Vital Signs

by **montyollie** » Fri Mar 16, 2007 9:43 am

Man this album blows my mind. I've had it on repeat all night and I have to say there is not a single song on it that I don't completely adore. "Everlasting" is quickly taking over "I Can't Hold Back" as today's favourite. Man, that's a great song!!!

This was the album that got me into Survivor and it's really stood the test of time. 22 years and counting. This morning, my sister had me in *stitches* -- she found her old eighth grade daily journals and she put her top ten songs in every entry. July and August of '85 had "The Search is Over" in the #1 or #2 spot. What a summer!

Jimi's voice was pure perfection on this one. I never tire of listening to it.

***

by **Slander** » Fri Mar 16, 2007 9:58 am

Guy Jimi's voice wasn't perfection. Survivor was perfection.

by **Red13JoePa** » Fri Mar 16, 2007 11:19 am

I dunno know, man.
I think in his time, 84, Jamison was the premier rock vocalist around. Bickler had a gritty street sound, but JJ was a quantam leap forward.

Is there a particular reason why posts complimenting Jimi bug you, S?

by **Slander** » Fri Mar 16, 2007 12:29 pm

Sorry about TT today. I think if you read many of my posts you'll see that I have complimented Jamo quite a bit. I've also found him to be a very nice guy as well.

by **Red13JoePa** » Fri Mar 16, 2007 12:43 pm

You are one tough apple, bro.
I've told you before, I notice you stick to your guns no matter what and for whatEVER reason Jamison and/probably OR his fans bug the ever-loving shit out of you.

I wish we knew a little more about what it was.

by **Slander** » Fri Mar 16, 2007 12:52 pm

General I think JJ is a great vocalist and one hell of a nice guy. I have no beef with Jimi. I do have a problem with those who felt Survivor was and is nothing without him.

by **montyollie** » Fri Mar 16, 2007 2:04 pm

I'll admit it... it was Jimi who turned me onto the band. I am into his solo stuff and I also fangirl over him. HA! There, I said it. I am a HUGE fan of melody and pure vocals. I wouldn't be hanging out at a site called Melodic Rock if I wasn't.

BUT!!!

I adore the band. Full stop. I agree with Slander -- Vital Signs was perfection. The band and Jimi. The harmonies. The guitar riffs. The drumming. (I'm actually turning into a HUGE Marc Droubay fan as I can't get enough of his drumming. Seriously.) The keyboards. The bass. The whole package deal.

I rarely enjoy a whole album, top to bottom, but VS is one that I do.

The other Survivor album I love is Eye of the Tiger. And Dave's voice had to grow on me, but the songwriting and tightness of the band are amazing. I can listen to "I'm Not That Man Anymore" and "The One That Really Matters" on repeat all day, and I have. Which goes to show Survivor is an entity unto itself with or without Jimi. I hate to say it, but I love EOTT too much to deny it. LOL

by **Red13JoePa** » Fri Mar 16, 2007 2:15 pm

To me VS IS the Pink FlloydDark Side, the Led Zeppelin IV, the VH 1984, the Jrny ESC4P3, the Foreigner4, the Stones' Exile of Survivor.

Which is to say, the masterpiece.

I would disagree that Bickler;s voice had to grow on me b/c with Tiger the first thing I though was, "wow, is that Journey" and we all know a Perry loon or 4 online.

The One That Really Matters and Hesitation Dance stand up to anything Survivor's ever put out.

by **montyollie** » Fri Mar 16, 2007 2:34 pm

Slightly OT but I just got Premonition and Caught in the Game in the mail tonight, so I'll give the whole Dave Bickler catalogue a good listen before I pass judgment. I will say that the word on all the sites I've been to puts "Premonition" on the fan favourite list.

by **Slander** » Sat Mar 17, 2007 8:43 am

Monty give Caught in the Game a couple of spins. It's a darker moodier album than any of Survivor's other stuff. Santa Ana Winds I believe is the underrated song in the Survivor catalogue. The guitar open to Slander is also a highlight on CITG.

by **montyollie** » Sat Mar 17, 2007 9:42 am

Slander wrote:Monty give Caught in the Game a couple of spins. It's a darker moodier album than any of Survivor's other stuff. Santa Ana Winds I believe is the underrated song in the Survivor catalogue. The guitar open to Slander is also a highlight on CITG.

Huh. Wow. I'm *Loving* Santa Ana Winds. Loving it.

by **Slander** » Sat Mar 17, 2007 9:49 am

Told you so! LOL. This is Dave at his smoky best. Tell me what you think of the song Slander.

by **Red13JoePa** » Sat Mar 17, 2007 9:56 am

Caught In THe Game is very sneaky cool.

Jackie Don't Go, Half-Life....Slander's name sake

by **montyollie** » Sat Mar 17, 2007 10:44 am

I've had CITG on since I last wrote, and I'm really enjoying it. I don't like the title track, but I really like the rest of it.

Favourite is Santa Ana Winds, for sure.

Second favourite is Half-Life, but a couple of points of note: Opening beats sound JUST like "American Heartbeat" and that guitar riff in the middle and towards the end is almost identical to "I'm Not That Man Anymore".

And there is a lyric in "I Never Stopped Loving You" that is "Every highway led me back to you" which made me chuckle. Holy recycling! But I really enjoy the guitar and harmonies on that track for sure. And JP's signature piano. I just love his piano. And lyrics (presuming it was JPs on the lyrics). In fact that one might be my favourite on the album. Hmmm. They are all so damn good.

Slander (the song, not our friend... ahaha) didn't thrill me. Didn't stand out on the album at all for me.

Jackie Don't Go is on right now, and I'm loving the heavy guitar/bass lines on that one.

Next... going to give Premonition a good once-over!

by **montyollie** » Sat Mar 17, 2007 11:20 am

Hmmm. I just listened to "Premonition" almost in its entirety, but found myself skipping ahead on almost every track. I think I listened to about 3/4 of each song.

That album did NOT thrill me. Not even a bit. I liked Runway Lights. That's it.

***

I have Toto's "Falling In Between" now. See if MR.com's 2006 picks are on the money. LOL So far, so good. A bit heavier than I usually like, but okay. LOL

by **mystichealer** » Sat Mar 24, 2007 4:18 am

Slander wrote:Monty give Caught in the Game a couple of spins. It's a darker moodier album than any of Survivor's other stuff. Santa Ana Winds I believe is the underrated song in the Survivor catalogue. The guitar open to Slander is also a highlight on CITG.

I have always liked 'Caught In The Game', its one of the bands finest and my Fave Bickler era release. However, i have always had one major problem with that release and its the production of the thing. Its always sounded to me like it was produced in a cave or something. Its just tragically poor (imo). At the end of the day though a good album is a good album, but me being the production nutbag that i am i just think it could have and should have been sooo much better if produced wayyy better.

by **Slander** » Sat Mar 24, 2007 4:28 am

I hear what you are saying Mystic. Do you think the album was produced to give it a rougher sound? Vital Signs is so polished. You can so tell Nevison did it.

by **mystichealer** » Sat Mar 24, 2007 4:37 am

Slander wrote:I hear what you are saying Mystic. Do you think the album was produced to give it a rougher sound? Vital Signs is so polished. You can so tell Nevison did it.

Not sure about the rougher sound, i just don't know. I am one of those guys that adore a highly pollished production, yeah kinda like VS or When Seconds Count. Those 2 releases are probably my fave 2 Survivor releases, probably a main reason for me lovin both of those is due to the production at the end of the day. I just adore a well produced album. I have never really been keen on Frankie and Jims production work on earlier Survivor albums. I was so pleased when in came Nevison who i have always liked as a producer anyway.
I love the earlier Survivor stuff of course i do but not too keen on the production side of things back then.

by **lukather4prez** » Tue Mar 27, 2007 11:52 pm

I never cared for this album like the others. Though I find Reach an okay album overall ( the first half is the goods) I don't rate this album very high on my list. I'm a rock music fan and this album is the lightest thing they did.

It' sounds like shit as JP should've stuck to the songs n not trying to engineer or produce. A couple great songs for me but, it just doesn't hold up for me like Premonition THTS or any of the others.

Broken Promises, ICHB, First Night is about all I really like ohh and I do dig ISYIE a good song though im tired of it from hearing it the past few years in long form.. good tune.

Just one blokes opinion. WSC blew this away for me in every way possible. more axe , better production and engineering better singing etc etc etc.

c.m.

by **Slander** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 1:00 am

I agree. I think it's a bit overrated. Just my opinion. Although I think I CAN'T HOLD BACK is one of the great melodicrock songs of all-time.

by **montyollie** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 2:47 am

Slander wrote:I agree. I think it's a bit overrated. Just my opinion. Although I think I CAN'T HOLD BACK is one of the great melodicrock songs of all-time.

"I Can't Hold Back" is the song that reaquainted me with Survivor. Several years ago I was on the computer and I heard it coming from the tv in the other room. It was some retro video show and I heard the opening synthesizer notes and something in me stirred. I remember falling IN LOVE with that song all over again and it really has stood the test of time for me.

Several years passed before I got on a kick again, and I love it just as much this third time round.

by **Slander** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 2:52 am

The acoustic guitar in the open is what got me.

by **Red13JoePa** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 3:20 am

Slander wrote:The acoustic guitar in the open is what got me.

Exactly...that's phase 1 of what's to me a 3 phase hook at the beginning of the song.

1) Frankie's acoustic opening
2) Droubay's 2-thump first appearance soon after
3) Frankie's first KER-KERRRAAAAANNNNNNGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!

Instant smash hit.

by **montyollie** » Mon Apr 02, 2007 6:55 am

Slander wrote:Santa Ana Winds I believe is the underrated song in the Survivor catalogue.

Two week update.

Holy FUCK I love this song. I really wanted to thank you for waking me up to it. Seriously. It's creeping up there to my top three Survivor songs.

by **silvergirl66** » Tue Apr 03, 2007 12:37 am

MONTY, do you have the debut album? You need to get it also. Nothing Can Shake Me a haunting song too! Luv it! There's other good songs on that album too. You need to get them all. And give Premonition another try. It's my favorite album.

by **Slander** » Tue Apr 03, 2007 1:16 am

Runway Lights brings a tear to the eye. Anyone who has lived far from home knows what I mean.

by **montyollie** » Thu Apr 05, 2007 11:20 am

silvergirl66 wrote:MONTY, do you have the debut album? You need to get it also. Nothing Can Shake Me a haunting song too! Luv it! There's other good songs on that album too. You need to get them all. And give Premonition another try. It's my favorite album.

No not yet! I need to get that one and WSC. I'm trying to pace myself. HAHAHA

I will give Premonition another try. I am going on a 24 hour road trip tomorrow and 30+ hours home, so I'll have the time. LOL

MR

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