From the Vault...

07/18/2004
#899

info
Journey
"Escape"


© Columbia Records

Year of Release: 1981
Rating:

track listing
  • Don't Stop Believin'
  • Stone In Love
  • Who's Crying Now
  • Keep On Runnin'
  • Still They Ride
  • Escape
  • Lay It Down
  • Dead Or Alive
  • Mother Father
  • Open Arms

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    Journey
    "Escape"



    Ah... Journey... The memories of high school, and Journey being one of eveyone's favorite bands. (Journey, R.E.O. Speedwagon, Rush, were pretty much the big names everyone was talking about back then.) Journey's Escape was an incredible breakthrough, as many of the songs were played, and played, and played, and.. well, I think you get the picture. "Open Arms" was the biggest hit, as it became the theme song for many high school dances. "Don't Stop Believin'" was another great theme song, as the title said it all.. Don't Stop Believin'...


    As I listen to this album, all of the songs with the exception of "Keep On Runnin'," "Escape," "Lay It Down," "Dead Or Alive," "Mother Father", brings back many memories of hearing these songs on the local radio stations, and everyone in school enjoying these tunes. Of the "not-so-well-known" tunes, they're all of a harder-rock edge (Van Halen/Jefferson Starship), except for "Mother Father" being a ballad, where these types of songs and a more pop rock sound seemed to be the most popular for Journey fans.


    "Who's Crying Now" was another radio favorite, "Still They Ride" was another well-known popular ballad, "Stone In Love" was also another favorite, being a song I remember practicing in a band audition.


    Escape became a #1 album for Journey, as this release was their breakthrough, although their songs and albums had been very popular beforehand. As mentioned before, the pop rockers and ballads are the standouts on this album, as well as songs in these styles before Escape and beyond. What makes Journey interesting is that they were an instrumental band when Gregg Rollie and Neal Schon left the band Santana in 1972. They released 3 albums from 1974 to 1977. Later that year, Steve Perry joined the group, and the rest as they say, is history. Perry would be replaced by Steve Augeri in 1988, and so far with the new singer Augeri, they have released one album. But to the true Journey fan, the glory years were with Steve Perry, and watching an interview with Perry, he was very saddened that he was replaced, as he was going through an illness, which he would recover from in the months ahead. Journey went along without him, and as one of the band members said, "We started without Steve Perry, we can do it without him again." Cruel words, but I guess that's how it is these days.


    Escape is a great album, and certainly one of their best.


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    Previous Review: #898
    Somethin' Smith & The Redheads--Ain't That Somethin': The Best Of Somethin' Smith And The Redheads
    Next Review: #900
    XTC--Drums And Wires