Flashback CD Review #84 - Survivor - Reach

[TageRyche]

This review was written for the Rock Is Life.com website in 2006. (2012 update: Despite my really good review of the album, after I learned some behind the scenes stuff about the making of this album and the issues it caused between singer Jimi Jamison and guitarist Frankie Sullivan, I became less enthused about the CD.)

Survivor
Reach
Frontiers Records - 2006
http://www.survivormusic.com

What's The 4-1-1?

One of the best melodic pop rock bands of all time return with their first all new studio album in 17 years, filling up stereos with a classic does of melodies and harmonies bring back the sounds of the '80's.

Genre

Melodic Rock / Pop Rock / Rock

The Good

The first two songs on the disc serve themselves up as prime examples that why it may have been 17 years in between new studio albums from the band, they haven't abandoned the sound that made them famous, nor let themselves lose the ability to fashion some of the finest pop rock songs of the time.

The title track lets the signature sound of Jimi Jamision's vocals shine through and carry the song high in the stratosphere, while "Fire Makes Steel" has that big 80's chorus harmonizing I love and superb guitar work from Frankie Sullivan. "I Don't" is another track that really showcases Sullivan's guitar playing to maximum effect.

Two of the album's ballads are excellent. "Seconds Away" is a tried and true solid ballad, while "Half of My Heart" would be a radio hit is modern radio wasn't the cesspool it is today. Frankie Sullivan steps forward to the lead vocal mike on the song "Talkin' About Love" and while I complain about a different song he sings further down in this review, this song sounds like vintage Survivor. His voice is much thinner than the more muscular sound from Jamison, but the song really works.

The best song on the album is the flat out rocker "Gimmie The Word". Jamison's vocals sound a bit darker than usual and that actually contributes to making the song sound like one of the "heaviest" songs that band has done.

The Bad

Two of the ballads on the album are big drawbacks. "Rhythm of Your Heart" leaves the listener with a musical version of shrugged shoulders. It is just "there". It didn't do a thing for me. The ballad "Home" closes the disc and while it does have a nice guitar line running through the song, it is a very tepid song overall. I found it a rather weak way to finish the disc.

This next mention is kind of a half-hearted complaint. The song "Nevertheless" features another Frankie Sullivan lead vocal take. Here's where it gets odd for me:

I really liked the song, but don't think it belongs on this album. Why? It's simple. It doesn't even come close to sounding like a Survivor song. The track plays like a preview of an upcoming Frankie Sullivan solo album. Don't get me wrong, I like the song a lot and I'd happily buy a Frankie Sullivan solo disc, but I don't think a SURVIVOR album should be used that way. Now, do I think they intentionally did that way? Nope, I think it is just how the song came across to me. You should check out the song for yourself and see what you think.

The Verdict

A couple of ballads detract from the overall grade for the album but not by much. The album is a fine addition to the band's discography. They haven't lost much of anything off their musical fastball and I hope to see them tour somewhere near me in the near future. Survivor took a long time between albums, but the band lives up to its name and more. It has survived the changes in the musical landscape and with Reach, they prove they are still thriving. This is an album you have to hear!

Did You Know?

Former Survivor vocalist David Bickler is the singing voice for the Bud Light "Real Men of Genius" beer ads. Jimi Jamison released an album called Empires (also on Frontiers Records) in 1999 under the name Jimi Jamison's Survivor. The band's all-time greatest hit, "Eye of the Tiger", received an Oscar nomination for Best Song in 1983.

Rating: 4 out of 5

[Scott]

Would love to know that behind the scenes story, got any insight or links to where I can read it?  And l am a fan of this band, I remember when this came out I had a hard time finding it and kinda forgot about it until I seen in the used section of my favorite Record Store.  Picked it up, seen the $20 price tag and put it back down...  Maybe I should've bit the bullet because I don't think I will be seeing this one ever again!  Oh well...

[TageRyche]

Apparently there was serious disagreements over the material on the CD between Jamison and Sullivan. So serious that Jamison actually left the band relatively soon after the release of the disc. Of course he's back in the band now but it was a big issue since it essentially killed any chance the album had to get any kind of toehold.