Life as We Know It (REO Speedwagon album)
Life as We Know It is the twelfth studio album by REO Speedwagon, released in 1987 (see 1987 in music).
| Life as We Know It | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | February 1987 | |||
| Recorded | April–December 1986 | |||
| Studio | Rumbo Recorders (Los Angeles) | |||
| Genre | Rock | |||
| Length | 40:19 | |||
| Label | Epic | |||
| Producer |
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| REO Speedwagon chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [1] |
| Rolling Stone | (unfavorable)[2] |
It features "That Ain't Love" and "In My Dreams", both of which were Top 20 hits while "Variety Tonight" reached #60 on the Hot 100. "One Too Many Girlfriends" showcased the growing tensions between band members Kevin Cronin and Gary Richrath. At one point, "New Way to Love" was considered for use in the film Top Gun.
This is the group's final studio release with Richrath and original drummer Alan Gratzer, as well as their final top 40 album to date.
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "New Way to Love" | Kevin Cronin | 4:08 |
| 2. | "That Ain't Love" | Cronin | 4:01 |
| 3. | "In My Dreams" | Cronin, Tom Kelly | 4:30 |
| 4. | "One Too Many Girlfriends" | Cronin | 3:57 |
| 5. | "Variety Tonight" | Neal Doughty | 4:26 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6. | "Screams and Whispers" | Kelly, Gary Richrath, Billy Steinberg | 3:29 |
| 7. | "Can't Get You Out of My Heart" | Cronin, Kelly, Steinberg | 3:33 |
| 8. | "Over the Edge" | Kelly, Richrath, Steinberg | 3:56 |
| 9. | "Accidents Can Happen" | Bruce Hall, Jeffery B. Hall | 4:20 |
| 10. | "Tired of Getting Nowhere" | Cronin | 4:11 |
Personnel
REO Speedwagon
- Kevin Cronin – lead vocals (1-8, 10), backing vocals (1, 3, 7, 10), rhythm "left side" guitar (1, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10), acoustic guitar (2, 3, 6, 7)
- Gary Richrath – lead guitar (1, 2, 4-10), rhythm "right side" guitar (1, 4, 5, 10), electric guitar (3)
- Neal Doughty – acoustic piano (1), synthesizers (2-10), organ (3, 4, 10), Emulator sax (6)
- Bruce Hall – bass, lead vocals (9)
- Alan Gratzer – drums
Additional musicians
- Steve Forman – percussion (3, 10)
- Greg Smith – baritone saxophone (1, 10), bass saxophone (1)
- Lon Price – tenor saxophone (1, 10), horn arrangements (1, 10), soprano saxophone (10)
- Paris Cronin – alto saxophone (10)
- Nick Lane – trombone (10)
- Rick Braun – trumpet (10)
- Lee Thornburg – trumpet (10)
- Bob Carlisle – backing vocals (2, 3, 4, 7)
- Tom Kelly – backing vocals (2, 3, 4)
- Julia Waters – backing vocals (5, 10)
- Maxine Waters – backing vocals (5, 10)
- Terry Wood – backing vocals (5, 10)
Production
- Kevin Cronin – producer
- Alan Gratzer – producer
- Gary Richrath – producer
- David DeVore – producer, engineer
- Julian Stoll – assistant engineer
- Steve Hall – mastering at Future Disc (Hollywood, California).
- Dave Snow – art coordinator
- REO Speedwagon – cover concept
- Donald Ryan – cover artwork
- Aaron Rapoport – photography
Charts
| Chart (1987) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[3] | 73 |
| Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[4] | 24 |
| US Billboard 200[5] | 28 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[6] | Gold | 500,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
- Stone, Doug. REO Speedwagon: Life as We Know It at AllMusic. Retrieved April 25, 2020.
- Rolling Stone review
- "Top RPM Albums: Issue 0798". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved July, 8 2023.
- "Swedishcharts.com – REO Speedwagon – Life as We Know It". Hung Medien. Retrieved July, 8 2023.
- "REO Speedwagon Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved July, 8 2023.
- "American album certifications – R.E.O. Speedwagon – Life as We Know It". Recording Industry Association of America.
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