Textbook album

Early 80s has been reached in the AOR Mainstream Rock of commercial and artistic climax with this album. After it since access by vocalist Steve Perry since 178 went steadily uphill, managed with you, Escape 'masterpiece.

Maybe it was the access of keyboardist Johnathan Caine who came to replace the retiring Gregg Rollie, the songwriting here made so particularly strongly.

Unequalled -, Do not Stop Believin '. Even's guitar plays a ungheure drama in the atmospheric stanzas build and if the whole then culminates with full Insrumentierung in an anthemic chorus, then you think you are in rock heaven. Almost as strong and similar to the structure then, Who's Cryin 'Now' and the pathetic, Mother, Father '.

, Open Arms' is the ballad at the - the blessed with an exceptional voice - Perry's Vocal Arts may put on display because of the sparse arrangements.

But one that also could show the melodic rock riff rockers Stone In Love 'as well as, Keep On Runnin', the powerful title track, Lay It Down 'and extremely fast, Dead Or Alive'. In all of these titles you are already very close to the Hard Rock for the latter to reach him then.

Impressive here as punchy Even's - sounds guitar, at the rock songs - at the Solos otherwise blissful melody and emotional.

The arrangements are great, songwriting failures there is no - all killers, no fillers.
It was the, Thriller 'album of mainstream rock. 5 singles were released, all reached the US Top 20, and you could publish even 8 songs as singles, so good was the song material here.

A benchmark the group sat himself with this album, which later remained unmatched. But it was probably the year for it because Toto's IV was shortly afterwards so a similar hit. This album but here is rocking and thrilling and has (together with Asia's first album) for textbook album of the genre.