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Neal Schon, Jonathan Cain & Arnel Pineda return, with a déjà-vu line-up, reuniting ’em with Deen Castronovo and Randy Jackson…

100% Spicy

Synopsis: The legendary, chart-topping, arena rock band, Journey is back with smashing new singles, off of a spectacular new album and headlining a sold-out stadium tour…

About the new album, “Schon said, [referring to the first single] the song ‘came out of one of the many loops I’d written while the long downtime continued with the pandemic we all had to deal with. … I laid down the keyboard loop with overdubbed rhythm and a little blues lead guitar and sent it to [keyboardist] Jonathan [Cain]. He sent it back very shortly after with demo vocals and lyrics, and I said to myself with a smile, ‘We’ve still got it!’

Journey is currently on the road, headlining, The Freedom Tour, with opening act Toto. The new album is titled, Freedom, a moniker that is a long time in coming. More about that, in a minute. Here’s a quick recap on Journey’s storied history, starting with visionary former Manager, Herbie Herbert, who founded Journey with Guitarist Neal Schon and Keyboardist / Lead Vocalist Gregg Rolie (both from Santana) in 1973, who released the albums, Self Titled (1975), Look Into The Future (1976) and Next (1977) before scouting and hiring Lead Vocalist, Steve Perry. Herbert then laid out the game-plan for future albums and their artwork, to tell a story that can be seen across titles, Infinity (1978), Evolution (1979), Departure (1980), Captured (1981), Escape (1982), Frontiers (1983) and then… he was asked to go (along with Bassist Ross Valory & Drummer Steve Smith) by Perry, who also took on production duties to release, Raised On Radio (1986), which would have been titled, Freedom, had Herbert remained in the camp.

Looking at the release dates of each album and their subsequent tours that followed, Journey never stopped. In fact, the gap, between Frontiers and Raised Radio saw members releasing their Solo projects, only to be right back at it again. Shortly after the two-year “Raised On Radio Tour” – the remaining members of Journey, went their separate ways. During their indefinite hiatus, fans were treated to Journey members releasing Solo material or contributing to monster projects such as Hardline, Michael Bolton, Jimmy Barnes and the chart-slaying band, Bad English, which featured Schon, Cain and future Journey member, Deen Castronovo.

In 1996, Journey’s early 80’s Escape : Frontiers line-up reunited, to release the highly successful and Grammy nominated, Trial By Fire (1996). The album was a masterpiece, unfortunately, no tour followed due to a Perry hip injury. When Steve Perry signaled that he was in no rush to have his hip surgery to get back on the road, the short-lived reunion was no more. With a sense of urgency to return to the stage, after making fans wait for over a decade, three members of Journey reemerged, two years later, with a song on the hot-selling Armageddon Soundtrack (1998), a track titled, “Remember Me” this time, fronted by Tall Stories Lead Vocalist, Steve Augeri and Drummer / Back Ground Vocalist Castronovo (Bad English).

This single was followed by successful tours and albums, Arrival (2000/2001), Red 13 (2002) and Generations (2005). Luck was not on Journey’s side, however, as Augeri suffered damage to his vocal chords and had to leave at the start of their co-headliner tour with Def Leppard. Augeri was briefly replaced by the outstanding vocalist Jeff Scott Soto (who was in SoulSirkUS with Schon & Castronovo).

With the unceremonious departure of Soto, would the Journey come to an end? The band claims they let Soto, “go” because he did not have the “signature sound” fans wanted to hear when the classic catalog was performed – LIVE. While Soto sings in a different register, he was amazing in the Lead role and could have easily taken the band forward, much like Sammy Hager did, when he successfully replaced David Lee Roth in Van Halen.

Journey cast a wide net in the now-infamous, YouTube search for a new lead vocalist. Surfing the Web, Founding Guitarist, Neal Schon, “discovered” The Zoo singer, Arnel Pineda, and the rest is history. Pineda has helmed Journey titles, Revelation (2008), Eclipse (2011) and now… Freedom (2022), as envisioned, long-ago, by now deceased Herbert. While I left out many details, I just wanted to give a brief backdrop to the journey behind the band, before sharing my take on this amazing new album, their first, in 11 years, as they head into their 50th anniversary, in 2023…

Label: BMG (USA+), Frontiers Music, Srl (EU, Japan)

Streamer:  Apple Music, Prime Music, Spotify, Pandora 

Release Date: July 8, 2022 (Digital with Vinyl in UK) & August 26, 2022 (Vinyl in US) 

Format: Album & LIVE Concert Tour 

Genre: Rock, Adult Orientated Rock, Pop

Runtime: 1 hour, 2 minutes 

Track List:

Together We Run (4:49)

Don’t Give Up On Us (5:23)

Still Believe In Love

You Got The Best Of Me (5:33)

Live To Love Again (5:30)

The Way We Used To Be (3:35)

Come Away With Me (4:02)

After Glow (5:22)

Let It Rain (4:40)

Holdin’ On (3:14)

All Day All Night (3:38)

Don’t Go (4:58)

United We Stand (5:05)

Life Rolls On (4:57)

Beautiful As You Are (7:10) 

Hard To Let It Go (4:08) – Japanese Bonus Track

Producer: Narada Michael Walden 

Artists: Neal Schon (Guitars), Jonathan Cain (Keyboards), Arnel Pineda (Lead Vocals), Randy Jackson (Bass), Jason Derlatka (Background Vocals), Deen Castronovo (Lead Vocal on After Glow), Narada Michael Walden (Drums)

Tour Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ea-ACsaaL9M 

Lead Single Music Video: https://youtu.be/ioRSxki0dV8

Full Review: Coming Soon! 

Have you listened to, “The Way We Used To Be” the lead single off of the upcoming release from the legendary Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame band, Journey: Freedom (2022) before? What did you think about this single? Are you excited for the new album based on their past recordings and the single’s production, band performance, mix, the song writing, style and overall sound? Journey founder and lead guitarist, Neal Schon, promises, that Freedom (2022) is akin to their chart-topping album, Escape (1981).

What I’ve always loved about the highly talented outfit that we know as, Journey, is that the sum of its parts are equal to the whole. For example, Neal has recently released another stunning solo album, Universe (2020), keyboard Jonathan Cain released Freedom In Your Grace (2020) and drummer / co-lead vocalist Deen Castronovo, released his third Revolution Saints record, Rise (2020), with a fourth on the way…

As a Journey fan, dating back to the 80’s, I love the familiar cover art and am extremely excited to hear the new, Freedom (2020) album, in its entirety and to catch them on the road, with Toto, throughout this year. With the return of sensational vocalist Arnel Pineda and the “Back to the Future” return of American Idol star-host, Randy Jackson on bass, this should be darn good! You can also catch Journey at Resorts World Casino in Las Vegas, where they’ll be doing a mini-residence.

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I look forward to your JoulePepper rating of Journey: Freedom and I would love to read your comments in the JouleView section, below. Based on a quick online search, you can stream Freedom or purchase a hard copy on vinyl, compact disc and are you ready, on cassette!!! Based on the above, I give this debut single 4.5 JoulePeppers – it’s Spicy!

Note: Since I first posted, Journey has released two more singles, “You Got The Best of Me” & “Let It Rain” that you can hear on various streamers. Hopefully, Journey (Band, BMG or Frontiers) will send us an advanced copy so that I can share my full review before the album is released.

Not that I expected anyone to, even though I did work for Journey / SoulSirkUS, in various capacities (off / on) between 1999-2011, I was never given an advance release. However, I have since streamed the entire album, purchased the BMG version of the CD as well as the Japanese Bonus Track version and the exclusive UK “Orange vinyl” from Frontiers Records. In advance of my full review, I will only type three words, it is a, “Masterful 5.0 JoulePeppers”. The album is THAT Spicy-good!

ronvining

Welcome, from AppFlicks Chief AuteurX! I created AppFlicks out of my love for all-things entertainment, stints as a music manager, producer and as an advisor to film & game studios, telcos, lux brands, retail, hospitality & theme parks. Thank you for taking part in our streaming community! NOTE: Activity from my account, may also be initiated by AppFlicks Admin.