Comments on: Hello, My Name Is Kevin http://illinoisentertainer.com/2007/04/hello-my-name-is-kevin/#utm_source=feed&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=feed Chicagoland's Free Music Monthly Magazine - In Print And Online Sun, 14 Mar 2010 00:57:46 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9 hourly 1 By: Spike http://illinoisentertainer.com/2007/04/hello-my-name-is-kevin/comment-page-1/#comment-24836 Spike Wed, 26 Sep 2007 23:57:21 +0000 http://illinoisentertainer.com/2007/04/27/hello-my-name-is-kevin/#comment-24836 We're clearly not listening to the same album here, people! Just one example of many: I don't see how ANYBODY could listen to Track 2 and Track 6 back to back and not admire how Cronin has crafted this psychological "mirror image" of the same event[s] (the pain and rage of infidelity, first in Track 2 from the point of view of the person cheated UPON, and then in Track 6 from the perspective of the person who cheated and now has to say an guiltily uncomfortable goodbye to the third party). OK, well maybe not ANYBODY would read this record as somewhat of a personal-growth concept album. You kinda have to be 50-something & long-married, as Cronin is. (As also is Stephen King, who recently released “Lisey’s Story” – in my opinion much the same sort of thinly-fictionalized literary roadmap to someone’s personal-growth process by way of marital crisis and/or addictions as is the new REO Speedwagon a thinly-musicalized representation of the same terrain.) Nuts to the professional reviewers; this album marks for me the moment when one ofthe favorite bands of my misspent youth finally grew up...and surprise surprise I seem to gotten there too, if the utter incomprehension on this board of any lyrical content that attempts to exceed "blunts, bee-yatches, and BMWs" is truly representative of what, in David Letterman's famous phrase, "the kids are listening to these days." Let's not forget, both "the pros" and "the kids" slammed Trent Reznor's last two albums, too...even though genius continues to leak from HIS every pore... We’re clearly not listening to the same album here, people!

Just one example of many: I don’t see how ANYBODY could listen to Track 2 and Track 6 back to back and not admire how Cronin has crafted this psychological “mirror image” of the same event[s] (the pain and rage of infidelity, first in Track 2 from the point of view of the person cheated UPON, and then in Track 6 from the perspective of the person who cheated and now has to say an guiltily uncomfortable goodbye to the third party).

OK, well maybe not ANYBODY would read this record as somewhat of a personal-growth concept album. You kinda have to be 50-something & long-married, as Cronin is. (As also is Stephen King, who recently released “Lisey’s Story” – in my opinion much the same sort of thinly-fictionalized literary roadmap to someone’s personal-growth process by way of marital crisis and/or addictions as is the new REO Speedwagon a thinly-musicalized representation of the same terrain.)

Nuts to the professional reviewers; this album marks for me the moment when one ofthe favorite bands of my misspent youth finally grew up…and surprise surprise I seem to gotten there too, if the utter incomprehension on this board of any lyrical content that attempts to exceed “blunts, bee-yatches, and BMWs” is truly representative of what, in David Letterman’s famous phrase, “the kids are listening to these days.” Let’s not forget, both “the pros” and “the kids” slammed Trent Reznor’s last two albums, too…even though genius continues to leak from HIS every pore…

]]> By: James Cecil http://illinoisentertainer.com/2007/04/hello-my-name-is-kevin/comment-page-1/#comment-23452 James Cecil Mon, 30 Jul 2007 10:37:13 +0000 http://illinoisentertainer.com/2007/04/27/hello-my-name-is-kevin/#comment-23452 I agree with Peter. I just recently saw them on July 24th and they rocked. The new songs they played were much better live than on CD. I havent seen the band this enthusiatic since the mid 80's early 90's. Even though this CD's not their best it's definitely not their worst. Having been a fan since 1975 I like everyone else miss Gary terribly. With that said a true fan will stick by the band through thick or thin. I agree with Peter. I just recently saw them on July 24th and they rocked. The new songs they played were much better live than on CD. I havent seen the band this enthusiatic since the mid 80’s early 90’s. Even though this CD’s not their best it’s definitely not their worst. Having been a fan since 1975 I like everyone else miss Gary terribly. With that said a true fan will stick by the band through thick or thin.

]]> By: Peter Rainey http://illinoisentertainer.com/2007/04/hello-my-name-is-kevin/comment-page-1/#comment-21643 Peter Rainey Fri, 18 May 2007 01:37:51 +0000 http://illinoisentertainer.com/2007/04/27/hello-my-name-is-kevin/#comment-21643 I heard the new record on a Kentucky radio station last week. Sounded OK to me, don't know what you're expecting Lorya and Powerchord. It's been 25 years since REO's best music. Bands get older and in most cases, their music declines. I can't say any of their peers music is any better. Richrath left the band when Bush Sr. was in office. Get over it. Let it go. I heard the new record on a Kentucky radio station last week. Sounded OK to me, don’t know what you’re expecting
Lorya and Powerchord. It’s been 25 years since REO’s best music. Bands get older and in most cases, their music declines. I can’t say any of their peers music is any better. Richrath
left the band when Bush Sr. was in office. Get over it. Let it go.

]]> By: Lorya http://illinoisentertainer.com/2007/04/hello-my-name-is-kevin/comment-page-1/#comment-21631 Lorya Thu, 17 May 2007 19:21:20 +0000 http://illinoisentertainer.com/2007/04/27/hello-my-name-is-kevin/#comment-21631 This was possibly the worst album I have ever heard, not only the worst album REO ever put out. "Smilin' in the End" is horrid, but yet "I Needed to fall" was the lamest and most, um, geeky... This is not even the equivelent to hits like "Golden Country", or "Riding the Storm out", which, even I will admit, were more talent-filled than this. I think they totally sold out. This album is Mediocracy and fully deserves to be at WalMart, I think. A half a star, all the way... If i could give it -5 stars, I would, but they don't make ratings like that. Sorry. This was possibly the worst album I have ever heard, not only the worst album REO ever put out. “Smilin’ in the End” is horrid, but yet “I Needed to fall” was the lamest and most, um, geeky… This is not even the equivelent to hits like “Golden Country”, or “Riding the Storm out”, which, even I will admit, were more talent-filled than this. I think they totally sold out. This album is Mediocracy and fully deserves to be at WalMart, I think. A half a star, all the way… If i could give it -5 stars, I would, but they don’t make ratings like that. Sorry.

]]> By: Powerchord http://illinoisentertainer.com/2007/04/hello-my-name-is-kevin/comment-page-1/#comment-21155 Powerchord Sat, 05 May 2007 19:03:56 +0000 http://illinoisentertainer.com/2007/04/27/hello-my-name-is-kevin/#comment-21155 This new REO CD is the worst album in the band’s history – and that’s saying a lot considering how awful both “The Earth, A Small Man His Dog & "A Chicken” and “Building the Bridge” were. None of these new songs stand on their own merit, since Cronin resorts to playing acoustic versions of REO's greatest hits (Ridin’ the Storm Out"; Take It On the Run) to draw even modest crowds to the Wal-Mart cash register. There isn’t a song worth pulling out of the toilet on this fiasco. This new REO CD is the worst album in the band’s history – and that’s saying a lot considering how awful both “The Earth, A Small Man His Dog & “A Chicken” and “Building the Bridge” were. None of these new songs stand on their own merit, since Cronin resorts to playing acoustic versions of REO’s greatest hits (Ridin’ the Storm Out”; Take It On the Run) to draw even modest crowds to the Wal-Mart cash register. There isn’t a song worth pulling out of the toilet on this fiasco.

]]> By: Mark http://illinoisentertainer.com/2007/04/hello-my-name-is-kevin/comment-page-1/#comment-20826 Mark Sat, 28 Apr 2007 03:45:53 +0000 http://illinoisentertainer.com/2007/04/27/hello-my-name-is-kevin/#comment-20826 Last January Kevin Cronin said, "Of the eight songs we are going in [to the recording studio] with next week, there is one, kind of sweet acoustic number, and the rest are all sweaty, blister-fingered, Midwest rock'n roll." WHERE ARE ALL THOSE SWEATY, BLISTER FINGERED MIDWEST ROCK N' ROLL tunes? All we hear are ballads! What happened to the "speed" in REO Speedwagon??? This album could very well go down as the worst in REO Speedwagon history. Review of "Find Your Own Way Home" from the Chicago Sun Times: "After a decade of countless repackaged, retreaded hits collections and live recordings, the Champaign-born arena rock band returned to the studio two years ago and has emerged...and eventually falls flat." Last January Kevin Cronin said, “Of the eight songs we are going in [to the recording studio] with next week, there is one, kind of sweet acoustic number, and the rest are all sweaty, blister-fingered, Midwest rock’n roll.” WHERE ARE ALL THOSE SWEATY, BLISTER FINGERED MIDWEST ROCK N’ ROLL tunes? All we hear are ballads! What happened to the “speed” in REO Speedwagon??? This album could very well go down as the worst in REO Speedwagon history.

Review of “Find Your Own Way Home” from the Chicago Sun Times:
“After a decade of countless repackaged, retreaded hits collections and live recordings, the Champaign-born arena rock band returned to the studio two years ago and has emerged…and eventually falls flat.”

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