Good Trouble is the tenth studio album by REO Speedwagon, released in 1982 as a follow-up to Hi Infidelity. It peaked at #7 on the Billboard charts. The single "Keep the Fire Burnin'" gave the band a #7 hit on Billboard's Pop Singles Chart and a #2 hit on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, their highest-charting hit on this chart.
In 2013, the album was released on CD by UK-based company Rock Candy Records, with expanded liner notes and photos.
Contents
Background and recording
REO Speedwagon lead vocalist/guitarist Kevin Cronin recalled, "After the huge success with Hi Infidelity... everyone was putting pressure on us to get back in the studio as quickly as we could to ensure we made the most of the situation. As I was the main writer, I was the person who had to get the songs done. But I told them I didn’t have enough of a good enough standard ready. I should have really stuck by my guns and refused to be badgered into recording until I was prepared. But in the end I went with the flow, and that was a mistake."
None of the songs from this album have been performed by the band in concert since 1983 except "Stillness of the Night" (which was performed in November 1984 at LaCrosse, WI), "Every Now and Then" (only played twice on the original tour, but also performed at Clarkston MI in July 1985), "Good Trouble" (which was performed one time each in 1984, 1989, and 1993), and "Keep the Fire Burnin'", which was played as an acoustic version in their two shows at Valencia, Venezuela during the "Live As We Know It Tour '87," was played occasionally after that, and became a fixture in the set again in 2012. "The Key" was part of a five-song medley the band performed during their 2001 tour.
Personnel
REO Speedwagon
Kevin Cronin – lead and backing vocals (except on "Let's Be-Bop"), acoustic piano on "Keep the Fire Burnin'", acoustic and rhythm guitars
Gary Richrath – electric guitar
Neal Doughty – keyboards
Bruce Hall – bass, lead vocals on "Girl with the Heart of Gold" and "Let's Be-Bop"
Alan Gratzer – drums, tambourine
Additional personnel
Steve Forman – chimes and crotales on "Sweet Time", shaker on "The Key"
Tom Kelly – backing vocals
Richard Page – backing vocals
Production
Kevin Beamish – producer, engineer
Kevin Cronin – producer, arrangements
Alan Gratzer – producer
Gary Richrath – producer
Bruce Barris – assistant engineer
Tom Cummings – assistant engineer
Jeff Sanders – mastering
John Kosh – art direction, design
Ron Larson – art direction, design
Aaron Rapoport – photography