Reach for the Sky (Ratt album)

Last updated

Reach for the Sky
ReachForThesky.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedNovember 1, 1988
Recorded1988
Studio
Genre
Length39:25
Label Atlantic
Producer Beau Hill and Mike Stone (треков: A1, A2, A4 to B5)
Ratt chronology
Dancing Undercover
(1986)
Reach for the Sky
(1988)
Detonator
(1990)
Singles from Reach for the Sky
  1. "Way Cool Jr."
    Released: December 1988 [1]
  2. "I Want a Woman"
    Released: 1989
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [2]
Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal 7/10 [3]

Reach for the Sky is the fourth studio album by the American glam metal band RATT.

Contents

Background

Though it sold well enough to achieve platinum status and spawned the popular songs "Way Cool Jr." and "I Want a Woman", the record's performance was not enough to keep the group on the road for longer than seven months. As a result, "What's It Gonna Be", a track not released as a single, was used as a B-side to "Lovin' You's a Dirty Job", the first single from the band's next release Detonator . In doing so, it was hoped that listeners would go back and give Reach for the Sky a second listen.[ citation needed ]

Reach for the Sky marked the last Ratt album to be produced by Beau Hill. The band originally intended for the record to be produced entirely by Mike Stone. However, substandard DAT tape recordings of Stone's production efforts prompted then-Atlantic Records president Doug Morris to bring in Hill to assist Stone and salvage the album.[ citation needed ]

Opening acts on the promotional record tour included Great White, Warrant and Kix.

Pro-wrestler Brian Pillman used "Don't Bite the Hand That Feeds" as his theme music, when WCW talent went on tour with New Japan Pro-Wrestling. Another pro wrestler, Larry Zbyszko, used "City To City" as his theme music in New Japan.

Critical reception

Upon release Nick Robinson of British magazine Music Week reviewed the album more or less positively. He said the "production and sound is virtually faultless", but expressed a shame about a lack of originality in "good hard rock stuff." [4]

Track listing

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."City to City" Robbin Crosby, Juan Croucier, Warren DeMartini, Stephen Pearcy, Beau Hill 3:31
2."I Want a Woman"Crosby, Croucier, Pearcy, Hill3:58
3."Way Cool Jr."DeMartini, Pearcy, Hill4:27
4."Don't Bite the Hand That Feeds"Crosby, Croucier, Pearcy, Hill3:08
5."I Want to Love You Tonight"DeMartini, Crosby, Pearcy4:27
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
6."Chain Reaction"DeMartini, Croucier, Pearcy3:42
7."No Surprise"DeMartini, Pearcy4:03
8."Bottom Line"Croucier, Crosby, Pearcy, DeMartini, Hill4:20
9."What's It Gonna Be"Croucier, Crosby, DeMartini, Pearcy, Hill4:07
10."What I'm After"Croucier, Pearcy3:35

Personnel

Ratt
Additional musicians
Production

Charts

Chart (1988)Peak
position
Japanese Albums (Oricon) [5] 6
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) [6] 28
UK Albums (OCC) [7] 82
US Billboard 200 [8] 17

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA) [9] Platinum1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<i>Journey</i> (Journey album) 1975 studio and debut album by Journey

Journey is the debut studio album by American rock band Journey. It was released on April 1, 1975 by Columbia Records. Unlike their later recordings, this is a jazzy progressive rock album which focuses mainly on the band's instrumental talents. It is the only album to include rhythm guitarist George Tickner among their lineup.

<i>Evolution</i> (Journey album) 1979 studio album by Journey

Evolution is the fifth studio album by American rock band Journey, released in March 1979 by Columbia Records. It is the band's first album to feature drummer Steve Smith.

<i>Out of the Cellar</i> 1984 studio album by Ratt

Out of the Cellar is the debut studio album by the American heavy metal band Ratt, released in 1984 by Atlantic Records. The album was an immediate success, with wide airplay on radio and heavy rotation on MTV of its singles, especially the hit "Round and Round". The album is certified as triple platinum by the RIAA. The album brought Ratt to the top of the glam metal scene in Los Angeles. Out of the Cellar would prove to be the band's most successful album.

<i>Blackout</i> (Scorpions album) 1982 studio album by Scorpions

Blackout is the eighth studio album by the German rock band Scorpions. It was released in 1982 by Harvest and Mercury Records.

<i>Panorama</i> (The Cars album) 1980 studio album by the Cars

Panorama is the third studio album by American new wave band the Cars, released on August 15, 1980, by Elektra Records. Like its predecessors, it was produced by Roy Thomas Baker and released on Elektra Records.

<i>Arrival</i> (Journey album) 2000 studio album by Journey

Arrival is the eleventh studio album by the American rock band Journey, released on April 3, 2001. A version with one substituted song was released in Japan in 2000. The album was the band's first full-length studio album with new lead vocalist Steve Augeri, who replaced popular frontman Steve Perry, and with Deen Castronovo, who replaced Steve Smith as the band's drummer.

The Storm was an American supergroup rock band, formed in the Bay Area of San Francisco during the early 1990s. The band's first single, power ballad "I've Got a Lot to Learn About Love", peaked at #6 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and #26 on the Billboard Hot 100.

<i>Paul Stanley</i> (album) 1978 studio album by Paul Stanley

Paul Stanley is the first solo album from American musician Paul Stanley, the singer-songwriter best known for serving as the rhythm guitarist and lead vocalist of hard rock band Kiss. It was one of four solo albums released by the members of Kiss on September 18, 1978, yet still under the Kiss label, and coming out alongside Peter Criss, Ace Frehley, and Gene Simmons. It is the only release out of the four Kiss solo albums to feature all original songs, as Simmons, Criss and Frehley each recorded one cover song on their albums.

<i>Hollywood Vampires</i> (L.A. Guns album) 1991 studio album by L.A. Guns

Hollywood Vampires is the third studio album by the American glam metal band L.A. Guns, released in 1991. While no track from the album topped the charts, Hollywood Vampires presents various shades of the band and is representative of the late 1980s/early 1990s glam metal scene, with riff-laden songs and big choruses on every song. The meticulous production gives the album a sound typical of the period — a full sound, with many background harmony vocals, layered guitars and additional keyboard tracks.

<i>Cherry Pie</i> (album) 1990 studio album by Warrant

Cherry Pie is the second studio album by American glam metal band Warrant, released September 11, 1990. The album is the band's best-known and highest-selling release and peaked at number 7 on the Billboard 200. The album featured the top 40 hits "Cherry Pie" and "I Saw Red".

<i>Invasion of Your Privacy</i> 1985 studio album by Ratt

Invasion of Your Privacy is the second studio album by American heavy metal band Ratt. It was released in 1985 and featured the singles "Lay It Down", "You're in Love" and "What You Give Is What You Get". Beau Hill produced the album, and the cover model is Playboy model Marianne Gravatte, who also made an appearance in the "Lay It Down" music video. In 2015, Loudwire ranked the album as the 8th best metal album of 1985.

<i>Dancing Undercover</i> 1986 studio album by Ratt

Dancing Undercover is the third studio album by American glam metal band Ratt, released in 1986. The album was produced by Beau Hill and contains the hit single/video "Dance", which appeared in the Miami Vice episode "Down for the Count". Two other videos were made, "Body Talk", which was used on the soundtrack for Eddie Murphy's film, The Golden Child, and "Slip of the Lip". It charted at No. 26 on the Billboard 200 chart and at No. 14 on Rolling Stone's Album Chart. The album went platinum.

<i>Detonator</i> (album) 1990 studio album by Ratt

Detonator is the fifth studio album by American glam metal band Ratt, released August 21, 1990, by Atlantic Records. This is the last album to feature bassist Juan Croucier until his return in 2012, as well as guitarist Robbin Crosby before his death in 2002.

<i>Collage</i> (Ratt album) 1997 compilation album by Ratt

Collage is a compilation album by American glam metal band Ratt. It consists of alternate recordings, B-sides, and versions of songs from the band's Mickey Ratt period. It was mostly recorded and released in 1997, concurrently with Ratt's reunion tour, so that they would have a new album to promote. In 1998, the band would sign a new major label deal with Sony.

<i>Rock the House Live!</i> 1991 live album by Heart

Rock the House Live! is a live album released by the American hard rock band Heart in 1991. It was recorded at The Centrum, Worcester, MA, USA on November 28, 1990. The band performed a set of 22 songs ; but only 14 were used on the album, missing most of their recent successful singles "These Dreams", "Never", "Alone", "What About Love", "All I Wanna Do Is Make Love to You", trying to demonstrate that Heart wasn't a band of ballad hits, but instead an arena rock staple. Instead of filling the album either with their early hard rock hits or their later pop ones, it is instead composed of mainly less familiar songs from recent albums, and a new cover.

<i>MSG</i> (Michael Schenker Group album) 1981 studio album by Michael Schenker Group

MSG is the second album by the hard rock band Michael Schenker Group, released in 1981. Producer Ron Nevison's high production values resulted in the recording of this album going over budget, a crippling debt that dogged the band for the rest of their short career. MSG saw Schenker reunited with his former UFO bandmate Paul Raymond, and was the last album to feature Gary Barden until 1983's Built to Destroy.

<i>Erase the Slate</i> 1999 studio album by Dokken

Erase the Slate is the seventh studio album by American heavy metal band Dokken, released in 1999. It is the only Dokken studio album to feature former Winger guitarist Reb Beach and the last one with long-time bassist Jeff Pilson.

<i>Sigh No More</i> (Gamma Ray album) 1991 studio album by Gamma Ray

Sigh No More is the second studio album released by German power metal band, Gamma Ray in 1991 by Noise Records. Beginning a trend that would continue until their fifth studio release, the band's lineup changed from the previous album, with Uli Kusch replacing Mathias Burchardt on drums and Dirk Schlächter officially joining the band on guitars.

<i>7 Wishes</i> (Night Ranger album) 1985 studio album by Night Ranger

7 Wishes is the third studio album by the American hard rock band Night Ranger, released in 1985 and produced by Pat Glasser. The album features three Billboard Hot 100 chart hits: "Sentimental Street" reached No. 8, "Four in the Morning" No. 19 and "Goodbye" No. 17.

<i>Man in Motion</i> (Night Ranger album) 1988 studio album by Night Ranger

Man in Motion is the fifth studio album by Night Ranger, released in 1988. This album was the first studio album recorded by Night Ranger after the departure of keyboardist Alan Fitzgerald, who was replaced by Jesse Bradman.

References

  1. "Ratt singles".
  2. Hinds, Andy. "Ratt - Reach for the Sky review". AllMusic . All Media Network . Retrieved June 17, 2015.
  3. Popoff, Martin (November 1, 2005). The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 2: The Eighties. Burlington, Ontario, Canada: Collector's Guide Publishing. p. 283. ISBN   978-1-894959-31-5.
  4. Nick Robinson (November 12, 1988). "Ratt: Reach for the Sky (Atlantic 781 929-1)" (PDF). Album Reviews. Music Week . Gwent: Pensord Press Ltd. p. 20. ISSN   0265-1548. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 28, 2023. Retrieved October 22, 2023 via World Radio History.
  5. Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005 (in Japanese). Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN   4-87131-077-9.
  6. "Swedishcharts.com – Ratt – Reach for the Sky". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  7. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  8. "Ratt Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  9. "American album certifications – Ratt – Reach for the Sky". Recording Industry Association of America.