GETTING MORE TALE #673: Message of Love
The old saying goes “Better late than never”. This is often true, especially in music. It is never too late to discover an old band. Be it Led Zeppelin, Thin Lizzy, or Queen, it has been pretty easy for me to catch up. As is my modus operandi, when I discover a band I tend to jump in headfirst and not look back.
I took a similar path with Journey. Journey were never considered “heavy metal”, and although metal magazines did cover them, I was never exposed to their music as a kid. If they were not on the Pepsi Power Hour in the 1980s, then chances are, I didn’t hear them until later on.
Prior to official “discovery”, I think I only knew two Journey songs. “Any Way You Want It” was used on the Simpsons in a memorable scene. I also remember hearing “Wheel in the Sky” on the radio while eating out with my sister and my grandmother. “Who is this?” I kept asking. The song was incredible!
I didn’t find out for many years that it was Journey, although I did form an idea of what Journey sounded like otherwise. Dream Theater covered “Lovin’ Touchin’ Squeezin'” on their Change of Seasons EP. “I hate that song!” said T-Rev upon seeing the EP. I didn’t care for it either. But I was still curious why Joey Belladonna from Anthrax counted Journey as one of his favourite bands. Something to do with the singer?
I really had no idea who Steve Perry was. I heard of him. I didn’t know he was one of the most influential singers of the 70s and 80s! In 1994, his solo album For Love of Strange Medicine was released. It was my first year at the Record Store and I still didn’t really know who he was. I remember stocking the CD, but I kind of blew it when I sold my first copy to a customer.
“This is supposed to be great,” said the lady buying the Steve Perry CD.
“Yeah,” I said, trying to make conversation where I shouldn’t have. “He’s a great guitar player.” Wrong guess.
“He’s also an amazing singer!” said the lady with class, trying not to embarrass me.
I will never forget calling Steve Perry a great guitar player. What a clueless poser I was!
My moment of discovery finally came in 1998. T-Rev, Tom and I were in a mall in Burlington, as I recall. The new Journey song came on: “Remember Me”. This was one a one-off track from the Armageddon soundtrack. It was credited as “Journey (featuring lead vocals by Steve Augeri)”. As I would later find out, Steve Perry quit the band and was replaced by a similar sounding Steve. I didn’t care about that, because the song was incredible! I looked forward to eventually getting the CD, which I would have been buying anyway for new Aerosmith and Our Lady Peace.
That was my gateway: a soundtrack song with a replacement singer, from a shitty Michael Bay movie. Embarrassing yes, but the truth it is.
My bosses and co-workers cringed as I jumped right into my new favourite band. First up: Greatest Hits, remastered of course. Bought it, loved it. It was a little light, with all those ballads, but I expected that. It was songs like “Only the Young” and “Separate Ways” that slayed me. To me it sounded as if Bon Jovi ripped off every trick he had right from Journey. Early Bon Jovi, for sure. Not everyone agreed with me on that, particularly Bon Jovi fans, but I don’t think it’s a stretch.
Next I acquired their Time3 box set, at which point I finally got a proper Journey education. From their progressive jam band beginnings to a bitter ending at the close of the 80s, the Time3 box set got me up to speed. Almost.
One thing was missing: Journey’s 1996 reunion album with none other than Steve Perry. Fortunately for me, one of my regular customers (whom the bosses hated because he chewed gum when he spoke) brought me a mint condition Japanese version of Trial By Fire, complete with bonus track. Something about the album clicked with me, and to do this day — do I dare say it? — I think it’s my favourite Journey. Trial By Fire is exceptional. It is diverse, perhaps even more so than prior Journeys. It is passionate, and Steve Perry’s seasoned voice is the real journey.
Of course all this new Journey love meant I was playing them in store, constantly. One kid named Matty K absolutely loathed every time Steve Perry sang “Whoa-oh-oh oh” in any form. Everybody else probably thought I lost my shit. What can I say? Journey’s music actually made me feel good. Of course I wanted to play it often, and I’m sorry the others hated it. And hate it they did!
Steve Perry didn’t want to tour after Trial By Fire and so was replaced by Steve Augeri for a couple releases…who was then replaced by Jeff Scott Soto in a killer lineup that didn’t last…and Soto was replaced by current singer Arnel Pineda. His remarkable story is the stuff for a whole other article, but I still love Journey.
Since I missed out the first two times around, I would love to hear a Journey reunited with Steve Perry once again. It doesn’t matter that his voice has changed. There is nothing quite like hearing him sing. Or play guitar? I can’t remember!
Escape was my first journey into Journey… just bought it on a whim. Not bought anything of theirs since Trial By Fire though.
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Without Steve Perry, they have changed. He had so much soul and that can’t be faked. I look at it kind of like STP. They have a guy who has the voice, but the heart is someone else.
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Really enjoyed this one, Mike… I love discovering bands… especially those that have a rich catalogue already. Where to delve in? is always the big question and the responses differ, so it’s also good to have the differing opinions and a choice of my own to make.
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Yeah and I think the next step for me might be to write up “A Beginner’s Guide to KISS”. Although I’m reminded that I never finished my KISS series. I need to do that as well.
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Great story Mike. The songs from Escape were my first taste. Only heard those on the radio. It was Frontiers that was my first album by them. And for the record, I like Trial by Fire as well. Not my favorite, but still great since I will take anything with Perry.
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Trial By Fire is a really solid record for what it is. Journey in the 90s? They did a good job in what could have been an impossible situation.
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I got on board with Raised on the Radio. Love Perry’s voice.
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Soulful album. I’ll Be Alright Without You is incredible.
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“Infinity” was my first experience of Journey through an old marine buddy. I went off them after “Frontiers.”
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Did you ever climb back aboard?
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I still listen to the pre-Frontiers material but nothing after.
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The ‘Airheads’ soundtrack with a version of “Born To Raise Hell” featuring Whitefield Crane and Ice T…. that was my introduction to Motorhead.
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Well, you gotta start somewhere!
I knew Motorhead from Much. I’ll never forget Lemmy hosting the Power Hour with JD Roberts. “What do you think this is, a holiday?” I thought he was a ruffian.
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I got more than the Greatest Hots because of your recommends. And here’s another one! I’m on it.
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A great Greatest Hits that one. I don’t think I ever reviewed it though.
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You should! Also, it seems I typed Greatest Hots in my comment. Which is a whole other thing entirely.
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Well, it is pretty hot(s).
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Really enjoyed this. I always try and start with a band’s classic LP and work the ripples out from there.
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That’s a good strategy. I like those underdog records though. Like the Motorhead album that had Robbo. Or the Lizzy with John Sykes. The one-offs.
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Or that one really good Motley Crue LP with thingy singing on it?
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Never heard of that one. Any good?
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Yup, it sounds like Motley Crue but with a good singer. Imagine that?!
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Maybe they should have done that from the start eh?
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I loved this, Mike! For me, I knew Journey only by a few of their hits on the radio. I also knew Steve Perry from his song Oh Sherry. But, it clicked for me through Only the Young. I was listening to accuradio, and it came up. Who’s this??? Beautiful. I now have the greatest hits. Who knows? I may be acquiring more!
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I have the Greatest Hits + 5 (I think it’s called).
Yup, before I knew “Oh Sherry”, I knew the gag in Baseketball, and I didn’t even get the joke.
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