ALBUMS: High Infidelity (1980). A Decade of Rock and Roll 1970 – 1980
MVC Rating: Infidelity 3.5;/ $$’ Decade of Rock and Roll. 4.0/$$$
OK, i’ll start something: Journey or REO Speedwagon?
Which one was the better band?. They both suck right, ?
Well, no. How can you even ask the question? Journey had better songs. Journey was the perfect rock date band: Journey was more famous and was worldwide. Man, what’ are you even talking about?
I hear you .
My family moved to Indiana, trading red clay dirt clods for cornfields and a famous car race My new Indiana friends were very much into REO Speedwagon and if you think REO ws a cheesy Top 40 band listen to some of their earlier albums, they rocked so hard the front row had their eyebrows burned off.
Of course that is obviously not true but I’m sure there were ringing ears.
Now flash forward a couple of decades plus. I was regional editor or projects editor for the Oakland Tribune., My co-workers of a slightly younger age who grew up in the SF Bay Area Journey was the thing. Not even a guilty pleasure but an awesome hard rock band that made REO look like hayseeds. (They’re behind the corn).
Let’s look at the tale of the tape, quite appropriate when you consider how many cassettes these guys sold .
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Journey, over a 40-years career, has been one of the greatest classic rock bands of all time. The band has released 23 albums and 43 singles since 1975 and has reached worldwide album sales totaling more than 75 million. .
OK drop the Mic. I
I like this early one by Journey:
I didn’t think their resume was THAT good. And I like them. Just so we give ’em a fair shake, I’ll find REO’s numbers. Those are oustanding numbers for Journey probably putting them in the top echelon for 70s and 80s bands..
OK, here we go with the REO number. (Both of these nuggets of info, supplied by Wikipedia and Google aggregation abilities.
Over the course of its career, the band has sold more than 40 million records and has charted 13 Top 40 hits, including the number ones “Keep On Loving You” and “Can’t Fight This Feeling?.
Not bad. But this was exactly the music I was transitioning out of at about 18. Played them again for this piece and yes both Journey and REO Speedwagon rock!