Customer Reviews

Reach

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

When I first heard of this CD I was excited. But then I realized that Jim Peterik was absent and that worried me because he was a main songwriter. Then I heard samples of the CD and was sure it would be a great CD. Jim Jamison is in top form on vocals and Frankie Sullivan continues with his blues style guitar riffs and solos. Besides the song Nevertheless, everything is perfect. Nevertheless just doesn't fit the style and theme. All the other songs are Survivor greats and need to be heard to be appreciated. Tell everyone you know about this cd because it it very good.

Long-awaited Survivor comeback album became more adult rock oriented than any of fans had expected but with fine twist.

Most of the fans might be expecting TOO HOT TO SLEEP like hard-edged one. So fans may at first find it a bit soft and easy listening. Suppose this one was released right after When Seconds Count fans might more readily accept this one for sure.

The opener REACH is an upbeat pop rocker with message of hope which is what 80s Survivor had been very good at. FIRE MAKES STEEL is another pop rocker but with more blues flavor. Fourth track SECONDS AWAY will in future added in their Greatest Hit albums. It should be extensively played at adult rock stations.
TALKIN' BOUT LOVE is another excellent song with typical Survivor hook but surprisingly it is Frankie Sullivan on vocals.
HOME is emotional slow country rock flavored ballad.

Verdict: Fine comeback album which attracts wider listeners than before.
Rating: 89 out of 100. For lack of Jim Peterik they did a fine job.
Recommeded for: Wide range of 80s pop rock fans who love recent comeback albums by TOTO, Chicago and Journey.

Survivor's first new release in 17 years sees the return of Jimi Jamison on vocals, joined by original members Frankie Sulivan (who also produced)on guitars and Marc Droubay on drums. The album is a great melodic rock release. Best tracks include the rocker "Fire Makes Steel," the moody "Gimme The Word," and the power ballad "One More Chance." Frankie Sullivan sings two songs, the catchy "Talkin' Bout Love, which sounds like the Rembrandt's theme to the TV show "Friends" and he also sings on the terrible "Nevertheless," which at track three kills the momentum of the album. The biggest criticism of the album is too many ballads, but Survivor achieved most of their success thanks to the mid-tempo songs that are found on "Reach." Unfortunately, the album is dead in the water because Jamison has again left the group citing creative differences with Sullivan, who has recruited Robin McAuley as the new vocalist. So fans waited 17 years get an new album , and then they don't get the chance to see the band live performing the new songs! Buy the album, it is their last classic release.

This is classic Survivor. It is evident from the opening track "Reach" that time has basically stood still for this band, remaining true to their fan base and cranking out an awesome CD for 2006. Three tracks stand out, including "Reach," Talkin' About Love," "Seconds Away." These would have all been top 5 hits back in 1986. As it stands, the music is fantastic although not relevant to this decade, and Jamison's voice has hardened a bit but not nearly as much as one would think given the number of years that have passed, and his deeper vocals actually suit his singing style just fine. A follow-up with Peterik back in the fold that would coincide with the new Rocky film could produce one of the more unlikely, but welcome suprise hits of 2007.

First off, let's get something clear. This IS Survivor, but it's also NOT Survivor. Survivor has a history of consistent quality commercial rock/pop appeal. This cd lives up to that. There are some true Survivor style tracks... ones that take you back to the 80's and their signature sound. It also, however, strays as a whole from the classic Survivor formula. It is also not as consistently strong as their peak albums. To the details:

REACH- As has been said already, this is CLASSIC Survivor. What a great song. Reminiscent of "I Can't Hold Back" and "Moment Of Truth". This is THE track of this cd.

FIRE MAKES STEEL- The song that almost never made the light of day. Both this track and "Reach" sound like they are sending a message to Sly Stallone, "We're ready for Rocky Balboa" Catchy movie soundtrack type tune. Definitely a hit in a different era.

NEVERTHELESS- No cd is ever perfect, and this is the first flaw. The song and production are sophmoric at best. And Sullivan's vocals remind me of the bands that used to play at my high school dances back in the 70's. Well beneath the band.

SECONDS AWAY- Attempt # I don't know to recapture the "Search Is Over" magic again. It fails. Very generic, but listenable. Uplifting lyrics, but it just doesn't flow.

ONE MORE CHANCE- A lot of people like this one, but again, it's just a so-so track. I think maybe it's getting more favorable reviews because it is a stronger song than the previous one. That's not necessarily saying a lot.

GIVE ME THE WORD- A bit harder edge, more reminiscent of "Too Hot To Sleep" cd. Which really means it would have as much commercial appeal as the songs on that cd had, which is... not much.

RHYTHM OF YOUR HEART- Midtempo filler. Like Survivor does so well, you won't be saying WTF with this or any other song on this cd. But you will skip over it after awhile.

I DON'T- Uptempo filler. See notes for the previous song. More of the same here.

HALF OF MY HEART- Pretty good chorus on this ballad, but the rest is pretty generic.

TALKIN' 'BOUT LOVE- The intro on this one got me fired up, sensing classic Survivor again... and then Sullivan starts singing. Now don't get me wrong, he can carry a tune fine, but his voice has no soul, no depth. Jimi Jamison sings this song... it's a hit. Instead it's a B-side at best. This song is a wasted opportunity.

DON'T GIVE UP- The third track for "Rocky Balboa"! Really, the lyrics have "Rocky" or "Karate Kid" written all over them. Listenable, again, but not a hit or even a rock radio cut.

HOME- Somebody get me the crackers and wine, cuz this is pure cheese. Jimi Jamison couldn't sing a bad ballad if he tried, but this is pretty lame.

So as I read back over what I've written, to summarize, Survivor did the smart thing and put the two best tracks first, which puts the listener in a better frame of mind to hear the rest. Like I said, there are no terrible songs on here, but usually with Survivor you could easily pick at least 4 or 5 songs that could earn airplay. On this one, there's really only the two. But what a great two they are!

So three stars, one each for the first two tracks, and the third because the cd as a whole is listenable.

The fact that Jimi Jamison is back as lead singer brings the Band back to it's original best state! Frank Sullivan is still there along the original drummer. The songs are first rate and do not sound so commercially crafted but well thought out. The vocals with Jamison at the front are great--much better than the previous singer who sounded much more like a pop singer. This band is back at its original strength!!! Well thought out lyrics and good old powerful rock n roll --check it out--Eye of the Tiger sound is back.

Exellent cd, for the lovers of survivor this is a great cd, after 17 years without survivor , Jimi sounds great, Frnkie sounds better than ever, for all fans of survivor it?s a great cd.Don't thing about it, buy it now.

Hey this is a wonderful CD. Reach is a hit in my cd player.Every song on this cd is as good,if not better than Vital signs....and i loved that one.One has to wonder if FIRE MAKES STEEL will make the new ROCKY BALBOA movie soundtrack when it hits theaters this fall? That is one jammin song!But, if you are a true survivor fan as I am .....You should consider the small investment in this album,it is a blast to the past! Keep rockin Survivor!

To much guitar, drowns out all the other instruments. Survivor was made famous by heavy keyboards and drums, not guitars. I was expecting another Burning Heart, Is this Love, High on you. No songs on this albums have that sound. The vocals by Jamison are top notch, but none of the songs sound like the Survivor I remember. Survivor guitars were only there to complement the keyboards, bass and drums, not drive the whole song. I guess Jim Peterik was the man behind Survivor all along. I give the CD 2 stars for Fire makes Steel, the rest are throw aways. ***Recommended for die hards only*** I highly recommend 'When Seconds Count' for anyone getting started with Survivor.

I will start out by saying that Survivor's 1982 album "Eye of the Tiger" and 1984's "Vital Signs" are the best Survivor albums ever, in my opinion. Going from there, I'd rate "When Seconds Count" as 4 stars, "Too Hot to Sleep" and "Caught in the Game" as 3-3.5 (I don't have their other albums yet).

I know that there was a bit of personal conflict between Frankie Sullivan (guitars, writer, singer) and Jimi Jamison (lead vocalist, writer) during the making of "Reach" so perhaps that could account for some problems with the final product. I think there are several songs that work okay, a few that could have been much better with more tweaking and some songs that were obviously Sullivan/Jim Peterik leftovers from the late 80s (i.e. throw-aways not intended to be on an album because the quality didn't measure up). I feel that in general Frankie Sullivan's guitar performances on this album are strong but that doesn't save the weaker material from being a bit unenjoyable.

I have a real problem with what I view as a lack of artistic support for Jimi Jamison. This man has an incredible voice but I feel it was not utilized to it's full potential. When working with people like Jim Peterik or Ron Nevison (producer of "Vital Signs" and "When Seconds Count") Jimi's vocal performances were much more melodically striking, had more use of his entire range and were consistent in tone and quality. With Frankie producing, I feel like a ball was dropped and that he didn't push Jimi to his full potential as Peterik and Nevison had back in the day. I think Frankie was more concerned about his own performances and couldn't multi-task.

The album is spotty overall and while there are a few nice pieces, it just does not feel like a Survivor album. If you like Jimi's voice, then buy it (or better yet, buy his 1999 album "Empires") but if you are expecting a "Survivor" album I believe that era is over and it pains me to say that. Survivor isn't Survior without Jim Peterik and that's really the bottom line.

Before buying this, I'd encourage you to check out any of the following Survivor albums: "Eye of the Tiger" (1982), "Caught in the Game" (1983), "Vital Signs" (1984), "When Seconds Count" (1986), or "Too Hot to Sleep (1988).