JourneyDigest.com Your Journey Experience

Who Are We?

About Us

JourneyDigest.com Staff

Journey Digest Forums

Journey Digest Mailing List

Who Is Journey?

Journey Band Members

Journey Albums and Lyrics

What Do We Do?

Journey Analysis

Journey Album Reviews

JD Radio Station Listings

Journey Concert Reviews

Journey Interviews

Journey News

Feature Articles

Resources For You

A Look Back at Evolution
by Mike Bowers

ev-o-lu-tion n. 1. The act or process of unfolding, growing, or developing, usually by slow stages. 2. Anything developed by such an act or process.

There were certainly no 'slow stages' of development taking place when it came to Journey's fifth studio album Evolution. It's amazing to look back at the bands early years and see the absolute breakneck pace at which they were working. From 1975 to 1981 Journey delivered 7 studio albums, 1 double live album, 1 compilation album, with a full length motion picture soundtrack thrown in for good measure. In a short span of just 26 months alone, January '78 to March of '80, Journey released what I like to call the 'Holy Trinity' of Infinity, Evolution, and Departure. When the boys weren't busy writing and recording they evidently liked to take long vaction breaks ... touring virtually nonstop.

When Infinity was released in January '78 not only did it mark a new musical direction for the band, it also served as the introduction of vocalist Steve Perry. Gone were the long progressive jams, replaced with well crafted vocal oriented songs more suited to the wide listening FM AOR radio format of the day. The experiment worked, worked quite well indeed. Album sales quadrupled that of the previous 3 efforts and the relentless Infinity Tour of 172 cities saw them turn into headliners on marquees around the world.

Journey reentered the studio in the fall of '78, armed with new drummer extrordinaire Steve Smith, to begin work on the follow up. When complete, Evolution would further catapult the band into the American mainstream and for the first time into the Top 40.
Let's take a track by track look at a true Journey classic ... Evolution.

The aptly titled Majestic opens the album with a full minute and 16 seconds worth of instrumental splendor accented with a resounding multi-layered vocal chorus. This track, pre-recorded as the band took to the stage, served as the grand opening for all shows on both the Evolution and Departure tours.

Too Late is a lesson in vocal gymnastics that showcases the very reasons why Steve Perry is considered one of the premier rock vocalist of all time. This Perry/Schon collaboration not only features a stellar vocal performance but a dramatically soaring Schon guitar solo that drives the song home. Released as the third single off the album in Jan '80 the song eventually peaked at #70.

What else can be said of Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin'? Perry's bluesy opus of hurt and gleeful revenge was the second single released from the album in Aug '79 and climbed all the way up the charts to #16. Journey's first certifiable 'hit' and a concert staple/fan favorite to this day. Time to play Journey trivia! Q. How many 'Na's' are in the 'Na, na, na, na, na, na' sing along? A. 77!
Radio programmers learned early on that no play of Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin', was complete without adding City of the Angels along for the ride. These songs were just meant to be played together in unison in the same manner as Feeling That Way/Anytime were forever joined on Infinity. The song is a tribute to the city of Los Angeles and the hustle and bustle of urban life. Amazingly, this song along with Sweet and Simple are the only two songs off the album, to my knowledge (based on bootlegs from the era), that have never been performed live.

When You're Alone (It Ain't Easy) is a song that Perry brought to the band from his pre-Journey stint with the unknown Alien Project. An early version of this song was on the demo tape that miraculously found its way into manager Herbie Herbert's hands when the idea of adding an additional vocalist was being tossed around. A straight ahead, feel good, rocker that never fails to hit the spot.

One could trace the beginnings of Journey's foray into 'happy ballad land' with Sweet and Simple. Unlike the later true ballads that may tend to come across as a little too sugar coated at times, Sweet and Simple is just that ... Sweet and Simple. No pledges of undying love, or the virtues and struggles of remaining faithul here. Just a great slow ride, sweet and simply performed. An often overlooked treasure in the Journey catalogue.

An argument could be made that side one of the album has an extra heavy load of Steve Perry influence going on. Side two clearly demonstrates that this is a band ... a band to be reckoned with! Lovin' You Is Easy is THE quenticential Journey song. Each individual band member clearly shines throughout this fantastic 3 minute and 37 second experiance. Smitty's amazing drum work is all over the place. His ride cymbal alone catapults Perry's voice to another level. Gregg Rolie's eerie mid-song piano interlude accented with Ross Valory's decending bass line is simply captivating. Throw in another stunning Neal Schon solo for good measure along with dynamic 3 part harmony andt his song becomes the complete package. It just don't get any better than this folks!

Or does it? Released as the first single off the album in Apr '79, Just the Same Way barely made a dent in the pop single charts peeking at a lowly #79. Rolie's sole lead vocal perfomance on the album features another classic 'trade-off' with Perry during the chorus reminiscent of Feeling That Way. A great example of solid songwriting and musicianship. It's interesting that just a few years earlier a song such as this would have seemed out of place and possibly overplayed on a Journey album. It's perfect here.

Do You Recall is a feel good song about a shaky relationship with the optimism of a brighter future ahead even in troubled times. Neal's solo just screams a positive outcome is possible on the cloudiest of days. This tune segues slowly into the imagery laden Daydream. This song is best described as a master painting of vibrant colors flowing across a sea of uncharted canvas. Rolie's mesmerizing synth coupled with Valory's steady bass and Schon's acoustic vision tranfers the listener to an uncharted land of sheer beauty. If you close your eyes you can almost see the vast dreamy landscapes emerge from out of nowhere.

The Hammond B-3 organ is one of the sexiest instruments ever invented. It screams volumes and makes it's presence known immediately. Though only used a few short seconds in the finale Lady Luck, Gregg's B-3 hits the jackpot on this gamblin' themed album closer.

To quote former Journey opening act and now San Francisco radio personality Greg Khin ... "They just don't write 'em like that anymore." They certainly don't. Evolution's entire production was complete in the matter of a couple months. Today it takes a year or more to produce a record. Evolution was a huge rung on the Journey ladder, a step that stands up well in 2000 just as it did in 1979.