Customer Reviews

Caught in the Game

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

In the '80s, everyone knew the huge smash "Eye Of The Tiger" from the album of the same title (not to mention the Rocky III soundtrack); and everyone also knew such songs as "High On You" and "The Search Is Over" off of the all-time great "Vital Signs" album. What many don't remember is that there was a Survivor album released in between those two big sellers-the 1983 album "Caught In The Game".

For sure, this Survivor album is another quality melodic rock album, although a bit rawer overall than some of their more popular efforts. The flawless, melodic vocals, combined with the layers of guitars and keyboards, make this album a very enjoyable listen. The leadoff title track is a sure-fire rocker, while "I Never Stopped Loving You" is a dramatic, beautiful ballad. "Jackie Don't Go", "It Doesn't Have To Be This Way", and "Slander" are among the other standouts. I encourage anyone who has ever enjoyed Survivor's music to give this one a try. If you are a melodic rock fan looking for something other than radio hits, you are virtually guaranteed to enjoy this one. I couldn't be happier that this and other old Survivor albums are now all on CD!

"Caught In The Game" came out in 1983, after the very successful "Eye Of The Tiger". I did hear the title track on the radio and on MTV, but it never went anywhere, unfortunately. I think that "I Never Stopped Loving You" or "Jackie Don't Go" would have been a more successful leadoff single - they were more the sound that was getting played at that time.

I got this on tape sometime late in college, in the bargain bin. I liked this one from the start. However, my tape got stolen back in '92, and I had no other copy, and I figured I was out of luck. Fortunately, all the Survivor albums are now out on CD. Yeah!

To me, this one is worth having for "Santa Ana Winds" alone. But the whole CD is excellent. If you like the "Eye Of The Tiger" CD, chances are you'll like this one too. It also does sound more like the material from the Jimi Jamison era than the previous CDs do, so it may be a good starting point if you want to get one of the Dave Bickler era CDs. Unfortunately, there are no tunes from this CD to be found on any of the greatest hits packages that I have seen (which in itself is a crime), so this is your only chance to hear the great music from this CD.

This is the "album after"...the one that had to follow the blockbuster hit "Eye of the Tiger". I grabbed this one as soon as it was available...ten years later this one was impossible top find on CD in this country unless you searched through the pages of Goldmine only to find it on a Japanese-only release costing upwards of $30. Thank you Volcano Records for giving the Survivor catalog its due respect. This is one fine album that slipped through the cracks, and also the last to feature Dave Bickler on lead vocals for a long time (he returned on the 1992 Greatest Hits collection) before the Jimi Jamison period stuff that did a lot better. This one deserves your attention if you're a Survivor fan at all. Some fine stuff here, from the title track that kicks into overdrive from the very first note, and a few songs that would have been smash hit singles in a perfect world ("Jackie Don't Go," "I Never Stopped Loving You") and some just plain straightforward rock & roll that gets right down to the meat & potatoes (and we could use more of that these days, as much as I like a lot of new artists, these guys knew how to get the job done). Do yourself a favor and pick this one up!

CAUGHT IN THE GAME IS A VERY OVERLOOKED CD BY SURVIVOR WHICH CAME OUT IN THE FALL OF 1983. I GUESS THE PUBLIC WAS EXPECTING SOMETHING IDENTICAL TO THEIR PREVIOUS ALBUM THE EYE OF THE TIGER. THIS CD IS BETTER AND IS MORE HEAVY ON GUITAR THAN ITS PREVIOUS ALBUM. GUITARIST KEVIN SULLIVAN PRODUCED THIS AND DID A GREAT JOB. THE EMPHASIS OF THE SOUND IS MORE ON THE GUITARS AND THE INSTRUMENTS,RATHER THAN THE VOCALS. THE RESULT IS GREAT GUITAR RIFFS AND SOLOS MIXED WITH GREAT SYNTHESIZERS AND SOLID DRUMS AND BASS TO PRODUCE THAT CLASSIC 80'S HARD ROCK SOUND. CAUGHT IN THE GAME WAS THE ONLY HIT SINGLE,BUT EVERY SONG ON THIS CD ROCKS. I ESPECIALLY LIKE "HALF-LIFE,"SLANDER" WITH REO'S KEVIN CRONIN ON BACKING VOCALS,AND "SANTA ANNA WINDS".

This album came out after "Eye of the Tiger". Many fans didnt seem to like it,still dont to this day. Its not a popular album in their catalog. Now its been re-issued on cd though not remastered we have think why not? I think this one heck of an album. To me this is a lost tresure and truly one of their best. a must have.

Survivor's underrated 1983 album between hit albums Eye Of The Tiger and Vital Signs showcases rock aspect of Survivor just as Premonition, Too Hot To Sleep. It is true it may not be their best but great nontheless. CAUGHT IN THE GAME, the title track is a nice pop rock opener, with dramatic synth aptly used. JACKIE DON'T GO is really impressive power ballad which should have been cut as a single. READY FOR THE REAL THING, HALF-LIFE show glossy yet tight synth tracks. Piano induced ballads are really dramatic having vivid contrast of calm and wild parts. And SLANDER kicks really nice. Being huge fans of recent melodic rock gems I cannot help enjoying this classic melodic rock gem. If you like hard-edged yet catchy melodic rock such as Hardline, Bad English or Giant why not listen to this? I am sure you will be caught in Survivor game.

Long before this CD was re-issued, I stumbled on a used cassette and later vinyl LP of the album. I was impressed by the melodic nature of the material, and missed songs like these in today's music scene. I remember the title track getting some decent airplay back in 1983, and I like the video as well. Having said that, I found that "side one" is far superior to "side two" (still thinking in those terms thanks to the medium). "Jackie Don't Go" is my favorite, and shares all the qualities that make Journey so great. It is funny how you can hear Kevin Cronin's distinctive voice (REO Speedwagon) singing the background vocals in the bridge of "Jackie". If side 2 was stronger, this would be good competition for the amazing "Vital Signs" and "When Seconds Count" -both equally superb!

the best thing about this album is the guitar work. produced by frankie himself, it has a much more melodic feel with a deeper darker sound. "half-life" has one of the best guitar solos i have ever heard. the album received little attention due to the bands inability to travel.(see liner notes on ultimate survivor collection) as a fan who has every album, this one is the best.

I was thrilled when this finally made it to CD. For me, Bickler's voice is what made Survivor so damn good. No disrespect to Jamison, or the talents of the other band members, but when Bickler left, so did my interest in the band. Eye of The Tiger was a great disk (4 star) but Caught In The Game is Survivor's cream of the crop.

Great CD. Should be in any serious AOR/Arena Rock collection. This one fell between the cracks somehow, and was overlooked by radio & MTV (they were too busy with all those really terrible one hit wonders and trashy littel dance-pop acts that made pop music 1980's so disposable, I guess).

Anyhow, hard-core fans of Survivor probably have this, but the rest not know what they missed.