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beforethedarktimes
reviews JOURNEY: REVELATION 6/3/08
So many good things come to mind for me when I think about the band Journey- first off, I can remember that one of the first MTV videos I'd ever seen regularly was Journey's Separate Ways. Back at that time, I was learning to play piano and keyboards- so, as one can imagine, I made sure I learned how to play along with that song. After learning more about the band and their library of hits, the next song I learned to play was Don't Stop Believin'. Later, as I'm sure is the case with many other folks out there, I can remember going to many school dances and waiting for classics like Open Arms and Faithfully to be played- they were the perfect opportunity to slow dance with whatever girl I had the hots for at that time. As I moved into my teens, my family spent a lot of time at a campground in PA- thankfully for me, there were a bunch of other teens there just like me, who weren't quite ready to just sit around and enjoy the outdoors.. the result? A lot of time hanging around the campground's arcade, going in and out of the little convenience store, and carrying around radios everywhere with tape players in them.. and what do you think were some of the most repeated songs we listened to? Yes… JOURNEY songs. Journey's music not only made it to the local school dances, it found its way into movie scores and soundtracks too- how about the movie The Wraith? Many don't know it, but Any Way You Want It is in the music score for that movie during one of the races. Open Arms also made its way to a cult anime classic, HEAVY METAL. During one of the booty scenes (yes, one of the first cartoon films with a booty scene in it) Open Arms is heard playing to fill the background sound during that scene.. It was obvious: Journey and love scenes went together like peas-and-car-rots.. And anyone who knows any mainstream 80s films will tell you that Journey's Only The Young found its way onto the Vision Quest soundtrack as well. They even found a spot in the comedy, Caddyshack! The band became so mainstream that they even had an arcade game created in their honor in 1983- for many arcade game collectors today, the Journey cab is considered a Holy Grail of arcade games. For me, Journey kind of fell off the radar in the early 90s- I enjoy a lot of different types of music, so as the years go by I flip flop a lot. However, many other fans stayed true to the band, attending concerts, watching band members come and go, but holding true to the belief that Journey would continue onward. In 1998, Steve Perry (the original lead singer) officially left Journey, and that's when many thought the end was near for this supergroup. The band tried to continue moving forward, but after issues with 2 more singers, it looked like they'd gotten to the end of their……… well, Journey. But now, in 2008, Journey is back once again- and as of right now, it looks like they've finally got it right. Lead singer Arnel Pineda comes to the mic with a fresh voice, and a range that even appears to contain some Perry DNA. They have already made appearances on the Ellen DeGeneres show, as well as the CBS Sunday Morning show. It is clearly evident that Journey has been eager to keep the oars rowing- it's all been a matter of finding someone to help steer the boat. Arnel signed on only in December of 2007 - But even between then and today's new CD release date (6/3/08), the group has managed to record NEW material together, re-record some classic Journey jams with Pineda, and coordinate a new tour for 2008- all to prep lifelong fans for the hanging of the new Pineda piñata. The new material CD contains the following 11 hits- at this time, this review only covers that CD of the 2-CD, 1 DVD collection:
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) The only thing that really jumps out at me about Arnel's singing style, and how it differs from Perry's is, on some notes he really hangs on a lot longer than Perry would have if singing the same thing- but that's where I have to take a step back and remind myself that who I'm hearing is NOT Steve Perry. And in the grand scheme of things, I think it's a good thing. Had Journey just picked up a singing clone of Perry for their front-man, they would not be able to evolve. They need someone like Arnel who can definitely sing the classics, but also someone who has the ability to take them PAST the Steve Perry speed bump. As of right now, it looks like Pineda has the ability to help them do that. However, only time will tell. If Arnel Pineda is as genuine as he appears in the Sunday Morning interview, the band should continue to go far onward- he will appreciate what he earns with the band, both culturally and financially. Let's just hope the rest of the band will truly realize how good they've had it up to now, and for the sake of all that truly is JOURNEY, they respect the divine intervention that has come to them. Feel free pick up a copy of the CD, and report your findings back at our Blog or in our Forums. From beforethedarktimes.com: Journey, we wish you the best. Highway Run……
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