Arrival

Performer: Journey (Rock)
Producer: Kevin "Spank" Shirley
Distributor: Sony Music Distribution (

Notes: Journey: Steve Augeri (vocals); Neal Schon (guitar, background vocals); Jonathan Cain (keyboards, background vocals); Ross Valory (bass, background vocals); Deen Castronovo (drums, background vocals). Engineers: Aya Takemura, Kevin "Spank" Shirley. Recorded at The Plant Recording Studios, Sausalito, California, Avatar Studios and The Cave, New York, New York. Arena rock veterans Journey must have felt the pressure to meet and hopefully surpass expectations on their first studio album without Steve Perry. The choice of his successor and what the band could offer without him had been the subjects of argument and speculation for some time. Journey's ARRIVAL fits the bill comfortably and triumphantly. While it doesn't rock as hard as TRIAL BY FIRE, the songwriting is top notch, and producer Kevin Shirley continues to bring out the best in the bands he works with. Former Tall Stories/Tyketto vocalist Steve Augeri steps into some very big shoes and delivers emotive, soaring vocals on ballads such as "All the Way" and "All the Things." Rockers "Higher Place" and "We Will Meet Again" are in the minority, but are sure to please long time fans. New drummer Deen Castronovo puts his chops on a leash and shows his ability to be a true ensemble player. An obvious single, "Signs of Life" sounds as close to the Journey spirit as the band can get without Perry, while the smoldering "Kiss Me Softly" shows that the new Journey has a few aces up its collective sleeve.

When one thinks of the archetypal power-ballad powerhouse Journey, it's hard not to automatically picture an arena full of fans hoisting cigarette lighters. While singer Steve Perry's voice was custom-made for Journey's heartbreaking love songs, guitarist Neal Schon had the hard rock chops to fire up their numerous melodic anthems, the combination making them one of the biggest bands of the 1980s. They started out as a prog-rock/fusion-oriented offshoot of Santana, but didn't break through until Perry was brought in to front the band in the late '70s. Nevertheless, after Perry's departure, the band eventually reunited and carried on with Perry soundalike Steve Augeri, playing for thousands of enraptured fans and recording new material.

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