Journey - Arrival

1. Higher Place
2. All The Way
3. Signs Of Life
4. All The Things
5. Loved By You
6. Livin' To Do
7. World Gone Wild
8. I Got A Reason
9. With Your Love
10. Lifetime Of Dreams
11. Live And Breathe
12. Nothin' Comes Close
13. To Be Alive Again
14. Kiss Me Softly
15. We Will Meet Again

Album Cover:

Total Playing Time: 73:58 m:s

Review date: 10/08/2001

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I'm sure you all know the story behind this album - a release in Japan where it was again blasted for being ballad heavy, the album finding it's way onto Napster, the blasting of the Japanese release giving Neal Schon the ammunition he needed to record a couple more rockin' tunes for this US/Europe release of the album. Oh yeah, did I mention that Steve Perry is out and in comes Steve Augeri on vocals. Steve Augeri may be known to AOR fans for his work with Tall Stories & Tyketto. I thought that Hugo, Terry Brock or Kevin Chalfant would get the gig.

Steve's arrival seems to have to given the band a new lease of life. Thinking back, the problem with Trial By Fire wasn't the songs or the playing, it was simply that it was a band going through the motions for a few dollars more. This time there is a bit of an edge and enthusiasm to music. Hard to put your finger on it , but it is just a vibe you get. I wouldn't say that Steve Augeri was a direct replacement for Steve Perry, but those that haven't followed the recent history of the band could be forgiven if they didn't notice the difference. Steve Augeri happens to sound like Steve Perry, but doesn't go out of his way to do so, if you know what I mean.

"Higher Place" starts the album off in an uptempo mood which is what I think the band needed to do on this album, if we weren't all to consider them to be a bunch of geriatrics. First thing you'll notice is that the Journey sound is intact - the change of singer hasn't made a difference. "All The Way" is a semi-ballad - a style Journey seem to have made all their own. "Signs Of Life" strikes up like something off Escape (Don't Stop Believin'). This is precisely the type of track that has sealed Journey's in the AOR history books

"All The Things" has a beefier riff & Journey are determined to prove that they haven't forgotten how to rock on this album. On "Loved By You" it is ballad time again - but this time Steve Augeri's presence gives tracks like these the edge they need to stop them becoming schmaltzy. Having said that, the bluesy balladry of "Livin' To Do" is tedious.

"World Gone Wild" builds things up to a more rockin' mode, but it takes the chorus to save it from becoming just another rock mode filler. "I Got A Reason" is a mid-tempo AOR rocker that charms. "With Your Love" is more piano led balladry. What can you say about Journey tracks like these - the vocals soar and the music sweeps you along on a tide of emotion. Maybe not classic single material, but a good album track. When this followed by another ballad called "Lifetime Of Dreams" you can hear why the Japanese release got blasted as being snooze-worthy.

The band build things up gradually again with "Live And Breathe", which floats on a bassline and vocals. I never thought that I'd be comparing Journey to Little Caesar, but when "Nothin' Comes Close" kicks off all I can think of the LC tune Cajun Panther. We're on another rock workout by the band. The rock mode continues with the Escape-era sounding "To Be Alive Again", which could have been hit single material in another era.

And so the mood cools again with the relaxed & excellent "Kiss Me Softly".  And so the band finish the album off with a mid-tempo AOR track called "We Will Meet Again". At least the album doesn't finish on a whimper.

So there you are, we've made it through all 74 mins. That is a lot of music to digest. This album has been a fairly frequent visitor to my CD player since I bought it. That certainly indicates it is an improvement over Trial By Fire. So many bands have tried to copy these guys over the years, it is good to see them back in the saddle again and this time enjoying themselves, rather than simply going through the motions.