Out of Control: Eagles or REO?

This question has been brewing in my head for a while. It came to my attention a couple of years back that REO Speedwagon did a cover of the "Desperado" album deep cut "Out of Control" for their 1975 album "This Time We Mean it," their last with then-frontman Mike Murphy, who was preceded AND succeeded by current leader Kevin Cronin. They're the most prominent band that I know of who has done an Eagles cover. I am aware that both bands did, at the time, share Irving Azoff as a manager, which might explain some of the impetus behind its recording.

The REO version is a far more polished rendition(complete with a horn section) than the Eagles' gritty, hard-rocking original. I personally am inclined to side with REO, which probably puts me in the minority on here. What say all of you? Who do you think did the better version of this (in both instances) obscured gem?

Eagles(1973): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkEW9HRLXME

REO Speedwagon(1975): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ztfVvv1HOY

Joe Walsh wrote a song with Mike Murphy. Second Hand Store from the 1978, But Seriously Folks! album. He's played guitar on a couple of Reo Speedwagon tunes too.

I've just listened to the Out Of Control cover, WS82Classics and I also think it's sharper and better than the Eagles original.

I agree with producer, Glynn Johns, the Eagles are an absolutely brilliant harmony vocal band but an unconvincing rock'n'roll band, at least until Joe joined.

Eagles covers by prominent bands and artists would include loads of Desperado and Take It To The Limit covers. The more obscure tracks, I can think of, are Stereophonics doing The Last Resort, Cher performing Those Shoes, and Bon Jovi, Please Come Home For Christmas (written by Charles Brown).

There was a recent MOR cover of Heartache Tonight but I can't remember who the singer was.
I prefer the Eagles originals in all those cases.

Definitely the Eagles version for it's hard rockin' edge.

I love REO (afterall they're a home state band for me), but Murphy's voice doesn't do anything for me. Big Cronin fan though. I really love everything from "Tuna" onwards but REO TWO had some great moments and I loved their live album. I also liked their power ballads.

I personally feel like the Eagles were always a great rock n' roll band and disagree with Glyn Johns. They had untapped rock potential early on that was rarely seen on the first two records thanks to Johns billing them as being unable to do so. Big mistake on his part. Take a listen to Witchy Woman or Out Of Control. Maybe they weren't Zeppelin-heavy but they weren't Poco, CSN, or the Flying Burrito Brothers, either.

I think of them more of a rock supergroup and guitar band than a vocal harmony band, although I do like their vocal harmonies. I never saw them as a country-rock vocal band, although maybe that's because I don't care for classic country and bluegrass and am a guitar player. :lol:

From On The Border forward with Felder onboard it was obvious they were capable of GREAT guitar-heavy rock n' roll music and that's where they shine to me, not so much the great vocals thing. They just sadly had to make some personnel changes to make it even harder-edged (the addition of Joe Walsh and the exit of Bernie Leadon).

I love REO and I didn't realize they covered OOC! Can't wait to hear it!

Don't have time to listen right now, but will try to get to it this afternoon!

Thanks for the links WS82. I didn't know REO covered Out of Control either. I like their version, but I prefer the original. The less polished, rougher sound works for this song.

Don't know if it's true or not, but the comment on the YouTube video says REO won the song from the Eagles in a card game. If the Eagles had won, which REO song should they have covered?

OMG it finally makes sense now why I thought "Out of Control" sounded familiar when I heard "Desperado", I heard REO's version first. LOL :D My Dad is a huge REO Speedwagon fan. He has every album and just loves them (way more than my Mom, who is also a fan). When I was little my Dad would on his off days sometimes just blast his records (he still sometimes does), which I realized as I got older was him distressing from work, and that song I remember him playing a lot. LOL :lol:

With Eagles albums my parents just had both their Greatest Hits, but had a lot of Don's, Glenn's, and Joe's solo albums (and my Dad had a 45 single of Felder's). So I didn't really know the other songs off their albums till recently. I really liked hearing Glenn sing "Out of Control" and the style of it, but I just thought it sounded familiar because it sounded like other 70s & 80s songs I've liked. Now it just makes so much sense as I liked REO's.

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Originally Posted by FWIW

Don't know if it's true or not, but the comment on the YouTube video says REO won the song from the Eagles in a card game. If the Eagles had won, which REO song should they have covered?

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With Frey on lead vocals, "Sky Blues" from the classic LP "Lost in a Dream."

Meisner could have also sung a MEAN version of either "Ridin' the Storm Out" or "Without Expression(Don't Be the Man)."

Rapid-fire alternation of lead vocal duties between the original four for "Golden Country," a la the song "On the Border"?

I'd never heard the REO version and while I agree it sounds more "polished" I just prefer Glenn's vocal. But then again, I'm biased.

REO can't hold a candle to the Eagles version although I do like what they do with it. Glenn just seems to do a more convincing job singing it. Also, when the Eagles used to do it live, it absolutely rocked!

Ok, listened! REO did alright, but I prefer Kevin Cronin's era with them.

And sorry, but no one can do it like the Eagles did! I've always loved their version! Maybe I'm biased, but they rock it!

I'm afraid the link to the REO Speedwagon cover isn't working for me.Every time I try to open the video I simply get an error message stating that the video isn't available. :sad: Shame, because I'd be interested in hearing it - I had no idea of its existence until now.

I think Glenn puts more passion into the song than REO. I love the gruffness in his voice on this one. I think it suits the song.

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Originally Posted by buffyfan145

OMG it finally makes sense now why I thought "Out of Control" sounded familiar when I heard "Desperado", I heard REO's version first. LOL :D My Dad is a huge REO Speedwagon fan. He has every album and just loves them (way more than my Mom, who is also a fan). When I was little my Dad would on his off days sometimes just blast his records (he still sometimes does), which I realized as I got older was him distressing from work, and that song I remember him playing a lot. LOL :lol:

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Whenever I'm playing that particular song on my 12-string, I always hear REO's version playing in my head. Always helps me to keep proper musical paceage and achieve a softer, more 'soulful' sound.


"River of Life," from the same album as the OOC cover, is also a great song, as is their "Dream Weaver" song(Not to be confused with the Gary Wright hit of the same name). Henley could have sung well on those had the alleged card game gone differently between both bands.

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Originally Posted by GlennLover

I think Glenn puts more passion into the song than REO. I love the gruffness in his voice on this one. I think it suits the song.

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I have to agree with you GL 100% just sounds a lot more complete with
Glenn on vocal and the rest of the band. Sorry REO good try though.

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Originally Posted by Jonny Come Lately

I'm afraid the link to the REO Speedwagon cover isn't working for me.Every time I try to open the video I simply get an error message stating that the video isn't available. :sad: Shame, because I'd be interested in hearing it - I had no idea of its existence until now.

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The video wouldn't play for me either JCL. I was able to listen to Out Of Control here; https://myzuka.fm/Album/395830/Reo-S...e-Mean-It-1975.

It's great to know that such a well known act, adopted a minor Eagles track from, what would have been, an obscure and largely neglected album at the time.

I'm not that familiar with REO Speedwagon, I presume that they shared a bill or two with The Eagles.
Would Reo Speedwagon have been bigger than the Eagles before the Best Of My Love and the One Of These Nights album?

I think REO got more popular in the early 80s. I know most of the well known songs of theirs were 80s songs (Can't Fight This Feeling, Keep on Lovin' You, Time for Me to Fly), but a few got popular in the late 70s (Take it on the Run, Roll with the Changes). But again this was when Kevin came back as their lead singer (he didn't do the Eagles cover).

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Originally Posted by Funk 50

I'm not that familiar with REO Speedwagon, I presume that they shared a bill or two with The Eagles.
Would Reo Speedwagon have been bigger than the Eagles before the Best Of My Love and the One Of These Nights album?

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I'm not sure if they shared any bills with the Eagles, but they shared a manager (Irving Azoff) in their early days.

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/fe...akout-19810319

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Originally Posted by Funk 50

Would Reo Speedwagon have been bigger than the Eagles before the Best Of My Love and the One Of These Nights album?

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The Eagles have always been bigger than REO Speedwagon.

REO were fairly unknown(even with the semi-played original versions of "Golden Country" and "Ridin' the Storm Out") until 1976, when "Keep Pushin'" was released as a single. 1978 saw the release of "Roll With the Changes" and "Time For Me to Fly" as singles, both of which were well out-stripped by the Eagles' Christmas-themed single later that same year.

Even when REO was really big in the first half of the 80's, Frey's & Henley's solo output(not to mention radio stations' continued spinning of old Eagles LP's & 45s) could still achieve more airplay.

If I'm wrong, please feel free to correct me.

Apart from the name, about all I knew of REO Speedwagon was that they were one of the acts Irving Azoff brought with him to LA. Perhaps he's the reason why REO recorded an Eagles song.

Having now read a Rolling Stone interview from 1981, I believe that in the early 80s they were more successful than Glenn Frey and Don Henley. Later in the decade, Henley probably surpassed them. However, it doesn't seem like they were ever more successful than the Eagles except maybe in their home town.

I haven't found a version of their Out of Control that will play for me, yet.

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Originally Posted by GlennLover

I think Glenn puts more passion into the song than REO. I love the gruffness in his voice on this one. I think it suits the song.

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ITA with this and it's no contest for me. The song title suggests that this song is supposed to be raw and hard-rocking and that's what we get with the Eagles' version. Sorry, REO Speedwagon, but I'm not interested in a polished rendition of this song with a horn section. :thumbsdown:

I know I'm late to this but I Just listened to REO. The vocal is way too controlled - didn't they notice the title?! Glenn's wild and exuberant vocal is just what the song called for.

I agree with everyone else; give me the raw, hard rockin' original version.