Nine Lives (REO Speedwagon album)

Nine Lives is the eighth studio album by REO Speedwagon. It peaked at number #33 on the Billboard 200 chart in 1979.[1] The album went gold on December 5, 1979. The title Nine Lives was chosen because the album was the band's ninth, including their live album, and it also featured nine songs. It was the last REO album to prominently feature a more hard rock sound. The group would turn to more pop-oriented material with 1980's Hi Infidelity. In 2013, the album was released on CD by UK-based company Rock Candy Records, with expanded liner notes and photos.

Nine Lives
Studio album by
REO Speedwagon
ReleasedJuly 20, 1979
RecordedSpring 1979
StudioSound City (Studio A) (Los Angeles)
Kendun Recorders (Studio D) (Burbank)
GenreHard rock
Length34:24
LabelEpic
ProducerKevin Cronin, Gary Richrath, Kevin Beamish
REO Speedwagon chronology
You Can Tune a Piano But You Can't Tuna Fish
(1978)		 Nine Lives
(1979)		 Hi Infidelity
(1980)

The track "Only the Strong Survive" also later appeared on Gary Richrath's 1992 album Only the Strong Survive. Record World said of the single release of "Only the Strong Survive" that it "rips and roars with typical REO flash."[2]

Record World said of the single "Easy Money" that "The verse builds into a roaring chorus that's an AOR standard."[3]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[4]
Melodic link
Record Mirror[5]

Track listing
Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Heavy on Your Love"Kevin Cronin, Gary Richrath3:35
2."Drop It (An Old Disguise)"Cronin3:14
3."Only the Strong Survive"Richrath3:52
4."Easy Money"Richrath4:01
5."Rock & Roll Music"Chuck Berry2:55
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
6."Take Me"Cronin3:29
7."I Need You Tonight"Cronin3:35
8."Meet Me on the Mountain"Richrath4:04
9."Back on the Road Again"Bruce Hall5:39

Personnel

REO Speedwagon[6]

Additional personnel
Production
  • Producers: Kevin Cronin, Gary Richrath, Kevin Beamish
  • Engineers: Kevin Beamish, Gary Lubow
  • Arranger: Kevin Cronin
  • Associate Producer: Alan Gratzer
  • Production Assistance: Gary Lubow
  • Assistant engineers: Steve Williams, D. C. Snyder
  • Direction: John Baruck, Alex Kochan, Tom Consolo, JoAnn D'Agostino, Lynne Kirkwood
  • Art direction: Tom Drennon
  • Design: Tom Drennon, Ginger Canzoneri
  • Cover photographer: John Bilecky
  • Center spread and portrait photography: Neal Preston
  • Back cover cat illustrations: Ginger Canzoneri
  • Models: Candy Moore, Lindy Thorp, Shyanne Rippee, Karen Bilecky

Charts
Chart (1979) Peak
position
Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[7] 52
US Billboard 200[8] 33

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[9] Gold 500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Release history
Region Date Label Format Catalog #
USA July 20, 1979 Epic Records Stereo Vinyl E-35988
USA 1979 Epic Records Tape PET-35988
USA 1979 Epic Records 8 TRK E35988
USA 1990 Epic Records CD EK35988
Japan 2011 Sony Music CD (DSD-Remaster) EICP 1489
UK 2013 Rock Candy Records CD-24 bit audio
(Remastered & Reloaded)		 CANDY177

References
  1. Whitburn, Joel (2011). Top Pop Albums (Seventh ed.). Record Research. ISBN 978-0-89820-183-3.
  2. "Single Picks" (PDF). Record World. November 24, 1979. p. 16. Retrieved 2023-02-11.
  3. "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. September 8, 1979. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-02-11.
  4. Stone, Doug. REO Speedwagon: Nine Lives at AllMusic. Retrieved April 25, 2020.
  5. Dome, Malcolm (5 January 1980). "REO Speedwagon: Nine Lives". Record Mirror. p. 15.
  6. REO Speedwagon — Nine Lives. Rock Candy Records Ltd. 2013. p. 16.
  7. "Top RPM Albums: Issue 6838b". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved July, 8 2023.
  8. "REO Speedwagon Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved July, 8 2023.
  9. "American album certifications – R.E.O. Speedwagon – Nine Lives". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved October 2, 2016.
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