FORGOTTEN GEMS:SURVIVOR-ALL YOUR PRETTY MOVES

Self-Release
1979

Obviously any conversation about a band called Survivor must be started off with the disclaimer that this is not the "Eye Of the Tiger" one. This Survivor was formed in Louisiana in the mid 70's (1976 to be exact) while the other one was AOR band Survivor from Chicago. Despite the fact that this one formed two years earlier people still can't seem to understand that there was no attempt to mislead or confuse the buying public. While a buyer on Amazon offered this ever so helpful review-"Warning warning not eye of the tiger survivor just a band claiming to be the first with the name waste of money!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" the fact is that All Your Pretty Moves is a fantastic album that sadly just got lost in the shuffle of 70's hard rock. It's also better than anything the "Eye Of The Tiger" lads ever put out truth be told. Now partly because it was a self-release All Your Pretty Moves became something of a cult album to hard rock collectors. There is a good reason that even though the group had to rely on self-promotion to help move the album (and get it played in other markets) All Your Pretty Moves became more than just a regional hit. Now obviously a good manager (and a financial backer) could have made this Survivor something to behold and put them on the top instead of those AOR guys. As is though very few people now know about this album and that is such a shame. First and foremost what you need to know as the listener is that this is some fine 70's hard rock. What sets this Survivor apart though is what they did with their hard rock foundation. With a solid nod of appreciation towards Thin Lizzy the band builds upon their sound with a style that would come to be known as NWOBHM. Iron Maiden and UFO in particular mix with the sounds of Judas Priest, Black Sabbath, Uriah Heap and Led Zeppelin to create an album that flat out rocks. Now the production is pure 70's. In other words it is bottom-heavy and crunchy. For a private pressing this is quite an amazing job and I'd wager that All Your Pretty Moves sounds just as good (if not better) than some of the major label hard rock offerings of the time. The album is highlighted by the skills of vocalist/bassist Brian Clark (sounding all the world like a cross between Phil Lynott and Rob Halford) and the stunning guitar work of Pat O'Hara and Paul Restovich. This Survivor put out an album that should be in the collection of every true hard rock fan. One of my favorite cuts is the epic "Deceive Me". This hard rock number comes off like a harder and heavier Thin Lizzy jamming with Led Zeppelin! Now as good as the band is on this record they were also a forceful live act. With matching outfits the band would take the stage and blow people away. They made use of intro tapes which was somewhat unusual at the time (at least for independent rock groups). Also the theatrical appeal of acts like Alice Cooper and Kiss wasn't lost on the band so they used backdrops to create a visual experience. Even though the band would hit the road with their own brand of hard rock in 1978 (playing clubs throughout the southwest) it wasn't enough to put them over the top and get them noticed by the bigwigs. With little to no support the band folded. Some sites say the band was done by late 1979 while others say they were around until 1983. Either way after this sole album the group called it a day. It should be noted though that they later evolved into the Christian heavy metal group Philadelphia (who released Tell the Truth in 1984 and Search and Destroy in 1985). Now while Monster Records did reissue the album in 2003 it appears it is out of print and fetching serious dollars on the secondary market. It's criminal that All Your Pretty Moves can't be heard by more people. For those looking for this long lost classic I'd suggest doing a Google search. The album has made the rounds on various blogs and while I am not suggesting that you just download it (for legal reasons) All Your Pretty Moves should be heard to be appreciated. For example one listen to "Kristallnacht" and you'll be hooked on these fuzzed out rockers like I was. These are the types of bands that personally I would like to see more people getting into. While classic rock radio stations play the same old tired songs over and over again it would be awesome to see hard rock groups like this get some airplay. Maybe I'm just a tired old man and a little grey in the years but wouldn't it be something to turn on the radio every day and get to discover a new group or artist from the 70's or 80's instead of hearing the same Led Zepplin song for the millionth time?