Signs of Life is the fourth studio album by American musician Billy Squier. It was co-produced by Meat Loaf's songwriter Jim Steinman, replacing Reinhold Mack, who had produced Squier's previous two records, Don't Say No (1981) and Emotions in Motion (1982).
Contents
Commercial and critical reception
Signs of Life became Squier's third-in-a-row platinum selling record. It was his highest new entry, at #61, on the Billboard album chart (also the peak of his next offering). The disc spent nearly a year in the charts, reaching #11. It made the Top 10 in Cash Box.
The album's best known song, "Rock Me Tonite," was Squier's best charting Pop hit and second #1 single in the Mainstream Rock charts. The perceived challenge to his image as a guitar-playing rocker is often regarded as one of the main reasons for Squier's subsequent decline in popularity. The music video for the song is commonly regarded as one of the worst in the history of MTV. In the book I Want My MTV, there is a whole chapter dedicated to it.
Apart from its lead single's music video, the album's elaborate production with heavy usage of synthesizers and poppier songwriting divided Squier's audience. Critics of the time noted the shift of a portion of Squier's rock audience to pop fans. In a two-star review, AllMusic's Mike DeGagne felt the album lacked the "over-the-top approach Squier usually adds to his music". Nowadays, the album is viewed as one of Squier's finest artistic achievements, despite its notoriety.
Cash Box described the second single from the album, "All Night Long," as a "superb combination of tight tracks, strong vocals and high energy." Cash Box said of the single "Eye on You" that it "is more typically melodic and moving than...'All Night Long'" and added that "with a strong chorus, hook and a mid-tempo backing, Squier’s vocals have a chance to breathe and he makes full use of a throaty growl."
Personnel
Billy Squier – lead vocals, guitars, keyboards, synthesizers, production
Jeff Golub – guitars, slide guitar
Alan St. Jon – keyboards, synthesizers
Doug Lubahn – bass guitar, backing vocals
Bobby Chouinard – drums
Featured musicians
Larry Fast – synthesizers
Jimmy Maelen – percussion
Eric Troyer and Rory Dodd – additional vocals on "Fall for Love" and "Reach for the Sky"
Brian May – guitar solo on "(Another) 1984"
Alfa Anderson – additional vocals on "(Another) 1984"
Production
Billy Squier – producer
Jim Steinman – producer
John Jansen – production assistant
Tony Platt – engineer
Gary Rindfuss – assistant engineer
J.B. Moore – mixing
Anjali Dutt – tape operator
George Marino – mastering
Bill Smith – cover art design and illustration
John Van Hamersveld – rear cover collage and inner sleeve design