Journey - Arrival

A new Journey album is always good for some hefty debate but Arrival has been food for discussion more than ever. Not strange if you think that for the first time in ages the band changed vocalists. The legendary Steve Perry took off and was replaced by "newcomer" Steve Augeri. Even before they had heard any new material some people could tell this could never be as good as the stuff with Perry. Others, who did see them on tour in the US, told us that Augeri was way better than Perry. And then there was the "riot" over the Napster version of the album. People were very harsh on that one. The production [stunk], the songs [stunk] and Journey could actually better call it quits… So I was curious, of course I was. I’ve been a Journey fan ever since I heard songs from Captured on the radio back in nineteeneightysomething and to be honest I had my doubts about Steve Augeri as well. I don’t care much for the Tall Stories and Tyketto albums he sang on and in my heart I was afraid he would have the same effect on Arrival. But after listening to the album more than a few times I can honestly say that Mr. Augeri surprises me very much on Journey’s newborn. Surely you hear he isn’t Steve Perry, but I dare say he’s in the same league on this one as he makes Arrival feel like an up to par Journey album, no doubt. The rockers… the ballads… he handles them all like he’s never been doing anything else then singing in Journey. So, now that the worries about the vocalist are out of the way, what about the songs? Do they [stink}, and what about the production? Does it [stink] too? Well, no! In fact this is one of the best Journey albums I’ve ever heard. Just like Trial By Fire the album is a bit ballad heavy but I don’t mind that at all as a good ballad belongs to AOR just as much as a juicy rocker does. And Journey has always been a band with great ballads. Remember Faithfully or Send Her My Love? But there are quite some good rockers to be found on the album as well. Just take a listen to the incredible Higher Place or the bonus track To Be Alive Again and you’ll know what I mean. Yeah, but that’s only two, I hear you say. Okay, take a listen to the midtempo monsters All The Things and I Got A Reason then. Or to Signs Of Life, which is an emotional song yes, but hardly a ballad to these ears. Admitted, if the band had chosen another sequence of songs the album would have had a rockier overall sound as from the eighth track on to song number twelve it’s all ballads we’re treated to. But hey, these ballads are of a quality you very often can only dream about. The final two songs are of a heavier caliber again, but that doesn’t change the soft feel of the second half of the album anymore. Still, considering the high class of the songs (there’s literally no filler on the album) this is all just splitting hairs. And for those of you still not convinced, the band is planning on releasing a different version of the album for the US and European market, which will have a more heavy character. It’s due out in February and if it really differs a lot from the Japanese version, you’ll find the review of it in Majestic Magazine towards that time.

Journey without Perry? Well, look at Styx...

I had the pleasure of seeing Journey's DirecTV concert special before the Arrival album's release in 2001, and a lot of people had said the same thing before hand: "Journey without Steve Perry is unthinkable..." then out came Steve Augeri onstage and people were standing there with their mouths down to the ground hearing this guy hit all the notes. Anyone who thinks Journey should have changed directions instead of getting someone who could sing their biggest songs and do them justice needs to ask themselves: Does Journey need to do the songs that made them great or do they need someone like the lead singer of ZZ Top trying to sing Open Arms and Faithfully? Journey is known for those hits and so much more. You need someone who can sing them. Styx, on that same note, found the perfect act to follow Dennis DeYoung in Lawrence Gowan...and in return, we don't have to sit through songs like "Mr. Roboto" and "Babe" in concert, which the rest of the band were never big fans of to begin with. Both Journey's "Arrival" and Styx' "Cyclorama" show what the bands are both made of...and it's a nice progression from what could have been disastrous for both bands. You won't be disappointed in either album...and last year they toured together with REO Speedwagon, and the shows just ROCKED. It's nice to remember all the hits they had with their former lead singers, but it's a testimony to their determination to remain vital musical units that these two albums are as GREAT as they both are. Wherever Steve Perry is, may he come out with some new music as good as this...and I hope he does...nothing against him for his choice to leave, but the band deserves to carry on, and carry on it does well...same goes for Styx!

perry who?

there is definitely a journey without steve perry, augeri is better than perry in my book,this album is like "depature"meets "frontiers" the songs are excellent and they did'nt overdue it with power ballads . on behind the music
perry made a crock statement that he felt he was never part of the band. with arrival , now he has a legit reason. may augeri
last with the band for infinity.