R.E.O. Speedwagon (album)

R.E.O. Speedwagon
Studio album by REO Speedwagon
Released	October 1971
Recorded	1970–1971 at Connecticut Recording Studios Inc. "Prison Women" recorded at Columbia Recording Studios in Chicago, Illinois
Genre	Rock • Hard rock
Length	38:10
Label	Epic
Producer	Paul Leka, Billy Rose II
REO Speedwagon chronology
R.E.O. Speedwagon (1971) R.E.O./T.W.O. (1972)

R.E.O. Speedwagon is the debut studio album by American rock band REO Speedwagon. Released in 1971, it was the only album recorded with singer Terry Luttrell until Kevin Cronin joined the band for R.E.O./T.W.O. This album concluded with one progressive rock song unlike the later arena rock songs that made them famous.^[1]

The album produced the fan favorites “157 Riverside Avenue”, “Sophisticated Lady” and “Lay Me Down”, but sold very poorly, though “Sophisticated Lady” did reach number 122 on the singles charts.^[2] “157 Riverside Avenue” and “Lay Me Down” were subsequently recorded on the live album Live: You Get What You Play For. “157 Riverside Avenue” and “Sophisticated Lady” were both featured on the compilation album A Decade of Rock and Roll: 1970-1980. In 2007, the British company BGO Records released REO Speedwagon and R.E.O./T.W.O. together (BGOCD775), marking the first time the band’s first album was widely available in CD format. For some unknown reason, Epic Records never issued this first album on the cassette tape format ( but they did issue an 8-Track Stereo Tape Cartridge version of it. )

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	link

Track listing

All tracks written by Neal Doughty, Alan Gratzer, Terry Luttrell, Gregg Philbin, and Gary Richrath, except where noted. 

Side one
No.	Title	Length
1.	"Gypsy Woman's Passion"	5:17
2.	"157 Riverside Avenue"	3:57
3.	"Anti-Establishment Man"	5:21
4.	"Lay Me Down" (Philbin, Richrath)	3:51

Side two
No.	Title	Length
5.	"Sophisticated Lady"	4:00
6.	"Five Men Were Killed Today"	3:00
7.	"Prison Women" (Richrath)	2:36
8.	"Dead at Last"	10:08

Personnel

REO Speedwagon^[3]

• Terry Luttrell - lead vocals
• Gary Richrath - guitar
• Neal Doughty - keyboards
• Gregg Philbin - bass, backing vocals
• Alan Gratzer - drums, percussion, backing vocals

Additional personnel^[3]

• Andre Borly - ondes martenot (track 6)
• Freedom Soul Singers - backing vocals (track 8)

Charts

Singles - Billboard (North America)

Year	Single	Chart	Position[4]
1972	"Sophisticated Lady"	Bubbling Under the Hot 100	122

Release history

Region	Date	Title	Label	Format	Catalog #
USA	October 1971	R.E.O. Speedwagon	Epic Records	Stereo Vinyl	E-31089
USA	1971	R.E.O. Speedwagon	Epic Records	8 Track	ET-31089
UK	1993	R.E.O. Speedwagon	Epic Records	CD	9829672
UK	2007	R.E.O. Speedwagon / R.E.O./T.W.O.	BGO Records	2-CD (Digitally re-mastered)	BGOCD775
Japan	2011	R.E.O. Speedwagon	Sony Music	CD (DSD-Remaster)	EICP 1480
Germany	2013	R.E.O. Speedwagon	Yellow Label	(Coloured) Vinyl	SPV 265961 LP

References

1. Roll Over Beethoven. Emusic Spotlight.
2. Billboard - R.E.O. Speedwagon, Sophisticated Lady. Books.google.nl. March 4, 1972. Retrieved 2015-01-12.
3. R.E.O. Speedwagon — R.E.O. Speedwagon / R.E.O.T.W.O. BGO Records. 2007. p. 4.
4. Whitburn, Joel (2013). Top Pop Singles 1955-2012. Menomonee Falls, WI: Record Research, Inc. p. 702. ISBN 0-89820-205-1.