Wikipedia

The Earth, a Small Man, His Dog and a Chicken

The Earth, a Small Man, His Dog and a Chicken is the thirteenth studio album by REO Speedwagon, and was released in 1990.

The Earth, a Small Man, His Dog and a Chicken
Original album artwork by Mark Ryden
Studio album by
REO Speedwagon
ReleasedAugust 1990
RecordedSeptember 3, 1989 – May 31, 1990
StudioOcean Way Recording (Hollywood, California)
One On One Studios (North Hollywood, California)
Encore Studios (Burbank, California)
GenreRock
Length46:26
LabelEpic
ProducerKevin Cronin, Jesse Harms, Tom Lord-Alge, Jim Scott
REO Speedwagon chronology
The Hits
(1988) 		The Earth, a Small Man, His Dog and a Chicken
(1990) 		Building the Bridge
(1996)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Entertainment WeeklyC+[1]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[2]
Select[3]

It marked the end of their contract with Epic Records and is, to date, the last REO album to chart, peaking at No. 129 on the Billboard 200.[4] The song "Love Is a Rock" reached No. 65 on Billboard's Hot 100, and "Live It Up" reached No. 6 on Billboard's Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks. "Go For Broke" was written for the film Days of Thunder but ultimately not used.

Following the departure of two long-time members, guitarist and songwriter Gary Richrath and drummer Alan Gratzer, more than half of the songs on this album were written or co-written by keyboardist Jesse Harms. It is also the first album to include guitarist Dave Amato and drummer Bryan Hitt who remain with the band as of 2023.

Track listing

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Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Love Is a Rock"Kevin Cronin5:36
2."The Heart Survives"Cronin, Jesse Harms4:50
3."Live It Up"Harms4:00
4."All Heaven Broke Loose"Neal Doughty, Adrian Gurvitz, Harms4:11
5."Love in the Future"Cronin, Tom Kelly4:32
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
6."Half Way"Cronin, Harms, Mark Spiro4:17
7."Love to Hate"Harms4:09
8."You Won't See Me"Cronin3:21
9."Can't Lie to My Heart"Cronin, Diane Warren4:40
10."L.I.A.R."Dave Amato, Cronin, Doughty, Bruce Hall, Bryan Hitt3:09
11."Go for Broke"Amato, Cronin, Hall, Harms3:28

Personnel

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REO Speedwagon[5]

Additional performers

  • Jesse Harms – keyboards, backing vocals
  • Steve Forman – percussion
  • Debra Dobkin – backing vocals
  • Beth Hooker – backing vocals
  • Darlene Koldenhoven – backing vocals
  • Janis Liebhart – backing vocals
  • Andrea Robinson – backing vocals
  • Machan Taylor – backing vocals
  • Terry Wood – backing vocals

Production

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  • Kevin Cronin – producer
  • Jesse Harms – producer
  • Tom Lord-Alge – producer, recording (3–11), mixing
  • Jim Scott – producer (1, 2), recording (1, 2)
  • Julie Last – assistant engineer (1, 2)
  • Steve Gallagher – assistant engineer (3–11)
  • Mike Tacci – assistant engineer (3–11)
  • Ted Jensen – mastering at Sterling Sound (New York City, New York).
  • David Coleman – art direction, design
  • Mark Ryden – illustration
  • Dennis Keeley – photography

Charts

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Release history

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Region Date Label Format Catalog #
USA August 1990 Epic Records Stereo Vinyl E-45246
USA 1990 Epic Records Tape ET-45246
USA 1990 Epic Records CD EK45246

References

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  1. ^ "The Earth, a Small Man, His Dog and a Chicken". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 15 January 2021.
  2. ^ The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 586.
  3. ^ Marlowe, Chris (October 1990). "REO Speedwagon: The Earth, A Small Man, His Dog & A Chicken". Select. No. 4. p. 113.
  4. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2011). Top Pop Albums (Seventh ed.). Record Research. ISBN 978-0-89820-183-3.
  5. ^ REO Speedwagon — The Earth, a Small Man, His Dog and a Chicken. Sony Music Entertainment. 1990. p. 3.
  6. ^ "Swisscharts.com – REO Speedwagon – The Earth, a Small Man, His Dog and a Chicken". Hung Medien. Retrieved July, 8 2023.
  7. ^ "REO Speedwagon Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved July, 8 2023.
  8. ^ a b c "Artist Chart History – REO Speedwagon". Billboard charts. Retrieved 2016-10-07.
  9. ^ "Song artist 610 - REO Speedwagon". TsorT. Retrieved February 1, 2015.
  10. ^ "Top Singles – Volume 52, No. 19, September 22, 1990". RPM. September 22, 1990. Retrieved February 1, 2015.
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