Customer Reviews

Survival

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

 

 

These guys are amazing and back in the 1970's there were few -- if any better -- groups in the world.

This album is stunning. I just picked it up, lapsing into the bad habit of buying greatest hits packages for years, I somehow left this off my O'Jays list -- and I'm a HUGE O'Jays fan (just saw them in concert a couple months ago).

Yes, the blockbuster hits are here, the title track, the amazing socially conscious "Give the People What They Want" and "Let Me Make Love to You."

But what really carries this epic album are the non-hits -- and this is why you should not limit yourself to greatest hits packages.

"Where Did We Go Wrong," Rich Get Richer," "How Time Flies," "What Am I Waiting For," and the sensational "Never Break Us Up" close out the album.

None of these songs were hits and they easily could be. For most groups, these songs would be the pinnacle of their careers. For The O'Jays it's just more brilliant work.

The production -- by legends Gamble and Huff -- is of course flawless and better than anything produced today, by far. The orchestration by MFSB is off the charts.

This album is a mind blower ... incredible.

"Survival" is one of three great albums Philadelphia's O'Jays presented during the first of the 1970s, the other two being "Backstabbers" and "Ship Ahoy." For my money, "Survival" is the best of the bunch, a compelling blend of straight-ahead soul and r&b spiced with a strong dash of social commentary.

The title tune provides a great example of the latter. A driving funk approach provides the perfect platform for the group to deliver its gritty vocals, which effectively convey the sense of desperation inside a man "busted, walkin' around broke."

"Rich Get Richer" also provides sentiments the man in the street could relate to -- and still can. One of the best things the O'Jays do throughout the album is tell real, down-to-earth stories, and this tune rises above a diatribe with these great lines: "There's an old friend of mine/He's doin' good, real good, as a matter of fact/He don't know me now/But I can take him way, way, way back." Great stuff.

Like all the great Philly groups, the O'Jays had a way with a ballad and could put tons of genuine emotion into the simplest lyrics. They weren't afraid of romance, but they didn't lapse into sappiness either: check out the straightforward "Let Me Love to You," or the plaintive "What Am I Waiting For," both of which combine well-crafted production with completely convincing and compelling vocals.

One finds a dated element or two in listening to this now 28-year-old album, but these are easily outweighed by the group's pinpoint vocals, flawless arrangements and commitment to a musical concept. Recommended for those who were there and would like to relive it as well as for those coming to it for the first time. The old becomes new again.

What took this classic soul album so long to be released is beyond me, but now that it's out there you need to pick it up if you're a true lover of r&b/soul music like I am. This is the O'Jays at the peak of their powers.

The obvious hits are there, like the title track, "Let Me Make Love To You" and "Give The People What They Want." But it only gets better from there. "Where Did We Go Wrong" and "How Time Flies" are top-of-the-line ballads, while "Never Break Us Up" closes out the album in fine style. This is one of the best Philadelphia International albums in history and is a perfect example of the PI sound. Gamble and Huff were on a major roll......

Great sound and nice reproduction of the original album art round out this re-release very nicely.

Now, if only someone will get ahold of the O'Jays Imperial recordings and release their debut album "Comin' Through"........

The re-release of this remastered CD came as a surprise to me, following as it did the remastering of the commonly-acknowledged O'Jays' classics 'Backstabbers' and 'Live In London'. 'Survival'? Remastered and re-released before 'Family Reunion' and 'Ship Ahoy'? What's going on here?

But as even the most-casual listen will tell you, 'Survival' is a fine example of the O'Jays' art.

Track-to-track, I'm even tempted to say it's the most even O'Jays album ever. Maybe it doesn't have the hits and the highs of 'Family Reunion' or 'Backstabbers', but it doesn't have their lows, either.

Rolling, rumbling funk, steaming love man pleas, social commentary and tender, lilting (but not diabetes-inducing) ballads--it's all here. And all graced with Gamble & Huff's formidable skills as arrangers and producers and Eddie LeVert's supple monster of a voice.

For those of you who need a reminder, or an introduction, check "How Time Flies". It is The Great Unknown O'Jays' Classic, and completely typical of the fine music contained within.

Maybe I shouldn't have been so surprised after all...

Great music from a great group. Relevant music of those times and even today. A nice addition to my collection of Old School 'real' music.

It's funny, when my mom and stepfather bought this album and I saw the album cover, it scared me to death! Then they put it on the turntable and I forgot all about it. Once again Gamble & Huff and the O'Jays put their great talents to use to belt out another classic social conscious record. " Survival", Give The People What They Want" and "Rich Get Richer", really tells us how bad it could be with money and greed. Of course they had to have those powerful slow jams. "Let Me Make Love To You" once again showcases Eddie LeVert's very powerful vocals. The real wonderful surprise is "Where Did We Go Wrong", where this time Walter Williams gets to use his super crooning skills, something that would be showcased from now on from this point. Just like "Back Stabbers" and "Ship Ahoy", "Survival" is an O'Jays classic that never gets old!

"Survival" was not as strong a selleras either "Backstabbers" or "Ship Ahoy" but it remains both one of the mid-1970s most important R&B albums and a true Philly Soul masterpiece. "Let Me Make Love To You", "What Am I Waiting For" and the affirmative and anthemic "Give The People What They Want" are all good reasons for buying this CD. In short, "Survival" is not as essential as its two predecessors but is still worth having. Eddie Levert, Walter Williams and the late William Powell were at their vocal and creative peak during the '70s and you can hear for yourself why here.

It was a great album and even better on CD.