Customer Reviews

Jim Peterik & World Stage

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I gave this album a try on a whim, and I'm glad I did... it was truly a delight! Jim Peterik is a great songwriter and he's assembled a great collection of musicians to perform his songs. My favorite is "Long Road Home" done with Kelly Keagy of Night Ranger, but there are many jewels on here. Check out "We Wish" and "To Miss Somebody" with Dennis DeYoung of Styx... great vocals on both tunes! One listen will win you over, too!

People who think Jim Peterik should only be writing Survivor songs should be warned about this album. Peterik has been in music over three decades now and during that period he's written and performed all kinds of music. He has also written for and worked with all kinds of different musicians as well and Jim has asked a lot of them to help him out on this album. To say they're the cream of the crop would be an understatement. Just take a look at the list above and you'll know what I mean. Redundant to say this is one top notch album, me thinks. The album is not exactly your average AOR album. One moment you hear a pop song, the other you hear a blues tune, while the following minute you hear a true AOR gem pass by. With all these different vocalists the album could have very easily turned out to be a mishmash, but I think it characterizes the great talent of Jim Peterik that it hasn't. From the first song, together with Southern Rock star Don Barnes (38 Special) to the closing (bonus-) track with Cathy Richardson, it all comes together very well. It's hard to mention highlights on an album like this, as actually the entire album consists of highlights. But I'll try. The first one for me is the opening track, Fade To Blue, recorded earlier for the 38 Special album Resolution (1997). I like this version better as the different (acoustic) arrangement completely does it for this song. What a masterpiece, and this is only song #1... The next highlight we find is To Miss Somebody. It is performed together with Dennis DeYoung of Styx and boy is this a catchy piece! Dennis may be looking old (look at the picture on the inlay and you'll know what I'm talking about) but what an incredible voice this man still has... Perfect! The third very remarkable song is a version of Survivor's Eye Of The Tiger. I don't know if this version would have become the hit the original was, but man, this is so much better than the original! Soulful vocals of both Jim and Jeff Boyle make this song to so much more than it ever was with Dave Bickler. And he's not exactly a bad singer either. But even more than is the case on Fade To Blue the arrangement is so much different, so much more powerful than on the original. Gets me shivers... The final song I'd like to share my thoughts on is called Vehicle. Originally recorded by Ides Of March (with Jim on vocals) this version with Buddy Guy is one of the few brassy blues songs that really do it for me. Buddy Guy is one ... of a blues guitarist and to all those people that are into the more commercial blues, I'd say take a listen to this song. You'll love it. Well, those were only four of the fifteen tracks that are featured on the album. That means there are eleven more starring people like like Kelly Keagy (Night Ranger), Tom Keifer (Cinderella), Rick Nielsen (Cheap Trick) and Margaret Becker - to name some - you'll understand that we're talking about a unique project here. Unique and beautiful...

I've been a huge Survivor fan for years, so I was very intrigued by this CD. I got it a couple of months ago, and it's been in the changer in my car since then.

The first thing to know about this CD - each song features Jim singing a duet with the guest artist. His singing role is more prominent on some songs than others, but his voice is on every tune. I would say that he has the lead vocal role on just about every tune. But that's cool - he has a good voice. It's a lower voice than many rock singers - you can definitely tell a difference in timbre once Dennis DeYoung starts singing, for example - but it fits the music well. I didn't realize that Jim sang on each tune, and at first I was a little disappointed, but I'm over that now, because the result turned out so well.

Second, this does not sound much like Survivor. Sure, some tunes have hints of the trademark Survivor sound, but this is more a mellow-ish AOR collection, for guys that have grown up some since the 1980's. Jim has done a good job of crafting songs that fit the style of the guest artist - the Don Barnes and Johnny Van Zant songs sound like Southern rock, the Kelly Keagy song sounds like Night Ranger, the song with the guys from Cheap Trick sounds like Cheap Trick, and so on. So, there is a lot of variety on this CD. The remake of "Eye Of The Tiger" is very nice - not nearly as raw as the original, but still a great anthem. I love both versions.

The liner notes are great, all lyrics are included, and the CD quality is very good.

If you are a fan of Survivor as well as the other guest artists, then I recommend you check this one out. It may not take you back to the '80's, but it is a great CD for this decade.

This album left me speachless when I first heard it. What a diverse collection of rock, pop, blues, and so on. The artists chosen to perform with Jim on the various tracks are all top-notch Check out this list: Don Barnes, Dennis DeYoung, Kelly Keagy, Kevin Cronin...WOW! Needless to say, all of the songs with these artists are amazing.

In addition: "Vehicle" with Buddy Guy is a fantastic blues track through and through. "Diamonds For Stones" with Cathy Richardson sounds like a beautiful pop duet. "We Wish" with David Carl and Jeff Boyle is an amazing pop anthem with a fantastic choir backing on later choruses in the song. "Zig Zag" with Cheap Trick and Cinderella members is a catchy rocker.

I don't have another album quite like this in my collection. It is unique, diverse, and of course melodic overall. Sure, Survivor fans will like this, but overall selection of songs encompasses mostly different styles than Survivor's melodic rock sound. There are styles of tracks on here for almost everybody, I'd say. For me personally, every track is very good to excellent. This may be classified as a melodic rock record, but believe me it is much more than that. A fantastic collection that is worthy of high praise.

This is the best record I have bought in 10 years. If you are a fan of Jim's or anyone on the record, grab this quick as you will not be disappointed. You will love the stuff which fits your tastes and you will expand and become addicted to those that do not. Cathy Richardson, Anthony Gomes are complete surprises with Dennis and the Tricksters at their usual best. Its a zig zag path on the road.....

This is a fantastic CD. Every song is a great one and I love hearing the duets with Dennis DeYoung and Kevin Cronin. Eye of the Tiger is a great remake, even more rockin than the original. Vehicle with Buddy Guy is phenomenal! I highly recommend this disc. A great release from a proven artist!

This cd is fantastic! There is not one bad song in the bunch, and it will appeal to you no matter what style of music you prefer. There is rock, pop, blues, soul, and killer ballads. Jim is one of the most prolific songwriters of the last 50 years, deserving of just as much praise as Lennon and McCartney. He has surrounded himself with a gang of incredibly talented friends, and the result is in a word -- awesome ! Get it - you will not be disappointed at all.

This is one of the strongest U.S. mainstream rock releases in years. The songs cover a variety of styles, and there are simply no "weak" spots. If only some daring "classic rock" d.j. would get a hold of a copy of this CD and play it, we would be hearing these songs on the radio for years. All of the guest artists contribute effectively; if you are a fan of any or all of them, this album is sure to please. Do yourself a favor and buy this now before it becomes a rare out-of-print auction item.

I've listened to Jim Peterik's music since he played sock-hops at my/his high school. There is not one song on the album I would even think of skipping over. It gets better each time I listen to it. Every other artist that performs on this album is first class. Cathy Richardson is awesome, and so are all the rest. I hope Jim continues his dream, and records more music like this. It is simply the best work Jim has done up until now, and I'm sure that,in the future, he will surpass this album.

You have it all on this disc. Buddy Guy tradeing licks on Vehicle, the best voice on the planet in Dennis De Young, Kevin Cronin and the list goes on and on. This is just an amazing cd. If you like these artists this is a must have. You will not be disappointed!