Rocktrospectiva: The Big And Massive "Hi Infidelity" Turns 45

Released on 21 November 1980 "Hi Infidelity" was the ninth studio album by US rock band REO Speedwagon. The album became a big hit in the United States, peaking at number one on the Billboard 200. It went on to become the biggest-selling album of 1981, spawning four singles "Take It On The Run", "Keep On Loving You", "In Your Letter", "Don't Let Him Go". 

The album title is a play on the term "in high fidelity," which used to appear on album covers. The album art is an illustration of this pun where an act of sexual infidelity is apparently occurring while the man is putting an LP record to play on the hi-fi stereo. While the band had previously released some successful recordings, none of them came close to what happened for them with Hi Infidelity.

It spawned several hit singles, including the first of two Number #1 hits they would have in their career. The album itself also made it to #1 on the charts. It would end up becoming the biggest-selling rock album of 1981.

Six songs from the album charted on the Billboard charts, including "Keep On Loving You" which was the band's first Number 1 hit, and "Take It on the Run", on the other hand "Tough Guys" was one of two songs from the album that charted on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart despite not being released as singles. 

The album opened with "Don't Let Him Go", a great rocking song for them to start the album with. Singer Kevin Cronin sounds fantastic, as do the rest of the band members. I especially love the playing of keyboardist Neal Doughty and guitarist Gary Richrath on this track, "Keep On Loving You" was the first single that eventually became the band's first No. 1 song and it become one of the most popular ballads of the 1980s. "Follow My Heart" many believe this song was a kinda of a filler but in the end it was another great rock and roll song criminally underrated, "In Your Letter" the 4th., single that made it onto the top 20, a song that was inspired by how keyboardist Neal Doughty found out that his wife was leaving him. He and the band had just finished a tour. Doughty returned to his home and found a “goodbye” letter from his wife in their kitchen, informing him that she had left him for another man. The man in question was actually a person who supplied the band members with illegal drugs. Now here it comes the masterpiece "Take It On The Run" was the second single released from the album and it was almost as successful as “Keep On Loving You,” reaching No. 5 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart.

The second part began with "Tough Guys" the song started with a short, fun clip of a classic scene from one of The Little Rascals short films, to turned into a great, rocking song with wesome music and vocals. "Out Of Season" this was another funny song to listening to, "Shakin' It Loose" another great cool rock song from the beginning and all the way to the end, Neil Doughty went into a great brief piano solo which sounds amazing…and then Gary Richrath rips into one of his best guitar solos ever. "Someone Tonight" on here the bassist Bruce Hall took the lead vocals, and finally "I Wish You Were There" a sort of a third ballad on the album, maybe not even as close as their biggest ballads, but indeed Cronin voice here was brilliant and sang with a lot of passion in his voice and it was ap erfect song to end this magnificent album and of the biggest of the 1980s.

 

Hi Infidelity Track List: 

 

1. Don't Let Him Go

2. Keep On Loving You

3. Follow My Heart

4. In Your Letter

5. Take It On The Run

6. Tough Guys

7. Out Of Season

8. Shakin' It Loose

9. Someone Tonight

10. I Wish You Were There