Journey: Departure (Reissued + Expanded Digipack) CD Track Listing

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Journey Departure (Reissued + Expanded Digipack) (1980)
Departure (Reissued + Expanded Digipack)\n2006 Columbia/Legacy\n\nOriginally Released March 1980\nCD Edition Released September 6, 1989\nRemastered CD Edition Released October 15, 1996\nReissued Digipack CD Edition Released October 3, 2006\n\nAMG EXPERT REVIEW: The third and final album of what could be called Journey's cocoon phase (Escape would give birth to a fully formed butterfly and put the band through a different stratosphere), 1980's Departure would also be the quintet's last with keyboardist/vocalist Gregg Rolie. Produced by Geoff Workman and Kevin Elson (essentially both engineers turned producers), the album continued to build on the band's previous two recordings, but offered an added edge, arrangement-wise. This was likely due to the fact that the band had walked into Automatt Studios with 19 new tunes and proceeded to record most of them live, eventually trimming down to 11 songs. Catapulting all the way up to number eight on the Billboard Top 200, Departure was the band's highest charting album to date and got off to an explosive start with the driving riffs and chorused vocals of "Anyway You Want It" (another radio smash that would chart Top 25). Never sounding tighter, the quintet then launches into "Walks Like a Lady" (another future FM staple, which would climb to number 32) and a string of outstanding rockers, including future concert opener "Where Were You" and the stop-go-stop-go energy of "Line of Fire." On the other hand, elegant power ballads like "Good Morning" and "Stay Awhile" would foreshadow the band's future commercial triumphs on Escape. And even though it packs the occasional filler like "Someday Soon" and "Homemade Love" (a weak attempt to boogie that falls absolutely flat and, tellingly, was the only Gregg Rolie-sung tune here), Departure is a solid record all around. Soon, Rolie would be replaced by the greater pop-savvy songwriting muscle of former Babys keyboard man Jonathan Caine, and Journey would go from huge cult act to monster superstars. [The 2006 reissue contains two bonus tracks: "Natural Thing" (the B-side to "Don't Stop Believin'") and "Little Girl," which appeared on the Dream After Dream soundtrack.] -- John Franck & Ed Rivadavia\n\nAMG EXPERT REVIEW: Featuring the driving "Any Way You Want It" and the Top 40 hit "Walks like a Lady," Departure didn't mark a departure from Journey's successful pop/rock formula, but overall the record was a little weaker than their previous two albums. -- Stephen Thomas Erlewine\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nMore rocking Journey...another fantastic album, February 17, 2003\nReviewer: Brad (CT)\nThis third album of Journey's with Steve Perry at the helm continues the mastery of classic melodic rock that the band is famed for. This would be the last album before Greg Rolie is replaced by Jonathan Cain on keyboards, so it is the last we get to hear of certain classic rock influences. For sure, this is a rocking album but with a definite moodiness to it in spots.\n"Any Way You Want It" kicks off the album with a bang. With no instrumental intro, Steve Perry starts belting out one of Journey's most famous rockers. Then comes the light, catchy "Walk Like a Lady", a bluesy number that nicely offsets the opening rocker. "Someday Soon" is melodic rock bliss, and it includes some of the last of the great vocals we get to hear from Greg Rolie. Following is a very uniquely moody tune in "People and Places". I don't know what it is about that song, but with the way the different members each sing a word one after the other combined with the haunting (in spots) sound of the keyboard, this one still can send shivers up my spine. Very unique track.\n\nThen after more fine melodies on "Precious Time", a few definite rockers kick in. "Where Were You" has an amazingly melodic chorus, "I'm Cryin'" contains some of the most amazingly emotive Perry vocals ever, and "Line Of Fire" absolutely smokes. From there the tempo and mood slows up with the short but very nice title track instrumental, which leads into the very pretty, pleasant "Good Morning Girl". "Stay Awhile" further continues the pretty slowdown in tempo, before "Homemade Love" ends the album by again rocking the house.\n\nI could rave at length about every one of these tracks and how listening to them makes me feel. As much as I love the more popular Journey albums that are to follow this one, there is something about that classic sound that is special. This effort was the third straight winning effort with Steve Perry at the vocal helm in three years for the band at the time. Once again, the band struck gold in the classic and melodic rock arena.\n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nAn early GEM of an album often overlooked by people., December 21, 2000\nReviewer: "steveperryfan4evr" (santa monica, CA United States)\nThis is a stellar Journey album featuring Perry's voice at his most flawless. This was the vocal peak of his career...with a range that would make an opera singer jealous. Im Cryin' is an amazing showcase for his voice. Good Morning Girl is a wonderfully intimate song. With only a solo guitar backing him up, his sweet voice soars. Dont miss out on this Gem.\n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nProbably the most underrated of early Steve Perry Journey-, March 4, 2000\nReviewer: Tonya Price "elysianhunter" (Gahanna, OH United States)\nI think this could be because they were in the transition between the very fusion/blues oriented Infinity and Evolution, but not quite headed in the direction of Escape and Frontiers. It was the beginning of the more polished "techno" sound they were later to acquire. I particularly enjoy the tracks "People and Places" and "Good Morning Girl," which are unique, but also vaguely reminiscent of "Dream After Dream," which had just been completed prior to the recording of Departure. A must have, and don't overlook it. There is some great rock-n-roll here.\n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nA sleek departure into new frontiers..., October 19, 1998\nReviewer: FreeWyngz@aol.com (Cleveland, Ohio)\nGregg Rolie, one of JOURNEY's founding members and longtime keyboardist/vocalist, unfortunately left the band shortly after DEPARTURE was recorded. Now leaning towards new musical frontiers: is JOURNEY a rock and roll or a jazz fusion or an R&B band...? It's hard to define such musical expression that is JOURNEY and DEPARTURE! On pieces like WALKS LIKE A LADY and STAY AWHILE: two smooth and cool tunes laden with Schon riffs and Perry's soaring vocals; Valory lays down a mellow groove on bass and Smith drives the beat with astonishing ease. Another outstanding moment includes the hit ANY WAY YOU WANT IT. The heavy WHERE WERE YOU and LINE OF FIRE provide some guitar punch. The driving blues on I'M CRYIN' pushes the envelope of emotive expression. GOOD MORNING GIRL brightly sounds, "I sing it girl from the heart." SOMEDAY SOON and HOMEMADE LOVE lay down some musically challenging time signatures. And the majestic PEOPLE AND PLACES and PRECIOUS TIME help to round out what is a rather sleek album. So how might one exactly define such an extensive album? One need only say that it is indeed JOURNEY!\n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nClassic Journey!, October 3, 1998\nReviewer: A music fan\nThis is the recording that really started to define Journey's 80s sound. A fine mix of melody, blues and straight forward rock'n'roll. A must for any Journey fan.\n\n\nHalf.com Details \nProducer: Geoff Workman, Kevin Elson \n\nAlbum Notes\nJourney: Neal Schon (vocals, guitar); Gregg Rolie (vocals, harmonica, keyboards); Steve Perry (vocals); Ross Valory (bass, bass pedals, background vocals); Steve Smith (drums, percussion).\n\nDigitally remastered by Bob Ludwig and Brian Lee.\n\nJourney: Steve Perry (vocals); Neal Schon, Ross Valory (guitar); Steve Smith (drums); Gregg Rolie.\n\nRecording information: 1980.\n\nWith its first '80s release, DEPARTURE, Journey had made the transition from its early prog-rock direction to the streamlined radio machine that would rule the first half of the decade. DEPARTURE would also prove to be original keyboardist Gregg Rolie's last studio album with the band--he was replaced by Jon Cain for next year's ESCAPE. While the best known song here remains the rocker "Any Way You Want It" (which was used in a hilarious scene in the movie CADDYSHACK the same year), many other lesser-known highlights can be found throughout, such as "Walks Like a Lady," "People and Places," and "Good Morning Girl."\n\n\nROLLING STONE REVIEW\nDeparture offers ample proof that the Seventies hard-rock genre so many people have been trying to bury for the last few years just doesn't want to die. Journey may well be the best American band in this idiom, which is ironic, because, stylistically, they've always seemed to struggle with it, as if hard rock were a new shirt they had trouble fitting into. For an Aerosmith or a Ted Nugent, no such difficulties existed -- hard rock was their only option. But Journey could have gone in any number of musical directions. Founding members Gregg Rolie (keyboards) and Neal Schon (guitar) came from Santana, Aynsley Dunbar from his own groups and Frank Zappa's Mothers of Invention, and Ross Valory from the Steve Miller Band.\n\nFor years, Journey appeared torn by conflicting interests that were only temporarily pacified by the hard-rock compromise. The addition of megalomaniac producer Roy Thomas Baker and lead vocalist Steve Perry further confused the issue. Nevertheless, the group slowly managed to improve, making albums that were extremely commercial. Journey reached their recording peak in 1978 with Infinity and then proceeded to burst apart at the seams. Dunbar left, disgusted by the lack of a clear-cut musical direction, while Baker was told in no uncertain terms that his time was coming to an end. The band had never liked his production, and the last LP they did together, 1979's Evolution, showed it. Evolution also suffered from the growing pains of adding drummer Steve Smith to the lineup.\n\nAll of these problems have been resolved on Departure. The most conspicuous absence is that of Roy Thomas Baker, whose meddling isn't missed. Engineer Geoff Workman has been promoted to producer, which places the group's musical direction in its own hands. Not surprisingly, a real leader has emerged for the first time in Journey's history: Steve Perry, a fine singer with a penchant for snappy melodic hooks, is currently calling the shots, writing or cowriting all but one of the songs and keying the sound around his vocal arrangements. "Any Way You Want It," "Where Were You," "I'm Cryin' " and "People and Places" demonstrate the band's new approach. Steve Smith's steady, unspectacular drumming has proved to be an addition by subtraction: goodbye to Aynsley Dunbar's virtuoso technique. In the past, the group's good moments came when Neal Schon and Dunbar took off on extended jams, but now Journey works best as a band. And they've never rocked harder. (RS 319 - Jun 12, 1980) -- JOHN SWENSON
This rock cd contains 14 tracks and runs 47min 29sec.
Freedb: aa0b1f0e
Buy: from Amazon.com

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