Best Songs on Savatage's Fight for the Rock
Fight for the Rock is the third studio album by Savatage, released on June 30, 1986, and recorded in England. This album marked the debut of bassist Johnny Lee Middleton, who has since become the only ever-present member on every Savatage record.The album is largely regarded as the band's worst release by both fans and the band members themselves, with the band referring to it as "Fight for the Nightmare." In October 1994, Jon Oliva said, "I've never really been fond of that album. We've never been fond of that album."
The band stated they were driven to make the record by their label, Atlantic Records. Jon Oliva, in particular, began writing pop-rock songs for other artists on the label, such as John Waite. However, the label ultimately told the band to record Oliva's material themselves. This decision damaged the band's credibility in the eyes of the press, and reviews were harsh.
The negative critical reception not only harmed the band's image but has also been cited as a cause of Jon Oliva's struggles with drug and alcohol addiction, which eventually led him to step back from the forefront of the band.
Atlantic Records also insisted the band include photographs with the album, as none of their previous releases had featured any. The band hired a friend for the photography work, resulting in one photo where they recreated the famous Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima image. Although they initially agreed it was a good idea, the band now looks back on the photos with the same disappointment they feel toward the album itself.
When initially released, the album featured a Parental Advisory label on the front cover, despite containing no offensive language. As Jon Oliva put it, this was done "to please the label," as they believed the sticker would boost sales. Although the album did chart, the band has been reluctant to perform its songs live, avoiding them entirely since the early 1990s. Even on the Fight for the Rock tour, the band only performed "Hyde," "The Edge of Midnight," and a few others.
Genres: Heavy Metal, Hard Rock
Personnel:
Band Members:
Jon Oliva - lead vocals, piano
Criss Oliva - guitars, backing vocals
Johnny Lee Middleton - bass guitar, backing vocals
Steve "Doc" Wacholz - drums, percussion
Additional Musicians:
Larry Dvoskin (credited as "Dvoskin") - keyboards
Brent Daniels - backing vocals
Production:
Stephan Galfas - producer, engineer, mixing
Mark Jolley - engineer
Dan McMillan - assistant engineer
Bob Ludwig - mastering
Robert Zemsky - associate producer
Steven Machat, Rick Smith - executive producers
The Top Ten
The Edge of Midnight
Fight For the Rock
Out On the Streets
Hyde
Wishing Well
She's Only Rock and Roll
Day After Day
Red Light Paradise
Crying For Love
Lady In Disguise
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