes) (Cronin) - 6:35
5. Keep Pushin' (Cronin) - 4:06
6. (Only A) Summer Love (Richrath) - 6:05
7. Son of a Poor Man (Richrath) - 5:30
8. (I Believe) Our Time Is Gonna Come (Cronin) - 4:49
9. Flying Turkey Trot (Richrath) - 2:35
10. 157 Riverside Avenue (Doughty/Gratzer/Luttrell/Philbin/Richrath) - 7:38
11. Ridin' the Storm Out (Richrath) - 5:47
12. Music Man (Cronin) - 2:58
13. Golden Country (Richrath) - 8:26
14. Little Queenie (Berry)
15. Golden Country (Richrath)
"Golden Country" is a rather lengthly song, clocking in at 8:26. Actually 8:00 with 26 seconds of post song monologue and applause. I wasn't a big Reo Speedwagon fan (the only other song I liked by them was "Ridin' the Storm Out") so my only exposure to "Golden Country" was the radio. Since it was over 8 minutes long it got sporadic play and of course the DJ, if he gave the title and artist at all, gave it before the song started, mixed in with his glib monologue. So once again I had to call the station to find out the pertinent information.
"Golden Country" was originally released on the 1972 album
R.E.O. 2. I picked it up on 1977s Live; You Get What You Play For, which overall is a pretty good album.
As many songs of this era were, "Golden County" is an Indictment of the power structure and laws of our country. This was the tail end of the hippie movement in which some of our best music, among other things, was spawned. "Golden Country" is played in a medium rock tempo with many variations and sort of a rock-a-billy tone. Also included is one of the best guitar solos I've ever been privileged to hear. It's 2 minutes and 45 long by underrated Gary Richrath and is essential material for you guitar enthusiasts.
When Golden Country first starts out you may think you're listening to Vanilla Fudge's, "You Keep Me Hanging On" but that notion is dispelled at about the 25 second mark when Gary Rithrath's ultra twangy guitar kicks in, answered back and forth by Neal Doughty's organ playing. Then at the minute mark there is a pause, whereupon the lead singer Kevin Cronin starts softly singing accompanied by the equally soft organ playing. The rest of the band then kicks in gradually increasing volume and intensity to a peak and another pause. Another similar go at the previous music and we are to a great guitar solo by Richrath and then back to full band and the escalating intensity.
Band Members
Kevin Cronin - Guitar, Guitar (Rhythm), Vocals
Neal Doughty - Keyboards
Alan Gratzer - Drums, Vocals (bckgr)
Gregg Philbin - Guitar (Bass), Vocals (bckgr)
Gary Richrath - Guitar, Vocals, Producer, Mixing
Golden Country Lyrics
REO Speedwagon
Golden country your face is so red
With all of your money your poor can be fed
You strut around and you flirt with disaster
Never really carin' just what comes after
Well your blacks are dyin' but your back is still turned
And your freaks are cryin' but your back is still turned
You better stop your hidin or your country will burn
The time has come for you my friend
To all this ugliness we must put an end
Before we leave we must make a stand
Mortgage people you crawl to your homes
Your security lies in your bed of white foam
You act concerned but then why turn away
When a lady was raped on your doorstep today
Well your blacks are cryin' but your back is still turned
And your freaks are dyin' but your back is still turned
You better stop your hidin or your country will burn
The time has come for you my friend
To all this ugliness we must put an end
Before we leave we must make a stand, oh yeah......
(solo)
Golden country your face is so red
With all of your money your poor can be fed
You strut around and you flirt with disaster
Never really carin' just what comes after
Well your blacks are dyin' but your back is still turned
And your freaks are cryin' but your back is still turned
You better stop your hidin or your country will burn
The time has come for you my friend
To all this ugliness we must put an end
Before we leave we must make a stand
The band that wouldn't go away: Although R.E.O. was still putting out pretty good music in the late eighties and nineties, it was pretty much unappreciated and the band was thinking of calling it quits. Fortunately a resurgence of interest in oldie rock and roll music in the nineties, gave them an option to tour with other big name bands, which they are doing to this day.
If You've enjoyed this review here are the links to my other FIXATIONS:
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