Essential Journey

needforspeed

The Spin Doctor
Subscriber
Artist: Journey
Title: The Essential Journey
Released: 2001
Label: Sony Music
Genre: Rock(AOR)

While at a party last weekend, Music from this band was being requested by the ladies, Over and over. My wife was groove'n, Her friends, It was unusual, But cool. Growing up in LA in the 70's, It was proven time and time again, The ladys love Journey. Of course guys were digging them too, But were usually not to vocal about it. I went ahead and gave this a long hard listen, And it really takes you back to Radical Camaros, Girlfriends, Summer nights. Journey was always looked upon as That band who only do'es ballads, Due to Steve Perry's silky smooth vocals. After playing this disc, It's hard not to remember Journey certainly could rock. With the very underrated Neal Schon on guitar with that so sweet sound, Hits such as "Ask The Lonely", "Separate Ways" And "Escape" To name just a few, Will have you cranking the master volume.There is more to this band than Schon/Perry. The excellent Greg Rollie on keyboards could play with anyone, And his vocal on "Just The Same Way" is one of the best recordings of the 70's. Also Aynsley Dunbar, And Steve Smith were fantastic on drums. If you want to impress a date, Or want to kick back and relive your youth, Or just want to listen to some really good musician's, Check out this double cd.
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My dad has this set, sounds pretty good...I'm not that much of a Journey fan so their 1-CD Greatest Hits is fine for me.
 
I have always been a Journey fan. From the Beginings before Perry all the way through to now. I like the new LP too. I may check out the Essential disc. Is it available on Vinyl?

My only disappointment with the band was when they replaced Rollie with Jon Cain. I really believe he messed with Neal Schons sound way too much and threw the band off course. I bet there was more to Perry leaving that had to do with Cain. I guess this isn't the place for that discussion though.
 
I never cared for Steve Perry, still don't. But they were/are certainly a chick magnet band, recommended to keep in stock I found. I consider myself blessed to have seen them a couple times before they went that route.
Abraxas Pool was a great show too. :)

Carl
 
I never cared for Steve Perry, still don't. But they were/are certainly a chick magnet band, recommended to keep in stock I found. I consider myself blessed to have seen them a couple times before they went that route.
Abraxas Pool was a great show too. :)

Carl

I would agree, But you have to take the vocals, And the overdone ballads, To appreciate Neal Schons always excellent guitar work, And Greg Rollie's much neglected vocals.
 
Nope, never saw them after they hired Steve Perry, only before. Man did they smoke. Saw them once at Winterland and another In San Jose with BOC at some small auditorium downtown. Saw Abraxas Pool at the Fillmore, hot, hot, hot. So was the Tommy Castro Band who opened. If you do not have that album it is worth buying. If you can find it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraxas_Pool


Carl
 
I consider myself fortunate

To be one of those people who has enjoyed every incarnation of the band, starting from the very beginning, up to the current. If you have their latest release, you also have the DVD. Check out Deen the drummer handling the vocals on "Mother Father". The dude can sing.
 
This is a band that has really "changed" for me. I remember listening to them over the years, and they were part of the "soundtrack of growing up", I guess you could say; I associate them with things like school dances, the car radio on trips, cranking it up in my bedroom at home, etc... Not from early childhood, but from the years when they were popular.

Then years later, they happened to hire their current new lead singer, Arnel Pineda, a guy with whom I shared a stage almost nightly for eight months, introducing him and his band, hanging around backstage, etc... I heard him sing --including covering Journey songs, almost every night for months; we were friendly colleagues and fellow performers (albeit in different kinds of roles) with the kind of easy comaraderie that comes with that.

I haven't heard/seen Journey live since he joined them, but after watching a few of their YouTube videos, I just CAN'T hear them now as the "old" Journey I grew up with, without remembering Arnel and that whole scene from those nights.

Two very unrelated parts of my life, from different decades and different hemispheres, suddenly became all intertwined.

Never has a band changed so much, to me. Not that the band really changed, but that my perception of them --my reaction when I hear them-- has been completely altered. Hard to explain, but it's true. There used to be a Journey, and now there is a Journey, but somehow they aren't the same thing to me; one is the "old" Journey, and one is the "Arnel" Journey, even when half the time they sound almost identical! Yet I can't really hear the "old" Journey as the "old" Journey any more. Now, every time I hear their music, I can't help but think of Arnel, even if it is the older Journey's music with Steve Perry that I'm hearing.

That's quite okay, though; Arnel was a great guy I liked and had a lot of fun joking and talking with; a guy with very real basic human decency and humility, mixed with a real sense of humor and a love of music. I'm very glad things worked out as they did for him; it was "Karma" as it should be. :yes:

Sure did do a number (sorry for the pun) on my mental image of the band "Journey", though! :D

As for their music being a chick magnet thing, I wonder how my wife will react if I play more of their music when she is home? Hhhhhmmmm...
 
This is a band that has really "changed" for me. I remember listening to them over the years, and they were part of the "soundtrack of growing up", I guess you could say; I associate them with things like school dances, the car radio on trips, cranking it up in my bedroom at home, etc... Not from early childhood, but from the years when they were popular.

Then years later, they happened to hire their current new lead singer, Arnel Pineda, a guy with whom I shared a stage almost nightly for eight months, introducing him and his band, hanging around backstage, etc... I heard him sing --including covering Journey songs, almost every night for months; we were friendly colleagues and fellow performers (albeit in different kinds of roles) with the kind of easy comaraderie that comes with that.

I haven't heard/seen Journey live since he joined them, but after watching a few of their YouTube videos, I just CAN'T hear them now as the "old" Journey I grew up with, without remembering Arnel and that whole scene from those nights.

Two very unrelated parts of my life, from different decades and different hemispheres, suddenly became all intertwined.

Never has a band changed so much, to me. Not that the band really changed, but that my perception of them --my reaction when I hear them-- has been completely altered. Hard to explain, but it's true. There used to be a Journey, and now there is a Journey, but somehow they aren't the same thing to me; one is the "old" Journey, and one is the "Arnel" Journey, even when half the time they sound almost identical! Yet I can't really hear the "old" Journey as the "old" Journey any more. Now, every time I hear their music, I can't help but think of Arnel, even if it is the older Journey's music with Steve Perry that I'm hearing.

That's quite okay, though; Arnel was a great guy I liked and had a lot of fun joking and talking with; a guy with very real basic human decency and humility, mixed with a real sense of humor and a love of music. I'm very glad things worked out as they did for him; it was "Karma" as it should be. :yes:

Sure did do a number (sorry for the pun) on my mental image of the band "Journey", though! :D

As for their music being a chick magnet thing, I wonder how my wife will react if I play more of their music when she is home? Hhhhhmmmm...


I remember seeing him when we visitied Subic in the 80's. If thats not the guy from the "Florida Club", Then he has a twin.
 
Sorry but I never cared for the dead , to mutch of A jam band. Journey is very good...Just my opinion though....
 
Sorry but I never cared for the dead , to mutch of A jam band. Journey is very good...Just my opinion though....

I don't have any use for the dead either, but I don't see any referance to them in this thread.

I just watched the Journey DVD again and I really like the new singer and the drummer does handle the vocs very well. I just have something against a singing drummer :thumbsdn:

jimimac, I'm not far from you, about 45 minutes. Been to many shows at the Arena. Very many. How about you??
 
I love journey , still do , the new album is really good , but i do Miss steve smith on drums , guy was amazing in that band & very few can keep up with Neal on guitar !
 
I am in the Greg Rollie camp. :yes: Totally different sound with him there. I always assumed he quit and they hired Cain from Foreigner afterwords. :scratch2:

I think it was Rollie's writing skills that really made the difference. :smoke: I always wondered why he didn't get big by himself. He definitely proved himself with Journey and Santana.
 
I am in the Greg Rollie camp. :yes: Totally different sound with him there. I always assumed he quit and they hired Cain from Foreigner afterwords. :scratch2:

I think it was Rollie's writing skills that really made the difference. :smoke: I always wondered why he didn't get big by himself. He definitely proved himself with Journey and Santana.

Rollie was a much better player for sure , i just think he was done with the heavy touring they were doing at that time ..... who knows .
But that Captured live album is them at the top of their game for sure .
 
I saw Journey in San Diego in 1980 and The Baby's opened for them - Cain was in The Baby's at the time and I think took over for Rollie after that tour.
 
I love journey , still do , the new album is really good , but i do Miss steve smith on drums , guy was amazing in that band & very few can keep up with Neal on guitar !

Steve "Machine Gun" Smith on the drums. I miss him too :thmbsp:
Great drummer. Would be nice to see him back again.
 
Rollie was a much better player for sure , i just think he was done with the heavy touring they were doing at that time ..... who knows .
But that Captured live album is them at the top of their game for sure .

Absolutely, and yes, Greg wanted to spend more time with his then young family. On the 80's tour with the Baby's is when Neal met Cain and the two struck up a friendship. The Baby's were close to giving it up and Neal also knew that this was Rolies last tour.

I think IMO that Cain's influence on Neal and his sound hurt the band and their next few LP's. Sales stayed consistant for a while but dropped considerably when that Radio something LP came out when they could hardly keep a line up in tact.

They came out with a good LP when Steve Perry came back, The name slips my mind but I really liked it and played it often. The one where Steve wouldn't tour because he needed a hip replacement. That's when he and Neal got back into their arguments, out Steve and in the first what's his name?

Damn, wish I could remember that LP? I may have to get it out and have a listen today. Just my thoughts anyway. Once I find that LP, I'll add it unless you can tell me 1st.
 
Journey

HI Guys


IMHO Journeys ESCAPE album is one of the finest examples of Melodic Rock/AOR.

albumcovers-journey-escape1981.jpg


There isn't a bad track on it. I must say I am not so keen on the new albums with the last few singers. The new guy does a very good Steve Perry vocal but It may be turning them into a tribute band. I for one would have gone for something different a genuine progression....just a thought. Without Steve its not really Journey. I too liked Greg Rollies vocal contribution in the early days(but that was a very different Journey).

Glad to see AOR isn't dead in its birth place (despite what TOTO think)

Regards D S D L---Neil

PS I hope I haven't broken the rules(so many on this Ak Forum). There are tracks on the Essential Journey from this album.
 
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