Journey: Infinity CD Track Listing

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Journey Infinity (1978)
Infinity (Reissued Digipack)\n2006 Columbia/Legacy\n\nOriginally Released May 1978\nCD Edition Released 1987 ??\nGold MasterSound CD Edition Released June 28, 1994\nRemastered CD Edition Released October 15, 1996\nReissued Digipack CD Edition Released August 1, 2006\n\nAMG EXPERT REVIEW: This was the first album with vocalist Steve Perry. "Wheel in the Sky" was the band's first US-charting single, followed by "Anytime" and "Lights." It was the beginning of their climb up the charts with the trademark tenor of Steve Perry. -- Donna DiChario\n\nAMG EXPERT REVIEW: By 1977 Journey had reached a creative crossroads, with three underwhelming studio albums under their belt and little to show in the way of commercial success. At the prodding of manager Herbie Herbert, who felt a major shakeup was needed in order to reignite their spark, the band was convinced to audition and eventually recruit the services of former Alien Project vocalist Steve Perry. Sure enough, adding him to the band just prior to the sessions for Infinity proved to be a stroke of genius, and a move that undeniably altered the course of history for the fledging Bay Area act. Released in January of 1978, Infinity easily proved to be the band's most cohesive work to date. Dead and buried were the jazz fusion overtones of previous offerings, and with the new songwriting combo of Perry/Neal Schon leading the march, the band set out to completely redefine their sound. Traditional pop arrangements were now adopted, cutting out the unnecessary musical fat, and allowing each bandmember to play to his strength: Perry's soaring, whale of a voice, Schon's scorching fret work, and Gregg Rolie's subtle keyboard arrangements. Enlisting eccentric producer Roy Thomas Baker (already famous for guiding the likes of Queen and Nazareth to giant commercial triumphs of their own) also proved to be a rewarding move for the boys. With newfound confidence, Journey crafted a record that could finally land them on the radio. Loaded with future FM staples like "Wheel in the Sky" (which hit the Top 50 in April of 1978), "Lights" (which quietly peaked at number 68 that August), and "Anytime" (pretty much a flop, crawling to number 83 in July), Infinity introduced Journey to an entirely new audience. Even non-singles like "Patiently (the first tune Perry ever wrote with Schon) and "Somethin' to Hide" were leaps and bounds beyond the band's previous accomplishments. And, ultimately, though Infinity merely introduced the band to mainstream radio (it was the never-ending tour on which the band embarked on to support it that drove the disc past the platinum plateau), it effectively cemented their rep as one of America's most beloved (and sometimes hated) commercial rock/pop bands. With over 170 shows under their belts, Journey had just begin to hit their stride. -- John Franck & Ed Rivadavia\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nJourney's breakthrough album, August 6, 2005\nReviewer: Darth Kommissar (Las Vegas, NV (USA))\nINTRODUCTION: \nJourney in the mid-late seventies was a great rock band with a sound all their own. Unfortunately, despite their excellent sound, the foursome of guitarist Neal Schon, singer/keyboard player Gregg Rolie, bass player Ross Valory, and percussionist Aynsley Dunbar was getting nowhere. Although their first three albums were rock masterpieces (in my opinion, the best Journey albums), they achieved no mainstream success. The band was now in a time of crisis. This prompted the group to seek out a new vocalist - a fifth member of the band. Their manager recommended Steve Perry, someone he'd heard singing with another band. With the new vocalist in the band, the group, now a quintet, went into the studio. They recorded their fourth studio album, Infinity, and released it in January of 1978. The album was produced by Roy Thomas Baker, who gained some fame from his work with Queen. Perry's entry into the band and the release of this album instantly shot the band into mainstream success. Is it the masterpiece of a classic rock album everyone says it is, or is it weak, overrated music that is put to shame by the Rollie days of yore? If you want to find out, keep on reading. \n\nOVERVIEW/REVIEW: \nI wasn't sure what to think of this album. Admittingly, I had never really been a big Journey fan outside of the oh-so-underrated Gregg Rollie albums. Well, one thing's for sure. After hearing this album, I am now a fan of all phases of Journey's career. I'd never really given the Perry-era stuff a chance before, and could kick myself for doing that, because Infinity is a classic rock masterpiece. I don't like it as well as the Rollie albums, but then again, I don't like MANY things as well as those, by ANY band. As far as the Perry-era albums go, this, his debut with the band, just might be the strongest one of all. The album starts strong with Lights, the classic rock ballad that would become one of the group's first big hits. Rock ballads don't get a whole lot better than this song. Immediately following Lights is are Feelin' That Way and Anytime, two melodic rockers which feature a combination of Steve Perry and Gregg Rollie vocals. On their own, both of these guys are competent vocalists, but when they put their talents together, the results are astonishing. These first three songs on the album all became huge hits for the band that still get played on the radio constantly. And then we start to move into the territory unfamiliar to casual Journey fans. La Do Da was never a very big hit for Journey, but is one of the greatest songs the band has EVER recorded! Here the band takes elements of hard and heavy rock and combines them with pop rock (think UFO meets Orleans.) Why this song never became more popular is one of the greatest mysteries of the universe. We then shift sounds with the underrated Patiently. This song starts off sweetly and innocently enough, with a melodic, acoustic intro that uses a backing piano track... but then the electric guitars enter the mix and it becomes an excellent rocker, up until it reverts back to the sound that started things up. The B-Side of the album is lead off by the biggest hit of all on the album, Wheel In The Sky. This song requires no introduction. The rocker was the first single released from the album, and ultimately would end up becoming Journey's first hit. There's a reason so many people hail this song as a rock masterpiece, people! The remaining four songs were never very popular, but in the music quality department, these closers give even the album's big hits a run for their money. Somethin' To Hide and Winds Of March are some of the best rock ballads I have ever heard, combining the classic Journey pop-rock sound with an eerie, melodic one. The end result is amazing! But, we get right back into the hard and heavy rock with the underrated classic Can Do. Yet another song on here that never got the proper credit. Closing things out is Opened The Door, another one of the slower, more melodic numbers. This song really does end the album on a high note. In the end, Infinity is a damn good classic rock album. The world couldn't have asked for a better introduction to Steve Perry. \n\nEDITION NOTES: \nThis album was originally released on CD in the eighties, but the initial CD release featured shoddy sound quality and a rather poor reproduction of the original vinyl record's cover art. Fortunately, the album has since gotten some much-needed remastered sound. The cover art also got beautifully restored. I wish the reissue had included bonus tracks or expanded liner notes, but ultimately, it succeeds where remastering treatment should succeed the most - improving sound quality. \n\nOVERALL: \nJourney released a lot of excellent albums over the years, and this is where their massive reign of popularity all began. Steve Perry would be with the band for a long time, and with him, the group would release a number of albums, and score a ton of pop-rock hits. If you're a fan of classic rock, there is no excuse for not owning Infinity. It's a rock and roll masterpiece that belongs in everyone's music collection.\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\n1970s Jock Rock Uneven, July 26, 2005\nReviewer: M. JEFFREY MCMAHON "herculodge" (Torrance, CA USA)\nI'm chagrined to admit that I loved this album in high school like so many jocks in the class of 1979. Twenty-five years later I bought the CD to indulge my nostalgia and guilty pleasure and realize I truly was an embarrassment. However, there are some classic rock songs that based on their genre hold up pretty well. Wheel in the Sky, Lights in the City, and a couple other tracks really capture the 1970s suburban rock zeitgeist. But Winds of March, a ballad I loved when I was 16, is so pretentious that it was probably fodder and inspiration for the film This Is Spinal Tap. \n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nAn Unforgetable Timepiece, March 25, 2004\nReviewer: "nrltrip" (Memphis)\nWhen I purchased Infinity when it was first released I bought it on 8-track format. Its what we did. Cassettes we're expensive. 8-track players were easy to install. I remember how perfectly this recording flowed (except for the track breaks). I also remember buying the album for a girl I was dating at the time. It was a perfect make-out record. As the years past I grew more and more appreciative of the genius behind this recording. I met Greg Rolie and Steve Perry at the Southland shopping mall in Memphis (one of the first malls in the country)before the album was released. I remember how gracious Greg Rolie was and how Steve Perry, in a big fur coat in the summer, seemed thrilled just to be at the mall. Infinity is a true clasic , untainted by record company expectations and timeless in its beauty. Buy a copy for someone you love.\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\n"Infinity" Sets the Stage For Musical Excellence to Come, August 13, 2002\nReviewer: Bud Sturguess (Seminole, Texas, USA)\nOf course, Journey reached their peak point of radio dominance during the 80's, ruling both the airwaves and the touring road. But 1978's rock and roll acheivement "Infinity" sets the stage for their craft of musical excellence that would become their trademark in the next decade. \nHere, Journey, with frontman Steve Perry debuting, shapes the form of their classic rock and roll--a blend of soft magical melodies ('Lights'), Neal Schon's hard rocking riffs (the carnie's ballad 'Wheel in the Sky'), FM radio gems ('Anytime'), and of course, the element of Journey that sets them apart from other graduates of their genre, their slightly enigmatic genuine poignancy (captured here on 'Winds of March'). All throughout "Infinity," Journey introduces us to their unique stylings; soft keyboard and piano arrangements (specialty of Greg Rollie) combined with profound rhythms and beats (thanks to Ross Valory & Aynsley Dunbar, who soon departed after this set's release), matched with Steve Perry's uncomparable vocals and Neal Schon's classically trained guitars. \nJourney in many ways set up the radio pop-rock sound that was so evident in the '80's, combining synth and genuine rock. However, this pop sound of the next decade was soured by such other acts as the Culture Club and countless other burn-outs, but Journey was one of the few bands to turn that sound of theirs into a perfected musical craft. This lovely little thing called Journey was formed by a harmonic musical perfection, and "Infinity" displays that excellency in all its glory, as would a string of successful albums throughout the next decade.\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nThe definitive introduction to Journey, March 2, 2000\nReviewer: Tonya Price "elysianhunter" (Gahanna, OH United States)\nFor the young or the (gasp) uninitiated to Journey, Infinity is the first one to listen to. (Even though there were three albums before Infinity, Journey, Look Into the Future, and Next, these have a certain jazz fusion quality that may or may not be widely appreciated, depending upon the intended audience.) Though certain elements will become more refined in Evolution, Departure and especially Escape and Frontiers, the listener cannot help but be inspired by the energy and freshness of this album. My particular favorite track on this one is "Winds of March-" eloquent and powerful- not what you'd expect, but as you listen to Journey, not just the "top 40" songs by Journey, you will see a wonderfully broad range and depth that will keep the listener forever coming back again and again to revisit the magic.\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nJourney didn't realize how lucky they were to have Steve..., March 3, 1999\nReviewer: A music fan\nThe other guys in Journey didn't realize how lucky they were to get Steve Perry in their group. I laugh at "Wheel in the Sky" because Steve sounds kind of nervous & whiny. I got the feeling he's a big worrier, especially when he whimpers,"I don't know where I'll be tomorrow..." Maybe Steve was nervous & sensitive, but he sure had great talent & took that group to the top of the charts. The other four could have NEVER done it without Steve and now that they're without Steve again, that group dosn't have hope of holding out. The raw truth: I get the feeling that Russ, Greg, and the others NEED Steve but don't really WANT him around, but that Steve doesn't NEED the others (note how well his solos did), but just WANTED them (A mistaken feeling of kindness and pity on Steve's part, I suspect, knowing Steve).\n\nHalf.com Details \nProducer: Roy Thomas Baker \n\nAlbum Notes\nJourney: Steve Perry (vocals); Neal Schon (guitar); Gregg Rolie (keyboards); Ross Valory (bass); Aynsley Dunbar (drums).\n\nDigitally remastered by Bob Ludwig & Brian Lee (Gateway Mastering Studios, Portland, Maine).\n\n1978's INFINITY was easily one of the most important albums in Journey's career up until that point. While it did spawn one sizeable hit, "Wheel in the Sky," more importantly INFINITY was singer Steve Perry's debut with the band. While touches of Journey's early fusion/progressive leanings can still be detected, a new sound and approach was right around the corner. With Perry now in the line-up, the band would soon be rocketing up the U.S. singles and albums charts.
This rock cd contains 10 tracks and runs 36min 31sec.
Freedb: 76088d0a
Buy: from Amazon.com

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