Journey began life in San Francisco, US, having formed in 1973, spending several years developing their sound and lineup over their early albums. Their initial offerings were moderately successful jazz-rock records, that frequently broke out into instrumental experimentations. The influence of musical prodigy and former Santana guitarist, Neal Schon, was certainly on display, backed by Ross Valory (bass), Aynsley Dunbar (drums) and George Tickner (guitar), although George left after one album. Former Santana member, Gregg Rolie (keyboards, vocals) joined shortly after.
Not finding mainstream success, Journey decided they needed to find a strong vocalist, employing Steve Perry for the role. His presence immediately had an effect, with 1978's "Infinity" selling a million records in just one year. "Evolution" and "Departure" continued this success yet it was with "Escape" that they had created a real hit, featuring three Top Ten singles, "Who's Crying Now," "Don't Stop Believing" and "Open Arms." Journey sold millions of copies of "Escape," topping the charts internationally. 1983's "Frontiers" also spawned a number of hits, with Perry then embarked upon a solo venture, achieving double-platinum sales with 1984's "Street Talk."
Perry returned to Journey for 1986's "Raised on Radio," however the band disbanded shortly after. Perry continued his solo recordings whilst Schon and Cain formed Bad English and created the hit single, "When I See You Smile." In 1996, the band reunited, releasing the widely successful "Trial By Fire," bolstered by the success of the single, "When You Love a Woman." Tours followed, although minus Perry, maintaining the band's popularity.
In 2005, Journey's success was recognized, after receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, which was followed by the band embarking on a celebratory 30th anniversary tour. Struggling to find a vocalist who could front Journey, they trialled Jeff Scott Soto before finding Arnel Pineda, a Filipino vocalist who they had discovered on Youtube. He made his debut with the band on 2008's "Revelation," which proved Journey still had songwriting abilities, with the album going Platinum. In 2011, they celebrated their prog-rock roots, blending their early sounds with the arena rock style they had developed into at their peak for the album, "Eclipse" in 2011.
I can't think of anyone who won't have heard the classic hit 'Don't Stop Believin'', and I must say, this was the only track that I was familiar with before seeing Journey live. It wasn't a gig that I had planned on going to, but the experience was just phenomenal. The energy of their performance was just out of this world, especially considering they've been performing for the last 40 years! Each member of the band took a solo which was a really cool moment to give everyone the credit that they deserved, and it was great to be able to applaud each member individually. Even if you don't know the back catalogue of their music, the great 80s vibe is perfect for dancing alone, and the catchy hooks have you singing along before too long, which is what I found myself doing! The balance of the band and vocals complimented eachother well, with neither overpowering the other, making for a great sound in the massive venue, which had great acoustics. Great vocals, band, performance, and tracks. Such a fun night, I would definitely go again, and can say from experience that it really doesn't matter whether you know the music well or not to have a blast!
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