Reach for the Sky

Ratt

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 25, 1990)
• Original Release Date: November 1, 1988
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Atlantic / Wea
• ASIN: B000002INI
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #131,557 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Japanese only SHM pressing. Features 24-bit mastering and packaged in a paper sleeve. The SHM-CD [Super High Material CD] format features enhanced audio quality through the use of a special polycarbonate plastic. Using a process developed by JVC and Universal Music Japan discovered through the joint companies' research into LCD display manufacturing SHM-CDs feature improved transparency on the data side of the disc allowing for more accurate reading of CD data by the CD player laser head. SHM-CD format CDs are fully compatible with standard CD players. --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sleaze Factor High!, July 24, 2002

By	M. Schafle "King Ratt" (Jacksonville, FL USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Ratt's fifth release (fourth on major label), "Reach For the Sky," continues their swaggering style, their sleazy LA-style lyrics, and the Ratt sound forward through the end (*sniff*) of the 1980's. While some songs take a bit of a musical twist on typical Ratt stuff, this album is still distinctly, undeniably RATT in all of their glory.

Actually, I like the amount of sleaze in this release more than I do in their '85 album "Invasion of Your Privacy," and this album is neck-to-neck in competition with their 1986 "Dancing Undercover" for sexual inuendoes and lyrical sleaze. DeMartini's guitar also continues to blister, ingiting your stereo with "I Want a Woman," "Don't Bite the Hand That Feeds," and "City To City." "Chain Reaction" is fast, driving, and heavy, and "Bottom Line" is probably one of the best tracks on this album.

While I wouldn't recommend this CD to a beginner looking to experience Ratt, this IS a solid release, and established Ratt fans won't have a problem wearing out their stereos with this album.

For the Ratt experience, I recommend in this order: 1) "Out of the Cellar," 2) "Invasion of Your Privacy," 3) "Dancing Undercover", then 4) "Reach For the Sky." Their fifth major release, "Detonator," has its good moments, but doesn't stack up to their 80's releases.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars L.A. rockers hit stratosphere on fifth release, February 9, 2004

By	"cssuperstar2003" (Wilmington, NC USA) - See all my reviews

By C.S.

Hair metal 1980's style is often criticized but filled a carloads of individuals who have little or no knowledge of the genre.
One of the bright spots on a seemingly mythical dark tale that is often told about 80's rock are the Los Angeles, California outfit known as Ratt.
With so much competition in the area - Motley Crue Dokken,and the already established Van Halen to choose from and to rock out to,it would seem impossible to gain a foothold of originality in this over- crowded marketplace.
With the cannonfire like drum beat and sound of Bobby Blotzer, the raspy and rough vocals of Stephen Pearcy, the dual guitar attack of Robbin Crosby (rhythm) and Warren De Martini (lead) combo and the penetratingly solid bass playing of Juan Crouchier (a former Dokken memeber),Ratt created a balanced metal sound .
The bass like tonation of Blotzer and Crouchier work in poisionous tandem with Crosby and De Marini on "Reach" and they strike a smooth balance - no one group of musicians overwhelm the other in the playing and recording process, making 'Reach For he Sky" a gem based on production alone.
Blotzer begins the assault with a funk -filled double bass-drum beat that fuels "City To City", while De Martini sprinkles the ingredients of wailing guitar riff on top of Pearchy's opening screams and Crosby's vicious co - lead on "I Want A Woman".
The next track "Way Cool Jr" is record company driven, elementary school pop all the way as a early resting point after the fast start created by the opening tracks..
The band step back into the club after a couple of drinks and set the tempo again with Blotzer opening up the floodgates for the reamaining musicians to jump over and in with his potent snare drum poops, slick cymbal/ hi- hat work, and stop on a dime breaks in pace on "Don't Bite The Hand That Feeds "
"Playing to the female auduence that fuels the industry, the boys hit the ballad button on "I Want To Love You Tonite".In stark comparison to the blatant commercialism of "Way Cool", the polished harmonies, smooth beat and polished craftiness of De Martini's solo over a tone setting rhyhtm riff by Crosby make for a more honest representation of how the band can work it's magic in slow- down mode.
"Chain Reaction is "Reach For The Sky's version of "Communication Breakdown" with it's Motley Crue like break neck tempo capped by Pearcy's suggestive line- "the only thing that sets me off will bring you to your knees"
If unconvinced or partially sold on the merits of Ratt the funky 'No Surprise" with it's backing vocal intro. heavy De Martini riff and avalanche of an intrusion by Blotzer with his opening beats make a strong case for crowd favorite in tandem with the stop and go,hard edged flow of "Bottom Line" where Blotzer fills in space beautifully around the exploits of his talented bandmates and wakes up the neighbors with his cymbal crashes and snap of the wrist drum rolls on " What's It Gonna Be" hi- lighted by the army of guitars gathered up by Crosby and De Martini that make for an rock- anthem flavored closing solo.
Though Pearcy and the gang may always be regarded as little or nothing songwriters, the pieces fall in place on "Reach For The Sky" in smoother symmetry than the spotty hit and miss nature of the previous LP "Dancing UnderCover".
This is Ratt N' Roll arguably at it's best, making 'Reach For The Sky" one of their top two or three albums and a worthy five star ranking.

C.S.
2-9- 04

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good solid rocker!, November 29, 1999

By	Bryan S. Sampsel (Colorado Springs, CO United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Ratt may not have been a top-40 metal band but they never ceased to put out good music (except for some Detonator tracks)...

Reach For The Sky is just a good, solid album with lots of hooks, great lyrics, and unique among the Ratt albums. The first few albums were very similar in style...though I love them lots still...and this album is different.

"Don't let your dreams be clouded, Aim your sights high, Search your true feelings, And Reach For The Sky." - Ratt, Reach for the Sky