US band REO SPEEDWAGON was formed back in the late 1960’s, and are presumably among the oldest bands still active on the live circuit, even if their days as a recording unit appears to be mostly gone. They have released a total of 4 albums after 2000, of which two are studio albums and two are live recordings. “Live at Moondance Jam” is the most recent of these, and was released through Italian label Frontiers Music in 2013.

This live CD/DVD combo, of which the CD part of it is given a write-up here, actually dates back to 2010, when the band celebrated the 30 year anniversary of their album “Hi Infedility”, the album that gave Reo Speedwagon a true taste of rock stardom back in the day and the one that paved the way for this band to be one “everybody” will say that they know about, saying so with a shudder, citing their many radio hits throughout the 80’s that were commercially highly successful but which ultimately also destroyed the band’s credibility amongst those with a deeper and more passionate interest in rock music. I’ll have to admit being in that particular crowd myself, and taking on this album was something of a mental challenge.

But while listening through this concert, and reading up on the band as I did so, I have to admit that I was in for a few surprises. One thing is that this is a strong live band even now, with central members fast approaching retirement age. Another aspect of this is that I just wasn’t familiar with this band’s earlier exploits, and many of them are surprisingly good, at least if these live renditions are true to the original versions of these compositions.

We are treated to many of their mega hits from the early 80’s of course, the archetypical examples of radio friendly rock, power ballads and soft rock ballads alike, but it’s when they venture further back into their past that the more interesting material reveals itself. Sole older compositions not all that far removed from Kansas, if not in style then in sound at least, appears. Golden Country in particular comes across as a song all rock fans should give a spin at some point, and to some extent also Like You Do. Back on the Road and Roll With the Changes are perhaps a tad too bland and predictable, but when performed with passion these catchy, easy to like songs are enjoyable romps, as is their sole hit song from the 70’s, Ridin’ the Storm Out. And on concluding track 157 Riverside Avenue it would appear that the band knew their Jerry Lee Lewis pretty well, the ongoing piano motif on this piece one that has the 1950’s written all over it in a rock n roll and rockabilly manner.

This is a high quality live performance by a truly experienced and tight band, one that manage to elevate even their most sappy and bland material to become pleasant sounding material on stage, and showcase how experience can help a band to make fairly smooth radio friendly soft rock sound much more vital on stage. That the band also have some harder rocking, more sophisticated gems in their back catalog further enhancing this live experience. Existing fans of the band and those with a taste for soft rock and AOR will be the main audience for this album though, but those with an interest in the accessible parts of 70’s US hard rock might also want to give this one a spin, in particular if you at this point regard Reo Speedwagon as creators of sappy, bland FM radio rock only.

My rating: 74/100