Live: You Get What You Play For is a live album by rock band REO Speedwagon, released as a double-LP in 1977 (and years later as a single CD omitting "Gary's Guitar Solo" and "Little Queenie"). It was recorded from February to November 1976 at Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kansas, the Convention Center in Indianapolis, Indiana, the Kiel Auditorium in St. Louis, Missouri and the Electric Ballroom in Atlanta, Georgia. It peaked at number #72 on the Billboard 200 chart in 1977. The album went platinum on December 14, 1978.

This album's live version of the song "Ridin' the Storm Out" (an earlier studio version of this song appeared on the band's third album Ridin' the Storm Out) reached #94 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart, and has since become a classic rock radio staple. 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). The band had decided to prank its tour manager by intentionally getting lost, but then inadvertently became genuinely lost as a dangerous winter storm approached.

Producer John Stronach was fired by the band after his mix of this album "sounded like a studio album". The band then did its own mix of this album, which became their first album to sell over a million records. Afterward, the band continued to mix its own albums, all of which reached either gold or platinum sales results.

The Japanese CD reissue, released in 2011, restores the album and songs to its original full length by including both "Gary's Guitar Solo" and "Little Queenie", which were omitted in the original single CD release due to time constraints. Sony Music also released the unedited double LP Epic master on its Legacy Label for Compact Disc in 2011 as well.

Track listing

(+) Appeared on the original double-LP release of the album, but omitted from the original single CD release. They are included on the 2011 Japanese "remaster" two-CD release.

Personnel

REO Speedwagon Kevin Cronin – lead vocals (1–5, 7–15), rhythm guitar Gary Richrath – lead guitar, lead vocals (3, 6) Neal Doughty – keyboards Gregg Philbin – bass, backing vocals Alan Gratzer – drums, backing vocals

Technical Production – John Stronach, John Henning, Gary Richrath Engineering – John Stronach, John Henning, Bruce Hensal, Pete Carlson, Jack Crymes, Kelly Kotera, Rick Sanchez, Mike Klink Mixing – John Henning, Gary Richrath Illustration – Vartán Kurjian, Justin Carroll Design – Tom Steele Photography – Lorrie Sullivan

Charts Chart (1977) Peakposition

Certifications

Release history Region Date Label Format Catalog # USA March 1977 Epic Records Stereo Vinyl E-34494 USA 1977 Epic Records Tape EGT-34494 USA 1977 Epic Records 8 Track E34494 UK August 1977 Epic Records Stereo Vinyl USA 1988 Epic Records CD EK34494 Japan 2011 Sony Music 2-CD (DSD-Remaster) EICP 1486-7

Notes

References