Arch Allies: Live at Riverport
OK, so maybe arena rock is now amphitheater rock, but beyond that, little has changed for two bands that epitomized the grandiose, hard-on-the-outside, soft-on-the-inside style. Recorded in June 2000 at St. Louis's Riverport Amphitheater, this double-disc set--one for Styx, one for REO--offers spirited versions of the old chestnuts that still delight their hardcore fans. There are a couple of drawbacks here: for one, both Styx's "Blue Collar Man" and REO's "Roll with the Changes" each appearthree timeson the collection--once each by the original band and once oneach discas a collaboration. Surely they could have dusted off a few more tunes. And while REO offers only tried and true material, Styx sticks in two cuts from 1999'sBrand New Worldand one from 1990'sEdge of the Century, which really can't be the tunes that convinced fans to pay seven dollars for parking. Those caveats aside, the tight performances and good sound quality should please longtime fans and the three newcomers alike. After all, where better to record arena rock than in an amphitheater?--Marc Greilsamer