I know there are people who have sworn a blood oath to never listen to Journey without Steve Perry. Don’t get me wrong, I love Steve Perry – always have. But I saw the version with Arnel Pineda. He was terrific. Let’s be honest – he won a worldwide search because he, in fact, sounds a lot like Perry. And here’s the naked truth: he can mostly still sing all of those songs in the same keys that Perry once could, but no longer can.
With that in mind, a new live album has just been released, recorded in Chicago last year at Lollapalooza. It kicks off with a kick-ass version of Separate Ways – really great energy. It’s an overall good set – 20 songs, and it’s out on CD/DVD, Blu-ray, and Vinyl. This one is the version of the band without Ross Vallory and Steve Smith, kicked out after one of many dramas that the band have gone through the past several years. Can you tell from the recording? Not really.
Old guys like me go way back, but for the band to have even been invited to Lollapalooza is kind of a testament to their younger believers that can still carry a topless girlfriend on their shoulders at a festival. And, of course, the girls themselves. (See that’s totally an out-of-date- reference that an old concert head would make…sorry)
There are two unnecessary “guitar interludes”, but they are short. Schon, surely the most litigious man in rock, is, at this writing, in a huge public row with keyboardist Jonathan Cain over the Journey corporate credit card. Look it up online, if you wish. I’m tired of the firings and fighting and all that crap. Seriously, this band should have its own Judge Judy show.
Anyway, thank goodness the music sounds fantastic still. Are there overdubs to help out pitches and glitches? Probably. That’s part of the deal. The important thing is it sounds excellent to my ears, and I can’t even remember when I last listened to a live album.
More Info, Journey Tour Dates, Merch at: https://journeymusic.com/
Track listing:
1. Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)
2. Only the Young
3. Guitar Interlude
4. Stone in Love
5. Be Good To Yourself
6. Just The Same Way
7. Lights
8. Still They Ride
9. Escape
10. La Do Da
11. Piano Interlude
12. Who’s Crying Now
13. Guitar Interlude
14. Wheel in the Sky
15. Ask the Lonely
16. Open Arms
17. Lovin’ Touchin’ Squeezin’
18. Faithfully
19. Any Way You Want It
20. Don’t Stop Believin’
LINE-UP:
Neal Schon – Guitars
Jonathan Cain – Keyboards
Arnel Pineda – Vocals
Deen Castronovo – Drums
Narada Michael Walden – Drums
Marco Mendoza – Bass
Jason Derlatka – Keyboards, Vocals
Journey Social Media:
https://www.facebook.com/journey
https://www.instagram.com/journeymusicofficial/
https://twitter.com/journeyofficial
https://www.youtube.com/journey
