Reach for the Sky (Ratt album)

Reach for the Sky
Reach for the Sky
Studio album by Ratt
Released	October 24, 1988
Recorded	1988
Studio	A&M, Hollywood; Record Plant, Los Angeles; The Enterprise, Burbank;
Genre	Heavy metal; glam metal;
Length	39:25
Label	Atlantic
Producer	Beau Hill, Mike Stone
Ratt chronology
Singles from Reach for the Sky
	"Way Cool Jr."; Released: December 1988; "I Want a Woman"; Released: 1989;

Reach for the Sky is the fourth studio album by American glam metal band Ratt, released in 1988 by Atlantic Records.

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[2]
Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal	7/10^[3]

Background

Though it sold well enough to achieve platinum status and spawned the popular songs "Way Cool Jr." and "I Want a Woman", the record's performance was not enough to keep the group on the road for longer than seven months. As a result, "What's It Gonna Be", a track not released as a single, was used as a B-side to "Lovin' You's a Dirty Job", the first single from the band's next release Detonator. In doing so, it was hoped that listeners would go back and give Reach for the Sky a second listen.^{[citation needed]}

Reach for the Sky marked the last Ratt album to be produced by Beau Hill. The band originally intended for the record to be produced entirely by Mike Stone. However, substandard DAT tape recordings of Stone's production efforts prompted then-Atlantic Records president Doug Morris to bring in Hill to assist Stone and salvage the album.^{[citation needed]}

Opening acts on the promotional record tour included Great White, Warrant, Britny Fox, and Kix.

Pro-wrestler Brian Pillman used "Don't Bite the Hand That Feeds" as his theme music, when WCW talent went on tour with New Japan Pro-Wrestling. Another pro wrestler, Larry Zbyszko, used "City To City" as his theme music in New Japan.

Critical reception

Upon release Nick Robinson of British magazine Music Week reviewed the album more or less positively. He said the "production and sound is virtually faultless", but expressed a shame about a lack of originality in "good hard rock stuff."^[4]

Track listing

Side one
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"City to City"	Robbin Crosby, Juan Croucier, Warren DeMartini, Stephen Pearcy, Beau Hill	3:31
2.	"I Want a Woman"	Crosby, Croucier, Pearcy, Hill	3:58
3.	"Way Cool Jr."	DeMartini, Pearcy, Hill	4:27
4.	"Don't Bite the Hand That Feeds"	Crosby, Croucier, Pearcy, Hill	3:08
5.	"I Want to Love You Tonight"	DeMartini, Crosby, Pearcy	4:27

Side two
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
6.	"Chain Reaction"	DeMartini, Croucier, Pearcy	3:42
7.	"No Surprise"	DeMartini, Pearcy	4:03
8.	"Bottom Line"	Croucier, Crosby, Pearcy, DeMartini, Hill	4:20
9.	"What's It Gonna Be"	Croucier, Crosby, DeMartini, Pearcy, Hill	4:07
10.	"What I'm After"	Croucier, Pearcy	3:35

Personnel

Ratt

Stephen Pearcy – lead vocals
Robbin Crosby – lead & rhythm guitar, backing vocals
Warren DeMartini – lead & rhythm guitar, backing vocals
Juan Croucier – bass guitar, backing vocals
Bobby Blotzer – drums, percussion, harmonica, washboard

Additional musicians

New West Horns arranged by Chris Botti and Kent Smith

Production

Beau Hill – producer, mixing
Mike Stone – producer
Stephen Benben – engineer, mixing
Al Wright – engineer
Marty Hornburg, Tom Banghart, Jim Mitchell – assistant engineers

Charts

Chart (1988)	Peak position
Japanese Albums (Oricon)^[5]	6
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)^[6]	28
UK Albums (OCC)^[7]	82
US Billboard 200^[8]	17

Certifications


Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)^[9]	Platinum	1,000,000^{^}
^{^} Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

^ "Ratt singles".
^ Hinds, Andy. "Ratt - Reach for the Sky review". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved June 17, 2015.
^ Popoff, Martin (November 1, 2005). The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 2: The Eighties. Burlington, Ontario, Canada: Collector's Guide Publishing. p. 283. ISBN 978-1-894959-31-5.
^ Nick Robinson (November 12, 1988). "Ratt: Reach for the Sky (Atlantic 781 929-1)" (PDF). Album Reviews. Music Week. Gwent: Pensord Press Ltd. p. 20. ISSN 0265-1548. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 28, 2023. Retrieved October 22, 2023 – via World Radio History.
^ Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005 (in Japanese). Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN 4-87131-077-9.
^ "Swedishcharts.com – Ratt – Reach for the Sky". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
^ "Ratt Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
^ "American album certifications – Ratt – Reach for the Sky". Recording Industry Association of America.

[1] "Ratt singles".

[2] Hinds, Andy. "Ratt - Reach for the Sky review". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved June 17, 2015.

[martin-3] Popoff, Martin (November 1, 2005). The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 2: The Eighties. Burlington, Ontario, Canada: Collector's Guide Publishing. p. 283. ISBN 978-1-894959-31-5.

[mw_rev-4] Nick Robinson (November 12, 1988). "Ratt: Reach for the Sky (Atlantic 781 929-1)" (PDF). Album Reviews. Music Week. Gwent: Pensord Press Ltd. p. 20. ISSN 0265-1548. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 28, 2023. Retrieved October 22, 2023 – via World Radio History.

[JPN-5] Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005 (in Japanese). Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN 4-87131-077-9.

[ac_Sweden_Ratt-6] "Swedishcharts.com – Ratt – Reach for the Sky". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 24, 2021.

[ac_UK2_-7] "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 24, 2021.

[ac_Billboard200_Ratt-8] "Ratt Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved March 24, 2021.

[United_StatesRattReach_for_the_SkyalbumCertRef-9] "American album certifications – Ratt – Reach for the Sky". Recording Industry Association of America.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]