Too Hot to Sleep [Import]

She's A Star opens the album really hard but crisp pop tune as well sounding like Caught In A Game with a bit of Vital Signs mix. "Desperate Dream" is a great emotional ballad sounding familiar to �gWhen Seconds Count�h or �gVital Signs�h appreciators.
This one should have been the first single. "Didn't Know It Was Love" the first single from this album was not a bad tune as an album track but weak for Top 40 hit and sounding like "Is This Love part 2" so the timing was bad. Actually the album tracks are not prepared for hits with the exception of "Desperate Dreams" "Didn't Know It Was Love" and "Across The Miles". "Too Hot To Sleep" falls into this category as Billboard editor at that time put it "it is not for Top 40 hit". But is excellent as a melodic rock masterpiece track. "Rhythm Of The City" is "Head Games (Foreigner)" styled nice rocker. "Here Comes Desire" is meticulously arranged rocker and one of my favorite rock tracks of Survivor. "Across The Miles" is beautiful nostalgic ballad later covered by Uriah Heep in "Sonic Origami" album. And "Tell Me I'm The One" is my #1 favorite of this album. This track is arranged contrary to Journey's cleanly-no-noise style. They use noise to their advantage. Chorus is a bizarre at first but as the song goes on it FITS perfectly--sort of live feeling. "Can't Give It Up" is 60s up tempo upbeat pop with heavy mix. "Burning Bridge" is another stellar rocker perfectly wraps up the title image of TOO HOT TO SLEEP. It really has red-hot atmosphere.

Survivor hasn't released original album since then but I am sure they will be back. It is a landmark album essential for melodic rock fans. For a starter, however, I recommend either "Eye Of The Tiger" or "Vital Signs".

Survivor had started out as a hard-rock group, with lots of solid guitar work. They gradually started adding more and more keyboards on each new album, with the two albums featuring Jimi Jamison becoming pretty heavily based on keyboards. So this one was a return to their earlier years, although it still had a fair amount of keyboards.

"She's A Star" is a great way to open this CD, with its crunching guitars. "Desperate Dreams" is more like what you'd find on their previous two disks, but with a little more edge. "Too Hot To Sleep" starts off with a nice little acoustic bit, then proceeds to a full-fledged rocker. "Didn't Know It Was Love" is the only tune from this CD that I heard on the radio. It's like the tunes on the previous two CDs, but also a little edgier and louder. "Rhythm Of The City" - what can I say? This is the tune I use to "break in" any new CD player I get. Crunching guitars, cool solo work, just a great tune. "Here Comes Desire" is another great rocker, with some cool piano work. "Across The Miles" is the only true ballad, a pleasant calm oasis on this CD. In spite of that, it does not sound out of place. "Tell Me I'm The One" and "Can't Give It Up" are both good solid rockers with good guitar work. "Burning Bridges" starts out brooding but quickly kicks in with an urgency that makes it an excellent way to end this CD.

This CD was not as commercial as their previous two - I don't know if that was by design or if by 1989 the landscape was changing such that this type of music was falling out of favor. I remember those being lean years for the type of music I liked. But of all the Survivor CDs, and I have them all, this is my favorite. More guitars, excellent songs, good production - it has it all.