Hi Infidelity | ||||
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Studio album by REO Speedwagon | ||||
Released | November 21, 1980 | |||
Recorded | March–October 1980 | |||
Genre | Rock, hard rock | |||
Length | 34:55 | |||
Label | Epic | |||
Producer | Kevin Beamish, Kevin Cronin, Alan Gratzer, Gary Richrath | |||
REO Speedwagon chronology | ||||
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Singles from Hi Infidelity | ||||
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Professional ratings | |
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Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | |
Robert Christgau | B− |
Hi Infidelity is the ninth studio album by the band REO Speedwagon, it was released on November 21, 1980 (see 1980 in music). 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 rock albums of 1981, eventually being certified nine times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. From the singles released the band got their first number one hit for "Keep On Loving You"on the Billboard Hot 100.
The album title is a play on the term Hi-Fi (high fidelity), and the album art is an illustration of this pun where an act of sexual infidelity is occurring while the man is putting a record LP to play on the hi-fi stereo.
From the album six songs charted Billboard charts, including "Keep On Loving You" which was the band's first Number 1 hit, and "Take It on the Run", which reached No. 5 on the charts. The song "Tough Guys" uses an audio clip from the 1938 Our Gang episode "Hearts Are Thumps".
"Tough Guys" was one of two songs from the album that charted on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart despite not being released as singles. Music critic Robert Christgau called "Tough Guys" his favorite song from the album but suggested that the line "They think they're full of fire/She thinks they're full of shit" would prevent the song from reaching the pop Top 40.
In October 2004, the band recorded the songs of this album live from beginning to end for an XM Radio "Then Again Live" special.