Happy New Year, y’all! I hope you all had a great, happy, and safe holiday!
Every since my 2021 interview with former Saraya vocalist/songwriter Sandi Saraya, I was floored by the responses I got from all over the world. From Los Angeles to Peru and all places in between, my interview with Sandi Saraya proved to be my most successful interview that I’ve done to date. Hailing from New Jersey, Saraya was a powerhouse hard rock band that, in their short lived stay, would release two albums in the late ’80s/early ’90s that would make a huge impact on hard rock fans all over the world earning them a diehard cult following that is going strong over 30 years later.
Rediscovering Saraya was such a great time for me and it blew my mind just how awesomely those songs hold up to this day. One of my readers recently commented on a post and asked if I would post my favorite Saraya songs and talk about them a little bit. I don’t get many requests to do a piece so when this guy took the time to do so, I couldn’t say no. I couldn’t decided on whether to list my top 10 or top 5 Saraya songs but since 5 is a lot more challenging, I chose to go that direction.
Maybe you’ll find some new music that you never knew you’d love. Trust me, if you like good ol’ fashioned 80s/90s hard/sleaze rock, look no further.
Gypsy Child
The 1989 debut album from Saraya boasted two singles, “Love Has Taken It’s Toll” and “Back to the Bullet.” While both great songs, they didn’t come close to touching the other songs on this album. In my opinion, this album is one of the most solid debut albums of the hard rock genre of this time and to this day it stands the test of time incredibly well. “Gypsy Child” is a pretty dark song for it’s time and genre and I’m hard pressed to even compare it to anything. Sandi Saraya’s subtle yet stratospheric voice packs a lot of feeling and emotion into this song and even manages to take on the role of the character in this song. What more can I say? This song is great.
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Bring Back the Light
The contrast between the debut Saraya album and the follow-up When the Blackbird Sings is night and day. The debut was a great introduction to the band and it was chock full of great songs but it was the 2nd album that showcased what Saraya could do as a band without the confines of the label steering the ship. When the Blackbird Sings had Saraya’s songwriting going into a much darker and heavier direction. “Bring Back the Light” is a darker ballad of sorts of longing and hoping for something and lyrically it hits a nerve. The hook is amazing and and the melody of the overall song is stellar.
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Queen of Sheba
Another dark song from When the Blackbird Sings that hits the note in so many ways. Kicking off with a nice bass intro coupled with Tony Bruno’s thick, dark guitar tone, the song then slides into a groove that is fan-fucking-tastic. It’s a very “female empowering” song and it’s a song that I’m surprised didn’t get released as a single for this album. I feel that if people would’ve heard this song as an introduction to the album that this would’ve very well appealed to the heavier hard rock fans who loved Skid Row. It is definitely a heavier song and it showcases Sandi Saraya’s ability to hold her own as a truly great hard rock vocalist.
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Runnin’ Out of Time
When I interviewed Sandi Saraya in 2021, she told me that this was one of her least favorite songs because she hates the sound of Hammond organs. That being said, I think this is one of Saraya’s strongest songs. Sandi has stated in the past that two of her favorite vocalists were Glenn Hughes and Rainbow vocalist Joe Lynn Turner. This makes a lot of sense as “Runnin’ Out of Time” definitely has a huge Deep Purple vibe and Sandi’s vocals are pushed to limit. The performance of the band couple with Sandi’s vocals is absolutely outstanding and much like with “Queen of Sheeba,” “Runnin’ Out of Time” showcases a heavier side of Saraya and has them not afraid to wear their influences on their sleeves as opposed to just trying to replicate what their peers were doing at the time.
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When the Blackbird Sings
Finally, here we are with my favorite Saraya song. Actually, my favorite song does seem to change from time to time but as of this writing, “When the Blackbird Sings” is my favorite. Much like with “Runnin’ Out of Time,” “When the Blackbird Sings” has Saraya once again wearing their influences on their sleeve. This time around, Saraya digs deep to showcase their appreciation for Aerosmith and Led Zeppelin. A dark, pounding groove that you can feel in your chest and a hook and takes you for a quick detour and then rapidly drops you back off in the middle of the storm. I love the fact that Saraya can show their influences without sounding like a direct ripoff of them. A truly great band can take their influences and turn them into something of their own while paying homage to them at the same time. This song is pure awesomeness and is nothing less than lightning in a bottle.
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