Rock America: Smash Hits Live
Jim Peterik & World Stage
(Frontiers)

This is a collection of some of Peterik's most famous tunes. As you would expect from the founder-member of Survivor, the band's most famous songs figure on here, as well as tracks recorded by Night Ranger, 38 Special, and Sammy Hager. Other notables on the disc are Kevin Cronin (REO), Kevin Chalfant (The Storm), Kelly Keagy (Night Ranger), Don Barnes (38 Special), & Johnny Van Zant (Lynrd Skynrd). Some of the tracks on here are a bit hit or miss, not because of the songs themselves but the choice of singers. The version of 'The Search is Over' is frankly rubbish, mainly because the little-known female singer, Kelly Moulik, does her best to oversing it in the mode of Mariah Carey. As you would expect with a Peterik record it's fairly ballad heavy, but 'Heavy Metal', 'Rockin into the Night' and 'Eye of the Tiger' give it a good kick up the arse. One of the biggest downers on here is the terribly twee and overly mawkish studio bonus track, 'The Day America Cried. The sentiment is great, but the song had me reaching for my sick bag. But 15 tracks of Peterik's finest is nothing to be scoffed at, as it is overall a very good collection.

Marty Dodge 8