| Reach Up and Touch the Sky | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Live album by | |
| Released | 1981 |
| Recorded | June–July 1980 |
| Genre | R&B,Rock,Pop |
| Length | 67:23 |
| Label | Mercury |
| Producer | Stephan Galfas,Johnny Lyon |
Reach Up and Touch the Sky, sometimes calledReach Out and Touch the Sky,[1] is a 1981doublelive album bySouthside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes. Released onMercury Records in 1981 to satisfy the contract of the band, which had recently broken up, it was a moderate commercial success, charting in the United States and reviving the band's flagging sales. It was also critically well received. In 2003, theRough Guide to Rock indicated that the album was the band's "defining moment".[1][2]
In the early 1980s, the band was losing its commercial edge, which at least in theUnited Kingdom was related to the band's close connection with such then old-school rock asBruce Springsteen in the era ofpunk rock.[1][3] At the end of 1980,Southside Johnny broke up the band (though it later reunited),[4] and the double live album was released in 1981 to complete the band's contract withMercury Records.[5] According toNME, the album at least temporarily put an end to the band's commercial decline.[3] Although a moderate seller in theUnited Kingdom,[1] the album charted in theUnited States, reaching #80 onBillboard'sPop Albums chart and #31 onRock Albums.[5][6]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [5] |
| Rolling Stone |  [7] |
The album has been critically well received.Rough Guides stated that the music itself was "[h]ot and sweaty" and "could not disappoint."[1] Though noting that fans might missSteve Van Zandt, who was not performing with the band at this time,Allmusic indicates that "this is still a storming document of a great act in their prime" featuring "most of the best selections from their Epic and Mercury albums, along with some superb covers."[5] On its release in 1981,Rolling Stone described the album as "the penultimate party band playing unsurpassed party music."[7]
In 1993, theLos Angeles Times described the album as "magnificent",[8] and in 2000 theNew York Times numbered it among the band's best albums, along with debutI Don't Want To Go Home,Hearts of Stone andAt Least We Got Shoes.[9] In that same year,PopMatters compared the album to then-current releaseLive at the Paradise Theater, findingReach Up and Touch the Sky superior in sound quality, but preferring the "intensity and performance" of the newer release.[10]
Tracks marked with ** were not included on the original CD release, but were restored for subsequent CD reissues.
Recorded by David Hewitt on the Record Plant Black Truck
Q. "Did you leave after the live albumReach Up and Touch the Sky to join Gary U.S. Bonds for a while?" A. (Joey Stann) "Yeah, because Southside broke up the band for a while at the end of 1980.
At the start of a concert captured on his magnificent "Reach Up and Touch the Sky" album in 1981, Southside Johnny Lyon gave his fans a good scare.
The group signed with Epic Records and releasedI Don't Want to Go Home in 1976; it featured Mr. Springsteen'sFever, a Jukes signature song. The album was among the best albums the band had released, along withHearts of Stone (1978), the live double LPReach Up and Touch the Sky (1981) andAt Least We Got Shoes (1986).
