| Journey Generations | Frontiers Records FRCD254 |
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It's amazing how different Journey's approach to their new album has been compared to their approach to the release of Arrival. Yet at the same time, there are some major similarities. Journey's return to the studio is anticipated like few other artists covered by this site. It's almost a case of trying to fulfill impossible expectations. The events surrounding Arrival's release some four years ago left a bad taste in the band's mouth. A pre-release leak and an early release in Japan saw a market flooded with import copies and internet downloads - which killed off label support for the US release and in the end, helped bring the band to their decision to break away from their longtime label Sony Music. After two extra tracks were added, the US version of Arrival was a very fine album indeed. For the new album Generations, the band has decided to give away copies to concert goers in the US, while licensing it to a smaller label for Europe - Frontiers Records. The label's name itself was a tribute to an earlier Journey album and they were only too proud to be the label involved. For once Journey in Europe is a priority. I hope the band can follow this up with some live appearances there. The similarities to Arrival start here – the album was the subject of a major licensing deal for one territory, while copies are becoming available substantially earlier in another territory. And already guitarist Neal Schon is talking of ways to achieve a US domestic deal later this year for the album. Also, this has not yet been said – which I find surprising – but, production quality aside, the main difference between Arrival and Generations is simply the number of tracks on offer. Arrival was labeled a little soft – which it was, but more so because the slow and mid-tempo tracks outweighed the uptempo ones. On Generations, the mix is much better and the uptempo tracks are in the majority. Take 2 ballads off Arrival and you get an album which is of similar pace to that of Generations. This time around however, the uptempo tracks are a little heavier and definitely have an edgier approach. The rawer production also adds extra punch and Neal Schon's guitar dominates the record. Kevin Elson has managed to capture the band in a live environment, with less overdubs and a substantially less polished sound than Arrival, but better overall quality than the band achieved on their own when recording the Red 13 EP. The production is stripped back and that helps the album appear more in your face. Arrival was a super-slick album though and did sound a million bucks. So some fans may prefer that style over this. Personally I don't mind that kind of difference in sound or approach – for me it's the song quality which is the most important factor. Generations features some great songs and I love the fact it's a bit heavier and touches on some new ground. But I think a few tracks could use some bigger choruses. The songs and choruses of Generations are not as immediate as past Journey music and require more listening to get to know. I think the band has rocked things up a little more here, but I think the choruses from Arrival were better overall. The use of multi-vocalists is something else that some will love and others will find issue with. Generally speaking, I think the band have matched vocalists with songs pretty well, with everyone giving strong performances. The odd spot is Ross Valory's track, but read the song descriptions for more thoughts on that. Switching vocalists can harm the flow and consistency of any record and that is certainly a small issue here. However, as a band, if you decided to do this, Generations certainly sees it done with the most minimal disruption. Steve Augeri is featured in the writer credits on several songs – coincidently the same number as he co-wrote on Arrival. But this time the difference is he gets two writing credits outside the band and his own individual style is more clearly evident. One can definitely hear some Tall Stories moments throughout the album. Most prominent throughout is guitarist Neal Schon and drummer Deen Castronovo. They are both all over this record. Ross and Jon seemingly take a backseat here, but once you get to know the record, their important roles become more obvious. Track By Track: Following a suitably tasteful building intro, the opening track Faith In The Heartland bursts to life with a classic Neal Schon riff and a soaring melody line. The more urgent, stripped back production is evident immediately and Steve Augeri's lead vocals have a comfortable intensity to them. Upon first listen, the chorus comes and goes with a flash, which is probably the biggest surprise of all. We are used to Journey choruses pounding us over the head, but this and others within the album are more subtle and it's not until you are on your third listen does the listener properly acknowledge this. As subtle as they are, the song does feature a bridge, chorus and even a guitar driven tempo change mid-song. The beauty of this typical uptempo Journey anthem is its length. Clocking at just under 7 minutes, it has room to breathe and the last minute of the song features a moody instrumental passage where both Neal and drummer Deen Castronovo get to shine with a little more prominence than you would normally see on a Journey record. I would have liked to have heard more like this. The Place In Your Heart is without doubt the perfect follow-on from the opening anthem. This track is a little darker and a little moodier, but is more straight forward than its predecessor. On Arrival the band killed the momentum of the opening anthem with a ballad at position two – this time they get it right with an uptempo rocker with a classic Frontiers/Escape feel. The track itself features an instantly recognizable chorus and some cool harmony vocals. Curiously I favor the darker feel of the verse over the less intense chorus. Steve's voice sounds great in this lower octave and just that little bit tougher. Continuing the mood of the last track, but not the vocalist, is A Better Life, the world's first look at Deen Castronovo the vocalist. And what a revelation! Deen's voice resembles that of both Steve's - Perry and Augeri - in a way that has more of the soul attributed to Perry, but the rougher edge of Augeri. And credit to Deen, he's his own man. If you listen closely to his vocals, he has his own style of delivery. The song itself is an ultra smooth mid-tempo ballad of hope and emotion. Style wise I don't think it's far from the songs of Arrival, especially Signs Of Life. The band keeps the tempo rolling with the lyrically brilliant Every Generation. Penned solely by Jonathan Cain and sung by the man himself, the song could easily have been lifted from his solo album Back To The Innocence. Layered in rock n roll piano and backed by a solid drum rhythm and lead guitar riff, the mid-tempo, Midwestern rocker would have been the best track on Jon's solo album and remains one of his best numbers in recent memory. It doesn't perfectly fit within the album, but thanks to some Schon acrobatics towards the end, it does match the tempo and vibe of Generations. Butterfly is one of two Steve Augeri self-penned tracks to make the album. He co-wrote on a few others, but for the first time, he gets a solo writing credit here. This is a 6 minute ballad, but not in the traditional sense of the word. This rather, is an intense and moody track which builds from a slow start to grand finish. It's a long song and I have to be honest and say that it's made even longer by the lack of a memorable chorus. There really isn't anything to sink your teeth into here. I don't think it's one of the album's stronger songs. Nor is Believe. This is another track without a traditional chorus and at nearly 6 minutes is just too long. The song is carried by a strong keyboard melody and a nice uptempo rhythm, but the lack of a strong hook is detriment to the song as a whole. I prefer it over Butterfly though and my comments should not negate the lyrical depth and maturity both tracks have. It had to happen and track seven sees the first big traditional Journey ballad of the album. Knowing That You Love Me is another Cain penned track that is typical of the band's much loved ballads All The Way, Loved By You, When You Love A Woman and Open Arms. It's nice, but for me is part of a mid-album run of tracks that fail to blow me away. On the other hand Out Of Harms Way is the absolute business! Now, this is what we need more of and having heard it, leaves me wishing the guys went a little further outside their comfort zone to rock it up more like this. With a slight Soul SirkUS feel to it, this hard edged rocker features a mean lead guitar from Schon and subtle keyboards from Cain, and most pleasing, a menacing vocal from Augeri. Two minutes into the track you begin to wonder if this isn't another number without a big chorus – then bang – it's there. Subtle, but layered, the chorus is a perfect match for the song and Augeri's vocal just gets better. The intense drum-fill with the song, the wailing guitar solo and the experimental feel of the track shows that Journey can rock with the best of them and are capable of new tricks even after all this time. If only there was more like this! A slow paced mid-section is truly consigned to the past with an ultra-rocking remake of the Neal Schon sung Schon & Hammer track Self-Defense. This time it's renamed In Self Defense and features an even bigger guitar onslaught and some great harmony vocals courtesy of Deen. Hearing Neal sing lead on a Journey album is different, but in some ways he sounds more at home than the others and this track is well placed within the album. The big rock sound continues with the hard edged groover Better Together. Steve Augeri again sounds ruthless with a menacing vocal and Neal's guitar parts team with Deen's drumming to hammer the point home. Not the most memorable chorus I have ever heard, but the uptempo nature of this rocker remains infectious. If Jon or Neal's vocals seemed like an oddity on a Journey album, you haven't heard anything until Ross Valory takes lead on Gone Crazy. This is totally out of character for Journey, yet might have sounded right at home on Soul SirkUS. Ross' vocals are best compared with that of James Young from Styx – gruff, raw and bluesy. I love the frantic rockabilly tempo of this blues rocker and in its own special way; it suits Ross down to the ground. I also don't mind the fact it deviates from the album's path, as sometimes an odd track at some point helps create character for the overall album. The jury remains undecided on this track – I will leave it to fans to decide what they think of it. At the same time, it's not bad at all, but I don't think it actually enhances the album in any way. Beyond The Clouds closes the album for US fans. This is another big Journey ballad, but definitely leaves its mark upon the listener. Steve's vocals are perfect and a soaring chorus really drives this ballad over the top. Very soulful and featuring a memorable performance by all, this is one of the bands best ballads in Journey's post-Perry history. Closing the European version of the album is another track featuring Deen Castronovo on lead vocals. It's Never Too Late is what you would call a cracking rock anthem. Why this song was not included on the US version is anyone's guess! Deen's voice owns this track and crackles with emotion as he builds to a chorus which for me is the absolute best of the entire album. Written by Schon, Cain and Jack Blades, it's another big anthem in the tradition of Higher Place (also written with Blades). It without doubt ends the album on an absolute high.
This album has some definite advantages over the previous album, but as discussed, also has a couple of detracting points, which I believe will split fans - with some preferring Arrival and others favoring Generations. Personally I prefer the US version of Arrival and the European release of Soul SirkUS' World Play overall. Rougher, tougher and more diverse than Arrival, Generations is an album that still rates as a must-buy for melodic rock fans, but it isn't a classic. It could perhaps use an extra big chorus or two and is a little slow through the middle, but even with some criticism, the band have decisively moved away from the Perry fronted era and the songs within are still better than a lot of the competition out there. A definite highlight for 2005, but not the highlight.
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Rating: 88
It is interesting reading the reviews. Some of you are quite extreme in your negative reviews, 50's, 30, come on who is smoking crack here. Even if this is the worst Journey album ever ( I have been a fan since the pre Steve Perry days to today) it is still alot better vocally and guitar wise than so much newer music today and even a lot of older stuff. Neal shines in many spots on this album. To answer the reviewer who questioned why they were spreading the vocal job around on this album perhaps it is because they were anticipating live work in light of Steve Augeri's vocal problems he was having. Steve Augeri is an excellent vocalist when he is in top form, but unfortunately for him he was having some severe problems on the road in the past and of course on the recent tour had to be replaced. The drummer Deen is a good vocalist himself and actually can hit the higher Steve Perry ranges better than Augeri even though Augeri is better overall. So I agree they mixed it up maybe to much which gave the album an uneven feel, but it isn't nearly as bad as some are making it out to be. Although now that I think about it I got the CD free at the concert that year, but had I bought it I would not be disappointed even though it isn't there best work. They were probably trying to go for a raw mix with less polish to please younger fans that sometimes think 80's music is too slick. I not sure it completely works for them, but giving Neal a little more chance to just rock is cool.
Rating: 65
this record has some positives, but overall to me, it wanders too much. It lacks focus and production polish, and really I'd rather hear Augeri sing all the tunes. I'm not thrilled he might be out of Journey (yes I've seen him and JSS both). In any case, 'The Place In Your Heart' is a great song. I give them credit for trying to mix it up a little, but a little ain't enough for classic Journey fans.
Rating: 30
Oh dear this is bad!!!! Lets face it if one of the genres biggest bands ever with some of the best and talented AOR musicians/writers can only come up with this then the future looks pretty bleak!!! Lets be honest if this would have been done by any other band it probably wouldn't have got a decent label release, or been released and been slated. I love Journey and have done for years (WITH BOTH SINGERS) but this is just awful. The production is poor and the quality of some of the songs is just dire. I can't help but thinking that the band decided to indulge in what THEY wanted to do rather than putting the fans (customers!!!!) first. What ever were they thinking to let everyone have a turn at singing? A band is a band- gutars, vocals, drums etc etc so why didn't they stick to what they know and are (have been) so brilliant at. Auguri is a superb vocalist as is evident on Arrival so why take him from the mike. I just can't get my head around this at all.
I really am so pissed off with the whole genre these days and see no long hoped for revival anywhere on the horizon. If the likes of Journey can only deliver this type of performance then it's pretty gloomy. The bands and labels need to wake up and sort themselves out before its to late. Fans will only shell out cash for mediocre products for so long then they will look elsewhere. I used to buy so much AOR/M.Rock (a couple of albums a month without fail) but over the past few years have bought less and less, and what I have bought leaves me, in the main, feeling pretty disappointed. Maybe they need to look at the quality of realeases instead of the quantity. Less could in the end mean more!!!
Rating: 0
I came to this site to see if I had lost my mind or if there were others out there who couldn't stand this album. I've been a Journey fan since age 9. Backstage passes, autographs, & front row seats. I have all of their albums & didn't hesitate to buy this one. I listened to it once, took it out of my CD changer, and haven't touched it since. I keep thinking, "What have they done to my favorite band???" There wasn't a single song I wanted to listen to twice. At least I'm not alone. I love the band members & think Neil Schon is the best out there. This just wasn't for me.
Rating: 0
Biggest thing that jumps out are the agressiveness of the guitars and vocals. Schon puts on a tour-de-force clinic and Augeri makes a quantam leap forward on most tracks, vocally, from past efforts. He does nuances on Faith In The Heartland,and The Place In your Heart that always have me rewinding the lines....And the powerfull agressive high notes he nails on Believe are major.
Top songs to me are The Place In your Heart and Faith In THe Heartland (both monsters) and Every Generation and Believe. I get a kick out the different vocalists, I think it's something that works for this record, and based on what I hear from Deen his vocals will be a constant now. Each person I think chose I song that fits their vocal personalities particularly bassist Valory with the blues/rock of Gone Crazy (watch out for Castronovo's speed ball drums on this). I think the band finally got In Self Defense right where Schon missed some marks solo when it was Self Defense. A hendrixy vocal from Neal married to monster bg chorus vocals from seeming all band memebers.
Dueling rythym and leads on FITH are extremely cool and the lead guitar, woven with Cains amazing rockabillyesque pianos on Every Generation are stunning. What a track....
Balladwise I actually think Butterfly edges out Knowing That You Love Me and Beyond The Clouds, the latter carrying the unfortunate distinction of being my least favorite song on what after 40-50 listens is my #1 Journey album. Seems like the Elson preduction and Fraser (working with Augeri) engineering tandem may be the way to go for the future...Again, a solid 96, supplanting ROR as my top journy album
Rating: 95
Maybe I'm just a Neal Schon or Journey apologist, but I can't get over people claiming that they are true Journey fans not liking this album. Are you people old and crotchety, Steve Perry apologists, or are you just smoking crack?
I loved "Arrival" because of it's awesome production and pure musicianship, with my only complaint being that it could have had a couple of ballads replaced with rockers. On this album, the band has a couple of songs that are weaker than anything on "Arrival" (causing my score to be a few points lower than "Arrival"), but the tempo of "Generations" is better overall.
This album rocks through and through. To highlight some of the tracks, "Faith In The Heartland" is indeed a great leadoff track--an anthem true to the Journey sound. "A Better Life"--with Dean Castronovo on vocals--is an awesome vocal debut for him. Talk about a beautiful, mellow, melodic masterpiece of a song.
I truly don't understand the criticism I have seen in some places of the Jonathan Cain-sung "Every Generation". This song absolutely kicks--from the lyrics to the keyboard playing...everything about it. After a few mellow tracks (all of which are decent but not the highlights of the album for me), the "Frontiers"-like rock of the album kicks in with great tracks like "Out of Harms Way" and "In Self-Defense", the later being the one Neal Schon vocal track on the album and for sure an excellent song.
"Gone Crazy", sung by Ross Valory, is for me (like many others) the weakest and most out of place track on the album. However, it is interesting and rocking. It is offset by the beautiful sounds and message of "Beyond The Clouds".
I have to admit that I have still yet to hear "Never Too Late", as I only have the version of this album that the band gave out at their concerts last year. The sample of that track that I have heard leads me to believe that I should at some point get this version of the album. After all, this album doesn't have enough sales as it is. What a crime!
I strongly recommend this album. I can't necessarily rate it ahead of "Arrival", but it clearly rates ahead of "Raised on Radio" and "Trial By Fire" for me. An excellent addition to the Journey legacy, and an excellent direction for the band at this time.
Rating: 50
Don't let my score fool you because i gave the album 50%....
IT'S NEEEEEEVER TOOOO LATE!!!!!
This is arguably the best song ever written, not Perry, not journey, not any other band....this IS the song every person in the world should let friends, family, girl & boyfriends, children listen to.
first 3 tracks are absolutely awesome, jonathan Cain songs are total crap, then Augeri BUTTERFLY and BELIEVE are great, the rest is bad until you get to NEVER TOO LATE......
BUY THIS ALBUM only for that song if you will, but get it
Rating: 30
This is so boring! They just don´t write good songs anymore.
Rating: 88
I am amazing at you guys, really.
i am not a fan of AUGURI or anything, but i have to admit that BUTTEFLY is a song i can't stop listening to, it's awesome, i love it, why you dont like it i'll never know, but this is an excellent song, this is pure STEVE PERRY, even his voice, the music got into me the moment i heard it! worth the price alone.
The score of the album is 88 because a couple of songs aren't getting into me, but are OK if you drive and pay attention to the road.
Award winning songs :
1- FAITH IN THE HEARTLAND......to die for, period.
2- BUTTERFLY ....awesome and different, memorable, moody.
3 - PLACE IN YOUR HEART.....astonishing emotional guitar
4 - A BETTER LIFE....great song, needs a few listens
the rest is good to very good.
love it.
Rating: 69
Journey have done awsome songs, and this record starts really good. With "faith in the heartland", "place in your heart" and the awsome "a better life" who I think is in the standard as their earlier top songs. But then something happens? and then the songs just are to weak, take the song "gone crazy" what is that??? and its to many songs that is to poor. Sure its a couple of more songs that is good, but not in the class like the three first. The production is good and Journey is great on their instrument. But thats not enough to get a higher rating. But "a better life" is a favourite, Dean does a fantastic job on this one.
Rating: 90
I was skeptical of buying this cd because of all the bad reviews it got,I think it is a much better cd that I spected,it has very good songs,much heavier than Arrival.It took me a little long to like RED 13,but after a while I enjoyed it,I also have Soul Sirkus wich I didn't like very much,so this is way better,buy it,you may like it.I rather have any new Journey cd even it is without Steve Perry that no cd at all.
Rating: 95
Being a die-hard Journey fan since 1980, I always look forward to a new Journey release with a great deal of anticipation. Generations has not disappointed me at all. Bottom line- this is a fantastic CD! Journey has moved on and is really spreading their wings. This is a must have!! Arrival was over produced, and Generations reminds me of the production of the classic albums from the late 70's and early 80's. Buy this CD- approach it with a an open mind and you will not be disappointed.
Rating: 0
hey i just posted my review of journey and i meant to ask where the majority of reviews come from. i don't think it's america because our radio here SUCKS SO FREAKING BAD. anyway if you are reading this outside of america,count your blessings because you get all the best new music AND bonus tracks. in the u.s. we have corporate crap stations feeding us the third and fourth generation of crap ass grunge. i would rather listen to myself poop. so stop bickering over the journey album because nobody here is even playing it. what a shame.
Rating: 0
ok,real quick. i lke BLS,clutch,stonerrock,motorhead,etc.,but i have a passing interest in the new journey if only for steve augeri. that guy can sing his ass off. tyketto's "shine" album gives me lots of goosebumps. so today i traded in some crappy old cd's to buy this album(i know i'm late). as i took my first listen,i watched the arizona sun set. it all made sense. this is not the best album i have ever heard,but it is far superior to that suedo grunge crap all over american radio. i understand the division of fans when their favorite band replaces a singer,but for crying out loud,augeri can sing. it's not like when van halen got gary cherone.{who also can sing,but was wrong for vh) this cd should be celebrated for what it is. a rebirth of journey. no track by track review,it all sounds pretty good from here. they just played phx. a couple weeks ago and i'm sorry i missed thm.
Rating: 50
I'm giving this cd a 50%...mainly becuase augeri sings lead on about 50% of the album. The stuff w/ augeri on lead vocals are bloody brilliant. He's the lead singer, thats what he was hired for in the first place....duh.
Augeri has been in the band long enough...and deserves a lil more respect from his band mates. Come on guys...you're not the eagles.
Do us hardcore fans a favor...please keep Ross Valory away from anything that even closely resembles a microphone.
Cain and Schon? just right songs, hand em to steve and shut up!
Deen? nice vocal ability. gotta hand to ya. really! But; as a lead singer myself...its more than just hitting the notes...its style! as a singer; you have none. Augeri is a class act...will someone please give the guy back his microphone.
It makes me wonder...maybe this is why perry is no longer with them...the guys gotta bad case of limelight envy...
Rating: 50
There is one thing I don't get. A lot of people really love the song "It’s Never Too Late". By reading some reviewers it sounds like it almost changed their life....Why are a lot of people so excited about this song? I think it is very average and nothing special at all. I would even say it's forgettable. The record company also put it out as a bonus track. Why is everyone so excited about this song?????
Rating: 95
An addendum to my previous review: I did my first review before hearing all of I'ts Never Too Late. I wanted to add that this song is an absolute masterpiece. What an amazing song, a fist-pumping anthem that should be played live at every concert this band does until the day they die. This album is even better with I'ts Never Too Late.
Rating: 55
This album is pure crap....What happend? I have loved all of their albums they have done but this angers me. The songs are lacking any melody and everything falls short of my expectations. I just can't get into these songs no matter how many times I listen to this album. Avoid this.....
Rating: 60
I have waited 4 long years for this new Journey CD, (if you don't consider the intermediate RED13 EP)..... But now I think
that our "musical life" can proceed without it. The songwriting
and the melodies of "Arrival" are very hard to replicate but "Generations" (this is my personal opinion) not sounds like a Journey Album. Boring and without Schon's emotional touch.
Rating: 90
Firstly, I listen to CDs in the car, so song titles are irrelevant to me. Most of what is said above echoes my feelings about the album.
Is it just me or does anyone else hear a bit of Pink Floyd in Jon Cain's vocal delivery, especially as the song goes on. Deen's vocal is nice too, but the backing needs more punch to lift the song as it progresses. I even quite like Ross' song, I couldn't handle a whole album of it but it works and I like things that chop, change and vary, something Journey have always done well in genre that does restrict itself to some pretty narrow guidelines at times.
Some absolutley storming songs and as much as I like Arrival, I'm really glad that this isn't Arrival 2.
Journey have always had the high lead vocal with harmonies coming in below which gives a nice texture many bands don't have, however the varied lead vocals on this album make way for more variety in the pitching of the harmonies which again makes for a nice mixed bag. Given some of the longer song lengths, its amazing how quickly they pass - a very good sign.
Rating: 40
Keep a barf bag next to you when listening to it. It will make you sick just to hear how far this band has fallen from its glory days. I received this CD free at their concert. I listened to it twice and gave it away. BORING
Rating: 90
I purchased Generations just yesterday and have already listened to it at least three or four times. I had the pleasure of hearing a couple of the songs, prior to the American release; so I knew basically what to expect. Alot of casual fans will probably turn their nose up at this one, despite the album returning to a heavier, guitar driven type of style - EscapeISH if you will! I definitely don't mind the contribution of all band members taking a lead vocal role...to me it keeps the album interesting. So here is my take, track by track.
Faith In The Heartland - A long song which really doesn't seem that long to me. Kind of, sort of has a hint of Red 13 in it, but it's catchy enough to not seem so abstract. It's not one of my favorites of the album, but it's not a bad song at all.
Place In Your Heart - Took me awhile to get into this song. I had listened to it a few times prior to the release, and felt it needed a better intro into the Chorus. However, the more I listened to it, the more I fell in love with the song. It would definitely have its place on the Frontiers record if we were still in '83! If Journey has any chance of doing well with Generations - this is a song that should spark some interest.
Better Life - The first time I heard Deen's vocals, I swore it was Steve Perry from Trial By Fire. Deen purposely adds a bit of a raspy tone to his voice for Better Life, and it seems to fit. The song is a moody ballad that takes me back to Only Solutions. In a short time, I have already learned every single word to the lyrics of this song. What can I say....Deen pulls this song off!
Every Generation - Casual Journey fans will simply hate this song for the fact that neither Steve Perry nor Steve Augeri is singing lead vocals. Jon Cain takes a crack at it and I think he does a pretty good job with it. Would I call it Journey? Not necessarily, but that doesn't mean it's a bad song. To be honest, it didn't dawn on me that Cain was singing until halfway through the song. Again, very upbeat, peppy song that was sorely missing from Arrival and especially Trial By Fire!
Butterfly - I am so sorry Mr. Augeri, but I cannot get into this song whatsoever! I hate the song. I have tried listening to it a few times, and I think each time I listen to it, I hate it even more. I would have loved for a remix version of a Red 13 song to have been put on the album in place of Butterfly. It's an agonizing song that, frankly, is over my head. I'm not sure what this song is about, but it does nothing for me.
Believe - Another song I have to push the good ol' skip button on. It just seems like it goes on and on, repeating the same piano part over and over. It is every bit of the definition of filler! Actually, I'm hearing the music going through my head right now and I can't stand it. I'm sure it might have been an experiement type of song - and I think it was cool for Schon and the band to let Augeri put a couple of his songs on the album....but these two songs are definitely not anything you'd find on Tall Stories! Again, I could have enjoyed listening to a remix of Red 13 in place of this one!
Knowing That You Love Me - How can you not like this ballad? It's very close to a modern day version of Open Arms - maybe that is why some might not care for it. It's Journey doing what they know, and what they know works. This song definitely works! Not to take anything away from Augeri and the band, but for some reason, if Journey gave this song to Mariah Carey - the song would be a classic hit! Not that I think she's better than Journey (I'll stick with Journey's version of Open Arms over hers thank you,) but it's the whole sex appeal thing that rules music nowadays. Sorry, but I do find Mariah Carey sexy - I am a guy! LOL!!! Still, this is a great song and one I could definitely see being released to Adult Contemp.radio. It's a soulful little tune that I could definitely picture slow dancing to with my fiancee at our wedding.
Out Of Harm's Way - Ahhhhh...back to the rockers!:-) How can you not like that guitar intro? It's the coolest thing I've heard in a while! I absolutely LOVE the music to this song! I'll admit, I'm not much on the lyrics though. I realize they wrote this song for those going overseas to fight in Iraq - and that gains my instant respect right off the bat. However, I really only like this song for the music part. Maybe it's because I find it hard to sing to the song, I don't know....but although I feel it might miss a bit in the vocal part - it definitely hits in music part.
In Self Defense - I don't care if this is an old Schon - Hammer song...the song is KILLER! I absolutely LOVE this song! I think it's the heaviest song I have ever heard from Journey (maybe because it was Schon's baby on a solo album,)and it's one that completely blows me away! I can't say enough about ISD - if you hate this song, you're either only a fan of the sappy love ballad stuff...or you're just not paying attention!
Better Together - Another killer rocker of a song! I think this is Augeri at his best! He gets down with song! This is a cool little tune that has Schon just shreddin' the axe with a purpose! This type of song is what I want to hear from Journey. I already know they can play some cool ballads, but rockers like this seemed to be hard to come by from this band! It seems like they have saved up for a long time and it's paying off!
Gone Crazy - Straight up ZZ Top from ol RV! Again, the casual Journey fan is going to literally HATE this song! They are going to be so despised that Augeri nor Perry is singing lead! But ya know.....who cares? I can imagine how cool this song sounds live! I would love to have a full Ross Valory album of stuff like this! Again....it's not Journey and many will ask why is this even on the album....look it's a fun song!
Beyond The Clouds - I believe this is my most favorite out of all the ballads on Generations. Another song that I already know all the lyrics to!:-) Steve does an excellent job with vox on this BTC. It's nothing more than a classic Journey tune. Can't really say much more than I love the song!
Bonus* It's Never Too Late To Change - THIS song needs to be heavily pushed for radio release! Deen is singing lead vocals and is outstanding - once more! The song should have been on Escape or Frontiers. This is a true classic Journey song in every since! I can't believe this song almost didn't make it to the American version, but I am sooooo thankful it did! If you don't like any other song on this album, please give this one a Try!
Overall, I have to give this one a 90%! I like this one better than Arrival - mainly because of the rockers! I believe you'll either love this album or hate it. I happen to love it!
Rating: 71
i appreciate the guys carrying-on and making music. but to call this band JOURNEY is an insult to themselves and the fans. lets be frank. this is NOT journey and will likely never be. with certain bands, you simply CANNOT replace its singer. no matter how alike they sound. it just doesn't work! "journey" is a prime example.
Rating: 60
Frankly I'm a little suprised that this album has gotten some good reviews. To me this album is crap but better than Soul Cirkus that I thought was worse than terrible...
Journey need to focus more on the songwriting than anything else. This album is to flat with songs that are very forgettable. The prouction is also a hit and miss.
The first two songs are good but after that it is goes downhill.
Good luck on the next album.....
Rating: 90
To begin with, good or bad, most of the songs on this album take a few listens to "get". That is good for hardcore fans like myself because that essentially means the song has more to it. But it is bad for their hope that this will SELL, get airplay and that all of the hundreds of thousands of people who received it free will love it and want to hear cuts from it the next time they tour.
As usual with a Journey record, the songs come to life when played LIVE, so the album only is a hint of what Generations is really all about.
Cain (Keys) has said this is his finest lyrical work, getting back to writing about people and their lives. The critics and fans alike have agreed that this might be the best written album in Journey's storied history.
It sounds as if this album just came together....more magically than planned. I think that certainly avoids the contrived sound that Arrival sometimes had, although I can't say there are as many "okay-good" moments as Arrival...but probably as many if not more "good-great" moments. Another way the contrived sound was avoided was to record the album independently on their own label and then let record companies bid on a distribution deal. Sanctuary Records was the winner, over Universal. This way they didn't have someone telling them to do Open Arms V or else.
Little outside writing was used, although Jack Blades (Night Ranger) has made his continuing presence felt as a pseudo band member. I wish he would replace Valory on Bass.
This album was recorded ANALOG in the Metallica room. I think the sound is a little faded, and the vocals not in your face enough, but then again Arrival was overproduced and had a muddy bass sound. The thing is, there seems to be some truth to bands recording songs for the media that it is most likely to get played in. Today, that is IPOD and headphones.....and it does indeed sound better on headphones. Arrival sounded better in a car system. Neither sound better on my expensive home system......Christ!
Song by song breakdown (1-10 rating):
1) Faith in the Heartland (9.5)
When I initially sampled this song's 60 second clip I wasn't real impressed. The reason is because the main part and the chorus don't have an immediate catchy sound. This is definitely a good example of a track that you need to hear a few times in its entirety. It is also an example of a song that is pure magic live. Additionally, the end of the song changes up from the chorus and shows some real soul in my opinion. Augeri seems to dig down deep for "GOT FAITH...GOT DREAMS". Schon's solo is hypnotic and melodic...so hyplodic if you will. This song is most like Only the Young...with a hint of U2 influence. At this stage, I wouldn't want to see a show without this. At over 7 minutes, I don't see how this could be a radio single...even if you edited out a chorus. Only Higher Place do I enjoy more from the current lineup than this gem.
2) Place in your Heart (9)
This will be the first radio single, and it is a good choice. Almost anyone can tell this Journey after a few seconds. It sounds like a cross between: Ask the Lonely/Remember Me/Chain Reaction. Augeri shines on this track, he really sings the song, which isn't always the case. The chorus is pure Journey, and Schon has a blistering solo that elevates the song from pop to rock. The energy level is high. I like the subtle differences from chorus to chorus (ex. Augeri yelling YEAH at the start of the second one). Journey always needs to please old fans, and this classic sounding arena thumper does the job.
3) Better Life (5)
To be honest, I cannot decide if I like this song or not. Drummer Castronovo takes over lead vocal duties, and his voice is what makes me think I do like it. But the song basically goes nowhere, and lacks energy overall. Listening to the lyrics, I can appreciate the meaning of the song. The music itself is more modern sounding (and sound familiar), which may make it a candidate for a single...but it is about the time I start hitting skip on this one.
4) Every Generation (5)
At first I hated this, but after hearing it live a few times I started to like it some. Schon's solo is amazing at the end, but gets lost a little. The harmony is great, but Cain's vocals aren't my favorite - to be nice. I like some of the lyrics a lot "FLASHBACK TO RETRO (RETRO) ITS ALL NEW AGAIN". I wonder how it would sound with Augeri or Castronovo on lead vocals? This was dedicated to Journey's original fan's kid's kids (Ally) and it went over pretty well live. The Piano is the thing to listen for here.
5) Butterfly (6)
I don't know what this is about, and I don't love it, but I do enjoy the moody intensity it creates. Augeri shines on this, and since this is only one of three songs he has ever wrote alone for Journey - that makes sense. This is the song he speaks about it being difficult for him to perform because it is so emotional. There is some underrated geeetar work on this as well. When Augeri sings in this range, you are most impressed with his talent.
6) Believe (5)
This is a fan-hater, but I kinda dig it. But, it is too long for a song without a catchy hook. It mixes things up a little bit. Its cheesey in its lyrics....but not so much in its music. I do like the "Don't give up on your Coulda be's and Shoulda dones". There is actually some semblance of chemistry between Augeri and Schon here, which hasn't been the case much for the last 7 years.
7) Knowing that you Love me (6)
This is their attempt to get a hit ballad. I think doing that fails them alone, but the song actually isn't too bad. It is certainly a level above the cheese ballads on Arrival. The vocals are difficult on this track, but Augeri pulls them off. The chorus is familiar and pretty strong. This track being placed here really hurts the pacing of the album though. I mean, this is the 5th consecutive song that I would not place in the "great" category. I have heard that the US retail version will feature an altered track listing - so that could help. Much like track#2, had this been released in the mid 80's it would have been a monster. This is not the mid 80's though. I do give them credit for updating the sound somewhat on this though.
Out of Harms Way (9)
WOW! The current band shows their teeth with this number. It has edge, is intense and sends the right message....support the troops WITHOUT being political. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt that they didn't write this to play off current emotion and get a hit..especially considering that this isn't being mentioned as a possible single. Although, this is actually the type of song that could be a playa in today's music. It fits no format for sure. Schon is the leader here clearly, but Augeri shows something towards the end....."Flashbacks spells...and TRAGEDY". He alters his tempo and voice and shows emotion...this is something his predecessor owned. This is the new song that went over the best with the crowd this summer. This is probably the grittiest Journey tune since Troubled Child. This would have fit well in the experimental side B of Frontiers. There is some really neat work from Castronovo....a little more room for the drummer to hammer than your typical Journey song. I would bet this is a song that didn't make Schon's Soul Sirkus' World Play album because it was a little too Journeyesque.
9) In Self Defense (4)
Not real happy with this. This is a retread/self-remake from a Journey song from the early 80's that ended up on a Schon solo album. WHY? They have tons of songs in the can...why re-release this? Schon's vocals are underwhelming. While his geeetar sears, the song ultimately fails. The beginning is "new"...it is taken from a song they only play live called Fillmore Boogie. That beginning does flow very well with the previous track - so that boosts the rating.
10) Better Together (5)
Another song that the fans don't seem to like...but I dig it some though. Again, it manages to sound different BUT still like Journey. I really like the geeetar in it...more prevalent than just a solo. This song kinda sounds like Zeppelin meets Journey. It has that rock-blues feel that many don't seem to appreciate. I like the drums a lot in this one too.
11) Gone Crazy (4)
This has no business being on this album...or any Journey album. I don't think Valory (Bassist) has any business singing with THIS band either. With all that negativity out of the way...this song is Journey meets OLD VH. It sounds a little like Hot for the Teacher. Non-Journey fans may actually enjoy this bluesy number for what it is.
12) Beyond the Clouds (7)
Okay, Okay...I know the funny thing to say is that this is cheesey...but listen to the whole song. Great geeetar work...great vocal and geeetar chemistry. Terrific ending. I really am enjoying this song. It is about 9-11...and that even though things seemed impossible that day, if you can just get beyond the clouds things look brighter.
13) Its Never Too Late (9.5)
This isn't on the freebie version, but as you may or may not know...this song fucking rocks. High upbeat tempo in the vein of "Keep on Runnin" and "Where were you". Castronovo is amazing on lead vocals...raspy and powerful. This song was written for him by Schon and Blades as he was overcoming his drug issues. I love this song, it may become my favorite Journey song...just from hearing a clip. It is another urgent rocker, which is what I want to hear from Journey or any AOR band...I like melodic rock with an edge.
14) Pride of the Family (N/A)
Number one this is only a JAPAN bonus so I may not hear it for awhile and Number two it is acoustic. I hate JAPAN bonus tracks and I hate acoustic tracks...so I don't have a good feeling about this.
Bottom line this was another fine effort by a great band. They continue to make new music that is worthy of the Journey name. It would be cool if it could get a little airplay, but I don't think anyone expects it to do much. It did debut at #7 on the Japan charts, which is pretty good I think. Currently, I rate this album in the middle of the pack of Journey's 14 studio albums....probably 6th or 7th best. I think their main goal is trying to get new music into the hands of concert goers so the next time they come around on tour they can play something other than their Greatest Hits. That is why they gave copies away free this summer. They can't not play their dirty dozen or so, but if they can replace a "Girl Can't Help it" with "Faith in the Heartland" I think they would be happy. I just give bands like Journey, Styx and Def Leppard a lot of credit. They continue to create new music even while being tagged as a nostalgia band. Many people don't give these bands' new music any chance....I call this the Greatest Hits Effect. Everyone has and loves the greatest hits, but they never really owned and listened to all the individual records. If you do listen to them you are shocked that there is a lot of "filler" even on the classic albums. So, essentially the new albums get compared to the Greatest Hits alone...which of course is unfair.
Rating: 60
Luckily someone gave me this cd as they were so disappointed with it and admittedly only having listened to it 3 times myself I understand why. It starts of well enough with the opener but I find by the time the cd is half way through I have switched off.To be honest I thought the latter half of Arrival was a let down compared with opening half dozen tracks, however Generations is no where near as good an album. I think bands should return to the old days of eight to ten quality tracks rather than the extra fillers that seem to be the norm these days.
Rating: 88
I had low expectations but despite that I really like this cd....
Rating: 100
Think it's there best studio release since Escape.Music and vocals are true Journey.All naysayers should reconsider there opinions.By the way Steve Perry in his day was great but his voice is shot.No way he could at this point hit the notes Steve Augeri can.Just don't see it.
Rating: 75
This album isnt too bad,but it aint too good either.I can understand the band taking a bit of a risk,but i believe this was way too much.Faith,place in your heart,better life,knowing that u love me are fantastic songs.Some of the others leave a lot to be desired.Overall a bit dissapointing.No where near as good as arrival
Rating: 90
Good album! It's too bad that most of the people who rate this album low are the ones that mis Mr Perry. As a album on it's own, it really rocks and has some of those famous Journey melodies. But it has a lot more that that! It's not the same as anything with Perry, but lets face it: it's a very different Journey this time around.
Rating: 60
There is no way that this CD should have gotten a 91. This is a collection of B-sides at best. This disc is no way near as good as ARRIVAL. There is no real rock on here and worse there is no real big JOURNEY summer sing along song. And the cover art work is pitiful. Stealing and screwing up the cool art work from captured was not a good idea. Alright, that said I am a die hard JOURNEY fan and I really like Augeri. So my first critique is why not have him sing all the songs, he is the singer after all. EVERY GENERATION should have been sung by Steve and so should have NEVER TOO LATE, that at least might have gotten some songs on the radio. Finally there is really only 6 songs worth anything on this disc.
FAITH IN THE HEARTLAND is okay. EVERY GENERATION is a very cool song but needs Steve's voice on it. BUTTERFLY is a good song. KNOWING THAT YOU LOVE ME is the only real hope for radio airplay on this release. BETTER TOGETHER is a good track and it rocks. And finally what could have been a big single if it was all Steve on vocals..NEVER TOO LATE. While I am at it why do IN SELF DEFENSE? If you are gonna redo and old SCHON HAMMER tune, do the minor hit NO MORE LIES and make it a JOURNEY song. I was very disapointed in this CD. REMEMBER ME was a great start, ARRIVAL was FANTASTIC, RED13 was a cool EP, but this just doesn't live up to the JOURNEY name....you've "cracked the stone", as someone once asked you not to do......
Rating: 98
Great album!
I don't understand the ratings of some visitors here. This is Journey at its best, it sounds as fresh and agressive as on "frontiers". Songs like "self-defense" or "gone crazy" are not memorable of course. But did anyone say, "frontiers" was a bad album because of "Back talk"?
This CD is much better than "arrival" because it breathes, its full of soul and you feel the fun the guys must have had while doing this album.
Faith in the heartland is one of the greatest tunes of Journey right after "separate ways", its an anthem!
Respect for these guys, they by far don't sound as old as they really are.
Rating: 80
The album isn't as good as we want to be but It has a great songs like "Faith in the heartland", "The place in your heart", "A better life" ( wow, how wonderful is Deen's voice ) or "Knowing that you love me"!, but some songs isnt good....
Rating: 89
For the life of me I can't understand some of the low scores some reviews have provided. This is not the definitive Journey album, but it is a much better album than some of you have indicated. I have been a long time Journey nut and overall this album is quality stuff.
Tracks 1-8 are great and they are being listened to constantly.
I found myself sometimes skipping to track 12 to finish the rest of the album.
I enjoyed the album straight away, however my girlfriend needed a few listens to find her way. The choruses are a bit thin throughout and I believe I did find Arrival more enjoyable overall.
The only tracks that really stall this album are In self-Defense, and Gone Crazy.
Not that these are bad songs, they just don't belong here.
My biggest complaint would have to be that Augeri's vocals should have been used more. I think his vocals would have addded to some of the tracks sung by the other members.
Faith In The Heartland- A perfect way to lead the album off. Uptempo track with some awesome Schonism's. Deen is a monster on drums. Augeri nails this one.
No complaints here! Find myself singing along with this one. Always a good sign. A+
The Place In Your Heart- Love this song. Schon starts things off like only he can. Another uptemp track that lives upto the Journey tradition.
Schon's has some awesome riffs and the soloing is top notch. Batting 1000. A+
A Better Life- Some may think the quality dips here slightly, but I love this song almost as much as the first two. Heartfelt, inspirational, and full of hope.
Deen needs to do a solo album. His vocal talents need to be explored more. A
Every Generation- Probably Jon cain's best vocal performance to date. Good punchy tune. I'd prefer this one any day to let's say "All that really matter's" off the Time cubed box set. B-
Butterfly- Slowing down the pace now. Great Augeri vocal performance. Can't complain here. Schon's solo is awesome. Love it when he plays in this context.
This one was loved by the girlfirend. Get those Bic lighter's out! B+
Believe- Things pick up again...Uptempo track..has a good vibe going..but somehow it feels like they could have took this in a better direction and brought it to a better place. Still it's a solid Journey effort. Nice use of Wah Wah by Schon for the solo. B+
Knowing That You Love Me- Wonderful ballad. Moody, smoldering, fiery, and passionate. Great job by Augeri. Again, get those Bic lighter's out! This is one of the better ballads they recorded. I won't go so far as to say it's the best but it is up there. A definite slow tempo favorite for couples. A+
Out Of Harms Way- Ok, is this Soul Sirkus or Hardline? Much heavier and has that pounding feel. Definitely sounds like something written by Schon and Jeff Scott Soto. Great lyrics with a definite message within. Great guitar playing throughout but maybe a bit too busy in spots. B
In Self-Defense- We all know Schon can rip on guitar. This song is okay, starts off fast with killer guitar. Seems to lose it's way just like I felt with the original version he did.
I would have preferred some other Schon or Schon/Hammer song be redone. C+
Better Together- Uptempo keeping the harder/rockier side of Journey going. It's not bad, but it kinda meander's around a bit. Passable, but again could have been made better. Augeri vocals are good, but by far not the best thing Journey has done. C+
Gone crazy- It's not that this is a bad song. It would just be better suited for inclusion on a James Young (Styx) solo album. Reminds me of something off of Young's "Out on day's pass" album from 1993. C
Beyond The Clouds- Slwoing things down and getting away from the ZZ top vibe of the previous track. Beautiful and haunting. Great track. Get the Bic lighter's out! Another triumph for Journey. Finally things start to pick up steam. This is quality Journey. No disappointments here. A+
Never Too Late- Things pick back up again. Uptempo track. This one is available on the European release. I've seen much worse ways to end an album. This is one of the first tracks I had the pleasuring of hearing a 30 sec taste of. I was not dispointed then and I am not disapointed now. A good song in the cannon of Journey music. Great chorus and Deen sings his heart out. Solid B+
Rating: 100
excellent cd, a must have for any Journey fan. Also anybody who likes classic rock n roll.
Rating: 100
This is an awesome release, great songs and catchy tunes. Sure it's not like the old Journey only because there NOT!! This is the new GENERATION of Journey!!
Rating: 95
I didn´t know what to expect after reading all these different reviews on this site. From very good to directly poor...
To be able to understand the review you need to know what the reviewer likes. So, what do i like from Journey? I prefer the little rockier side of Journey a´la "Higher place" from "Arrival" (that song I personally think is one of their finest moments!). Also I like tracks like "Stone in love", can´t tame the lion", "be good to yourself" , "seperate ways", "ask the lonely".
So, what`s "Generations" like?
After listening to the three first songs with a big smile on my face( the opening track beats "Higher place" on it´s fingers!!!),I thought how the h*ll can anyone call this bad??? Outstanding tracks (for me) are: Faith in the heartland, The place in your heart, A better life, Never to late
Pretty good tracks are: Every generation, Butterfly, Believe, Knowing that you love me, Beyond the clouds.
Average songs are: Out of harms way(sorry, don´t get thehype with this song. Sounds like "Soul sirkus" which was a big waste of talent! Better life.
Songs which they could have left out of the album are: In self defense, Gone crazy (they just don´t belong among such good songs!!!)
A question, why couldn´t Augeri sing on all of the tracks??? Deen sings good but he´s no Augeri!!!
And all of you Perry freaks out there, Augeri is a great NEW singer for Journey!!!
So, bottom line then...buy this album if yuo like fantastic melodic AOR, and, not to forget, Neal Schon plays the guitar like no other...goosebumps my friends!!!
Rating: 25
On the basis I have loved this band for so many years, I decided to live with it for a while before reading other reviews and adding my own. Like so many other releases in recent years (so many reformations/re-births), this was bound to be a subject of debate - judging by the reviews on this site alone, it's a real love or hate it situation. My own view (and I suspect the view of many of the critical commentators) is that I really wanted to love this record and unfortunately I don't. I've played it countless times in the last few weeks and it just doesn't cut it. For me, whether you judge the album against previous releases or indeed others in recent times it is a major disappointment. These guys have written some of the very best songs/music of the last 30+ years but this album leaves me cold. It doesn't move me, doesn't flow and worst of all is very average. In reality, how many of these songs are you all going to listen to in 12 months never mind 12 years.
My review is not negative because I am caught in the past or am one of the Perry fans who can't see past him (for what it's worth I think Augeri has a great voice), it's based purely on the quality of the product. Sorry to say it but it will start collecting dust in the near future.
Rating: 95
I thought Arrival was great and having listened to Generations numerous times and I think it is a great album too. Rather than be negative, it is time to move on. I loved the Steve Perry years but they are now long gone, remember we had 8 years when Journey did not exist. After over 30 years, Journey is still evolving a producing fine music.
Rating: 90
I was surprised to read a lot of negatives comments of this cd. I wonder if all the guys who are writing such negative critics ever listened attentively to this cd which is certainly not as immediate as Arrival but still is every euros,dollars worth. I'm still disapointed to read a lot of comments about Steve Augeri. Please guys Perry is gone 8 years ago and Augeri is also a great singer. I'm glad that with this release he's getting his own style and we can definetly not accuse him anymore to be a perry clone even Augeri has a similar tone.
A nother thing is that a lot of people spits of the gone crazy song 'cause it doesn't fit with te rest of the album. What kind of fool are u guys if you like to listen to the same repepitive songs on an entire cd? This cd offers a lot of diversity even butterfly is for me an great song. We are in 2005 for god sake be more openminded....Listen to Faith in the heartland, place in your heart, better life, every generations, that's pure Aor. You want some rock'roll songs, ok no problem listen to better together,out of harm ways, in self defense, gone crazy (a mix of Van Halen and ZZ Top),never too late... And what to say about those 2 wonderful ballads, knowing that you love me and beyond the clouds, they certainly will give you goose bumps.
butterfly and belive are indeed and I do agree With Andrew the 2 weakest songs. But I still enjoy listen to those and I never Skip them. 2 weaker song on 13 songs is that so worse?
To conclude, give a try to this cd you'will love it. listen and the songs will grow in you.
Rating: 85
First things first. Don't live in the past. It is important to evaluate Generations on it's own merits or lack thereof, not to compare it to a classic album like Escape. First of all I really like the heavier direction of most of the songs. Neal's playing is overall quite good, although some of his solos could have used some more time to develop. This CD sounds like it isn't a cohesive band. It sounds like each of the members brought their songs to the table and then tried to assemble an album. I think that is why, for instance, Jon Cain ended up singing one of his songs. Now I suppose the band has a right to decide who is going to sing, but is there really any doubt that the best singer in the group is Steve Augeri? Yes, Deen is good, but he sounds like a weaker version of Steve. So what is the point of having him sing at all? Neal isn't a good singer, Jon's is ok, and Ross singing is really a joke. His song is mere novelty. Let's put it this way, Jon can play guitar, why not give him a solo on one of the songs too? Because it doesn't make sense to have him play when you have Neal. So in the same way it doesn't make sense to have anyone else sing when you have Steve. I suppose Journey can do whatever they want, but that doesn't make it good. All that being said there are some quality songs on this album if you give them a listen. But you have to give them a chance. This is why so many Journey fans are lame, because they would rather have Open Arms #2 than giving new songs a chance. The 80's are over! Reality Check. Perry simply cannot sing anymore. He doesn't matter. One of the greatest tragedies in rock history is how Steve Perry ruined his voice through hard living. So anyway. I will always welcome another Journey album because Journey has always been about Neal. He is the center of the group and the main reason I listen to them.
Rating: 79
If you don't already have this CD, and you're reading these reviews to help you decide whether or not to buy it or go see the band live and get your copy that way, you've got to be confused. So many differing opinions. It really comes down to what you're looking for from this CD. If you worship at the altar of Steve Perry, you're probably going to hate Generations (and Arrival, and Red 13). If you're blindly addicted to anything Journey, then you'll love it (you'd probably also love an album of "Journey Sings Their Favorite Polka Hits!"). If you became a fan because of Escape, you probably won't like the fact that the production feel of Generations is not spit polished. If you believe Journey should make "classic" songs like they used to, you'll have plenty to complain about. If you like Neal Schon's guitar work up-front and in your face, you'll probably enjoy it. Don't like it when more than one vocalist takes over? Then skip this. Here's the thing, though. This is a rock n roll album by a band named Journey. If nobody had heard of them before, we might be offering different views. So let's take a minute and evaluate this CD based on: 1.)The music, 2.)What the band was aiming to accomplish, and 3.)Whether or not GENERATIONS meets the band's goals. OK, so first off, no this is not Escape. GET OVER IT. There is only one Escape, there will never be another. The band announced before the release that this would be an album and tour that would have something for everyone (Ok, so it doesn't have Steve Perry, but again, deal with it.). They also said that the production was intentionally stripped back and more basic. So why are so many people complaining? They've delivered what they promised. Let's look at the songs: FAITH IN THE HEARTLAND flat out rocks. It is both reminiscent in pacing of classic Journey, while also experimenting in new directions. THE PLACE IN YOUR HEART, if released in the 80's, would be top 10 ala "Be Good To Yourself". A BETTER LIFE, while not the strongest mid-tempo number they've ever done is listenable, and in their hayday might have also been Top 40. EVERY GENERATION is an absolutely awesome song. Unfortunately, the vast majority want to hear that Perry or Augeri timbre on every song. Maybe the majority is right, maybe it would have sounded more commercial with Augeri at the mike, but that does not take away from the quality of this song. BUTTERFLY is both new and old, it harkens back to Infinity, but also Raised On Radio. BELIEVE is funky, kind of the way Edge of the Blade was funky. It's different, but it is listenable, and kind of catchy. KNOWING THAT YOU LOVE ME is not Open Arms. It's completely over-the-top, but that's what power ballads are folks. Augeri's performance, while over wrought at times, at least displays some emotion, which Perry rarely exhibited (Open Arms and I Stand Alone the two exceptions). OUT OF HARMS WAY is both my least favorite and the most unique track on the CD... and almost everyone else seems to love it. So you complain that this is not classic Journey, but you love the one unique song on the album. IN SELF DEFENSE is not only not a "Journey" song, but even if it was an original song, it doesn't feel like it belongs on this CD. BETTER TOGETHER is grungier, nastier, and less melodic than traditional Journey, but it's acceptable as a change of pace. GONE CRAZY is not a song lyrically that fits with the themes of this album and for that reason ONLY I feel it weakens GENERATIONS. But to tear into Ross Valory over his vocals? There IS a similarity vocally to ZZ Top, and I think those guys have gotten by pretty well. The song itself is actually great, and a lot of fun. The rest of the CD, though, has serious stories or messages to relay, and this is just an all-out party rocker. BEYOND THE CLOUDS falls into the same category as Butterfly, albeit a little more 80's radio friendly. NEVER TOO LATE just has this catchy riff running throughout that most have loved. It has an almost Raspberries kind of feel to it, not sophisticated, but you can't help but like it. So what can I add for anyone reading this trying to decide? This is a "Good" CD, bordering on very good. It is neither the best (Escape) nor the worst (Trial By Fire) from Journey. Steve Augeri is not Steve Perry, so what. GENERATIONS is not as good as Arrival, but it is better than Red 13. I would hope and believe that this is not the end of Journey, as some have said. It is a band that is trying to walk a very fine line: continue to grow and develop as artists, while keeping 30 years worth of fans happy by doing the same thing over and over again. GENERATIONS aims to offer something for everyone, and in that respect, it succeeds.
Rating: 65
Question:is there such a thing as a bad journey release?
Answer:no!,but generations sure isn't one the best ones.
It's a bit like red 13,an average melodic rock release from a band that has lost it's way completely.
So ask yourself,is there life after steve perry?
There seamed to be when arrival surprised just about the whole melodic rock scene in a positive way .Stil we all missed perry didn't we?With steve perry on vocals arrival would have easily been the best aor release ever!!!!
I know a lot of fans are getting tired of reading about Perry being better that Augeri but on the other hand most of you agree.Withought Perry Journey is nothing more than a good rock band with a very good singer,with Steve Perry on vocals Journey is the absolute best.
So i plead ,please get Perry back in the band .I am not looking forward to a three hour show with songs i don't like,singers that i don't want to hear and a break in the middle.Just give me one full hour of Perry and that will be all i will ever need.This i say to shon and co. Don't overestemate yourselves.
Rating: 25
What happened here? This just felt flat to me. Nothing stands out as anything we will remember to want to listen to years from now. Nothing like the Journey of old. Just a major disappointment.
Rating: 45
A huge disappointment! I feel robbed of my £12.99!!! First 2 tracks are ok I suppose....but the rest of the CD was...well...just...Indescribable! Where have the Hooks gone??? All of the Journey albums in the past have at least had CLASSICS on them... this CD needs filing in the PLAYED ONCE....NEVER AGAIN catergory. And yes....Steve Perry is still missed!!
Rating: 60
High expectations - Very dissapointing result.
Only the first 4 Songs a Journey style. The rest? What's happened to the band making good songs (classics unforgetable?) and good music.? Why are Neal and Deen are so dominating the sound. What the hell has a song like gone crazy to do with journey.
IMO this is the last we will hear of Journey.
Rating: 63
THIS IS TOUGH! I'VE HAD THIS CD FOR OVER A MONTH NOW.
I REALLY REALLY WANT TO SAY IT'S REAL GOOD OR EVEN GREAT.
BUT! I CAN'T!!
I'M AS BIG A JOURNEY FAN AS ANYONE SO I GOTTA BE HONEST..
FAVORITES LIKE FAITH IN THE HEARTLAND , OUT OF HARMS WAY & PLACE IN YOUR HEART ARE ON THE LEVEL OF TROUBLED CHILD FROM FRONTIERS.
NOT AWEFUL BUT NOT SIDE 1 MATERIAL!
SELF DEFENSE , GONE CRAZY ( J CAINS WORSE LYRICS ),BETTER TOGETHER SHOULD OF BEEN LEFT OFF THIS CD.
NOW THE GOOD STUFF! EVERY GENERATION J CAIN DOES A GOOD JOB ON HIS FIRST JOURNEY LEAD VOCAL , STEVE AUGERI REALLY SHINES!! BUTTERFLY , BELIEVE , BEYOND THE CLOUDS ARE ALL WINNERS!
DEANS VOCAL ON A BETTER LIFE SOUNDS MORE LIKE KEVIN CHALFANT THAN KEVIN CHALFANT! IT'S NOT TOO LATE IS DECENT BUT I PERFER THE ARRIVAL CD TO THIS CD.
IF JOURNEY RELEASES ANOTHER CD I HOPE THEY PUT MORE TIME INTO THE WRITING & PRODUCTION OF THE ALBUM THAN GENERATIONS!
Rating: 60
I'm a little bit suprised of the high reviews this album has gotten. This album doesn't come close to any other album Journey has done. The production sounds like it was recorded in a tin can. The songs are weak and average at best. I heard that Sanctuary Records will release it in the states. It's going downhill for Journey. Just a few thoughts.....Ross Valary can't sing, the songs are forgettable, the production is a hit and miss and the album sounds unfinished.
Rating: 90
Great album,just like Arrival was.The guys get to rock and do thier own thing,which at this stage in thier career they have every right to do.Deen does a great job,as does Steve A.
The Ross song could had been left off,but it`s not God awful(made me think of old Van Halen mixed with ZZ TOP)There are people complaining about how it`s not the "classic Journey AOR sound" so I guess they`d be disappointed,just like the Steve Perry fans that should get over it by now.Not only would Steve kill the chemistry of this band if he came back,he is pretty much done.It happens,it`s called getting old.Steve was great in his day,but even on his last real release "Love Of Strange Medicine" he was recorded very loud and all breathy,and that was 11 years ago.Lend your support to this encarnation of Journey,than living in the past....they are still a great band and this a very solid release.
Rating: 85
Why two ratings well the first is for the Steve Augeri / Deen Catronvo songs the second for the rest of the bands singing ability . Steve is on top form on the songs he sings and although not classics by Journey standards they are good strong aor songs . Also Deens' stuff is a nice surprise but when the others are let loose in front of the mike it's like a car crash - don't see the point when you have a talent like Augeri USE HIM , shame could have been a killer .
Rating: 80
I liked the risks they took on this album, especially the Ross Valory track, Gone Crazy-reminds me a little of ZZ Top. I think the biggest drawback is the same as Arrival, too many slow syrupy ballads. Honestly, how many times can Jonathan Cain rewrite Open Arms? Seems like it has all been said and done as far as ballads. I would love to see the band do an album without ballads. I think a lot more people would like it than would admit. It was nice to see them redo Self Defense from Schon & Hammer. I'm not one of the fans looking for them to rehash the old days. Taking a few more chances and not relying on ballads would be an improvement.
Rating: 95
Definely a grower this cd ! Iv'e been a JOURNEY fan since Infinity. The best melodic singer ever is Steve Perry ( SADLY MISSED ) But Steve Augeri has has fitted into the band nicely! Although HUGO would have been my personal choice for singer... This Generations cd has a Frontiers vibe to the sound and Tall Stories. KEVIN ELSON IS SUCH A GREAT PRODUCER!! The album may not be perfect..And i would have liked just Steve and Deen singing as others do nothing vocally for me. The cd still is better than alot of the crap out there today!! Im just glad Journey are still with us today after 30 years in the music business..
Rating: 98
Great album and a big compliment to steve augeri. It takes a few turnes to get the real taste, but that is with all the great albums.
Rating: 95
it's definitely a matter of taste and everybody is entitled to their own opinion, but after the second spinning, I gotta say I think it's a great album! The musicianship is awesome, the rawer production really does help them shine! Deen is an amazing singer and certainly a killer drummer! some songs aren't perfect, but which band has an album full of great songs on the same level, I can't think of one (well Harem Scarem come pretty close with nearly every album...but they're shorter...LOL)! I really like Neal's tasty guitar work on better life!
don't slam this album, give it a chance to grow!!
Rating: 25
No Perry...No Gain !!!
Without Augeri's And Castronovo's Masterious Vocal Tracks This Album Would've Been In Ratings 5- ... I Dunno What Is The Main Idea Behind This Album...But What I Do Know...I Hail STEVE PERRY even MORE !!! Skip This And Buy THE BATTLE album By Russell & Lande
Rating: 90
First off ...
I think this release is great! While it does has a moment and leaves you wondering why did they put this on here, refering to the Ross Valory single. I think the album could have been better if they had Augeri and Cain trade off vocals in songs like the early Perry/Rolie days.
The cd in itself is worth getting for the Dean Castronova single, "Its Never Too Late". And the single, "Out Of Harms Way" with Augeri at the helm.
Rating: 60
For being a Journey album this is below average for sure. The 'Arrival' album had some really strong songs compared to 'Generations'. I would even call some of the songs on this album boring. The problem I have with the production is that it's flat.
Everyone seems to love the song "It's Never Too Late" but this song is very forgettable I think.
Please never let Ross Valary close to a microphone again. W
Rating: 90
I love how all the "Journey fan for 30 years" can't stand this effort, yet they spell Neal, Neil, and many have Steveperry in their hotmail addresses...Hey, if this doesn't do it for you, seeya...This CD, we now find out, is being re-recorded, and the freebee was a demo of sorts..and still kicks TBF and ROR in the butt. You can have the Perry crap..This rocks, and has tons of guitar, tons of hooks, and tons of melodies.
Rating: 65
No question in my mind that this is the worst of their records. To write less melodic songs seem to be a trend for a lot of my favorite bands. "Generations" clearly suffers from this. The hooks are gone. The songs are all very average. None of the songs really grabs you and make you wanna play air guitar.
It's been a tough year for my melodic groups favorites:
Journey - Generations: No hooks, very average album
Diving for Pearls: No hooks, terrible album
House of Lords: They lost everything on the last album
I also got a pre-copy of the new 'Alien' album 'Dark Eyes'. Let me tell you, it is a big dissapointment. The dissapointment can be compared to HOL and Diving for pearls last albums.
Arrrggghhhhhh........
Rating: 90
No question in my mind that this is one of their best. The band sounds much tighter than on "Arrival." Kevin Elson's production is much closer to the classic "Frontiers"-era sound and there is plenty of space in the mix for small details and fills to be heard. Unlike some of the other reviewers, I hear a ton of great melodies here. Even better there are some really cool chord changes that aren't buried in the mix as was "Arrival." All three power ballads are outstanding - among the best Journey has ever done. Steve Augeri doesn't quite capture the sense of despair that Steve Perry got through his vocals, but he's an excellent singer nonetheless. I like the other guys' parts as well. It might have been nicer to get a new Neal Schon song, but this version of "Self Defense" adds muscle. Ross Valory's track will go down better live than on record, but it's cool too. Deen Castronovo hits the high notes really well, but his singing is nowhere near as emotional as Augeri's. Still, his parts are a great addition.
The key to this album, in my opinion, is Neal Schon. On most of his post-Late Nite releases, he started playing too many notes and eschewed the big themes that he used to play on the classic Journey tracks. On "Generations," he slows down a bit, still plays heavy and rocking guitar, but with very strong, recognizable melodic features. This makes Journey sound like Journey, in my book. "Generations" (and most of "Soul Sirkus") are a real creative renaissance for Neal.
Rating: 95
I love Generations! I think it’s better than Arrival and Red 13, the other two Augeri-fronted albums, even though I gave both of those albums high ratings. What sets this apart from the previous two records was that it rocked. Arrival was too weighed down with ballads-only three of the seven ballads on Arrival were any good. Generations has only three songs that could be considered ballads, and they’re power ballads. They have the energy that was missing from most of the Arrival ballads. Red 13 was too middle-of-the-road, heaviness wise, and too short (of course, it was an EP). Generations rocks, and (almost) every song is a keeper:
Faith in the Heartland-Not an amazing song, but pretty dang good. The riff didn’t catch my attention, but the chorus melody was beautiful. Also nice is the short section of riff and drums after the main body of the song.
The Place in your Heart-A very good rocker with a great bridge connecting verse and chorus.
A Better Life-This song is good. Not great, but good. This feel good song is very smooth and laid back. One of the mellower songs on the album, but not a ballad.
Every Generation-This is a cool song with a great chorus. Jon’s vocals are ok, but I like him better as a backup singer. Still a very good song.
Butterfly-This is the worst song on the album. Still, though, it’s better than the four useless, boring, anti-climatic ballads from Arrival: Loved by You, With your Love, Lifetime of Dreams, and Kiss me Softly. It’s too long, but what it has that these throwaways from Arrival don’t is that it’s a power ballad. This is a good time to tell why I gave this album a better rating than Arrival, which I loved. Arrival may have had two absolute classics in Higher Place and To be Alive Again, plus several other very good songs, but it also had those four boring non-power ballads that brought it down. Butterfly is the worst song on Generations, and is better than those four. It’s still only an average song, though.
Believe-From here on out, all the songs are very good to great. This one is pretty dang killer. Yes, it’s a little slower, but it’s got an immensely catchy piano thing going on, and it’s got some grinding guitar.
Knowing that you Love Me-What a great, feel-good power (and I emphasize the word “power”) ballad. This has so much melody that if you donated half of it to the 1990's, grunge would never have happened. Beautiful.
Out of Harm’s Way-This song has an absolutely killer intro! Mean, aggressive, and menacing. The verses aren’t anything to write home about, and the choruses are pretty basic too...until you get to the part where Steve sings, “Out of Harm’s Way,” then the melody is as catchy as a cold. Another great song.
In Self Defense-Another great up tempo hard rocker. This is possibly the fastest Journey song ever (maybe tied with Dead or Alive and Kohoutek). Absolutely killer, and at only three minutes, is short and sweet.
Better Together-Another hard rockin’ masterpiece. Of note is Steve’s vocal, which is awesome. His attitude is all over this song. Great stuff!
Gone Crazy-A Hot For Teacher-esque hard rocker. Yes, Ross’ vocals are different, but I think they work. Kind of like one of the guys from ZZ-Top or Ted Nugent.
Beyond the Clouds-Another amazing power ballad. I couldn’t help myself singing this at the top of my lungs. Immensely catchy in the chorus. This and Knowing that you Love me are the best power ballads the band’s done since Faithfully. My only complaint is that it should have ended at the five minute mark, but goes on a little too long.
Folks, this is a killer, killer album. I only gave it a 95 because Butterfly is only an average song, and becuase, like Andrew said, the tempo takes a little hit in the middle. If they mixed the order up a little, it would have been better.
Thank goodness the guys remembered that Journey wasn’t a ballad band. Remember, that they only had two or three ballads per album before Raised on Radio. I can’t wait until I get my European version so I can hear all of It’s Never Too Late, which from the one minute sample, sounds like another killer classic. If you like rock, AOR, Melodic rock, Arena rock, whatever, get this album NOW!!!
Rating: 40
What an utterly uninspired pile of crap. What happend to Journey? They have after 30 years totally run out of ideas. Is this the band that gave us 'Raised on Radio'???? The songs sound unfinished to me. The songs are not melodic at all. It's been almost 4 years since the last album and this is what they come up with????? Severly dissapointed.... :(
Rating: 75
As a Journey fan it was hard to give this release such a low rating.I'm not quite sure what the band thinks their fans want to hear or where they are right now in their respective musical lives but there's gotta be a compromise somewhere in between.I do like the fact that the rest of the band are trying out their lead vocal skills and they're all impressive (yes even Ross lol)it's just the songs aren't very catchy and mostly unmemorable(very strange for Journey).I was a bit concerned about the direction from the Red 13 release.I think they were testing the fans to see if the change would be readily accepted with open arms.Sorry guys,most fans want Journey as we knew it.i know it's pointless to repeat yourself album after album but this new album is devoid of many classic Journey elements that make the band sound like......well.....Journey.If Neal want to "rock out" like then...that's what side projects are for.Remember the days of "Raised On Radio" where every track could have been a top 10 single? Those days are gone at least so it seems."Out Of Harms Way" shows the only sign of life from the Journey we remember.Sorry for being so hard on you guys but I guess I expected too much this time around.
Rating: 85
Great album,but i wonder how important the "band" Journey is to the members of it at the moment.There seems to be too many other things going on with key members and i think it shows on this album.I love Journey (in ANY band line up) and its very hard for me to say negative things but i thought they could have done without the latest version of "Self Defence"they may feel it has some kind of military feel about it,but not for me.I just thought Schon could have brought something new to the table.(But he's just finished "World Play"-which brings me back to my earlier point !).I know the members of Journey past and present have always been" busy " away from the band,but i really think it shows on this album.
Rating: 89
What songs don't have hooks?
Augeri's weak solo-offerings aside (tracks 5 & 6) I think all of the tracks have hooks. The case can possibly be made that the track, "Better Together" is more hard rocking than what Journey fans are accustomed too, but it's not nu-metal by any means and it's most certainly not like this is completely uncharted terrain for the band. Listen to track 4 on "Arrival", it's just as heavy as some of the stuff to be found on this album.
I get the feeling that if the "Departure" album came out today, the majority of "fans" on here would remonstrate that the only catchy tune is "Any Way You Want It" and that everything else is devoid of listening merit whatsoever. C'mon guys, not every Journey album was abounding with nothing but immediately catchy radio friendly hit singles, do you guys own any albums besides the Greatest Hits?
As far as this owner of every Journey album is concerned, "Generations" is a long overdue return to form for Journey.
Rating: 89
What songs don't have hooks?
Augeri's weak solo-offerings aside (tracks 5 & 6) I think all of the tracks have hooks. The case can possibly be made that the track, "Better Together" is more hard rocking than what Journey fans are accustomed too, but it's not nu-metal by any means and it's most certainly not like this is completely uncharted terrain for the band. Listen to track 4 on "Arrival", it's just as heavy as some of the stuff to be found on this album.
I get the feeling that if the "Departure" album came out today, the majority of "fans" on here would remonstrate that the only catchy tune is "Any Way You Want It" and that everything else is devoid of listening merit whatsoever. C'mon guys, not every Journey album was abounding with nothing but immediately catchy radio friendly hit singles, do you guys own any albums besides the Greatest Hits?
As far as this owner of every Journey album is concerned, "Generations" is a long overdue return to form for Journey.
Rating: 60
Why all that fuss about an average act like Journey ? !
Lots of reviews, which means that a lot of people bought this CD (good news for the band), while a lot of far better records (see Iommi/Hughes etc.) have no comments at all, while their product is far superior on this one !, and do they sell ? NO ! A pity and a shame (same for great CD's from Starbreaker, Kamelot, Vanishing Point, R. Rock, Royal Hunt, Brazen Abbot, Shadow Gallery, Magelan, Dream Theater, Hartmann, Lana Lane, Legs Diamond, Blanc Faces, Cry Holy, Matrex, Gotthard, Secret Smile, Redemption, Masterplan, Edge Of Forever, the upcoming Philip Bardowell,album of the year PRESTO BALLET etc. etc.).
Something to think about !!!!!
Now, I have to be honest : I've never been a big Journey fan (not usual for an AOR freak like me, but besides Frontiers and Escape, there was not much to enjoy IMO).
And with this one, my opinion on the band didn't change at all.
Some good songs, but more average and even bad ones. So, no consistancy at all !
Certainly not the best AOR record of the year and it's such a bad year for AOR ! They are beaten by miles by the likes of Blanc Faces, Cry Holy, Matrex, the upcoming Bardowell, Secret Smile, even by Boystown etc.
So, all in all an average (not a bad, and certainly better than the BAD SoulSirkus one) CD.
I fully agree with Ken (my rating is the same too !). Neil has lost it !!!
He's responsable for the change in direction and for the straight ahead approach, even for the alternative and modern influences.
If a band wants to be great, they should stick to their sound (look at AC/DC, still the same riffs as 30 years ago, but still respected and big !).
Like so many AOR bands, Journey tries to be trendy.
BAD MOVE !
Give us CLASSIC AOR, that's your trademark.
Nothing more, nothing less !
Rating: 30
Sorry every track sucked, the only good track was track 2, everything else was so boring no hooks.
Rating: 75
I must say that the first three tracks are the highlight of the disc, plus the war anthem is pretty cool. I thought the bonus track was one of the stronger vocals on the album, you can tell Deen has been around Kevin Chalfant alot.
Rating: 60
Paul.....What I meant with my example was that Journey should not experiment to much. They should concentrate on what made them big (and what the fans want to hear) and not have blues and gutar driven songs on their records. I actually blame Neal Schon for the direction that Journey has taken. 'Raised on Radio', 'Arrival' and Hardline's 'Double Eclipse' are among my favorite AOR albums but I don't know what has happend to Neal lately. The Soul Cirkus album was terrible in my opinion. The new Journey album is boring with no hooks in the songs. I guess Neal likes to play a harder kind of music these days with no melody. Why??????
Rating: 97
"Nu-Metal" - that's a good one, although a false description of ANYTHING on this album. You must've put in that Audioslave album by mistake...
Rating: 85
First, I am a Journey fan from the FIRST album(literally, no CD's then). This is a good, not great, CD. I agree that Neal (whom I love as a guitarist) has left no real melodies to grab onto which is what made him great in the first place. We all know he can rip and deserves to be in the top 8 players ever, but this is not Soul Sirkus ( which I really do like). Augeri sounds great on this, but Butterfly has a horrendous vocal flub of signing a minor third over a major chord. How could you leave that in!! I cringe when I hear it..First 4 song are really good for me, out of harms way and beyond the clouds are classics in my opinion. Why self defense? Why Ross singing? These should be bonus tracks at best, but at least self defense sounds better than it did 20 years ago. Also, the production threw me because it does sound unpolished. There are some great things in here, unfortunetly, there are some mediocre things also, BUT, I will take a new Journey disc ANYTIME over some of the drivel thats passes as music these days! PLEASE!!!!!
Guys...if you do another disc, we dont expect escape2 or arrival2...just a solid disc with what made you great...super vocals,great harmonies and hooks, and Neal.
Rating: 85
First of all I enjoy this album - songs 9 & 11 stick out like a sore thumbs, but if they were on their own or if listened to in the right frame of mind are enjoyable. Songs are always subjective, however, in a forum such as this consensus is what is interesting and I think it is beginning to show that most do not like this album as much as other Journey albums. My problem though lies in production. This album sounds half baked or dirty. If indeed that is what they were trying for - why? I know they wanted to sound more like earlier Journey and they have succeeded to some degree, but I believe that their earlier albums where cleaner. I listen to my copy going this sounds like a bad recording off the radio. I must admit I desperately miss the polish of 'Arrival' - as well as most of the songs, but as I said this is not a bad album it just sounds atrocious. One more point, I love Steve Perry, as many of you do, he my favorite singer easily. However, I fell in love with Steve Augeri on 'Arrival' and loved that he tried to sound and be somewhat like Perry. I had no problem with that because it was a form of respect to Journey and it's fans, but on this album he has largely left that behind - too bad. 'Arrival' opener "Higher Place" was, in my most humble opinion, one of the greatest if not the greatest openers for an album ever and unfortunately "Faith in the Heartland" while a good song just comes nowhere near the bang "Higher Place" put us. "Beyond the Clouds" is absolutely one of my favorite songs on the album. Also, I hope someone at Frontiers or someone in the band reads this, "It's Never Too Late" is one of the best songs on the album and would be a severe travesty to not include it for a North American release or anywhere else for that matter. Cut song 9&11 and give us "It's Never Too Late" and you would be giving North America a much better flowing album!
Rating: 65
This was a dissapointment on a big scale. The songs on the album are very forgettable and flat.
Some reviwers are stating that they really like the song 'Out of harms way'. This song is very average and forgettable.
There are some highlights on this album but they are far apart. A flat and boring album in my opinion.
Rating: 60
If I was the owner of Frontier Records and the guys in Journey gave me this for a review I would tell them to go back to the drawing board. I would even smile a little and say 'Your kidding right (in refering to the songs).
I would have known that it wouldn't sell anything.
I totally agree with the person that said that the first 5 songs could be put out as an EP. To the people that give this album a high rating....... I just have to ask what you like about the last 8 songs on the album. You can not possible think they are high quality songs. Paul said that
" Does this album expand a little out of the "safe" range that other Journey albums stayed in in terms of "typical" Journey? At times, YES! Is that a bad thing in this case? Not at all!!!
I don't understand a statement like that. Do you mean that if journey start to play Nu-Metal which is totally out of "typical" journey that it would be a good thing?
The bottom line is that Journey have lost the ability to write good songs. This is not an album that I will go back to and listen to for years to come.
Rating: 97
No joke, this album was instantly likeable from the very first time that I heard it. This album is filled with great melodic moments, in fact too many to mention. I honestly don't understand all the bad reviews this one is getting. Does it have more rocking songs than "Trial By Fire" or "Arrival"? Yes! Does this album expand a little out of the "safe" range that other Journey albums stayed in in terms of "typical" Journey? At times, YES! Is that a bad thing in this case? Not at all!!! Bottom line for those that haven't heard it yet: Listen to this album before you subscribe to the reviews of those who ONLY expected "Escape" 2 from this album. I'll take this album ANYDAY over 99.9999999% of what else is out there in music today!!!!
Rating: 99
The best album in years, the guitar sound is same in frontier album for me is the great album. Thanks Journey for you great music in all years.
Rating: 40
The first five songs might as well be releases as and EP cause the remaining are a waste of time. What a disappointment for Journey fans. What happens to melodies, balads and the feeling that makes you lift up from your seat and fly? Sorry this is Journey at its worst. "Faith in the Heartland" and "A Better Place" brought me some joy but the rest slaughtered that for me.
Rating: 75
To begin with, I have been a huge Journey fan since the Infinity album. As a guitarist of 30 years and session player, I have always loved Neal Schon. A just won't find a better player than Neal. However, in this case, I feel this album is a major letdown. The vocals by Neal, Ross and Jon are a complete distraction. The material, in most places, is just weak. I never thought I would say this, but Neal just overplays here. His insistance on the overuse of effects is just way too much. They could have cut this album back to ten songs and it would have stood up much better. Another thing is some of the songs are way too long for their won good. Edit a few of these songs in places and some of these songs would have really benefited. Butterfly goes nowhere and would have been better served had they opted for a shorter, acoustic arrangement with some backing piano and some sparse electric guitar. That's just one example of how the album would have benefited from the presence of a producer who could have worked out the rough edges of some of the songs, cut out the filler and restrained Neal somewhat.
One thing I do have to say to "FerociousFunk". I'm sorry my brother, but if I read you correctly, the songs coming out of todays market are perhaps the worst generation of music ever. I feel bad for your generation. I truly believe that 99% of todays bands won't be remembered 20 years down the line. One hit wonders and their forgotten. I'm a fan of almost all genres and have a pretty open mind. A great song is a great song, no matter when it was recorded. Today's performers all saound the same, very cookie cutter. The production's all the same, and players today, especially guitarists, are just plain lame. The efforts to tune down, scoop the mid's, and play one finger bar chords is just plain sad. Some of these folks could learn volumes going back to the masters for influence, and I'm not talking about Korn or Limp Biz-cut either.
Rating: 35
After the superb Arrival and the even better Red-13, this album is just such a let down. It is so lackluster, it's embarrassing.
Rating: 10
I started losing interest after Red 13 and after hearing this demo sounding, no hooks, selfish, thrown together songs, the journey ends here for me. I'll still go see them live as I have since 1980...this way I'll hear the Journey I always have known and loved. Sheeeesshhhhhh:(((((
Rating: 85
I think this is a good album but not the best effort. This album had a lot more potential if Steve Augeri was singing on all the songs. If Augeri took turns singing with Cain it would have sounded like the Journey of old and I think the fans would take a better liking to it.
The highlight of the cd .. the european version anyway .. is Dean Castronova singing, "Its Never Too Late". This in my opinion is the best song off the entire cd.
All of the songs sung by Steve Augeri are fantastic! The song, "Out Of Harms Way" is unbelievable!
Then we come to Ross Valory's song ... the music is great but the vocals are terrible. Maybe .. just maybe .. they could have saved this one by letting Augeri sing it.
Rating: 0
Generations......From Bad to worse....
Listen to INFINITY , the pinacle of Journey vocals....and compare it to this abyss.......so sad.....RIP Journey ( from a fan since 1978 )
Rating: 75
This album isn't as bad as some people make it sound. But it's not great either. It's definitely a Neal album. Everybody has expectations of what a Journey album should be and this probably won't meet any of them. Out of Harms Way is my favorite on this album. I'd like to to hear more stuff like this. It just rocks. I really liked Better Life, which is the most Perry-esque vocal on the album. Self Defense was better off being left in the past. It sounds better than it did on the Schon & Hammer album but it seems like filler on Generations. Speaking of filler Gone Crazy should be a B-side or bonus track. Ross Valory hasn't sung a Journey song for 30 years, now we know why. Guitar-wise it's another Fillmore Boogie. Butterflies is OK, nothing special. Faith In The Heartland, The Place In Your Heart and Every Generation are real good songs. My question is why doesn't Augeri sing Every Generation? Did his rate go up or something? I guess that's Cain singing, he's no Gregg Rolie, let's leave it at that. The ballad Knowing that you love Me is typical Adult Contemporary wedding song crap that I wish this version of Journey would just stop doing. Better Together is OK. However, for someone who doesn't really dig ballads, Beyond The Clouds is a really good song.
Bottom Line: Arrival was way better. This is good and it does grow on you more every time you listen to it but I doubt highly if any of us will call this a classic ten years from now. I wouldn't be surprised if this is the last Journey we ever get.
Rating: 30
TERRIBLE. That's the best way to describe this CD. I write for a local paper, and have alway enjoyed Journey. Even after Steve Perry Departed the band I found the ARRIVAL CD to be very pleasing to the ears. ARRIVAL had all the Journey hooks with the great piano and guitar sounds. and to top it all off, the new Steve did have the right pipes to replace the unreplacable Steve Perry. However this CD (GENERATIONS)sounds like RED 13's Big Sister. Very Guitar driven and the production sounds like it was recorded in a Tin Can. The song writing is horrible. The vocals are all over the place. I'm glad I got this CD free, because I would have been angry if I had to pay for this cd.
Rating: 80
I must start off by admitting I am 23 years of age I have a music degree and I am a session musician. I am an accomplished pianist, although my true passion is the guitar and love to play the blues. Also, I am not an avid Journey fan (of old). My opinion of this CD differs alot from Andrews (possibly because of our age difference).
I recieved the Generations CD from a client I had the pleasure of recording with.
After listening to it quite a few times, I have to say that its a pretty good CD. At first listen there were only a couple of tunes which reeled me in. After a couple more listens a few more started to grow on me, but never really blew me away.
I feel the best song on the CD (and this is where we differ), is "Believe" followed by "Butterfly" "Beyond the Clouds" and "Harms Way".
"Believe" is the coolest song on the CD. It has the most up to date sound. It could be a hit on todays radio. My friends who have listened to the CD came up with the same concensus (although we are all of the same age bracket). Quite possibly it is beacuse we did not grow up in the 80's as most of you seem to have. "Butterfly" is an amazing song, very haunting. I would like "Every Generation" if there was a different singer and I find the lyrics are a bit juvenile(the guitar is great though). The first 2 songs are ok, the third song "A Better Life" is too long and monotonous. "Knowing that you love me" sounds exactly like either a Backstreet Boys or Boys to Men song,can't remember which,"Self defense" sounds cool, "Beyond the Clouds" is beautiful. Never heard the whole version of "Its never too Late" but from the samples it is most definitely too 80's rock for me. It's 2005 and thankfully music(good music) evolves foward. On a whole I'm glad I received the CD and listened to it a few times. This 23 year old is looking foward to more Augeri penned songs which are, I feel, much more up to date and edgier then the rest.
Rating: 92
Not a bad album at all. There's a fairly diverse mix of musical styles. Standout tracks (for me)include The Place In Your Heart, Knowing That You Love Me, Butterfly, Out Of Harm's Way, Beyond The Clouds, Every Generation and Believe. I found Deen Castronovo's track (A Better Life) a bit generic. He's obviously an incredibly gifted drummer and now vocalist but this particular song doesn't move me that much. Still, I enjoyed it much more than Journey's attempt to recreate Van Halen's Hot For Teacher in Ross Valory's Gone Crazy. Again, a flawless performance but sort of a filler song that seems terribly out of place within the context of the album. The sound quality could've been much better (specially when compared to Arrival) but still this is a great work of music from a band that still has a lot more to deliver.
Rating: 95
Having heard the soundbytes I've been reading the reviews of this with interest and was surprised to see a number of negative comments that were so scathing.
What the feck ? I am sure some people just slag stuff off for the sake of it because after listening to this album a good number of times over the last few days I can't understand how anyone who calls themselves a fan of Journey would not like the songs on this album.
To me this is the best Journey album since Frontiers easily. Augeri's performance is far superior to his debut on Arrival and
adds the extra fire and spark that was a bit lacking on that album.
All the band put in great performances and for me this is what melodic hard rock should be about. To say there are no hooklines and melodies is just bollocks, there are more hooks than in an abbatoir freezer.
I don't have time for a track by track run down but a special mention must be made for "Out of Harms Way" which is worth the price alone. This is everything and more you would expect from a Joutney rocker.
Production is different than Arrival, less polished but still pisses over the majority of major releases.
No sir, I can't really find any faults with this at all and it will be my album of the year closely followed by Soul Sirkus
Rating: 65
The music is there at times, but the production is weak at best. In today's digital age, there is no excuse to put out an album that sounds like it was recorded in a tin can. I'd love to see them rip the tracks apart a bit more and make it sound more like a Journey record should. Faith In The Heartland sounded ten times better live than it does on this recording.
Rating: 70
Journey – Generations
Pomp Without Circumstance?
Having listened to the entire CD now, it occurs to me that this is what happens when musicians are permitted a free rein without discipline. To these ears, much of it sounds unfinished; if these were demos, then some of them need more work. As a completed opus, it is lacking. Overall, the production is good and many of the songs are promising. There is a good CD in there fighting to emerge. Whether it is a Journey CD, or what would be widely recognised as Journey, is a different question. Yes, it rocks. Yes, there are some glorious moments. But as a whole piece, there is no continuity. Neal’s guitar, in my opinion, always sounded better when he was constrained (by Perry?) and gave the impression of latent power, leashed. He is unleashed on this CD, to be sure, but to all but the most ardent Neal-o-philes, his relative freedom to ‘let rip’ is to the detriment of the flow of the CD.
Song by song
The CD opens with Faith In The Heartland. This is an anthemic, sweeping piece, with a hook so subtle that the casual listener might miss it. More M
