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Rating: A masterpiece. There's no more suitable word to describe this album, which includes some of the songs that have made rock history and still know how to move us today.
Journey, already known for masterpieces like "Lights," "Wheel In The Sky," "Lovin’ Touchin’ Squeezin’" and "Any Way You Want It," manage to create an album that leaves no regrets. The band consists of Steve Perry, one of the most unique and powerful voices in America, Neal Schon on guitars, Jonathan Cain on keyboards, Ross Valory on bass, and Steve Smith on drums: this is undoubtedly the golden lineup of the group.
"Don’t Stop Believin’", the legendary opening of the album, is a timeless song: very catchy and characterized by that mix of sweetness and aggressiveness that makes it unique and immortal. "Stone In Love" and "Who’s Cryin’ Now" are true milestones, songs that speak for themselves from the first listen. It was precisely these three, along with "Open Arms," that made America dream in those years when the album reached number one on the charts, and that still today offer rich emotions. Notable, as always, are the melodic but well-articulated solos of Neal Schon and the keyboards of Jonathan Cain, sometimes simple but always spot on. Next is "Keep On Runnin’," a harder piece than the previous ones, but still in the AOR style, like the whole album. "Still They Ride" is a deep and moving piece, overwhelming in all its intensity, made of exciting guitar chords and perfect vocalizations, worthy of the great Perry. Following is the title track "Escape," a piece with outstanding energy and vitality, a typical song that gets you pumped, great to listen to when the mood isn't at its best. The choruses are vigorous, as always.
"Lay It Down" and "Dead Or Alive," once again reaffirm the skill of the five undisputed musicians. Steve Smith is one of the best drummers around, often underrated or even forgotten; but his skill is unquestionable, so much so that today he plays Jazz-Fusion with Steps Ahead. With guitar and piano opens the majestic "Mother, Father," a song that talks about the strength and unity of the family, hence with very positive words, but almost gloomy musically. Nevertheless, it's another gem of this album, one that hits straight to the heart. The closing track is the aforementioned "Open Arms": one of the most engaging and emotional songs in the entire Journey career. It's a highly romantic piece, but not clichéd; it's not the typical tear-jerking ballad, on the contrary, it’s truly charged, and Perry seems to express his love aggressively, especially in the chorus.
The entire album is wrapped in an atmosphere of frantic freedom, a desire to escape (Escape...) to live life to the fullest; perhaps these themes are the reason it has left its indelible mark on music history.
Tracklist Lyrics Samples and Videos
01 Don't Stop Believin' (04:11)
Just a small town girl
Livin' in a lonely world
She took the midnight train going anywhere
Just a city boy
Born and raised in South Detroit
He took the midnight train going anywhere
A singer in a smoky room
The smell of wine and cheap perfume
For a smile they can share the night
It goes on and on and on and on
Strangers waiting
Up and down the boulevard
Their shadows searching in the night
Streetlights people
Living just to find emotion
Hiding somewhere in the night
Working hard to get my fill
Everybody wants a thrill
Paying anything to roll the dice
Just one more time
Some will win, some will lose
Some were born to sing the blues
Oh, the movie never ends
It goes on and on and on and on
Strangers waiting
Up and down the boulevard
Their shadows searching in the night
Streetlights people
Living just to find emotion
Hiding somewhere in the night
Don't stop believin'
Hold on to that feelin'
Streetlight people
Woah, woah
Don't stop believin'
Hold on
Streetlight people
Oh, woah
Don't stop believin'
Hold on to that feelin'
Street light people
03 Who's Crying Now (05:01)
It's been a mystery and still they try to see
why something good can hurt so bad
caught on a one way street the taste of bittersweet
love will survive somehow, some way
CHORUS:
one love feeds the fire
one heart burns desire
I wonder who's crying now
two hearts born to run
who'll be the lonely one
i wonder who's crying now
So many stormy nights, so many wrongs or rights
neither could change their headstrong ways
and in a lovers rage they tore another page
the fightin is worth the love they save....
Repeat chorus
Only so many tears you can cry
til the heartache is over
and now you can say your love
will never die
Repeat chorus
04 Keep On Runnin' (03:40)
Workin' in the city
This town's got no pity
Bossman owns a heart of stone
I'm on the line, it's overtime
I'll tell you it's a crime
They get me by the hour
By my blue collar
You're squeezin' me too tight
It's Friday night
Let's run tonight
Till the morning light.
Keep on runnin', keep on hidin'
Keep on runnin' away
It's okay, it's alright
It's okay, it's alright
And if it makes you want to jump and shout, go ahead!
Keep on runnin' keep on hidin'
Keep on runnin' away, it's okay.
Crusin' with my baby
Think we just might maybe
Find some back seat rhythm and blues
Radio, down we go, down we go.
(chorus)
05 Still They Ride (03:52)
Jesse rides through the night
Under the Main Street light
Ridin' slow
This ol' town, ain't the same
Now nobody knows his name
Times have changed, still he rides.
Traffic lights, keepin' time
Leading the wild and restless
through the night
Still they ride, on wheels of fire
They rule the night
Still they ride, the strong will survive
Chasing thunder
Spinning 'round, in a spell
It's hard to leave this carrousel
'Round and 'round
And 'round and 'round
(chorus)
06 Escape (05:16)
He's just a young boy out of school
Livin' his world like he wants to
They're makin' laws, but they don't understand
Turns a boy in to a fightin' man
They won't take me
They won't break me
No one could tell him what to do
Had to learn everything the hard way
He's on the street, breakin' all the rules
I'm tellin' you that he's nobody's fool
They won't take me
They won't break me
Now he's leavin', gettin' out from this masquerade
Oh gotta go
I'm finally out in the clear and I'm free
I've got dreams I'm livin' for
I'm movin' on where they'll never find me
Rollin' on to anywhere
I'll break away, yes I'm on my way
Leavin' today, yes I'm on my way
Just when you think you had it all figured out
Runnin' scared can change your mind
I never knew I had so much to give
How hard times can fool ya
Oh I'm okay, I'm alright
Feelin' good out on your own
I'll break away, I'll break away tonight
I've got dreams I'm livin' for
I'll break away
Yes, I'm on my way
I'm leaving', leavin' today
Yes, I'm on my way
This is my escape
Yes, I'm on my way
I'll break away
Yes, I'm on my way
07 Lay It Down (04:13)
Lookin' 'round for a feelin'
I love the rhythm and blues
The place was rockin' and reelin'
I thought I'd shake me loose
The band was pumpin' Motown
Lord how they could play
The girls a-started singing
Rock the night away
By the midnight hour
They could've raised the dead
They were takin' it higher
Higher, higher, higher, ringin' in my head
Lay it down, lay it down
Lay it down, lay it down
Whisky, wine and women
They get me though the night
I ain't lookin' for trouble
I ain't lookin' to fight
A little vertical persuasion
Would do me right
What I'm really needin'
Ah, double shot tonight.
By the midnight hour
We were on our way
She was takin' it higher
Higher, higher, higher, then I heard say
(chorus)
08 Dead or Alive (03:20)
A double secret agent
And he was paid to kill
With cold steel magnum force is how the man possessed the skill
He shot a man in Paris
He did a job in L.A.
And if the price was right, he'd surely
Take your life away
Wanted, dead or alive, blood for money, money
Assault, homicide, blood for
money, money, money, money
Wanted
He drove a Maserati, lived up in the hills
A cat with nine lives that's gone
Too far to feel the chill
He never though it'd happen
It was his last mistake
'Cause he was gunned down by a
heartless woman's 38.
(chorus)
09 Mother, Father (05:29)
She sits alone, an empty stare
A mother's face she wears
Where did she go wrong,
the fight is gone
Lord help this broken home
Hey, mother, father, sister
Hey, come back, tryin', believein'
Hey, mother, father, dreamer
Don't you know that I'm alive for you
I'm your sevenths son
And when lightning strikes the family
Have faith, believe.
With dreams he tried, lost his pride
He drinks his life away
One photograph, in broken glass
It should not end this way.
Through bitter tears
And wounded years, those ties
of blood were strong
So much to say, those yesterdays
So now don't you turn away.
(chorus)
10 Open Arms (03:17)
Lying beside you.
Here in the dark
Feeling your heart beat
With mine
Softly you whisper
You're so sincere
How could our love
Be so blind
We sailed on together
We drifted apart
And here you are by my side
So now I come to you
With open arms
Nothing to hide
Believe what I say
So here I am
With open arms
Hoping you'll see
What your love means to me
Open arms
Living without you
Living alone
This empty house seems so cold
Wanting to hold you
Wanting you near
How much I wanted you home
But now that you've come back
Turned night into day
I need you to stay
So now I come to you
With open arms
Nothing to hide
Believe what I say
So here I am
With open arms
Hoping you'll see
What your love means to me
Open arms
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