When they started in the mid-seventies, the Californian band Journey was just another rock group, musically well-prepared but lacking a compositional focus and true personality. By the release of their eighth album (we're in 1983), they were sailing at full speed and had become one of the most followed and best-selling global acts. What happened and how did they get there? Through four progressive changes, one for each album starting from the fourth.

The first turning point, at the time of their fourth album "Infinity," was the hiring of a lead singer with a powerful vocal output named Steve Perry: an invaluable enrichment but also an undeniable and problematic influence. The second came with the next work "Evolution," with the hiring of a new and better drummer in the person of maestro Steve Smith. The third added value is the shift in production from the English Roy Thomas Baker to the American Kevin Elson, who is better at elevating Perry's voice and choruses to melodic heights, and this happened in the sixth work "Departure." The last, well-chosen input was the arrival of keyboardist, and especially notable composer, Jonathan Cain to replace the departing founding member Gregg Rolie, for the seventh album "Escape."

Each of these career changes resulted in millions more albums sold, as well as quick climbs in international recognition and fame. "Frontiers," however, features the same lineup as the previous album and no further novelties: by now, the Journey musical approach and sound are fully formed and established, and they aim to persist on the successful path they've taken.

With a frontman as spectacularly styled and vocally gifted as they have, albeit prone to excesses and kitsch, Journey have transformed into the Queens of America; not in the sense of a stylistic similarity between their hard pop rock and that of Brian May and his bandmates, but rather in the way that, just like the four Englishmen, this quintet is now perceived in a polarized way: you either deeply love their sweetened offering or view it as kitsch and can't stand them.

Apart from the overwhelming vocal personality of both Mercury and Perry, another shared aspect between the two groups is the notable inconsistency in quality among the songs on the same album: ranging from iconic melodies to decent fillers, down to relatively poor efforts. That suits me fine: I prefer to find three thrilling songs on an album and the rest average, rather than encountering a compact, decent, pleasant collection of well-made songs, all without flaws but all mediocre.

"Frontiers" doesn't escape this rule: for starters, the invaluable second track "Send Her My Love" is forever recorded in the annals of American melodic rock where everything is perfect, from Smith's bass drum and snare edge intro signaling an elegant rhythmic march, to Neal Schon's atmospheric and grand, melodically rich guitar riff; from Perry's luxuriant and romantic lament to Schon's reverberating solo singing in the central solo, a true song within a song.

"Faithfully," the fifth track of the album and exclusively the brainchild of keyboardist Cain, akin to things like "Questo piccolo grande amore" or "Tanta voglia di lei" for us, fulfills a similar role. At the time, Cain was continuously and languidly on the phone with his blonde wife during the band's long world tours. "I'm forever yours... faithfully" sings Perry's most aphrodisiac voice, promising eternal love to the distant woman. Time passes and changes things, even though the songs remain, and this is one of those cases... in reality, Cain would divorce the subject of such a devoted piano ballad a few years later, successfully remarrying another. Good the second time, for him too.

Journey has always loved opening with "Separate Ways," nearly always present in concerts but which I personally find very tedious: Smith's invented rhythm is unusual and original but cumbersome, the chorus is predictable, Perry's embellishments excessive. I'm also not convinced by "Back Talk" even more edgy, and "Chain Reaction," due to its trite and kitschy air.

However, the title track of the album is very elegant, thanks to a classy guitar riff exquisitely accompanied in up-tempo by the creative Smith. The same cannot be said for "Edge Of The Blade": the guitar loop is dramatic and idiosyncratic, introducing and characterizing a typical hard rock number in which Perry does not seem to be having much fun.

The third ballad of the album, "Troubled Child," is of great value, in which the guitarist and keyboardist show they are made for each other: Schon's melodic guitar hovers over the slender colleague's synthesizer arpeggios like whipped cream on a cup of ice cream, for a waltz-tempo round in which even Perry cannot resist unveiling his most fertile emission. Smith also contributes, organizing a creative shift of accents on his drums for the refrain that makes it seem like the song's tempo changes, though it does not.

The rest falls within the typical Journey average, good but not transcendent. The album earns its four stars in the end thanks to its three ballads: this has often been the case in the works of this group.

Tracklist Lyrics and Videos

01   Separate Ways (Worlds Apart) (05:24)

Here we stand
Worlds apart hearts broken in two...two...two
Sleepless nights
Losing ground I'm reaching for you...you...you

Feeling that it's gone
Can change your mind
If we can't go on
To survive the tide love divides

(Chorus)
Someday love will find you
Break those chains that bind you
One night will remind you
How we touched and went our seperate ways
If he ever hurts you
True love won't desert you
You know I still love you
Though we touched and went our seperate ways

Troubled times
Caught between confusion and pain...pain...pain
Distant eyes
Promises we made were in vain...in vain...in vain

If you must go I wish you love
You'll never walk alone
Take care my love
Miss you love

(Chorus)

Ohhhhh
Someday love will find you
Break those chains that bind you
One night will remind you

If he ever hurts you
True love won't desert you
You know I still love you

I still love you, girl
I really love you, girl
And if he ever hurts you
True love won't desert you

02   Send Her My Love (03:54)

It's been so long
Since I've seen her face
You say she's doin' fine
I still recall a sad cafe
How it hurt so bad to see her cry
I didn't want to say goodbye

Chorus:
Send her my love
Memories remain
Send her my love
Roses never fade
Send her my love

The same hotel
The same old room
I'm on the road again
She needed so much more
Than I could give
We knew our love could not pretend
Broken hearts can always mend

Chorus

Callin' out her name I'm dreamin'
Reflections of a face I'm seein'
It's her voice
That keeps on haunting me

Send her, send her my love
Roses never fade
Memories remain
Send her, send her, my love...

03   Chain Reaction (04:21)

I bet you, she's the one
Who helped you, come undone
Those changes
She put you through
Long long distance
You're overdue
I bet you, she'd like to say
She's changed you, in every way
She's so sure
Now she's on the run
She ran a red light
You jumped the gun

Chain reaction, shades of passion
We surrender, lose control
So now you, lived a mystery
You won't be
Just one more casualty
You stumble, before you fall
Won't be the last time
No not at all
In motion, it's on her way
The red light
Somebody's got to pay
Those changes
She put you through
Long long distance
You're overdue

Chain reaction, shades of passion
We surrender, lose control
Chain reaction
Strange attraction
Love's a viper, steals your soul

So now just where do we go
Tell me where

Chain reaction, shades of passion
We surrender, lose control
Chain reaction
Strange attraction
Love's a viper, steals your soul

04   After the Fall (05:00)

So now love is gone
I can't t go on, love is gone
I want to say
Now it's just too late
Waited far too long

Should have told you then I knew
Should have told you right
From the start
But the words
Didn't come out right
So I'll tell you
Straight from my heart

You meant more to me
Than I let you see
You held on somehow
All your tenderness
And your sweet caress
I miss you now

Buy a headstrong stubborn man
Only works it out the best he can
Valentines he never sent
There's not enough time
He's a workin' man

Can't stop fallin'
Heartaches callin'
Finds you after the fall
Saints or sinners
Take no prisoners
What's left after you fall
No not much no

Oh I say love is gone
I can't go on
Now love is gone
I want to say
But It's just too late
Waited far too long

Should have told you then I knew
Should have told you right
From the start
But the words
Didn't come out right
So I'll tell you
Straight from my heart

(chorus)

No no not much
After the fall
After you fall
After you fall

05   Faithfully (04:26)

Highway run
Into the midnight sun
Wheels go 'round and 'round
You're on my mind
Restless hearts
Sleep alone tonight
Sendin' all my love
Along the wire

They say that the road
Ain't no place to start a family
Right down the line
It's been you and me
And lovin' a music man
Ain't always what it's s'posed to be
Oh girl, you stand by me
I'm forever yours
Faithfully

Circus life
Under the big top world
We all need the clowns
To make us smile
Through space and time
Always another show
Wondering where I am
Lost without you

And being apart ain't easy
On this love affair
Two strangers learn
To fall in love again
I get the joy
Of rediscovering you
Oh girl, you stand by me
I'm forever yours
Faithfully

06   Edge of the Blade (04:30)

You've been tryin', very hard
Now this time you've gone too far
Your performance perfect
In every way--perfect!
I hear rumors all around
Contracts and lawyers
And champagne downtown
Tell me what you think
You want me to do
I've been always fair with you
Turning on me
After all we've been through
You want trouble then that's just
the way it will be


You're caught up in the power
A blue magical maze
Now the circle is broken
In a spellbinding rage
Better see if you're holdin'
The wrong edge of the blade


If it's sharp, if it cuts
Enjoy yourself

07   Troubled Child (04:29)

Sunrise, creepin' in your eyes
Cold empty side walks
Miles away from trustin' someone
Far from giving up
Young blood, cry tough
Mean street run
There's a hunger inside you
Desperate rebel runaway
Far from giving up


Someday, someway, all very soon
You'll end, long nights chasin' the moon


War with yourself
Makes you feel better
Caught behind the lines
Troubles child
Faith finds a cure
It makes you feel better
You know you can shine
Troubled child


Voices echo, from the past
Decisions made for you
Trials they made
To touch your heart
Never found their way

08   Back Talk (03:16)

I work all day to make a livin'
No one needs
Your kind of attitude
Your sharp tongue
It cuts me like a razor
Lip service gets you nowhere
No, no, no
Back talk I don't need it
B-B-B-back talk I don't need it
No, no, no back talk
Don't want to hear it
Don't give me no back talk


Watch that temper
You watch what you're sayin'


Don't talk to me
With that tone of voice
Your act is pushin' me
To the limit
Can't stand it, can't stand it
Can't take it any more


Don't won't back talk
I don't need it
Don't give me back talk
I don't want to hear it
Don't give me back talk
Don't need it, no


I believe you enjoy
this aggravation
Lately that's all I get from you
You were born to drive me crazy
Can't take it, can't take it any more from you
No, no more


Back talk, I don't need it
Back talk, I don't need it
Back talk, Don't want to hear it
Don't give me no back talk
Sassy back talk
Don't give me no sassy back talk
No I don't want to hear it
No don't really need it
No don't give me no
Give me no don't you give me no

09   Frontiers (04:09)

Oh yeah
Progress flys, into our lives
Got to find time, find time
Talk digit talk
You're doin' find
Machines never mind
They never mind


Out on the border
Of a changing skyline
We put hope in front of fear
And all the Heroes
Have gone east of eden
We all need new frontiers


Ooh It's a 3D rise
All tech-na-ca-jive
Talk a video dive
War is for fools
Crisis is cool
Barbarians play


(chorus)


New, new, frontiers
Barbarians play away, away, away...play

10   Rubicon (04:18)

In this promised land
Fire burnin' in our hands
The choice is ours to make
Realize your fantasy
You live the dream
With every step you take
Stand tall stand on the edge
Use the thin end of the wedge
The will to cast your fate
Don't turn around too late
Lose ground if we hesitate
Burning youth won't wait


Make a move across the rubicon
Futures knockin' at your door
Take your time
And choose the road you want
Opportunity is yours


See it all so clear
Time is right time is near
We know now what to do
All god's children learn
Which way to turn
Turning back we're through
We all refuse to lose
Live life and light the fuse
Burning youth won't wait

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