retroBlog

I suppose it’s easy to be cynical about Journey and quickly dismiss them as a band of has-beens living off their past glories. But if you take the time to listen to their new release, Revelation, you soon realize that Neal Schon, Jonathan Cain and company actually put together a pretty decent record. OK, Journey isn’t about musical innovation or thought provoking lyrics so if you’re looking for the next Pet Sounds or Sgt. Peppers, this isn’t it. but in the context of the melodic rock genre, Journey’s new album rocks! Journey is re-born! they really outdid themselves with this new release. check this out, 10 brand new songs, 11 re-recordings of classic Journey hits, 1 re-do of a song from their last album Generations, PLUS a DVD of their recent Las Vegas concert. that’s a lot of material for just $12. and I have to give the guys credit because they essentially could have taken the easy way out and just simply fulfilled WalMart’s request of an album of re-recorded hits. instead, the band put in the extra effort in the limited amount of time on-hand to produce an album’s worth of new music to go along with the re-recordings WalMart wanted. it’s just a great move all around especially with all the renewed interest in the band stemming from the Sopranos finale a year ago and the buzz surrounding the newly appointed lead singer, Arnel Pineda. the re-recordings are a great reminder of their tremendous back catalog of hits as well as showcases the vocal ability of Pineda. of course these versions will never replace the original Steve Perry led recordings but works simply as a way to show the world the band (and Pineda) can do the old material justice. Revelation proves Pineda’s got a great voice and can sing the hell out of the old classics. it’s a bit of a shame that the re-recordings are a bit lackluster and don’t come close to recapturing the magic of the originals. but treated as the “bonus disc” in the set, it’s acceptable. as for the new material, what can I say? It sounds like Journey! Schon, Cain and producer Kevin Shirley brought their “A” game and came up with an album that can stand up against the others in their catalog. they’ve managed to include just the right amount of rockers, mid-tempo numbers and ballads. and Pineda fits right in like a glove. yes, his phrasing and timing is a bit off-putting at times but in terms of emotion, high-notes and soul, he’s got it right. call me a “soft-ie” but the two key ballads on the album “After All These Years” and “Turn Down the World Tonight” are probably two of the best ballads Schon and Cain have written in their whole careers. they finally figured out the right balance in emotion and melody without becoming too sappy or schmaltzy.
Listen to “Turn Down the World Tonight”:

there are some instances on the album where they are on the verge of self-parody like in the song “Never Walk Away” where it sounds a bit too much like “Be Good to Yourself” but the band sounds so good and so tight and plays with such enthusiasm, you just have to turn off your brain and just enjoy the music.
Listen to “Never Walk Away”:

so, if you don’t already have this in your CD player, be sure to head over to your nearest Wal-Mart and purchase this disc!

and don’t forget to catch them (along with Heart and Cheap Trick) out on tour this summer!

Journey is: Neal Schon (guitar), Jonathan Cain (keyboards), Ross Valory (bass), Deen Castronovo (drums), Arnel Pineda (vocals).

Revelation tracklist -

CD 1:
1 Never Walk Away
2 Like A Sunshower
3 Change For The Better
4 Wildest Dream
5 Faith In The Heartland
6 After All These Years
7 Where Did I Lose Your Love
8 What I Needed
9 What It Takes To Win
10 Turn Down The World Tonight
11 The Journey (Revelation)

CD 2:
1 Only The Young
2 Don’t Stop Believin’
3 Wheel In The Sky
4 Faithfully
5 Any Way You Want It
6 Who’s Crying Now
7 Separate Ways
8 Lights
9 Open Arms
10 Be Good To Yourself
11 Stone In Love

DVD:
1 Sky Light (Instrumental Intro)
2 Any Way You Want It
3 Wheel In The Sky
4 Lights
5 After All These Years
6 Never Walk Away
7 Open Arms
8 Mother Father
9 Wildest Dreams
10 Separate Ways
11 Faithfully
12 Don’t Stop Believin’
13 Be Good To Yourself
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Tags: Journey