Customer Reviews

Saraya

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Once known as "Alsace Lorraine", the New Jersey based Saraya was groomed by Polygram to be the next Bon Jovi. Unfortunately, Saraya never achieved that critical success, and the band faded into rock & roll obscurity fairly quickly after just releasing two albums.

Musically, Saraya had a straight-forward hard rock style coupled with heavy metal riffs and passionate singing that made the band fit in well in the late 80s hair metal scene. While they lacked the punch of many of the heavier hair metal acts of the day, Saraya's music was not bubblegum-flavored pop metal. The group was influenced by the female-powered rock & roll of Pat Benetar, Heart, and The Pretenders, and Sandi Saraya's heart-felt vocals elevated their music above the commercial fray. Her singing never came across as shallow or manufactured, a fact that won the Saraya many loyal fans.

Saraya's 1989 self-titled debut was not a landmark album by any means, although it did peak at #79 on the Billboard 200 that year. It is a good solid body of work from end to end , opening with "Love Has Taken It's Toll" a favorite play on MTV's original "Dial MTV" and "Hard 30" afternoons shows. This album, as with their second recording, "When the Blackbird Sings", is a now out of print. Both albums are worthwhile purchases, but unfortunately, neither album features "Timeless Love", a power-ballad that appeared on the motion picture soundtrack to Wes Craven's Shocker. "Timeless Love" is a clear example of the power and emotion Saraya was capable of achieving, and it is perhaps one of the best rock power-ballads ever performed.

Track Listing:

01. Love Has Taken It's Toll (5:21)

02. Healing Touch (4:43)

03. Get U Ready (3:11)

04. Gypsy Child (4:39)

05. One Night Away (4:39)

06. Alsace Lorraine (0:50)

07. Runnin' Out Of Time (4:14)

08. Back To The Bullet (3:58)

09. Fire To Burn (4:38)

10. St. Christopher's Medal (4:21)

11. Drop The Bomb (5:54)

Saraya is the best female AOR/Melodic Rock band in music. They released two vey solid albums but for some reason could not get support from the record labels. They should have been huge selling out arenas. But unfortunately this cd came out in 1989. And as we know, Grunge killed any hopes of success for AOR/Melodic Rock Bands. If you do not have this cd get it, you will not regret it.

I first purchased this on cassette tape not knowing much about the band but the tape ended up on super heavy rotation in my Walkman. Luckily I was smart enough to get it on CD for a good price when it became available and all I can say is that this disc remains a gem.

The band rocks, the songs are excellent and Sandi Saraya has a killer voice. Some of today's wannabe female rockers can take learn a few things from Sandi. For me she's flawless. From the beautiful ballad 'St' Christopher's Medal' to the hard-chargin' 'Runnin Out Of Time', she delivers the goods! Kudos to the band for their top notch playing. Just a brilliant CD. Miss you Sandi!

www.electriceyes.us

I first heard Saraya, by chance, walking by the television on MTV in 1989 and bought the album immediately. A musician myself, I was really into the album and wrote to Sandi to ask about her inspiration behind some of the tracks. Believe it or not she wrote back and took the time to converse with a 14 yr. old fan. You'll find solid compositions and beautiful arrangements throughout the entire album. Put your headphones on and lay out under the stars and you'll see what I mean!

This album takes me back to such a fun time in my life. Iwas 18 and could relate to these tunes so easily, whether I was having trouble at home with my folks or trouble with my girlfriend at the time or something like that. I miss music like this so much. Saraya is awesome.

Saraya was one of the best female lead hard rock bands of the Late 80's. Sandi Saraya, once married to Brain Wheat, the bass player for Tesla, has such an awesome vocal range. Each track blew me away the first time I heard it, and it still continues to melt my heart away to this day. "Love Has Taken It's Toll," was the first and best selling single from the CD, followed by, "Back To The Bullet." Every song is a personal favorite! If you can get it, get it!!!

Led by vocal powerhouse Sandi Saraya, melodic rock band Saraya was one of the best, most overlooked melodic rock bands to emerge in the late `80s. The band released their self-titled debut album in 1989 and instantly put just about every other female-fronted rock band to shame.

Saraya was never about pretty little love songs or a glam image. Take away the vocals and this is still a first rate melodic rock album with strong songs on par with what Tyketto, Von Groove and Giant were releasing at the time. Of course, Saraya's vocals make them that much more impressive. She has a great voice that's anything but light, adding real power and emotion. The album opens on a high note, with the radio-ready "Love Has Taken Its Toll," and never lets up, whether the band is serving up hook-heavy rockers ("Gypsy Child"), keyboard-laden AOR songs "Healing Touch") or slower ballads ("St. Christopher's Medal"). Terrific singing, musicianship, songwriting and production make this a classic melodic rock debut.

If you're a fan of the late `80s and early `90s melodic rock sound, especially bands with female vocals, Saraya is a must-have album (as is the band's 1991 follow-up When the Blackbird Sings). It's just a shame this disc is so hard to find. I'm surprised a label like Rock Candy or even Wounded Bird hasn't reissued it yet.

Like many others here, I heard "Love Has Taken Its Toll" on the radio and liked it enough to buy the cassette tape back in 1989. It is a great song with great guitar work. Unfortunately, the rest of the album is pretty forgettable and hasn't held up very well over time.

I listened to the whole album again last night after many years of neglect and only "Drop The Bomb" comes close to the heights of "Love Has Taken Its Toll." While the female vocalist reminds you of Heart a little bit, she just doesn't have enough range to keep you interested for very long. The lyrics also are fairly lame but you come to expect that from most rock groups with writers in their 20's!

i remember the first time i heard love has taken it's toll on the radio back in '89. i bought the cassette a few days later and was hooked. i still, to this day, have it. i picked up the cd about two years ago off of ebay for about $25 or $30, while trying to get some "hard to find's" on disc. reasonable, for something nearly unavailable. it is one of three or four that i treasure in my collection! i don't understand why they came and went so quickly. another poor job by record company big-wigs would be my guess. if you can stomach the price, get this rockin' gem while you can.

I discovered Saraya in 1989 when I was a junior in high school. I originally had the cassette which I eventually wore out. I then spent near 3-4 years searching every used CD store I came across for this gem. I eventually found a copy all the way across the country in San Francisco. This of course was before online auctions really took off. Suffice it to say, this CD is that good! I never expected to love this CD as much as I would over time, but it's just one of those rare albums that you can listen to for a while and then put away only to come back to several months later and have it be fresh. Sandi's vocals are amazing, the lyrics are heart-felt ("Love Has Taken Its Toll" is a permenant fixture in the soundtrack of my life), and the instrumentation is moving (I especially love the instrumental part at the end of "St. Christopher Medal"). Get this CD! They just don't make music like this anymore.