Survivor
Vital Signs

THE REVIEW

Just 4 words: "Eye of the Tiger". It's 1982 and the Survivor, an American band, compose this track that later became famous thanks to Rocky, a film series starring Sylvester Stallone. On vocals is Dave Bickler, a decent singer but not particularly expressive. Despite this, the group, thanks to the titular album, reaches an unexpected popularity. However, just 2 years later, this "Vital Signs" is released: now on vocals we have the talented Jimi Jamison and the aforementioned album becomes the first of a trilogy of records ("When Seconds Count" from 1986 and "Too Hot To Sleep" from 1988) that calling stellar would be an understatement. But let's go in order.

The album opens with "I Can't Hold Back", a song as simple in its structure as it is enchanting. Without realizing it, you will find yourself humming it after the first listen. We are only a tenth into the album and the magic is already infinite. The second track is "High On You", a slightly inferior track in my opinion than the previous one but that maintains excellent quality levels. It is followed by "First Night". Excessively sugary and sweet? Probably yes, but try to remain impassive as you listen to it. You won't be able to help being charmed by its sweetness.

After the fourth track, "The Search Is Over", we come to my three favorite tracks of the album: "Broken Promises", "Popular Girl", and "Everlasting". The first of the three is a song that, if we want, has a slightly more rocking tempo in the verse, up to a chorus to shout at the top of your lungs, with your face turned to the sky... Listen to the divine piano interlude around minute 2:40. Truly magnificent. "Popular Girl" is a bit more light-hearted, yet still fantastic: the keyboards and Jamison's voice reign supreme here. "Everlasting" is, in my opinion, the most poignant of the entire lot. Perhaps a step below the previous two, but capable of giving goosebumps with ease.

Closing this superb work are "It's The Singer Not The Song" and "I See You In Everyone". In the first one, Jamison "asserts" the role of the singer in a band and especially the emotions that no other instrument can evoke, while the latter doesn't add anything particularly innovative to what has already been said, despite being anything but a track to overlook. As they say, perfection is not of this world. However, I believe that Survivor came extremely close: it's really hard to believe that 5 human beings could have written such songs: this album is a milestone in melodic rock and music in general. If you have no prejudices when it comes to music and want to simply let yourself go on the wave of emotions, maybe in the summer during a sunset with a special person by your side, this is the album for you.