Description
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Vital Signs is the fifth studio album by the American rock band Survivor and their first with vocalist Jimi Jamison. The album was a success in the U.S. where it hit #16 on the Billboard Album charts.
The Classic AOR lp of the 80`s!! Every track here is a winner! Jimi Jamison is just brilliant here on Vocals and is the highlight on every track. We kick off here with the wonderful “”I can’t hold back””,Keyboards intro. “”high On You”” Another fine mid paced A.O.R track. “”The Search is Over”” is the beautiful ballad where we have the great mixture of keys as performed by the excellent Jim Peterik and Mr Jamison’s vocals. “”Popular Girl”” is the rocker and a great one at that! Perfect blend of keys and guitars. The last 3 tracks on the LP, are just wonderful! Like I said earlier, not a filler track at all on this CD/LP. This is a Definite MUST HAVE in the collection. A fine collection of AOR tracks from this legendary band! Awesome.
this album is indeed a well done piece of AOR. It starts off with one of their best songs. “I Can’t Hold Back” is one of the best ever in the style with a wonderful keyboard introduction, the heaviest guitar I’ve heard on a Survivor record, Jimi Jamison vocal is sublime yet it’s a song above all else. There are the obligatory ballads, all the lyrics are about love or music, and won’t change anyone’s life, but it is what it is and it’s one of the best of what it is. “Vital Signs” was Survivor’s second most successful album in the U.S., reaching #16 on the Billboard Album Charts and being certified platinum by the RIAA.
Voted as one of The 4 Greatest AOR Albums Of All Time!
All songs written by Jim Peterik & Frankie Sullivan.
Label: Scotti Bros. Records – SCT 26126
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: UK & Europe
Released: 1984
Genre:Rock
A1 I Can’t Hold Back 3:58
A2 High On You 4:08
A3 First Night 4:15
A4 The Search Is Over 4:13
A5 Broken Promises 3:58
B1 Popular Girl 3:37
B2 Everlasting 3:50
B3 It’s The Singer Not The Song 4:32
B4 I See You In Everyone 4:23
Producer, Engineer – Ron Nevison
Written-By – F. Sullivan*, J. Peterik*
℗ 1984 CBS Inc./ © 1984 CBS Inc.
Rights Society: MCPS/BIEM
Label Code: LC 0199
Personnel:
Jimi Jamison: Lead Vocals
Marc Droubay: Drums
Jim Peterik: Bass, Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals
Frankie Sullivan: Guitar, Vocals
Stephan Ellis: Bass
Singles:
The album had three hit singles:
“”The Search Is Over”” (#4 US),
“”High on You”” (#8 US)
“”I Can’t Hold Back”” (#13 US).
“”First Night””, the fourth and final single from the album, peaked at #53 on the Billboard Hot 100 in September 1985.
If you need to show someone what’s 80s AOR, press play on “Vital Signs” by SURVIVOR. Replacing vocalist Dave Bickler with ex-Target and Cobra singer Jimi Jamison, with Frankie Sullivan vacating the producer’s chair in favour of the legendary Ron Nevison, results were spectacular.
“Vital Signs” blew the roof of the charts, delivering three US top 20 hit singles (‘The Search Is Over’, ‘High On You’ & ‘I Can’t Hold Back’) whilst the album itself made #16 on the album charts.
Of course it helped that the Sullivan / Peterik axis came up with some killer songs for Jamison to wrap his out of this world vocal cords around, with Nevison giving a glossy radio-friendly sheen, classic AOR sound.
Elsewhere the slower stomp of ‘Broken Promises’ and ‘Popular Girl’ are strong album tracks and the upbeat ‘First Night’ and classic ‘It’s The Singer Not The Song’ raised the energy levels even higher.
‘Everlasting’ is a smooth mid-tempo ballad, whilst the moody ‘I See You In Everyone’ is a terrific album closer.
This is Survivor’s best and most enduring album, and song-wise and singles-wise their cracker. Ron Nevison awesome production turned the vocals, keys, and the electric guitars jump out at you – especially from the radio as was probably the intention.
I said this many times: Ron Nevison is the greatest AOR / Rock producer from the ’80s. However, his productions sound fantastic on vinyl LP but not so on CD (CD’s were pretty poor in dynamic range and bass-less.
Recognised as arguably Survivor’s finest moment, “Vital Signs” is packed with killer tracks and terrific melodies, truly one of the greatest AOR albums of all time.
ESSENTIAL
info on the LP and analysis of “The Search Is Over” done by a band member. Interview…
The band Survivor had just come off the phenomenal success of “Eye of the Tiger” that went to #1 in 1982 for 6 weeks. making it one of the biggest rock songs of the decade. From there, Survivor released the song American Heartbeat, which peaked at #17 while the actual Eye of the Tiger album went to #2. It was a rough go from there. The band would release another album with lead singer Bickler,
Jimi came in and the band immediately coalesced releasing the Karate Kid song the Moment of Truth which fared better than any of their recent singles and then came the classic album Vital Signs. In the near future we will be doing a segment on the Survivor album Vital Signs going track by track and telling the story of each song, but. Then Sylvester Stallone asked the band to write the lead song for Rocky IV.
He really had it all, the voice, the chiselled good looks, the fire and the passion. He was kind of the mold for the 80s rock and pop star. Although It’s his voice that stands above it all. What made his voice so spectacular so dazzling was the yearning. With that here is my Jimi Jamison 5er, My top five Jim recorded performances:
#5 I’m always here, . Jimmi wrote the lyrics to this and I always appreciated the sprawling vocal on this. Let’s be honest the opening credits to Baywatch were always a must see for may of us 90s kids but the song has become very meaningful since Jimi Jamison’s death in 2014, The lyrics: In us we all have the power, Sometimes it is so hard to see, that instinct is stronger than reason, It’s just human nature to me,I’ll be ready Don’t you fear, forever and always, I’m always here. These words are etched on his headstone. Deeply beautiful poetry from Mr. Jamison for sure.
#4 High On You. This #8 hit from Survivor’s platinum album Vital Signs is a classic rock and pop fixture on radio across the world. With it’s awesome 80s production, guitar and synth drenched, and a flawless pre chorus that shoots listeners off into a typical Jamison hook laden Chorus that when you heard it as a youth was permanently tattooed on our brains, One of those songs you could sing along too at first listen and decades later.
#3 the Search Is Over This Top 5 Hot 100 and #1 ac hit gave any 80s AOR ballad from Journey, Bryan Adams or Heart a run for it’s money. The Way Jimi sings this is pure ecstasy. He is so sincere and that incomparable yearning in his voice that I talked about earlier is perfectly showcased here. When he gets to the bridge it’s hair standing straight on your neck rapture, when he sings every highway brings me back to you, it’s heart stopping. I sang it every time. That was us 80s kids equals to Frankly Dear I don’t give a damn
#2 Burning heart: Jimi’s biggest hit as the lead singer for Survivor, this song, the theme to Rocky IV was in a league of it’s own. To our young minds, It was one of the main songs that put the Cold War in perspective: Two worlds collide Rival nations It’s a primitive clash Venting years of frustrations. I know I speak for many of you watching, this song was a fixture as was the movie Rocky IV. It’s almost like the 80s defined:in less than two hours for the movie and less than four minutes for the song.
#1 I Can’t Hold Back. How this song only went to #13 is a travesty. This song is beyond phenomenal. I’ve heard it a thousand times and I can tell you that it has had different meanings to me in just about every phase of my life.
When it all comes together at that last chorus, it’s as mind numbingly robust as a pop song has any business being. It’s just so much passion and ambitious that defines Jimi Jamison as one of the most electrifying voices of 80s rock.
I am extremely biased when it comes to Survivor and especially this phenomenal 1984 AOR classic. Survivor’s music is like magic to me – it’s capable of instantly putting a smile on my face and lifting my spirits. I don’t think I can objectively review this album, because to me, this pure gold, titled “Vital Signs” has absolutely no weak point and it was definitely 100% matching what I love and seek for in music. So, I will just try to explain why I love this album so much and why is it one of the most essential albums of the 80s.
Dave Bickler, Survivor’s initial vocalist, had to be replaced due to vocal problems. Jimi Jamison joined the band and with his outstanding vocal abilities completely blew the roof off everyone. I often refer to him as the greatest rock vocalist. It’s such a shame that we lost him.
Every song, featuring on “Vital Signs” is an absolute melodic rock hit. It’s definitely not as hard as their previous albums; however that’s not a bad thing. On the contrary, the effective formula that combines peaceful acoustic guitar, gentle and emotional vocals, calming riffs and tender melodies is what make the album so brilliant. Harmony, instruments, rhythms, lyrics – they go together in such an unimaginably good style that for a moment there we forget that this is in fact a very commercially-crafted album. And here, I should say that there’s nothing wrong with being commercial, as long as what you do is tasteful and beautiful. “Vital Signs” (along with other 80s rock albums such as Bon Jovi’s “Slippery When Wet”, Def Leppard’s “Hysteria”, TOTO’s IV and many more) is one of the examples of a commercial but fabulous album!
Let’s talk about the songs.
The slow “The Search is Over” is the song that made me completely fall in love with Jimi’s voice. The lyrics are bringing you nothing but hopes and a strong desire to find your destined love. The lines “You followed me through changes and patiently you’d wait…’Till I came to my senses through some miracle of fate” are melting my heart…
“Popular Girl” is my favourite song from the record – it’s catchy, uplifting and so easy to sing along with. Most importantly, it creates a visual story inside your mind when you listen to. You can always recognize a good song if it activates your imagination. “She walks down the street, knocks ’em dead on their feet with a casual nonchalance…When she’s breaking your heart, she’s the state of the art…” – I mean this is just incredible!
“It’s The Singer Not The Song” is a track I truly wish more people would listen to and appreciate as much as I do. I mean, lyrically speaking this song just beats all the others on the record. “It’s the man behind the music…It’s the singer not the song” is an unforgettable line.
“High on You” was one of the first Survivor songs I’ve ever listened to. Needless to say it was love at first listen. I knew I would become a huge fan of the band from the first note… Romantic, harmonious and filled with such beautiful words and lovely keyboards – no wonder this song became one of Survivor’s major hits. “Piercin’ eyes, like a raven, you seemed to share my secret sin. We were high before the night started kickin’ in…” is my favorite line from the track…
Then we have the gentle “I Can’t Hold Back”; the building-up energizing “First Night”; the hard-rocker “Broken Promises”; the sweet ballad “Everlasting” and my second favorite song from the record – “I See You in Everyone” which even after the 1000th listen still gives me the chills…
Many people consider Survivor as a two-hit band (those two hits being “Eye of the Tiger” and “Burning Heart” from Rocky) but think again, fellas! Survivor are so much more than that. Also, after all those years I still cannot understand the constant comparison with Journey. Yes, both of those bands are the absolute “American-favourites”, however Survivor’s style and attitude is completely different and let’s not fight on who’s a better singer – Jimi or Steve, because “Vital Signs” makes it quite obvious, I think…
“Vital Signs” is a must-listen and a must-have record if you are a fan of melodic hard rock from the 80s. God bless Jimi and his one-of-a-kind voice…I truly miss you…
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