Ave-Ln-Etc Top Ten: 157 Riverside Avenue (#10)

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After all those streets, highways, and roads, I still had some lanes, alleys, avenues, and freeways left over. So now it’s time for those things. What’s the difference in a street and an avenue? What they rhyme with in a song! Here’s the first one. #10: 157 Riverside Avenue - REO Speedwagon You may have seen a few people on here bemoan the fact that REO Speedwagon became a smarmy pop band in the 80s. If that’s all you know from them (“Keep On Loving You”), you may wonder what we mean. Listen to this. I saw REO in 1978, and there was none of that smarmy stuff. It was more like this great song from their first album. “157 Riverside Avenue” was the address of the house in Westport, Connecticut where the band stayed while they were recording their first album in 1970. Back in the better days of FM rock (and REO, for that matter), the live version (linked below) got plenty of airplay. Then along came the 80s and REO Speedwagon, and FM rock, were never the same. 157 Riverside Avenue Written by Terry Luttrell, Gary Richrath, Gregg Philbin, Neal Doughty, and Alan Gratzer Recorded by REO Speedwagon From REO Speedwagon, 1971 Also on Live: You Get What You Play For, 1977 She was homely and we were lonely: