Originally a pedigree semi-supergroup of sorts, consisting of Frumious Bandersnatch alumni George Tickner (guitar) and Ross Valory (bass), former SANTANA pups Gregg Rolie (vocals/keyboards) and Neal Schon (lead guitar), plus seasoned Liverpool-born sticksman Aynsley Dunbar (from The MOTHERS OF INVENTION, JOHN MAYALL’S BLUESBREAKERS, et al), soft-rockers-to-be JOURNEY were on course from the get-go to make it big among the elite bands of their day. But it wasn’t all plain sailing. At times on a rollercoaster ride to oblivion, but with God and fresh Canadian singer Steve Perry on their side, what has become JOURNEY’s signature tune, `Don’t Stop Believin’’, has inspired not only themselves, but others including, dare one say it, a run of X-Factor contestants.
Formed at the dawn of 1973 as The Golden Gate Rhythm Section, in, appropriately, San Francisco, California, the 5-piece band had set out as a jazz-rock combo; The TUBES-bound drummer Prairie Prince was the first personnel casualty as the aforementioned Aynsley set up his stall. Due to manager Walter “Herbie” Herbert auditioning through a radio station for the group name, the players settled on the simple JOURNEY. The all-new band made their live debut on New Year’s Eve 1973 in front of over 10,000 people at San Francisco’s popular Wonderland venue.
American acts had never quite got the irony and dexterity that befitted how a prog-rock band should sound, and the eponymous jazz-rock-orientated JOURNEY (1975) {*5} proved they were no exceptions to the rule. In the mould of WISHBONE ASH, SPOOKY TOOTH and The MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA, the lack of bite on best bits `Kohoutek’, `Topaz’ and single flop, `To Play Some Music’, probably left Columbia Records wondering if a second set could do better than this one’s lowly peak No.138 position.
Bolstered by a re-vamp of GEORGE HARRISON’s `It’s All Too Much’ (soon to be bettered by STEVE HILLAGE), the direction of derivative Top 100 sophomore breaker, LOOK INTO THE FUTURE (1976) {*5}, was almost hard-edged glam-prog by comparison. Trimmed down slightly to a quartet with the departure of Tickner, JOURNEY were on a hiding to nothing as they tried in a vain attempt to emulate their British counterparts on the rather average `She Makes Me (Feel Alright)’, `On A Saturday Nite’ and the prog-lengthed title track.
NEXT (1977) {*5} followed in much the same woolly-headed formula as its unfocused predecessors and, with a lack of identity for a group looking to be going up shit creek without a paddle (the punk times were gonna be even tougher for dodos and dinosaurs… especially rock mammoths!), only really `Nickel & Dime’ and the title track were worthy of further inspection. On reflection, on the side of prog at least, if one had contemplated they’d turn the corner into corporate-friendly arena-rock stars, one might’ve persevered with the flighty JOURNEY Mk.I.
With the addition of ex-Alien Project vocalist, Steve Perry, the group were transformed from noodling jam-merchants into sleek AOR-pomp exponents set for American FM radio domination. Produced by Roy Thomas Baker, fourth album INFINITY (1978) {*7}, saw Perry’s strident, impressively dynamic vocals given free rein over a new improved pop-friendly format, gleaming synths and irresistible hooks now the order of the day. Almost forgotten in the melee, the man whom he replaced, Robert Fleischman (who’d performed vocals and guitar for the band in the interim) left behind his co-compositional contributions to minor breakthrough hits, `Anytime’ and `Wheel In The Sky’. But it must said, with opening salvo `Lights’, the shrieking tenor Perry – said to be inspired by both SAM COOKE and OZZY OSBOURNE – had made his mark. No Perry, no JOURNEY – period.
The record also gave the band a near brush with the Top 20, a feat they’d achieve with EVOLUTION (1979) {*8}. By this juncture, Dunbar had departed for JEFFERSON STARSHIP, his replacement being Steve Smith (from RONNIE MONTROSE and FOCUS) on a set which provided his new buddies with their biggest hit single to date (Top 20) by way of `Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin’’. FM-friendly at a time when new wave had outpaced punk, mammoth tours of American cities and beyond ensured `Just The Same Way’, `Too Late’ (both minor hits) and `Lovin’ You Is Easy’, returned fervour among JOURNEY’s hitchhiker fanbase.
The following year’s DEPARTURE {*6} album performed even better; JOURNEY finally nearing their ultimate destination… i.e. the top of the American charts. Produced by former engineers Geoff Workman and Kevin Elson, the Top 10 record was served by a couple of major hits, `Any Way You Want It’ and `Walks Like A Lady’, while the Perry power-ballad panache was also evident on the harmonica-driven `Precious Time’ and double-header, `Good Morning Girl’ and `Stay Awhile’.
Risky and almost swept under the carpet by their corporate masters, the soundtrack to Japanese flick, Yume, Yume No Ato: DREAM, AFTER DREAM (1980) {*5}, was nonetheless a treasured LP for collectors to search out. Almost entirely instrumental, with Perry’s larynx saved for sentimental ballad, `Little Girl’, JOURNEY were hardly a typical outfit to take on film soundtrack scores, but then again, or were TOTO – four years on. Incidentally, a couple of JOURNEY tracks featured on the early 80s OST’s of Caddyshack, Heavy Metal and Tron.
If thousands missed their brief soundtrack liaison that was probably down to the quick-fire release of timely Top 10 concert double-set, CAPTURED (1981) {*6}, fitting in 17 of the band’s greatest hits and near misses (including fresh studio teaser, `The Party’s Over (Hopelessly In Love)’), and omitting everything from their “In The Beginning” salad days.
Enhanced by the polished pop instincts of ex-BABYS’ frontman Jonathan Cain (a replacement on keyboards for solo-bound GREGG ROLIE), JOURNEY scored their first and only chart-topping album with the massively successful ESCAPE (1981) {*9}. Showcasing Schon’s solo sojourns and Perry’s high-octane larynx, the multi-platinum record spawned an unprecedented three Top 10 hits, namely `Who’s Crying Now’, `Open Arms’ and the swooning, evergreen `Don’t Stop Believin’’. A mention should also go out to the slo-blues of `Still They Ride’ (their fourth smash from the set) and the metallic, adrenalin-rush of the title track; but for the more mainstream dirges, classics in their own right.
Despite almost universal critical derision from the more elitist factions of the music press, JOURNEY continued to capture the lucrative middle ground between pop and tasteful metal, even breaking into the previously impenetrable UK Top 10 with American No.2 FRONTIERS (1983) {*7}. With Cain switching from keys to synths at the drop of a hi-hat, the JOURNEY procession reeled off a further four contenders for power-ballads of the year: `Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)’, `Faithfully’, `After The Fall’ and `Send Her My Love’.
Having added an album collaboration with future TV scoresmith, JAN HAMMER, to his CV on 1981’s “Untold Passion”, Neal Schon (and most of his JOURNEYmen), duly moonlighted on the keyboard wizard’s umpteenth solo outing, “Here To Stay” (1983). While STEVE PERRY subsequently launched his interim solo career to mighty effect with the melodramatic `Oh Sherrie’ single (from 1984’s “Street Talk” set), JOURNEY eventually re-grouped in the mid-80s having amassed their 9th consecutive Top 30 hit, `Only The Young’, from the various artists soundtrack to 1985’s Matthew Modine flick, Vision Quest.
Without the sacked Valory and Smith, the band now comprising the core trio of Perry, Schon and Cain, augmented by bassist Randy Jackson (yes, the American Idol judge) and drummer Larrie Londin. The resulting Top 5 album, RAISED ON RADIO (1986) {*6}, proved to be JOURNEY’s end, the group bowing out on a high point with four Top 20 singles: `Be Good To Yourself’, `Suzanne’, `Girl Can’t Help It’ and `I’ll Be Alright Without You’.
Following an official split as their previous fifth try, `Why Can’t This Night Go On Forever’ stalled at No.60, Cain joined MICHAEL BOLTON’s band, while Schon (and Cain) eventually hooked up with singer JOHN WAITE in BAD ENGLISH, before forming HARDLINE (with former JOURNEYmen Rolie and Smith), in 1991. PERRY, meanwhile, was back in the chart firing line when 1994’s romantic-fuelled set, “For The Love Of Strange Medicine”, unsurprisingly reached Top 20 status in his homeland.
With reunion fever all the rage in the 90s, JOURNEY (Perry, Schon, Cain, Valory and Smith) finally got back together in ‘96 for the productive but stalemate, TRIAL BY FIRE {*3} album. Disappointing all but their insular fans, the Top 3 disc at least garnered another trademark Top 20 single, `When You Love A Woman’. When both Perry and Smith took their final bows, JOURNEY would carry on regardless.
When Brooklyn-born Steve Augeri (ex-TYKETTO) was roped in and former WILD DOGS and BAD ENGLISH drummer Deen Castronovo filled the void, the never-say-die 5-piece unveiled a solitary contribution to the soundtrack of 1998’s blockbuster, Armageddon. Although a relative sound-alike, Augeri couldn’t quite match Perry’s charismatic aura on “comeback” set, ARRIVAL (2001) {*4}, a blatant attempt to capture the spirit of the band’s early 80s golden period. Dropping out of the charts after six weeks and peaking at No.56, moments to saviour were probably hidden within the lines of `Higher Place’, `World Gone Wild’ and `I Got A Reason’, all incidentally penned with NIGHT RANGER’s Jack Blades.
A self-released EP entitled `Red 13’ was next on the cards in 2002, while in 2005, GENERATIONS {*5} was warmly received in some quarters of the press. Then, just as Augeri looked to have settled in with hard-rock pipe and metal slippers at the ready, a throat injury led to former TALISMAN singer Jeff Scott Soto taking up the vacant mic stand. Deciding they’d try something and somebody new and afresh with ideas, Manila-born Arnel Pinedo was chosen to front the long-standing JOURNEY.
The very-much harder and heavier, REVELATION (2008) {*5}, took metal pundits by storm. And when past fans cottoned on to a bonus-disc package featuring the newbie’s perfect-10-karaoke adaptations of the Perry-era classics, sales rocketed tenfold. Of the 11 disc-one “Revelations”, the first two songs `Never Walk Away’ and `Like A Sunshower’ came up trumps. Out of the blue, the choice of X-Factor 2009 contestants, `Don’t Stop Believin’’, gave rise to the anthem’s timely resurrection and its best-ever UK position at No.9; it stayed in the charts for months to come bowing out in May 2013.
Meanwhile, JOURNEY had found another gear with Top 20 concept set, ECLIPSE (2011) {*5}, a surprise return to the jazz-prog standing of their unproductive 70s period, although entwined with rhythmic soft-rock interplays from the 80s. The result was something akin to standard-fare, arena ballad-rock that was just another exercise for Schon and Co to display classic-rock for the 50-somethings. Dig out your wii guitar player and rewind back three decades or so to appreciate such mighty delights as `Edge Of The Moment’, `City Of Hope’ and `Venus’.
On June 14, 2015, Deen Castronovo’s arrest for fourth-degree domestic violence led to his dismissal; he pled guilty and was sentenced to four years supervised probation. His temporary replacement, veteran session drummer Omar Hakim filled his vacant berth until the return of Steve Smith. A subsequent tour in 2017 prolonged JOURNEY’s adventure beyond its sell-by-date, and to mark the quintet’s early-80s-period workouts, the double-CD/DVD package of ESCAPE & FRONTIERS LIVE IN JAPAN (2019) {*6} fulfilled some sort of time-capsule
Formed at the dawn of 1973 as The Golden Gate Rhythm Section, in, appropriately, San Francisco, California, the 5-piece band had set out as a jazz-rock combo; The TUBES-bound drummer Prairie Prince was the first personnel casualty as the aforementioned Aynsley set up his stall. Due to manager Walter “Herbie” Herbert auditioning through a radio station for the group name, the players settled on the simple JOURNEY. The all-new band made their live debut on New Year’s Eve 1973 in front of over 10,000 people at San Francisco’s popular Wonderland venue.
American acts had never quite got the irony and dexterity that befitted how a prog-rock band should sound, and the eponymous jazz-rock-orientated JOURNEY (1975) {*5} proved they were no exceptions to the rule. In the mould of WISHBONE ASH, SPOOKY TOOTH and The MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA, the lack of bite on best bits `Kohoutek’, `Topaz’ and single flop, `To Play Some Music’, probably left Columbia Records wondering if a second set could do better than this one’s lowly peak No.138 position.
Bolstered by a re-vamp of GEORGE HARRISON’s `It’s All Too Much’ (soon to be bettered by STEVE HILLAGE), the direction of derivative Top 100 sophomore breaker, LOOK INTO THE FUTURE (1976) {*5}, was almost hard-edged glam-prog by comparison. Trimmed down slightly to a quartet with the departure of Tickner, JOURNEY were on a hiding to nothing as they tried in a vain attempt to emulate their British counterparts on the rather average `She Makes Me (Feel Alright)’, `On A Saturday Nite’ and the prog-lengthed title track.
NEXT (1977) {*5} followed in much the same woolly-headed formula as its unfocused predecessors and, with a lack of identity for a group looking to be going up shit creek without a paddle (the punk times were gonna be even tougher for dodos and dinosaurs… especially rock mammoths!), only really `Nickel & Dime’ and the title track were worthy of further inspection. On reflection, on the side of prog at least, if one had contemplated they’d turn the corner into corporate-friendly arena-rock stars, one might’ve persevered with the flighty JOURNEY Mk.I.
With the addition of ex-Alien Project vocalist, Steve Perry, the group were transformed from noodling jam-merchants into sleek AOR-pomp exponents set for American FM radio domination. Produced by Roy Thomas Baker, fourth album INFINITY (1978) {*7}, saw Perry’s strident, impressively dynamic vocals given free rein over a new improved pop-friendly format, gleaming synths and irresistible hooks now the order of the day. Almost forgotten in the melee, the man whom he replaced, Robert Fleischman (who’d performed vocals and guitar for the band in the interim) left behind his co-compositional contributions to minor breakthrough hits, `Anytime’ and `Wheel In The Sky’. But it must said, with opening salvo `Lights’, the shrieking tenor Perry – said to be inspired by both SAM COOKE and OZZY OSBOURNE – had made his mark. No Perry, no JOURNEY – period.
The record also gave the band a near brush with the Top 20, a feat they’d achieve with EVOLUTION (1979) {*8}. By this juncture, Dunbar had departed for JEFFERSON STARSHIP, his replacement being Steve Smith (from RONNIE MONTROSE and FOCUS) on a set which provided his new buddies with their biggest hit single to date (Top 20) by way of `Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin’’. FM-friendly at a time when new wave had outpaced punk, mammoth tours of American cities and beyond ensured `Just The Same Way’, `Too Late’ (both minor hits) and `Lovin’ You Is Easy’, returned fervour among JOURNEY’s hitchhiker fanbase.
The following year’s DEPARTURE {*6} album performed even better; JOURNEY finally nearing their ultimate destination… i.e. the top of the American charts. Produced by former engineers Geoff Workman and Kevin Elson, the Top 10 record was served by a couple of major hits, `Any Way You Want It’ and `Walks Like A Lady’, while the Perry power-ballad panache was also evident on the harmonica-driven `Precious Time’ and double-header, `Good Morning Girl’ and `Stay Awhile’.
Risky and almost swept under the carpet by their corporate masters, the soundtrack to Japanese flick, Yume, Yume No Ato: DREAM, AFTER DREAM (1980) {*5}, was nonetheless a treasured LP for collectors to search out. Almost entirely instrumental, with Perry’s larynx saved for sentimental ballad, `Little Girl’, JOURNEY were hardly a typical outfit to take on film soundtrack scores, but then again, or were TOTO – four years on. Incidentally, a couple of JOURNEY tracks featured on the early 80s OST’s of Caddyshack, Heavy Metal and Tron.
If thousands missed their brief soundtrack liaison that was probably down to the quick-fire release of timely Top 10 concert double-set, CAPTURED (1981) {*6}, fitting in 17 of the band’s greatest hits and near misses (including fresh studio teaser, `The Party’s Over (Hopelessly In Love)’), and omitting everything from their “In The Beginning” salad days.
Enhanced by the polished pop instincts of ex-BABYS’ frontman Jonathan Cain (a replacement on keyboards for solo-bound GREGG ROLIE), JOURNEY scored their first and only chart-topping album with the massively successful ESCAPE (1981) {*9}. Showcasing Schon’s solo sojourns and Perry’s high-octane larynx, the multi-platinum record spawned an unprecedented three Top 10 hits, namely `Who’s Crying Now’, `Open Arms’ and the swooning, evergreen `Don’t Stop Believin’’. A mention should also go out to the slo-blues of `Still They Ride’ (their fourth smash from the set) and the metallic, adrenalin-rush of the title track; but for the more mainstream dirges, classics in their own right.
Despite almost universal critical derision from the more elitist factions of the music press, JOURNEY continued to capture the lucrative middle ground between pop and tasteful metal, even breaking into the previously impenetrable UK Top 10 with American No.2 FRONTIERS (1983) {*7}. With Cain switching from keys to synths at the drop of a hi-hat, the JOURNEY procession reeled off a further four contenders for power-ballads of the year: `Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)’, `Faithfully’, `After The Fall’ and `Send Her My Love’.
Having added an album collaboration with future TV scoresmith, JAN HAMMER, to his CV on 1981’s “Untold Passion”, Neal Schon (and most of his JOURNEYmen), duly moonlighted on the keyboard wizard’s umpteenth solo outing, “Here To Stay” (1983). While STEVE PERRY subsequently launched his interim solo career to mighty effect with the melodramatic `Oh Sherrie’ single (from 1984’s “Street Talk” set), JOURNEY eventually re-grouped in the mid-80s having amassed their 9th consecutive Top 30 hit, `Only The Young’, from the various artists soundtrack to 1985’s Matthew Modine flick, Vision Quest.
Without the sacked Valory and Smith, the band now comprising the core trio of Perry, Schon and Cain, augmented by bassist Randy Jackson (yes, the American Idol judge) and drummer Larrie Londin. The resulting Top 5 album, RAISED ON RADIO (1986) {*6}, proved to be JOURNEY’s end, the group bowing out on a high point with four Top 20 singles: `Be Good To Yourself’, `Suzanne’, `Girl Can’t Help It’ and `I’ll Be Alright Without You’.
Following an official split as their previous fifth try, `Why Can’t This Night Go On Forever’ stalled at No.60, Cain joined MICHAEL BOLTON’s band, while Schon (and Cain) eventually hooked up with singer JOHN WAITE in BAD ENGLISH, before forming HARDLINE (with former JOURNEYmen Rolie and Smith), in 1991. PERRY, meanwhile, was back in the chart firing line when 1994’s romantic-fuelled set, “For The Love Of Strange Medicine”, unsurprisingly reached Top 20 status in his homeland.
With reunion fever all the rage in the 90s, JOURNEY (Perry, Schon, Cain, Valory and Smith) finally got back together in ‘96 for the productive but stalemate, TRIAL BY FIRE {*3} album. Disappointing all but their insular fans, the Top 3 disc at least garnered another trademark Top 20 single, `When You Love A Woman’. When both Perry and Smith took their final bows, JOURNEY would carry on regardless.
When Brooklyn-born Steve Augeri (ex-TYKETTO) was roped in and former WILD DOGS and BAD ENGLISH drummer Deen Castronovo filled the void, the never-say-die 5-piece unveiled a solitary contribution to the soundtrack of 1998’s blockbuster, Armageddon. Although a relative sound-alike, Augeri couldn’t quite match Perry’s charismatic aura on “comeback” set, ARRIVAL (2001) {*4}, a blatant attempt to capture the spirit of the band’s early 80s golden period. Dropping out of the charts after six weeks and peaking at No.56, moments to saviour were probably hidden within the lines of `Higher Place’, `World Gone Wild’ and `I Got A Reason’, all incidentally penned with NIGHT RANGER’s Jack Blades.
A self-released EP entitled `Red 13’ was next on the cards in 2002, while in 2005, GENERATIONS {*5} was warmly received in some quarters of the press. Then, just as Augeri looked to have settled in with hard-rock pipe and metal slippers at the ready, a throat injury led to former TALISMAN singer Jeff Scott Soto taking up the vacant mic stand. Deciding they’d try something and somebody new and afresh with ideas, Manila-born Arnel Pinedo was chosen to front the long-standing JOURNEY.
The very-much harder and heavier, REVELATION (2008) {*5}, took metal pundits by storm. And when past fans cottoned on to a bonus-disc package featuring the newbie’s perfect-10-karaoke adaptations of the Perry-era classics, sales rocketed tenfold. Of the 11 disc-one “Revelations”, the first two songs `Never Walk Away’ and `Like A Sunshower’ came up trumps. Out of the blue, the choice of X-Factor 2009 contestants, `Don’t Stop Believin’’, gave rise to the anthem’s timely resurrection and its best-ever UK position at No.9; it stayed in the charts for months to come bowing out in May 2013.
Meanwhile, JOURNEY had found another gear with Top 20 concept set, ECLIPSE (2011) {*5}, a surprise return to the jazz-prog standing of their unproductive 70s period, although entwined with rhythmic soft-rock interplays from the 80s. The result was something akin to standard-fare, arena ballad-rock that was just another exercise for Schon and Co to display classic-rock for the 50-somethings. Dig out your wii guitar player and rewind back three decades or so to appreciate such mighty delights as `Edge Of The Moment’, `City Of Hope’ and `Venus’.
On June 14, 2015, Deen Castronovo’s arrest for fourth-degree domestic violence led to his dismissal; he pled guilty and was sentenced to four years supervised probation. His temporary replacement, veteran session drummer Omar Hakim filled his vacant berth until the return of Steve Smith. A subsequent tour in 2017 prolonged JOURNEY’s adventure beyond its sell-by-date, and to mark the quintet’s early-80s-period workouts, the double-CD/DVD package of ESCAPE & FRONTIERS LIVE IN JAPAN (2019) {*6} fulfilled some sort of time-capsule