Survival

The title tune provides a great example of the latter. A driving funk approach provides the perfect platform for the group to deliver its gritty vocals, which effectively convey the sense of desperation inside a man "busted, walkin' around broke."

"Rich Get Richer" also provides sentiments the man in the street could relate to -- and still can. One of the best things the O'Jays do throughout the album is tell real, down-to-earth stories, and this tune rises above a diatribe with these great lines: "There's an old friend of mine/He's doin' good, real good, as a matter of fact/He don't know me now/But I can take him way, way, way back." Great stuff.

Like all the great Philly groups, the O'Jays had a way with a ballad and could put tons of genuine emotion into the simplest lyrics. They weren't afraid of romance, but they didn't lapse into sappiness either: check out the straightforward "Let Me Love to You," or the plaintive "What Am I Waiting For," both of which combine well-crafted production with completely convincing and compelling vocals.

One finds a dated element or two in listening to this now 28-year-old album, but these are easily outweighed by the group's pinpoint vocals, flawless arrangements and commitment to a musical concept. Recommended for those who were there and would like to relive it as well as for those coming to it for the first time. The old becomes new again.


Philly soul at it's peak.....   May 11, 2002
 1 out of 1 found this review helpful

What took this classic soul album so long to be released is beyond me, but now that it's out there you need to pick it up if you're a true lover of r&b/soul music like I am. This is the O'Jays at the peak of their powers.

The obvious hits are there, like the title track, "Let Me Make Love To You" and "Give The People What They Want." But it only gets better from there. "Where Did We Go Wrong" and "How Time Flies" are top-of-the-line ballads, while "Never Break Us Up" closes out the album in fine style. This is one of the best Philadelphia International albums in history and is a perfect example of the PI sound. Gamble and Huff were on a major roll......

Great sound and nice reproduction of the original album art round out this re-release very nicely.

Now, if only someone will get ahold of the O'Jays Imperial recordings and release their debut album "Comin' Through"........


Not Just Surviving But Thriving!   August 14, 2001
 3 out of 4 found this review helpful

The re-release of this remastered CD came as a surprise to me, following as it did the remastering of the commonly-acknowledged O'Jays' classics 'Backstabbers' and 'Live In London'. 'Survival'? Remastered and re-released before 'Family Reunion' and 'Ship Ahoy'? What's going on here?

But as even the most-casual listen will tell you, 'Survival' is a fine example of the O'Jays' art.

Track-to-track, I'm even tempted to say it's the most even O'Jays album ever. Maybe it doesn't have the hits and the highs of 'Family Reunion' or 'Backstabbers', but it doesn't have their lows, either.

Rolling, rumbling funk, steaming love man pleas, social commentary and tender, lilting (but not diabetes-inducing) ballads--it's all here. And all graced with Gamble & Huff's formidable skills as arrangers and producers and Eddie LeVert's supple monster of a voice.

For those of you who need a reminder, or an introduction, check "How Time Flies". It is The Great Unknown O'Jays' Classic, and completely typical of the fine music contained within.

Maybe I shouldn't have been so surprised after all...