ALBUM OF THE WEEK # 138 SURVIVOR - VITAL SIGNS (1984)

[RJhog (Admin)]

Artist: Survivor

Genre: Rock

Country Of Origin: U.S.

Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Member: No

Album: Vital Signs

Released: September 1984

Producer: Ron Nevison

Song Of The Week: Broken Promises

Facts (by Wikipedia)

1. Although this is the fifth studio album for Survivor, it's the first to feature Jimi Jamison on lead vocals.

2. The album is certified Platinum by the RIAA.

3. Vital Signs features 3 U.S. Top 40 singles, The Search Is Over #4, High On You #8 and I Can't Hold Back #13.

4. A fourth single was released, First Night, but it only reached #53.  I don't remember hearing it on the radio.

5. It was remastered by Rock Candy in 2010 and that release includes one bonus track entitled The Moment Of Truth.

Observations (by RJhog)

1. This is a vinyl rip.  I picked this one up from the flea market for a buck.

2. It's official, this album has more hooks than the fishing departments at all three of your local Walmart stores.  Seriously, every single song has a great hook.

3. I'm surprised that, although I really like First Night, neither Broken Promises nor Popular Girl were not released as the fourth single.  They both sound like hits to me.  Broken Promises is an absolute hidden gem, so it has been picked as song of the week.

 

1. I Can't Hold Back

2. High On You

3. First Night

4. The Search Is Over

5. Broken Promises

6. Popular Girl

7. Everlasting

8. It's The Singer, Not The Song

9. I See You In Everyone

 

[Scott]

Caught in the Game is easily the best Survivor album ever done.  Being a Dave Bickler fan I was disappointed when I heard the shift to pop music, so I didn't buy into this version of Survivor...  Will have to listen later to see if my mind can be changed...

[Jon]

Better than "Premonition"? I think you might be mistaken.

[Scott]

Yes, IMO absolutely yes, but there is a lot of sentimental value in Caught In The Game for me... 

[TageRyche]

This is a fantastic album.

Survivor is simply an awesome group, one of my all time favorite albums.

By the way "The Moment of Truth" was the end credits song for the original Karate Kid movie. It is on the soundtrack.

Every song on this album is fantastics.

I saw them live on the tour for the album that came after Vital Signs, "When Seconds Count". I got to high five Jimi Jamison during the encore of "Eye of the Tiger".

Survivor is still around playing a few concert dates, but a new album seems impossible. Guitarist Frankie Sullivan appears utterly disinterested in new music.

[Scott]

Side 1 is hit after hit after hit after hit!  Thing is that they are solid tunes.  I loved "I Cant Hold Back" when it first came out and the video was good...  but...  Have you ever had a friend that played the same album over and over until you couldn't take it anymore?  Well, me too, and I recall a few albums of his that never seemed to leave the dashboards cassette player.  This one was one of them...  So has enough time gone by to put that behind me?  I would say Yes, this was a very nice listen.

 

Broken Promises is easily the best of the non-hits and Side 2 is as good as side 1 without all the radio airplay.  Did you also notice the skip on I Cant Hold Back?  Cracked me up...  the thin g about that is that for someone who owned this album prior to you, I bet that they still hear that skip when the comes on.  I still hear the skip from some of my vinyl when I replay CD's and it makes me chuckle...

 

Is it better than Caught In The Game?  No, but it was a very cool listen!

[RJhog (Admin)]

My vinyl copy of Unmasked has a skip on Naked City, and just like you, I wait for it when I listen to the CD.  And yes, I do still listen to Unmasked.

[Scott]

Jon loves it when we squeeze KISS into conversations that don't start with anything to do with them...  so lets continue...

 

My copy of Dynasty had a scratch in I Was Made For Loving You, right at the part when Ace's (or whoever played guitar on Dynasty) solo kicks off, I still hear it to this day even though its been well over double digit years since I put that album on a turntable.  I might have to do it just to laugh!

[Jon]

Basturd!

[Jon]

This really isn't too bad. I bought this after Premonition and Eye Of The Tiger and back then thought it was really wussy. Now it's not bad at all. It's mellower that the other albums, but a decent album nonetheless. I'm still digging the pops and crackles and skip. Made me chuckle. Chuckle. I did.

Good pick! I do have this on CD, but it was good to hear again.

[TageRyche]

I still have my cassette version of the album.

[RJhog (Admin)]

Do you have a cassette player to listen to it on?