Journey Album: “Generations”

I just ordered the import version of this CD that comes complete with a 10-page booklet and 14 songs, including two I have never heard. What I have is the copy the band has been handing out at concerts during their summer U.S. tour that is packaged in a CD size album jacket and has just 12 songs on it. But, in my judgment this is the best music Journey has recorded since Escape and Frontiers. I heard some of these songs previewed at a Journey concert I attended recently and I listened to the new CD on the way home from the concert and absolutely loved it. I have been listening to nothing else for the last two weeks. Honestly, I can't understand the indifference Journey fans have to the new material. I heard people outside the arena complaining about the fact that the band played so many new songs during a 3 hour concert that also featured all the hits from the 70's and 80's that everyone wanted to hear. Do people object to the new material just because Steve Perry is not the front man anymore? Get over it! Steve Augeri's vocals are superb on this new CD and he contributes some writing credits that are excellent as well. The band loses nothing, and I believe gains a great deal with the less egomaniacal Steve Augeri on lead vocals, because they are more of a band. This CD has more variety in musical style then you would have seen in Perry's day, and every member of the band takes a turn singing lead on at least one song on the CD. Schon's and Valory's voices are barely passable, but Cain and Castronovo can sing lead vocal quality on their songs. This is a more creative and happy Journey lineup, and the results are evident on this new CD.

The opening track is "Faith In The Heartland," an excellent rock and roll song about holding onto hope in the face of a changing, dangerous world. The tone of the song is typically upbeat and positive, and the music is signature journey, somewhat reminiscent of "Separate Ways." What follows is a straight ahead rocker entitled "The Place In Your Heart." Again, an excellent track somewhat reminiscent of "Chain Reaction" or one of the lesser known Journey rockers that are nevertheless solid tracks. Track three is "Better Life," and thanks to Penetrator above, I have discovered that this is actually the first song on the CD fronted by someone other than Steve A. As I said I have a concert copy without any credits or lyrics, and was startled to find that the song features Deen Castronovo on lead vocals, though he sounds very much like Augeri. The song is about a young couple struggling to earn a living, congquering the challenges through love and believing in the future. Again, it is typically hopeful in tone and has more of a pop rock feel to it, featuring excellent harmonies by the band. The vocals on Song four are delivered by Jonathan Cain, and in places sounds a great deal like Greg Rolie used to when he sang lead. The song is "Every Generation," a song with the message that the more things change the more they seem to stay the same across generations and it expresses Cain's hope, as he said introducing this song in concert, that some of the newest generation will leave this world a better place than they found it. Song five is the first true ballad on the CD, though it does still feature some great guitar work by Neal Schon. The song was written solo by Steve Augeri and it is excellent. It is very lyrical and somewhat reminiscent of songs Journey was writing on their first few albums with Perry, though longer. The next track is the first one that fails a bit for me. Though it is not a bad song, it is not a standout track and doesn't really sound like Journey. It was written by Augeri and DeRossi, which leads me to believe it might by a song written by Steve and one of his former "Tall Stories" band mates that they have tried to turn into a Journey song and it doesn't quite work. Track 7 is a blues, soul piece written by Jonathan Cain entitled "Knowing That You Love Me." In some ways it is a typical Cain ballad with some syrupy lyrics but I found with several listens that the song grew on me. Musically though the piece is excellent and it shows Journey's versatility. "Out Of Harms Way," is a song written for the troops fighting in Iraq. Journey featured this song in concert and it a great rocker with lyrics that deal sensitively and realistically with what our soldiers must confront, both on the battle field and then readjusting to civilian life. It is definitely not a rah, rah, patriotic piece that glorifies the conflict in Iraq, for which I am grateful. "In Self-Defense" is the next song and Neal sings lead. This is a song written by Schon/Cain and apparently dates back to the Frontiers era. It's a decent straight ahead rocker, but it doesn't have the melodic touch of a typical Journey rocker. "Better Together" is another straight ahead rocker. There is nothing remarkable about it but it is a decent track. "Gone Crazy" is the one song on the CD that seems truly out of place. I can appreciate the effort to have everyone in the band sing lead on at least one song, but...Ross Valory's voice is even less palatable than Schon's, and the song sounds like it should have been recorded by ZZ Top, not Journey. Journey closes out the concert version of their CD on a high note however, with a ballad written by Augeri and Schon entitled "Beyond The Clouds." Again it is a song about hoping in the future though the present may appear dark. The song uses the theme of the clouds to describe the present, and the hope of the return of the sun "beyond the clouds" as a metaphor for the future. Schons brings a bit of a jazz/soul feel to the song, not unlike some of the material on Infinity. It is sentimental without being cheesy, and provides an opportunity for Augeri to shine, not just as a vocalist, but with his song writing. I can't review the two songs I have not heard on the Japanese import version of the CD, but I am eager to hear the songs myself.

This is the most satisfying Journey CD by far since Frontiers. Musically the CD is very Journeyesque throughout, much more consistent than "Raised On Radio," "Trial By Fire," or even "Arrival" was. The lyrics are much stronger, showing more of the maturity and the sensitivity of songs on "Red 13," however the sound quality on "Generations" is far superior to the EP. This is a CD that, had it been released in the 1980's following Escape and Frontiers, I feel certain would have been a multi-platinum seller. However, in today's radio market, where everything is rap and hip hop driven, Journey is reduced to having to hand out their new CD on their concert tour because they cannot find a distributer to handle the CD for retail and no radio station will play any of their new material. But, people who have appreciated Journey's music in the past need to give the new material a chance. Stop worshiping Steve Perry. Steve Augeri does sound very like Perry, particularly when he sings the old material in concert. But he shows on the new CD that he is his own man, and his vocal style on the new material sets him apart from Perry. This is the best CD I have obtained in a long time, and I am looking forward to getting a copy of the Import and to the eventual U.S. release that is coming after Journey completes its tour. Give this new music a try. It will not disappoint!

Despite the less than stellar review by Honda, don't believe it. This is Journey's best CD period and yes, the band is still making great music even without Steve Perry. I was a huge Steve Perry fan, but basically he tended to dominate things a little too much at times, while now the band is more of a band with Steve Augeri fronting the group. Generations is a great mix of the old and new Journey sound, and as good as Arrival and Red 13 were, this collection of great songs leaves those two in the dust. Faith in the Heartland and Better Life are two of the best songs Journey has created period and it's great to see Journey back to rocking hard again. Each of the members contributes to the CD in a very significant way and Generations is a great gift to Journey fans and good music fans.

Before I get into the review...

PERRY ISN'T IN THE BAND ANYMORE. Hasn't been since 96. That's nearly 10 years! He's NOT coming back. Those of you that want to live in the past, go put on "Escape". Don't dog this album simply because your hero (and one of mine quite frankly) doesn't appear here. Look into the future! While I'm at it, I don't think Dennis DeYoung will be taking over as Journey's singer either (just to cover all the bases!).

This is Journey 2005 and it's a GREAT band with a GREAT new album. Harder edged than their last album "Arrival" (another great album, though a bit 'ballad heavy'), "Generations" finds the band striving for something a bit different. Everyone in the band sings this time around and the results are sometimes missing the mark (bringing the album rating down to a 4 instead of a 5) and sometimes brilliant. I don't remember other band members singing lead since "Departure".

Journey did this album without the support of a major label... "Support" might be a subjective word here. While major label support is great for getting the music out to the masses, they really hampered Journey's creativity on "Arrival" which SHOULD have been a blockbuster album. However, Sony kept at them to add more ballads to the album creating an album that was just too soft for Journey to use as a comeback statement. It's still a good collection of songs though.

On "Generations" the band is a lot more free and it shows. The rocking songs are really rocking and the ballads have a bit more of a bluesy touch to them rather than the power ballad feel of "Open Arms" and "Faithfully".

It must also be said that Steve Augeri is one HELL of a singer. His voice really comes alive on this record where on "Arrival", there might've been more nods than necessary to his predecessor. His songwriting is also featured on the album with (I believe) 3 tracks that he wrote on his own. Hey, look at that! Another hero! Cool.

The good:

"Faith in the Heartland"- A great rocker song with some good guitar from Neal Schon. Augeri turns in a great vocal here as well.

"The Place in Your Heart"- Another good rocker. This song seems to actually have a bit of Motown thrown in. Some of the backup vocals in the chorus and the rhythm in the chorus is very "Four Tops". Not that the song sounds like Motown, but the influence is clearly there.

"A Better Life"- This song is sung by drummer Deen Castronovo. WOW. This guy's got a great voice and turns in a very soulful performance here. Perryheads will like this as Deen's voice sounds like "Raised on Radio"-era Perry. Actually sounds more like Perry than Augeri. Great lyrics on this one too. I don't know, since Ringo, I always expect mediocre vocals from drummers. This guy blows that myth away. Good job Deen.

"Believe"- Augeri's second self-written tune on the record. I really like the piano and string arrangement in this upbeat tune. It's got a positive message and is a good song. I think it could've had a stronger chorus or at least used different chords there, but I still like it.

"Knowing That You Love Me"- This is THE ballad on the album and it stands along side "Open Arms" and "Faithfully" but does them one better by having a much more bluesy feel. I believe this is a Jon Cain song. It's absolutely brilliant. I'm not much of a ballad guy, but this one is truly great. Steve's voice kills on this song. If radio is looking for a good ballad PUSH THIS TRACK. It's really good and deserves to be heard. Great lyrics Jon! Great string arrangement. I love this one.

"Out of Harm's Way"- This one's about a guy who goes and comes back from Iraq. It definitely rocks. I like the verses better than the choruses though. It gets into the war thing without telling you how to think but just kind of explains the character in the song's trials. Neal Schon turns in some good guitar solos in this one. I wish the lyric was "Keep them out of harm's way... AND GET THEM THE F**K HOME!" but they're not that kind of band.

"In Self Defense"- Sung by guitarist Neal Schon. Neal's voice actually reminds me of Jimi Hendrix. Cool. This song kick's MAJOR tail. Killer guitar riff from Neal and great playing from Castronovo. Neal recorded this one for his solo album in 83 (actually all of Journey played on it back then too) but it was redone for this record. Not sure why they did that, but I'm glad they did. This version's backup vocals fit the song better than Perry's did. Perry's were intrusive. These are much better and help the song. Good job Neal!

"Better Together"- Great bluesy rock track with Augeri on lead. This song is really good and rocks. Good guitar from Neal as well. I also like when Cain moves to the organ for the harder rock songs. Reminds me of his playing in the Baby's. Great chorus. This song sounds kind of like "who the hell cares, we're Journey and we're going to kick your a$$". Good song.

"Beyond The Clouds"- I think this might be another Augeri-written one. Not sure. It's been said to be about the 9/11 stuff. Good ballad with good lyrics. It doesn't hold a candle to "Knowing that You Love Me", but it's still a good song with a good chorus. Similar to "Trial By Fire" but a much much better song.

"Never Too Late"- Another Deen Castronovo vocal here. This song was going to be left off of the American release. THANK GOD someone came to their senses. This is a great song and definitely should be here. Good rocking tune.

The not so good:

"Every Generation"- Jonathan Cain sings this one. The song is a good song with a great chorus. I find myself humming this one a lot. However, Jon's voice just doesn't make it for me. It's not horrible or anything, but it's very tight sounding on the higher notes. I think it's a bit out of his vocal range. Steve would've done this song better and I wish that he had. If you like Jon Cain singing, buy "Back to the Innocence" his solo album. It's pretty good.

"Butterfly"- This is an Augeri-penned tune. Decent song, but definitely different for Journey. I think this would've been a better song for Augeri's solo album. There's just not a strong enough chorus here. However, having said that, this one could've been on "Dream After Dream". This one has grown on me, but it's still not one of my favorite tracks. Also, the lyrics remind me of "Something Corporate's" song "Me and the Moon". Similar lyric ideas of an oppressed woman that wants to be free, both with butterflies in them. I think "Something Corporate" pulled the idea off a bit better, yet a bit more on the dark side. A LOT of Journey fans love this song. So I could be wrong...

"Gone Crazy"- Bassist Ross Valory sings this one. The music on this song is so un-Journey like. It's actually like Van Halen's "The Full Bug" from "Diver Down" which is very cool. It's a great rock song with awesome guitar - BUT- Valory's voice just isn't Journey and is more like George Thorogood or a bit like David Lee Roth. Imagine how cool this song would've been had Augeri sang it. It would've been a good B-side. I actually like the song quite a bit, but it doesn't fit that well here.

All in all, a really solid effort from a band that really deserves some respect. I mean, if friggin' Bob Segar, James Taylor, and Jackson Browne (?!?!) can get into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, why not Journey? Journey is one of America's great bands and they deserve to be doing better than they are these days. Major labels and radio- Get a grip and push this album!

A previous reviewer was very thorough in his examination of each track. I would simply like to offer that this is the overall hardest rocking album Journey has ever done. Though there are a few excellent mellower numbers (e.g., Beyond the Clouds), the core of Generations are the straight-ahead rockers, which are driven by Neal Schon's resurgent guitar work (this is a 180 degree turn from his latest, excellent solo work I on U).

Though Journey took great pains to find a replacement singer who could pass for Steve Perry, after repeated listens, I can note that not only can Steve Augeri imitate Perry but he has a more robust voice (perhaps not the glass-breaking range, though). The rest of the group is in fine form.

Journey has produced the album that they should have done in the 1980s. This is pure AOR rock, without the seemingly obligatory "radio hit." Something I find very interesting is the theme of the album. Many of the songs revolve around the topic of how successive generations encounter and deal with similar challenges. Though the tragedy and ill-decision of the Iraq war figures high (e.g., Harm's Way), but the treatment is sufficiently broad as to have salience for a variety of situations.

A very enjoyable listen!

While this doesn't have the same feel as past Journey endevours it does have some fabulous tracks. Overall I love the idea of having each of the members of the band singing lead on this album. I will agree that Ross Valory's Gone Crazy is so different that most folks will cringe when they hear it but what I did was purposely listen to this particular track over and over and it actually is a catchy tune.

I applaude Journey for stretching the envelope with this effort. It was well worth the wait and I do recommend this album.

Today's music is so lame that it is refreshing to hear one of my favorite bands (yes I've been a fan since their inception in 1974) coming out with such a quality album. I only hope we don't have to wait years again before the next release.