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Building the Bridge

REO Speedwagon - Building the Bridge Audio CD

A fair review of the REO Speedwagon "Building the Bridge" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all REO Speedwagon reviews here, or go back to the REO Speedwagon tabs.

Band: REO Speedwagon
Title: Building the Bridge
Rating:

Release Date: 1996-07-09
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Can't Stop Rockin' 2: I Still Love You 3: Building the Bridge 4: When I Get Home 5: Then I Met You 6: Look the Other Way 7: After Tonight 8: Hey Wait a Minute 9: One True Man 10: She's Gonna Love Me 11: Ballad of the Illinois Opry

A Glossed Over Gem
This turned out to be the second album without guitar legend Gary Richrath. At first listen, this REO album seems a little too slick, a little too polished and somewhat glib. And it turns out that replacement Dave Amato is a better player. Gone however is the early chemistry between Kevin Cronin and Richrath. All I can say is slap a pair of headphones on and give this a fair listen. "Can't Stop Rockin'" is pure fun with Bruce Hall's killer bass line and Kevin's ode to the Beatles and his musical vision. The tune kicks butt. It may be a bit plain for old REOers, but a few times over becomes more old school than anything. Dave Amato's guitar, you know, the guy can't fill Gary's shoes. . . end's up being more in synch with his bandmates, and yes the blend is awesome! Check out Neil Daughty's piano improv. And that's track one!

"I Still Love You" is similar to the moodiness of "One Lonely Night" with Cronin and co-author Stephen Stills doing some emotional reminiscing of love gone bad. Interesting that REO always draws its best material from relationship disasters. Again, check out Dave's guitar solo. "Building The Bridge" was actually chosen as Bill Clinton's re-election theme song and even though it wasn't overly used on the campaign trail, it couldn't have hurt the success of the Clinton's efforts. The lyrics are truly a call to hope and forgiveness. The tone is almost gospel in nature.

"When I Get Home" is a smooth, seemless pop-rock song with a nice lead guitar and fine acoustic arrangements as well. Yes, the album mellows out, like on "Then I Met You". But the material is fresh and original. Check out Neil's keyboard background and Dave's harmonies. "Look The Other Way" rollicks with the best of REO's uptempo rockers. Cronin seems to never exhaust his relationship material. "After Tonight" may make some of the arena rock REO's a little sqeamish, as this is an honest to goodness Cronin wimpy ballad. But the song shines. The lyrics and guitar will recall some of the intimate Beatle moments.

And just when you think REO has played everything there was to play, then comes "Hey Wait A Minute". Could it be jazz? Could it be blues? How about zydeco music? It's all in this Bruce Hall number that deifes REO logic. "One True Man" is another "One Lonely Night" type of song with Cronin and sparce production make for a moonlight drive down a starry road. "She's Gonna Love Me" wakes up side 2 with a gut punching lead guitar and Kevin barking at the moon. An all out AOR rocker with real bite. The boys drag out the acoustics for Cronin's ode to Illinois. This nostalgic ending is a real tribute to Kevin's home turf. There's much pride in these words and the sentiment they express. REO Speedwagon makes a leap forward on the "Bridge". There is really no filler on this project. And those who read the unkind words of critics who never liked this band to begin with, need to give this CD a real workout. This is clearly the best REO CD since "Wheels Are Turnin'". There's no missing Gary or Alan. They chose to leave. The band is different without them. But sometimes different is better.

Burning the bridge
Quickly, I envisioned the Good Ol' REO sound of classic albums like "Tuna", "Nine Lives", and "Hi Infidelity". I had seen REO in '96 and I was excited to hear they had a new album coming out. I couldnt wait to get the new album. However once I listened to "Building the Bridge", I was severely dissappointed. Boy, does this album scream suck! I mean, all the songs mesh together in one bland, adult-oriented pop, lackluster effort. Where are the catchy choruses? Where's the fun? Where's the energy? Where's the signature guitar licks? (Oh yeah, thats right. . . the energy of the Band died when Gary Richrath and Alan Gratzer left). Im not gonna mention the songs because its just a waste of time. Stick with the classic REO.

Terrible
Reo have become "whimp" rock. This album is terrible. The first song should be called "Can't Start Rockin".

i liked it
I really enjoy it. I think this album is mature and rich.
It doesn't rock as hard as their early stuff, and isn't as pop
as their mid stuff. But, the guitar work is fantastic and you
will thoroughly enjoy listening to it. It is adult pop at its best. "After tonight" is one of the best ballads I've heard in a long time. .

Major Disappointment
Of the 11 songs on the album, only two are any good, When I Get Home and After Tonight. Being a long time fan of REO Speedwagon, both newer and older releases, Building the Bridge is a major disappointment and possibly the worst album REO has ever released. When I Get Home is a mid-tempo rocker, and After Tonight is a beautiful, almost haunting ballad that ranks among the best songs REO has ever recorded. Unfortunately, the rest of the album is pretty bad. The opening track, Can't Stop Rockin', is about as hard-rock as REO gets nowadays. Unfortunately, the song isn't nearly as good as the title suggests. Most of the songs are bland ballads that don't go anywhere. I won't bother listing them here, because even after repeated listenings, it's hard to tell one apart from the next. They all sort of blend in together. Hey Wait a Minute, one of the few songs that isn't a ballad, is truly annoying. It's almost impossible to listen to this song without reaching for the Skip button. Lyrically, the subject matter is about as uninspiring as the music. Witness this chestnut from One True Man: "I am your one true man/Your one true man I am/I'm going to love you like no one man can/Your one true man, I am". Pretty deep stuff, huh? The final track is a song Kevin wrote way back in 1969. While it's interesting for its historical value, and demonstrates how much Kevin's songwriting has changed over the years, it also shows how desperate a songwriter is when they have to go back 27 years in search of new material. Even the liner notes don't make much sense: "It is a bridge between the old REO and the new REO". If they're referring to the line-up changes (guitarist Gary Richrath and drummer Alan Gratzer are gone), that would be the previous album. What makes this title even more tragic is that REO had *six* years to make this album. You would hope that after six years, they would have been able to come up with more than just two decent songs. Sadly, they didn't. I only recommend Building the Bridge for hard core REO fans, and collectors who absolutely must have every album REO has ever released. For everyone else, stay away. If you're looking for 'newer' REO albums, The Earth, A Small Man, His Dog and a Chicken is much better.

You can see a complete list of all REO Speedwagon discography, or go back to the REO Speedwagon tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.