Movie soundtracks were how I got into AOR as a teenager. I remember discovering several bands via Rocky - i.e. Survivor, Robert Tepper, Vince DiCola, etc. plus John Parr, King Kobra, Lou Gramm, Stan Bush, Lion, 707, etc. It was fantastic hooking into one track then uncovering as much of their back catalogues as I could (not easy pre-internet!).
Forum: Noticeboard

Ready to Fly - what an amazing song! It was the first track I thought of when I heard Soleil Moon's new album. Desperately needs to be covered by someone. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GkOWzhP3io
Forum: Noticeboard

Interested to know which new albums people are anticipating now that we're in May? We've had some great releases this year, particularly in prog circles. I'm looking forward to the new albums by Frost* and Subsignal in September. - Danny.
Forum: Noticeboard

Please could someone tell me which songs are Jim Peterik co-writes?
Forum: Noticeboard

Bat II is my favourite album of all time. Steinman is a GOD! (Anyone notice that the Nelson brothers guest on backing vocals too?!)
Forum: Noticeboard

Huge fan of Nostradamus (dodgy cover art notwithstanding!). Played that album to death when it came out. The vocal performances are just outstanding. Goran Edman, Sass Jordan, Jorn Lande, Joe Lynn Turner, Glenn Hughes, Alannah Myles, Doogie White... plus members of Europe in the backing band plus an orchestra and a choir... what's not to love? I'd completely forgotten about Draconia - thanks f
Forum: Noticeboard

Love the first two... third one was kinda bland - well produced and performed, but the material wasn't as strong. Need Mr Peterik back on the songwriting, methinks! Plus - "Wish You Were Here" is such a rip-off of Lou Gramm's "Just Between You and Me" that it ain't even funny!
Forum: Noticeboard

Gave it another spin today - love it! 'Arms of a Stranger', 'Could It Be Love', and 'Go' are the standouts for me. Only weaker tracks IMO are 'My Mistake' and 'Run Into the Night'. Never quite got the love for 'This Love, This Time' - decent song, but prefer the other ballad. And how good is Free on 'Liar'?!
Forum: Noticeboard

Another vote for 'Trouble in Angel City' here. I remember getting the Transformers soundtrack one week, then spotting both the Lion album and Stan Bush's 'Dial 818...' on the same market stall the week after. Snaffle! I was really disappointed when I finally managed to track down 'Dangerous Attraction'. The songwriting on the follow-up was so much better. Spent many an hour playing computer ga
Forum: Noticeboard

Gotta agree, Never Too Late has some decent enough songs, but there's nowhere near the depth and longevity of the original Survivor material. And Never Too Late (the song) is WAY too close to "Didn't Know It Was Love" for my liking, especially the middle eight. (Anyone else spot that track with the verse that sounds like 'The Last Note of Freedom' by David Coverdale from the Days of
Forum: Noticeboard

Around the release of Crossroads Moment, I believe Jimi was putting it down to a combination of Peterik's coaching and having some truly inspirational music to sing. He did mention that the majority of the recording time on Reach was spent on the guitars, with the vocals relatively rushed at the last minute. http://www.melodicrock.com/interviews/jimijamison-jimpeterik08.html "Yeah.
Forum: Noticeboard

Whoa...!!! Didn't see that one coming! Definitely interesting. Jimi struggled on the early material last year (or was it the year before?) so it'll be interesting to see how Dave gets on. But I feel really bad for JP. Andrew - are he and Jimi still on good terms after Jimi's return to Survivor? I know they were talking about doing more albums together after Crossroads Moment (which I absol
Forum: Noticeboard

Hi, Please does anyone have 'Search and Rescue' (japanese bonus track from Jim Peterik's Above the Storm album?) I've been looking for it for bloody ages and would love to hear it at last! Thanks!
Forum: Noticeboard

Interview on this site: "(ANDREW): I love that song. That's a really great song….one of the best on the album. (PETERIK): Thank you. I totally love that song and the story behind that song. With the exception of that song, all these songs were written for Roaring of Dreams in a period of about 3 months, or 4 months, whatever. But that song goes all the way back to 1984. Whenever th
Forum: Noticeboard

Re. Faithful Heart: Yep! Peterik mentioned it in an interview. He said there was a demo with Jamo on vocals that he couldn't find, with a different bridge. I'm pretty sure "Bittersweet" and "That's Why I Sing" were from around the same time as well, according to their publishing info.
Forum: Noticeboard

Yeah, I was referring to Jamo's solo version from Lock Up. Anyone know who the backing band were on it? Was it still Survivor or had they split up by that point? (Not 100% sure it sounds like them, but could be wrong). Interestingly, The Ides of March's "Vehicle" was on the same soundtrack so I wouldn't be surprised if Peterik was involved in it.
Forum: Noticeboard

Some deep Jamo cuts I'd love to hear... Survivor: Popular Girl Backstreet Love Affair Man Against the World Oceans (essential IMO!) Keep It Right Here Rebel Son Too Hot to Sleep Velocitized! (it'd cover both Survivor and Mecca!) Solo: Ever Since the World Began (has this ever been performed live?) Crossroads Moment Behind the Music (LOVE this song!) That's Why I Sing Friends W
Forum: Noticeboard

Let's not forget Gary Hughes from TEN. He's written some wonderful lyrics, IMO (also written some Whitensnake-y 'sex' lyrics as well, but they're appropriate for those particular songs). Steinman is, hands down, my favourite lyricist. I'm also immensely fond of Oliver Phillips from Everon. Some of those lyrics really speak to me without being at all pretentious. "If You Were Still Mi
Forum: Noticeboard

Great line-up. Shame about Peterik being busy - that would've been the icing on the cake (not that I can actually go, but still!) Out of interest - is Joe singing with Mecca? Wasn't he having health issues? Is Fergie gonna be with them by any chance?
Forum: Noticeboard

Awesome album (but I'd say it has more filler tracks than Eye of the Storm. Only track that isn't quite as good on the follow up is Livin' It Up, but I suppose it brings something different to the album and is a natural continuation of 'In the Raw'). Funnily enough, my favourite track on the debut is "You're Gonna Miss Me" - what a perfect slice of uptempo sunny AOR! Also love &
Forum: Noticeboard

Wasn't Todd Plant the vocalist on the last album? Would love to see another album with Jorn Lande and Don Airey or (Dag Stokke) - Hourglass was immense - but I'm not holding my breath!
Forum: Noticeboard

Yep, I'm still getting it too. :-( A little bit worried I might have missed some exciting Survivor news... ;-)
Forum: Noticeboard

Yeah, I'd love to hear another Catley/Hughes album as well. I guess it comes down to time and contractual agreements. Does anyone know if Frontiers have/would agree to the two-album deal? Personally, I think The Tower is one of the best things either of them have ever done. Certainly some of my favourite Gary Hughes songs on there. Now if only Magnum would give Bob some time off! :-)
Forum: Noticeboard

I'm still getting it too. I'm on a mac, so (as far as I know) it's unlikely to be a problem at my end.
Forum: Noticeboard

Did anyone else think he was gonna get set on fire by the snake/dragon thing during the solo? Health and safety nightmare nowadays! :-P
Forum: Noticeboard

I listened to a podcast earlier (featuring an interview with Larry) where he said there were already plans for a third album and they were aiming to write more as a whole band. Larry King's vocals are brilliant. The delicate way he phrases some of those lines, particularly on Goodnight Irene, is fantastic. Song after song, there were those turns of melody that just FIT perfectly, without
Forum: Noticeboard

Got this album for Christmas on the strength of 'History Repeats Its Pages' and I have to say, I'm not disappointed! Absolutely loving this CD. You can really hear the time and thought that's got into the songwriting, arrangements and performances. Really mature, sophisticated, and heartfelt stuff. Reminds me of Richard Marx at his best. I can see how some of it is a bit 'soft rock' and jazzy for
Forum: Noticeboard

STUNNING album. I also got it for Christmas and was completely blown away. It's a momentous achievement. Melodic, epic, soaring, poignant and moving. It's prog in the sense of incorporating a lot of different musical styles and having long, multi-part songs, but it's consistently melodic - not too much widdle or overly technical playing. It's also incredibly cinematic - very 'Lord of the Rin
Forum: Noticeboard

The Name of the Rose... followed by the debut - both albums ooze class and sophistication. Closely followed by The Robe. I re-listened to Spellbound recently after feeling disappointed with it for ages - stands up well, especially next to the post-Vinny Burns albums. Babylon and Far Beyond the World aren't quite as good, IMO, with Return to Evermore being my least favourite Ten album by far.
Forum: Noticeboard

Yep, I do too. Steve Perry (naturally!) Robin Beck (on the original Trouble or Nothing) Mark Free Toby Hitchcock Jack Jones (Southern Sons) all give me those vocal chills when they're on form! A recent one was Steve Balsamo (featured on the Kompendium - Beneath the Waves album). I'm saving that one until Christmas, but I found a video of him singing Gethsemane from Jesus Christ Supe
Forum: Noticeboard