From Melodic Rock.com:

REO SPEEDWAGON PREVIEW NEW TUNES LIVE:

You might have heard by now that the new REO Speedwagon album has been delayed until first quarter 2007. But the band are playing a preview of the album in the form of three new songs on their current live dates.

Site regular Michael J. Perry recently caught one of these shows and was kind enough to send in his thoughts - which I share with you here now:

"Last night I saw REO Speedwagon at the Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma, WA. This is the first time I saw them since the mid-'80's so you can say I was doing a little catching up. Granted over the years I have had opportunity to see them around the Pacific Northwest over the past several years I always made other commitments to do something else. Enough of that.

They played some of their standard songs like Don't Let Him Go, Music Man, Ridin' the Storm Out, Roll With the Changes along with others but they played Like You Do from their REO Two album which was cool to hear live again.

What impressed me were the three new songs they played.

Need To Fall Down - which Kevin said that sometimes you need to fall down to get right back up. This was the only one of the three new songs which Kevin played acoustic guitar but this song still had a powerful punch with Dave Amato playing a black double neck guitar.

Dangerous Combination - as Kevin said that drinking and thinking can become a dangerous combination. He told a little story about drinking Sammy Hagar tequila brand Cabo Wabo at a hotel some months ago while on tour and that a particular woman was looking better after each shot. It was pretty funny.

Smiling At the End - that deals with getting knocked down, kicked around, called names, along with other things but getting right back up smiling at the end. This song to me had the most of a rock edge of the three. Very energetic song in which keyboardist Neil Doughty seemed to have the most fun with. At least it seemed like that the way he was bouncing up and down moving his arms around behind the keyboards.

Kevin Cronin did say that between 1997 and 2003 he was not too creative in writing songs because he was as he put it "Too damn happy!!" After 2003 everything went bad and that is when he started getting his creative writing juices flowing. All three songs seemed to be very personal in the way he performed each one. It seems he was pouring his emotional soul into each word that he was belting out. Some say that tragedy or hard times brings out best in a songwriter. Well if the three songs that I heard performed live last night are any indication of what to expect with their new album then I believe old and new REO Speedwagon fans will be very pleased and satisfied with their new music."

Not that anyone seems to care, but here's an update and the release date.

From melodic rock.com:

REO'S HAPPY ENDING DUE IN MARCH:

News from REO Speedwagon...the news you have been waiting for from Kevin Cronin: "After many hours in the studio with the team, we are really happy to announce that the new REO Speedwagon album Everyone Loves A Happy Ending will be released on March 26.

The birth of our new baby represents the "happy ending" of one chapter, and the beginning of writing a brand new one in the band's history. We hope you'll take the journey with us and continue to show us your love, your stories and your smiling faces. You guys are the reason we do it.

Please go to the iPlayer at Speedwagon.com to hear clips from 2 more tracks entitled Dangerous Combination and Let My Love Find You. We'll be in touch soon with release details and a new website. Thanks. KC and REO."

Upcoming Tour Dates:
2/3/07 Miami, FL-Super Bowl XLI, Bicentennial Park
2/4/07 Miami, FL-Super Bowl XLI, Dolphin Stadium
2/9/07 Coquitlam, BC-Red Robinson Theatre
2/16/07 Mescalero, NM-Inn of the Mountain Gods Resort
2/19/07 Indio, CA-Riverside County Fair
2/23/07 Wendover, NV-Peppermill Concert Hall
2/25/07 Shelton, WA-Little Creek Casino Resort
3/1/07 Ft. Wayne, IN-Embassy Theater
3/2/07 Milwaukee, WI-Bradley Center
3/3/07 Lake Delton, WI-Crystal Grand Music Theatre
3/4/07 Prior Lake, MN-Mystic Lake Casino Hotel
3/9/07 Niagara Falls, ON-Niagara Fallsview Casino
4/21/07 Ladson, SC-Exchange Park Fairgrounds
4/28/07 Biloxi, MS-Mississippi Coast Coliseum
Don't forget to visit our website at http://www.speedwagon.com to see the latest information!

In related news, there is a new radio interview with Kevin Cronin up on Star103FM: http://www.streamaudio.com/listen/cox.asp.

I think Kevin lays it on a little thick there with the "you guys are the reason we do it " rap, but whaddya gonna do??

New album title and cover art...

I'd love to know just what the hell this actually means. If you want to stretch it this far, isn't every new album the end of one chapter and the beginning of another one? It sounds like Kevin's been hitting the aroma therapy a little too hard lately.

(Personally I liked the turkey cover better.)

Maybe they changed the title because Tears For Fears named their reunion album Everybody Love a Happy Ending.

http://www.melodicrock.com/

REGULAR EDITION REO SPEEDWAGON CD DUE END OF APRIL:

An update of sorts for International REO Speedwagon fans. WalMart may not ship internationally, but a regular release of the band's new album Find Your Own Way Home will be available at traditional retail outlets throughout the US (which will ship overseas) at the end of April.

The 2CD/1DVD Limited Edition remains a WalMart exclusive, but I'm waiting to get an update on whether International fans will be able to obtain copies of that version someway. The WalMart release goes on sale next week.

International distribution deals for the album remain under discussion. BTW - I just conducted a Feature Interview with the band's frontman Kevin Cronin. Expect that online next week.

I saw this advertised in this week's WalMart circular. 3CD set.

I was in Wal-Mart today and saw it for $14.99. A sweet deal, particularly for an avid REO fan. The album, the "then again live" live recording of High Infidelity from XM's series of the same name and a third disc as well. I think it may be a DVD. All the discs are in individual jewel cases housed inside a slipcase.

A real great deal and I'd advise any REO fan to get it while you can!

I was at Walmart this morning and picked up this 3CD set and the Dio Years CD/DVD set.