Ridin' the Storm Out

Ridin' the Storm Out is the third studio album by REO Speedwagon, released in 1973. It peaked at number 171 on the Billboard 200 chart in 1981,[1] and reached platinum status in 1989. It was the first album to feature Mike Murphy on vocals. The sessions started out with Kevin Cronin, but he left the band before the album was finished, due to creative differences. The title track would later become a hit for the band on their live album, after Cronin had returned to the band. The song refers to the band being stuck in a harsh winter blizzard after a show in Boulder, Colorado, at a bar named Tulagi (now closed).

Ridin' the Storm Out
Studio album by
REO Speedwagon
ReleasedDecember 21, 1973
RecordedSummer 1973
StudioWally Heider Studios (Los Angeles)
The Record Plant (Los Angeles)
GenreBlues rock, hard rock
Length36:26
LabelEpic
ProducerBill Halverson
REO Speedwagon chronology
R.E.O./T.W.O.
(1972)		 Ridin' the Storm Out
(1973)		 Lost in a Dream
(1974)

The album includes a new composition by Stephen Stills, "Open Up", which was never recorded by Stills himself or any of his bands, although "Know You Got to Run" from Stephen Stills 2 is essentially an embryonic version of the song. "Know You Got to Run" consists of only verses and uses a sombre acoustic folk arrangement, while "Open Up" includes a chorus and uses an up-tempo rock arrangement.

Cronin's original version of "Son of a Poor Man" is featured on the compilation albums A Decade of Rock and Roll: 1970-1980, and The Essential REO Speedwagon. "Son of a Poor Man" and "Ridin' the Storm Out" were featured on the live album Live: You Get What You Play For. The studio version of "Ridin' the Storm Out" with Cronin on vocals was released on the compilation "Box Set Series" in 2014, "The Early Years 1971-1977" boxed set in 2018 and as a downloadable track in the music video game Rock Band.

Record World said of the title track that it has "a good mix of hard rock guitar sounds and harmony vocals."[2]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[3]

Track listing
Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Ridin' the Storm Out"Gary Richrath4:12
2."Whiskey Night"Richrath4:42
3."Oh Woman"Richrath2:46
4."Find My Fortune"Richrath2:53
5."Open Up"Stephen Stills3:31
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
6."Movin'"Kevin Cronin3:20
7."Son of a Poor Man"Richrath3:44
8."Start a New Life"Richrath3:50
9."It's Everywhere"Cronin3:26
10."Without Expression (Don't Be the Man)"Terry Reid3:51

Personnel

REO Speedwagon[4]

  • Mike Murphy – lead vocals
  • Gary Richrath – guitar, lead vocal on "Find My Fortune"
  • Neal Doughty – keyboards
  • Gregg Philbin – bass
  • Alan Gratzer – drums
Additional personnel[4]
  • Gene Estes – percussion
  • Guille Garcia – percussion
  • Joe Walsh – slide guitar on "Whiskey Night", "Open Up" and "Start a New Life"
  • Gloria Jones – backing vocals
  • Carolyn Willis – backing vocals
  • Oma Drake – backing vocals

Charts
Chart (1974) Peak
position
US Billboard 200[5] 171

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[6] Platinum 1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Release history
Region Date Title Label Format Catalog #
USA December 1973 Ridin' the Storm Out Epic Records Stereo Vinyl E-32378
USA 1973 Ridin' the Storm Out Epic Records Tape PET-32378
USA 1973 Ridin' the Storm Out Epic Records 8 TRK E32378
USA 1986 Ridin' the Storm Out Epic Records CD EK32378
UK 2008 Ridin' the Storm Out / Lost in a Dream BGO Records CD (Digitally re-mastered) BGOCD805
Japan 2011 Ridin' the Storm Out Sony Music CD (DSD-Remaster) EICP 1482

References
  1. Whitburn, Joel (2011). Top Pop Albums (Seventh ed.). Record Research. ISBN 978-0-89820-183-3.
  2. "Single Picks" (PDF). Record World. April 2, 1977. p. 18. Retrieved 2023-02-16.
  3. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. REO Speedwagon: Ridin' the Storm Out at AllMusic. Retrieved April 29, 2020.
  4. R.E.O. Speedwagon — Ridin' the Storm Out / Lost in a Dream. BGO Records. 2008. p. 2.
  5. "REO Speedwagon Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
  6. "American album certifications – R.E.O. Speedwagon – Ridin' the Storm Out". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved October 2, 2016.
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