"Out of Season" by REO Speedwagon

I’ve only actually ever been to four live concerts in my life and two of them I happened to stumble across while out and about. One of the two that I intentionally attended was a gift for my 15th birthday and featured REO Speedwagon.

It was a little strange being a 15-year-old kid in a crowd of mostly middle-aged men and women, but it was a great experience seeing the band live and I even got a guitar pick that was thrown into the audience.

There are a lot of people who see REO Speedwagon as an “unhip,” “corny” 80’s band. And maybe they are, but I don’t care. They had their fair share of cheesy ballads (that I loved all the same), but they also had some really good rock songs.

One of these is "Out of Season." It’s not one of their best-known songs like “Take it on the Run” or “Can’t Fight This Feeling,” but once I had listened to those songs over and over and wanted to hear more from the band, others began to catch my attention.

One of these songs was "Out of Season." The guitar riffs stand out, as do Kevin Cronin’s vocals (which is a polarizing part of the band, but I really appreciate the control he has over his voice). To me, however, the best part of the song is the keyboard part in the chorus. They aren’t always noticeable right away, but if you listen closely, you can hear the “pitter-patter” synth sound behind the rest of the music and for me, when I noticed it, it made the song that much more enjoyable. It's subtle, but it adds a lot.

I’d like to take this opportunity to suggest some of REO Speedwagon’s lesser-known songs that I like. Clearly, this band is not for everyone. In fact, some people seem to absolutely hate them. I don’t really listen to them anymore, but I enjoyed getting to know their music. So, the songs: “Don’t Let Him Go” has a thumping beat and more great keyboards. “Someone Tonight” features bassist Bruce Hall on lead vocals, so if you aren’t fond of Cronin's voice, maybe check this one out. Finally, “One Lonely Night” is an interesting song that’s a bit moodier than REO Speedwagon’s usual output.