Stephen Ray Perry is without a doubt the greatest vocalist of all time. Why do I say this? Because I'm a die hard Journey fan. Yet another breathtaking band is up for review today; the cult hit "Don't Stop Believin'" was just one of the many many hits of the phenomenon that was JOURNEY. For many months I believed that Journey was indeed the greatest band of all time, but I have been proven wrong by other worthy contenders. Still Perry's still cheer class on the vocals is second to none, and I shall stand by my statement of him being the Greatest Vocalist of all time.
Journey didn't get the best of starts in the year 1973. Very very lack lustre beginning with dull lifeless albums like "Look Into the Future" and "Next". It was but obvious that the band wanted a much needed change in direction, so 1977 they hired Steve Perry and moved towards the "Progressive Rock" genre. This seemed to have done the trick with instant fame for Perry and the band. Escape was by and large their best work till date with the cult classic "Don't Stop Believin'". This song ruled the charts in the early 80's with many a motion picture borrowing this amazing song for their OST. I must admit, when I first heard Steve Perry in "Open Arms" I swear I thought it was a female vocalist. Such is the depth and range in this man's voice. He reaches notes that only certain highly programmed keyboards can touch, very strong voice he has. "Mother Father" is also a wonderful song. But this was just the tip of the iceberg for Perry and Journey. Arguablly their golden era was during the mid 80's when they came up with back to back platinum albums in the form of "Frontiers" and "Raised on Radio". Frontiers was a huge hit with "Faithfully" topping all the charts. Another song where Steve Perry just takes you to a whole new level in terms of vocals. "Separate Ways (World's Apart)" is one of my favorite songs, its got a nice pacy beat to it.
What baffles me is the fact that despite such success, Journey is very much an unknown quantity even in the states. I guess its because they were a band that went through so much change in the time that they operated with no less than 15 members actively involved with the band thru its 30 year history. One such guy was Randy Jackson, the same dude from American Idol. He was a rather unsuccessful bassist with the band during their peak time between 1985 to 1987. Then in 1996 came Journey's best album according to me - Trial By Fire. This album didn't do that well commercially but in my book this is the album that convinced me that Journey is up there with Classic Rock's greatest bands. "Message of Love" still gives me goosebumps every time I hear it and songs like "Still She Cries" and "Easy to Fall" underline Perry's class in the vocals department. The fame didn't last though, the band split up after this album with Steve Perry going his separate ways. There's irony for you. They tried reviving the band with other vocalists, but nobody could match Perry and the numbers clearly showing, Journey dipped steadily after their last album with Steve Perry. The band is still alive today with filippino singer Arnel Pineda leading the charge in the vocals. I must say, he's the best possible alternative to Steve Perry. Revelation was indeed a revelation in the year 2008, the band showing glimpses of its glory days. "After All These Years" is the stand out song there, with other great songs like "What It Takes To Win"; "Never Walk Away". Quite recently Journey released their latest album Eclipse which got relatively good reviews, but still there's no denying the band is not the same without Steve Perry. Their discography is huge guys, we are talking about a band that has been active for close to 30 years, but I'd still say its worth the download. Journey is one of those novelty bands whom you are either going to hate entirely or love them to pieces. Steve Perry is a class apart when it comes to vocals and I would say for his voice alone, you should give Journey a try. Here are their albums in my order of preference of course:
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Journey didn't get the best of starts in the year 1973. Very very lack lustre beginning with dull lifeless albums like "Look Into the Future" and "Next". It was but obvious that the band wanted a much needed change in direction, so 1977 they hired Steve Perry and moved towards the "Progressive Rock" genre. This seemed to have done the trick with instant fame for Perry and the band. Escape was by and large their best work till date with the cult classic "Don't Stop Believin'". This song ruled the charts in the early 80's with many a motion picture borrowing this amazing song for their OST. I must admit, when I first heard Steve Perry in "Open Arms" I swear I thought it was a female vocalist. Such is the depth and range in this man's voice. He reaches notes that only certain highly programmed keyboards can touch, very strong voice he has. "Mother Father" is also a wonderful song. But this was just the tip of the iceberg for Perry and Journey. Arguablly their golden era was during the mid 80's when they came up with back to back platinum albums in the form of "Frontiers" and "Raised on Radio". Frontiers was a huge hit with "Faithfully" topping all the charts. Another song where Steve Perry just takes you to a whole new level in terms of vocals. "Separate Ways (World's Apart)" is one of my favorite songs, its got a nice pacy beat to it.
What baffles me is the fact that despite such success, Journey is very much an unknown quantity even in the states. I guess its because they were a band that went through so much change in the time that they operated with no less than 15 members actively involved with the band thru its 30 year history. One such guy was Randy Jackson, the same dude from American Idol. He was a rather unsuccessful bassist with the band during their peak time between 1985 to 1987. Then in 1996 came Journey's best album according to me - Trial By Fire. This album didn't do that well commercially but in my book this is the album that convinced me that Journey is up there with Classic Rock's greatest bands. "Message of Love" still gives me goosebumps every time I hear it and songs like "Still She Cries" and "Easy to Fall" underline Perry's class in the vocals department. The fame didn't last though, the band split up after this album with Steve Perry going his separate ways. There's irony for you. They tried reviving the band with other vocalists, but nobody could match Perry and the numbers clearly showing, Journey dipped steadily after their last album with Steve Perry. The band is still alive today with filippino singer Arnel Pineda leading the charge in the vocals. I must say, he's the best possible alternative to Steve Perry. Revelation was indeed a revelation in the year 2008, the band showing glimpses of its glory days. "After All These Years" is the stand out song there, with other great songs like "What It Takes To Win"; "Never Walk Away". Quite recently Journey released their latest album Eclipse which got relatively good reviews, but still there's no denying the band is not the same without Steve Perry. Their discography is huge guys, we are talking about a band that has been active for close to 30 years, but I'd still say its worth the download. Journey is one of those novelty bands whom you are either going to hate entirely or love them to pieces. Steve Perry is a class apart when it comes to vocals and I would say for his voice alone, you should give Journey a try. Here are their albums in my order of preference of course:
- 1996 - Trial By Fire
- 1983 - Frontiers
- 1981 - Escape
- 1986 - Raised on Radio
- 2001 - Arrival
- 2005 - Generations
- 2008 - Revelation
- 1978 - Infinity
- 1979 - Evolution
- 2011 - Eclipse
- 1975 - Journey
- 1976 - Look Into The Future
- 1977 - Next
- 1980 - Departure
Shouldn't there be like a thank you note at the end of each article dedicated to me for introducing you to this great stuff??
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