Artist: Jamison, Jimi
Label: Frontiers Records
Release: 2008
Length: 70:06
Rating: 5/5
The rosy-cheeked guy on the cover is none other than former (yes, sadly former) Survivor singer Jimi Jamison. “Crossroads Moment” is his solo studio album, made in close collaboration with another Jim and fellow ex-Survivor man, Jim Peterik. Setting aside the endless beauty of the album cover (unless you’re one of those looking for inspiration for a sunscreen ad), let me say straight out that this is a lost gem, written in the classic curves of American “west coast” AOR.
The chemistry between the two Jims clearly still works, whatever life situations each of them has been going through, because when they meet in the studio, it’s like they never left Survivor. Browsing the Survivor discography while listening to “Crossroads Moment,” it’s hard to land anywhere but “Too Hot To Sleep” (1988) and earlier. I’d say the sheer polish of the songs on “Crossroads Moment” measures up to the period of Survivor’s best work. And yes. Every Survivor fan will grab it in the store with the greatest pleasure and keep “polishing” it at home on their CD player.
Besides the two Jims, who wrote most of the songs, a seasoned crew of renowned musicians joined them in the studio, masters of their craft for whom the studio is practically a second home, if not the first. The album boasts the highest possible grade of the basic ingredients that let you call a record “big,” a “masterpiece,” a musical “monument.” The eighties are over, of course, so this album will never be a monument, but at any moment it can hold on to the label of masterpiece. Attributes like the rich variety of lead motifs and, as a result, of songs, a clearly highlighted drama moment in the mood, the perfectly shaped way the lead motifs blend together, polished instrumental mid-sections with a soothing touch of art prog rock’s urge to explore, a crystal-clear, balanced three-dimensional production of instruments and vocals, and above it all Jamison’s soulful, sophisticated singing – like cherries on top of the whipped cream on a fruit sundae – are all emphasized to the max and coexist expressively in an absolutely ideal balance. The harmonious symbiosis of flowing collages of keyboard or orchestral arrangements with guitar solo embellishments that keep the recognizable rock accent, complemented by the high compatibility between the color of the voice and Jimi’s singing approach, brings key moments to the album that keep the dynamics high and add just the right touch of unpredictability, keeping the listener in a state of total alertness every time they spin this record.
The songs practically compete with each other over which one takes the crown. A typical moment of melodic AOR perfection is the semi-ballad Bittersweet, a song you can’t add anything to or take anything away from. It’s simply optimized in every way and ready for you to give yourself over to it completely. It’s hard to keep picking out highlights, and maybe the best description is just that the songs all carry a strong accent of classic Survivor, and of course, thanks to Peterik’s involvement, the parallels with his work in Pride Of Lions are hard to ignore too. One more thing. Even though Jamison supplied vocals for Survivor’s last studio record “Reach” (2006), that one can’t compete with Survivor’s best work. Unlike “Reach,” ”Crossroads Moment” in every respect easily and defiantly stands up to Survivor’s strongest releases.
It may not be a silly observation that, with a stylistic orientation like “Crossroads Moment,” you judge an artist by the quality of their ballads. If they’re convincing at that within the AOR approach, the high quality of the finished product is practically guaranteed. If Bittersweet didn’t convince you, the song of utterly bleeding hearts Lost definitely will. You can’t dig any deeper into AOR’s musical expressionism than this. And that’s not all! As the album’s third ballad, As Is takes most of the perfection points. Mostly thanks to the unique orchestral arrangements that build the atmosphere step by step and “flood” the superb chorus. And of course the main factor, without which there’d be nothing, is Jimi’s heartfelt singing, which hides neither intense passion nor sensual velvetiness, least of all in a song like As Is.
The album wraps up with real intensity. In fact, Friends We’ve Never Met, with its brilliance, already puts the album in checkmate, but the dot on the “i” comes from the closing rocker When Rock Was King, a deliberate “Eye Of A Tiger” engraving by the sly foxes of songwriting, where Jamison is joined on vocals by Dave Bickler (ex-Survivor, Jamestown Massachre), Mickey Thomas (Starship), Mike Reno (Loverboy), Joe Lynn Turner (ex-Rainbow) and Don Barnes (38 Special).
I won’t drag this review out any longer. Just know that in front of you are 15 tracks that are superbly composed, polished to the highest possible shine, and in production terms use the full spectrum that fills out the soundscape, the kind AOR can offer at its very best. So “Crossroads Moment” is a lost cult classic of the eighties, and definitely the crown of all AOR releases for 2008. It was an exceptionally rich year for AOR, and amid all those releases, I dare say Jamison also left AOR professors Journey and their record “Revelation” (2008) behind. It’s an incredibly fluid album with high dynamics, supremely intelligent musical expressionist rhetoric and, as a result, complete AOR mastery. A warm recommendation for everyone chasing sonic perfection and the kind of melodic listenability you can only reach in AOR. With “Crossroads Moment,” Jamison has truly surprised, creating a remarkable work of art in this “godforsaken genre,” one that really ranks among the best AOR albums ever made on this planet.
Lineup
Jimi Jamison – vocals
Jim Peterik – guitar, keyboards, backing vocals
Tommy Denander – guitar
Christian Cullen – guitar
Jeff Lanz – guitar
Mike Aquino – guitar
Joel Hoekstra – guitar
Klem Hayes – bass guitar
Bill Syniar – bass guitar
Ed Breckenfeld – percussion, drums
Production
Jim Peterik & Larry Millas
Tracklist
1. Battersea
2. Can’t Look Away
3. Make Me A Believer
4. Crossroads Moment
5. Bittersweet
6. Behind The Music
7. Lost
8. Love The World Away
9. She’s Nothing To Me
10. As Is
11. Till the Morning Comes
12. That’s Why I Sing
13. Friends We Never Met
14. When Rock Was King
15. Alive (bonus)
