Journey - Revelation

It’s been a strange few years for Journey. Firstly legendary singer Steve Perry decides he doesn’t want to tour ever again, leaves and then he is replaced by the very capable Steve Augeri who in turn becomes ‘ill` and is replaced for a tour by Jeff Scott Soto, who does a great job but once in the studio, doesn’t have the ‘Journey sound`.

Cue one deal with Wal Mart later (yes that Wal Mart) and the Journey boys are in the deep brown stuff. So what do you do? Easy, you go on You Tube and find a bloke that sounds like Steve Perry (hold on isn’t that Steve Augeri?) and fly him over to re-record some Journey classics and hey presto it’s all sorted. Joking aside, Journey have seriously resurrected themselves in the last few years. It is arguable that they are bigger in Europe than ever (certainly as a touring act) and recent UK shows were nothing short of stupendous.

Let’s not forget, this is the band AOR was invented for and when they are on form, no one does it better. Fifty millon album sales in the USA alone testify to this fact. In case you didn’t know, the new guy behind the microphone is one Arnel Pineda or Steve Perry the Fourth as he shall now be known. We will roll on through Revelation and asses it’s peaks and troughs.

Overview!

For starters, this album is much better than 2005’s Generations as it is more focused and consistent. Arnel Pineda sets out his stall early and does a great job on the opener Never Walk Away. OK, yes it does sound a lot like Be Good to Yourself but then that is no bad thing when you consider how good that track is. The production is a little dull and could do with more top end but the Journey sound is unmistakeably there. Like a Sunshower has a groovy 6/8 feel and recalls the late 70’s sound of the band and Change for the Better is an excellent rocker. Neil Schon plays superbly on this number as he does throughout the whole album. One of rock’s most tasteful and melodic guitarists, Schon is brilliant at crafting great lead work into the rock radio format. This is an art in itself and Schon is the undisputed master, no question.

Wildest Dreams is a nice up tempo tune and then the band play a reworked version of the excellent Faith in the Heartland from the Generations album. Quite why they have done this is anyone’s guess but is a welcome addition. The next track is nauseatingly brilliant power balladry of the highest order. After all These Years is so cheesy, only the hardest cynic could fail to enjoy its stltonesque aroma. It’s the kind of track a bunch of Midwest Christian fundamentalist would approve of and is more apple pie than George W himself.

After this, proceedings get back on track with the excellent Where Did I Lose Your Love and What It Takes to Win may be the albums best song. A classy rocker, it possesses all the hallmarks of the Journey sound that we know and love. What I Needed and Turn Down the World Tonight are both a ballad too far for my liking but the former is a good track. The album finishes with an excellent instrumental called The Journey and the last word is therefore left to Mr Schon.

Conclusion

This is not a great album by Journey standards and doesn’t come close to the majesty of something like Escape but the band have come up with a record that fans will enjoy. There are at least four tracks that wouldn’t be out of place in a live show and all the members sound inspired and energised. As for the new boy: if you liked Steve Perry then you will be well chuffed. If you didn’t like Steve Perry, well, you probably never liked Journey anyway!