Customer Reviews

When Seconds Count

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I'm almost ashamed to admit how much I love this album. It's so schlocky, so cheesy, corny, goofy, 80's, unhip (even for its time) and radio friendly but darn it, it's one of my favorite albums of all time. Almost every track on this one reminds me of Lays potato chips. You can't just listen once! Er, or something like that.

I prefer to rate individual tracks when I'm reviewing music CD's.

1. "How Much Love"
The first track is really upbeat, hey, like most of this album. The guy's wondering how much love will it take to get this girl and whether his creepiness will scare her away. That's it, no guns, no bling. 3/5

2. "Keep It Right Here"
The cheese continues but fortunately, it's fine velveta. This is the first of many "commitment" songs on this album and it makes you wonder if these guys wrote these songs for their wives or girlfriends. There's a sincerity about this song that is rare in pop music. 5/5

3. "Is This Love"
This is admittedly my least favorite track, probably because I've heard it too many times already. The keyboards kind of annoy me. The saxophone solo is awesome though. 2/5

4. "Man Against The World"
Oh, melodrama. This piano ballad is a great song. That's all I can say about it! 5/5

5. "Rebel Son"
Arguably the best track on this album. This song starts off kind of slow then picks up speed with an 80's beat that could have scored any "Karate Kid" film. It'll have you coiffing your hair in no time! 5/5

6. "Oceans"
I never really liked this track. 1/5

7. "When Seconds Count"
Yep. Another commitment song. But this one's excellent and once again there's a sincerity here that is quite rare. 5/5

8. "Backstreet Love Affair"
The organ riff in this one will be stuck in your head forever. 4/5

9. "In Good Faith"
Another commitment song and my favorite track on the album. This is a typical power ballad that goes from piano to guitar. This was a really popular wedding song back in the day. 5/5

10. "Can't Let You Go"
The album ends with a great upbeat track. And good lyrics too. My hearts been branded/I can't let you go/Don't understand it/Just can't tell you no/Don't leave me stranded/'Cus I just can't let you go. Er, alright.

Buy this album. Please. If people keep buying old Survivor records, maybe that'll encourage them to get back together, like all the old fogies do. I'm looking forward to that!
6.

Of all the albums released by Survivor I would have to say that When Seconds Count stands as their all time best. Theres not one bad track or filler to be found on this CD at all. This is one of those CD's that you can pop in and play over and over and never get sick of it. I've owned this CD for years and I still enjoy it to this day. I've always loved how Survivor blends their Keyboards and Guitars together, which gives them their signature sound, and its all found right here.

Although this album yielded three charting singles only "Is This Love" was a major hit, and the album barely made the top 50. This lack of commercial success remains an enormous mystery...this is one of the best AOR albums ever released.

Jim Peterik and Frankie Sullivan had a real chemistry when it came to writing great songs together. This time around vocalist Jimi Jamison also had a hand in writing four of the ten tracks; for whatever reason those songs are not quite as strong as those he wasn't involved with. (Exception: "Keep It Right Here"). But apart from "Man Against The World" which everybody but me seems to love every cut is extremely good, and while it is a softer album than most Survivor records there are some great rock moments such as "Rebel Son" and "Can't Let You Go" included. However my personal favourite tracks are the title cut and the superb "Oceans". Highly recommended.

Survivor followed their excellent 1984 release "Vital Signs" with the single "Burning Heart" from the "Rocky IV" soundtrack. In 1986, "When Seconds Count" came out. It kept the sound of "Vital Signs", with a little more pronounced emphasis on keyboards. But it didn't sustain the same momentum. "Is This Love" did pretty well, but that was the only real hit from this album. The musical landscape was changing, and a lot of the bands who had been really successful in the earlier part of the decade were having problems by now. Most of the bands I really liked at that time were losing steam by 1986.

I got this on tape as soon as it came out, and I really enjoyed it. It was a little mellower than "Vital Signs", but it still had its rockin' moments. I got the CD several years ago, and it has been in my regular rotation since.

If you like "Vital Signs", then this is the closest CD to that sound. They are very similar in style. It doesn't have the hits that "Vital Signs" does, but the songs on here are every bit as good. Their following CD, "Too Hot To Sleep", really cranks up the guitars and is overall a much harder CD (and is my favorite).

When Seconds Count is more than an album. It is the collection of great should-have hits such as Keep It Right Here(my #1 favorite), Rebel Son, Backstreet Love Affair, When Seconds Count.

Why Is This Love became only top ten hit should be the mystery of the 80s. My theory is: by the time When Seconds Count was released, pop rock style became the norm so their great work buried among the heap of pop rock works.

When Seconds Count was my #1 favorite until they released Too Hot To Sleep which made me almost forget this album even existed at all. Waiting for THTS to come up for my future review.

Other than "Vital Signs", "When Seconds Count" is also a great AOR album. "How much love", "Is this love", "Man against the world", and "Oceans" are all very touching. But in my opinion, the greatest song in this album is "In good faith". It is hard for me to find such an excellent band today.

All I can say is that this CD is on my wish list for nothing other than "Man Against the World" which I swear is one of the best songs in the universe. It takes me back to high school in just a few notes and I can remember everything like it was yesterday. It still makes me teary-eyed!

Survivor was one of the best 1980s rock bands! Unfortunately, it's most known for its songs from soundtracks to the »Rocky« movies, »Eye Of The Tiger« and »Burning Heart«. The band has made even better stuff though, and »When Seconds Count« is its best - and most underrated - album!

When Seconds Count is one of Survivor's best albums. It doesn't have the most hits, but just about every song is a great one. "Is This Love" is the only hit that came from When Seconds Count, but after I heard some of the songs, I couldn't believe that they weren't big hits. "Man Against The World" and "Rebel Son" are the main two that should've been hits, and they're my favorite songs from this album other than "Is This Love." Many of the other songs such as "Oceans" and the title track are also good.

If you're a Survivor fan or if you like music from the 80's, I recommend getting When Seconds Count by Survivor.

I'm surprised no one has come across reviewing "When Seconds Count" given all of the rave reviews for "Eye of the Tiger" and "Caught in the Game"! Permit me to be the first Survivor fan to do so. I rate this CD as probably the best of Jim Jamison's years with the band. "Keep It Right Here", "Is This Love?", and "Can't Let You Go" always demand multiple playings by me whenever I pop this 1986 album in my stereo! It truly pains me how underrated Survivor has become in the past few years! They were truly one of the biggest, best-sounding rock powerhouses of the 80's/early 90's (aside from their mainstream hit songs for the "Rocky" films) Whether it's Jamison or Dave Bickler at the mic, Survivor lights up any occassion!