And the end of freshman year, 1981.

REO Speedwagon

The Gen X soundtrack was dominated by REO Speedwagon in the late 70s and early 80s. They. Were. Everywhere. Older brothers and sisters listened to You Can Tune a Piano But You Can’t Tune a Fish, and we listened to High Infidelity.

I personally can’t say I loved REO Speedwagon but their songs were so damn catchy, and as I said they were played on the radio constantly so they got in your head and you found yourself singing along. I cannot hear an REO Speedwagon song and not think back to my early high school years.

In 1981 power ballads were huge. Think Journey’s Open Arms, Foreigner’sWaiting for a Girl Like You, All Out of Love by Air Supply. FM radio was playing a wide range of music, all though not anything considered ‘alternative” quite yet, but you’d have Barbara Streisand, Sheena Easton, Kim Carnes, Juice Newton, Kool and the Gang, Hall and Oates, Joan Jett, The Rolling Stones, The Cars. A huge variety of artists and styles.

When I think of 1981 I think of The Preppy Handbook as my guide to what to wear, what to think, how to act, what was funny or clever. In my little town being preppy and being what we thought of as “rich” meant deck shoes, Bermuda bags ( I had a whole bunch of those Bermuda bag covers that you buttoned onto wooden handles. Fair Isle wool sweaters, straight leg jeans, button down oxford cloth shirts and Izod, Izod, Izod. Like I’ve said before my music taste was not at all sophisticated. I listened to the radio, which was pretty rich and pretty good back then. Buffalo had very good radio. I looked to older kids and boys I had crushes on for musical guidance. It wasn’t until a year or so later that I started listening to anything other than mainstream rock, although I always did love that British Invasion sound.

In 1981 I was just starting to develop my own style. I still mostly followed the crowd. Being a freshman in high school was nerve wracking and intimidating- at least for me. I had zero self confidence. I did what my friends did. I liked what they liked. It was when I finally made the cheerleading squad that spring that I finally felt somewhat part of a scene. Other things I remember when I hear REO Speedwagon are things like the band trip to New York City. We stayed with families in Valley Stream Long Island and went into the city to see A Chorus Line. That was great. My friends and I just basically ran around Fifth Avenue when we had “free time”. We touched the door of Tiffany’s and Saks Fifth Avenue and thought we were just so cool, lol!

REO Speedwagon was founded at the University of Illinois, Champagne in 1967 and originally managed by Irving Azofff For most of the 70s the band’s music had a heavier sound. High Infidelity had a much more pop sound than the heavier rock of their earlier albums.The lyrics to Take It on The Run were written by Gary Richrath and sung by Kevin Cronin. It was released in March and reached number five on Billboard’s Hot 100.

That guitar intro with Kevin Cronin singing sounds just like 1981 to me and it just hooks you. I dare you to listen to it and NOT sing along!

Time travel back forty five years ago, the end of the school year, visions of summer vacation in your head. Going to the county fair, swimming in the lake, riding your ten speed around town, goofing off, living the life of a fifteen year old who wasn’t going to be low-man on the totem pole in school the next year!

REO Speedwagon’s Take It on The Run is THE perfect summer song!

Me circa 1981, lol. Braces, my beloved Fair Isle sweater and all. My hair was French braided in the back. Oh, my. What a nerd.