Journey - Infinity

Journey – Infinity

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This is the album which turned the band Journey from a semi-progressive rock band, into a fully fledged commercial success, with a change of recipe and ingredients to make it all happen, including the introduction of one ‘Steve Perry’.

Written by: gdmonline

ARTIST: Journey
ALBUM: Infinity
LABEL: CBS
SERIAL: JC 34912
YEAR: 1978
CD REISSUE: Discogs Reissue List
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: USA

LINEUP: Steve Perry – vocals * Neal Schon – guitars * Gregg Rolie – vocals, keyboards * Ross Valory – bass * Aynsley Dunbar – drums

<TRACK LISTING: 01 Lights * 02 Feeling That Way * 03 Anytime * 04 La Do Da * 05 Patiently * 06 Wheel In The Sky * 07 Something To Hide * 08 Winds Of March * 09 Can Do * 10 Opened The Door

WEBLINKS: Site Link

Background

This is the album which turned the band Journey from a semi-progressive rock band, into a fully fledged commercial success, with a change of recipe and ingredients to make it all happen. Prior to ‘Infinity’, Journey were swanning around pretending to be Santana wannabes, with a heavy progressive rock sound with latin overtones, sort of like Iron Butterfly meets Santana.

It was a direction which wasn’t going anywhere fast, and after three ‘so so’ albums, a change was definitely required. In stepped new singer Steve Perry, and a new producer, the technically talented Roy Thomas Baker. These two new ingredients combined, proved to be the catalyst which took Journey on a ride into mega stardom, and become the cornerstone for the AOR and melodic rock genres.

This time around though, Journey have left behind their prior influences, and instead, have infused the likes of Boston and Yes into a commercial package, guaranteed to hit the charts.

The Songs

And so it did with the minor hit ‘Lights’ (dedicated to the city of San Francisco). Elsewhere, their other popular moments included ‘Wheel In The Sky’, ‘Anytime’ and ‘Feeling That Way’.

However, the trump cards were Perry’s soaring vocals, for which the likes had never been heard before, on songs such as the incredible ballad ‘Patiently’, and the magnificent harmonies on ‘Something To Hide’ leading into the coup de grace that is ‘Winds Of March’. A classic if ever there was one.

However, a couple of tracks don’t quite hit the mark, the two in question are ‘La Do Da’ and ‘Can Do’, both are a bit oddball in the overall scheme of things. The pairing of Schon’s emotive guitar phrasing and Perry’s vocal range mean’t that the band could explore territory hitherto unknown before now.

In Summary

Perhaps my favourite Journey album, just for the fact that we are introduced to the talent that is Steve Perry. Unhappy with the change of direction Journey were now taking, Dunbar quit the band hoping to pursue more progressive leanings elsewhere.

Apart from all the gossip, rumor, and innuendo surrounding Steve Perry and his relationship with the band and it’s members over the coming years, at least we can celebrate what is truly a benchmark album within melodic rock given it’s Perry’s debut.

Video

Lights

Journey - Lights (Official HD Video - 1978)

Feeling That Way
Journey - Feeling That Way (Official Video - 1978)

Wheel In The Sky
Journey - Wheel in the Sky (Official HD Video - 1978)

Something To Hide
Journey - Somethin' to Hide (Official Audio)


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