We've noted in this space before that we believe the Rock and Roll HoF is a joke and that Journey's induction into same is also a joke.
Which does not mean that we don't like Journey. We do. In
A Line Through the Desert, When Jake Bloom puts together a romantic mixed tape for Patricia, Journey gets two slots. Hey, that negligee isn't going to take itself off, now is it?
It works.
We like Journey, we just don't believe being a big arena rock band warrants HoF status. Actually, said criteria would be a good idea for a post.
Of course the MF Media thinks of Gen-X as a monolith but in reality it is divided into two wings identified by this simple question, 'What's your Def Leppard album?'. Mine is Hysteria (1987). The band's other massive album came out in 1983, Pyromania, at the tale of end Journey's massive success that began in 1977 with Evolution, Departure and finally the super-massive Escape and Frontiers. They even had an Atari game.
Journey got really huge in the '81-83 era. This was one of those peculiar times for rock and roll that happens once a decade or so. The form that dominated had burned out, in this case 70's hard rock and Disco, but had yet to be replaced by the form that would dominate next, in this case Heavy Metal.
We first rediscovered Journey in 2001 with the excellent Behind the Music doc on the band. The 1990's were over, already its own pile of wreckage even before 9-11 destroyed that world a few months later. People were ready to take out this stuff and take a look at it. The next year VH-1 began its hilarious I Love the 80's series.
By then Journey's music was legendary and an integral part of the Gen-X soundtrack. That soundtrack included the quasi-groovy 70's song Wheel in the Sky, the last song that links Journey to their San Fran jam-band roots. From their its pop stuff for Journey, the quasi-blues Lovin Touchin' Squeezin' and 'Lights'. They wrote quasi-jazz songs like Whose Cryin' Now. They wrote rock anthems like the immortal Don't Stop Believin'. Of course Journey has two massive power ballads for the 1980's, Faithfully and Open Arms. Those two song on the tape deck would get you some parking lot make out time.
[Just makeout? -ed]
I wasn't to ambitious.
Anyway, Journey basically helped define the 80's sound. Neil Schon was a guitarist refugee from Santana who sure had some licks, though they sounded jazzy at times. Journey songs included heavy keyboard backing. Steve Perry and his wonderful voice made the band though, elevating them from an obscure Bay Area jam band to the kings of arena rock.
A lot of Journey songs climb to a crescendo, with light and easy backing geting louder and more aggressive. This is particularly true with songs like Lovin' Touchin' Squizin' and Don't stop Believing, but also the ballads like Faithfully. 'That Whoa o-o-o- at the end could be a freight train.
As noted before Steve Perry wrote love songs that were incredibly heart felt and sincere (see what I did there?). Most rock love songs are for women and tell them how pretty and special they are. Steve Perry wrote love songs for men to express themselves to those women:
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
And of course:
I get the joy
of rediscovering you
Oh girl, you stand by me
I'm forever yours, faithfully
Both songs feature power chords and searing guitar riffs. Which is the genius of the power ballad. These are songs for men.
Journey peeked in 1983, their next few albums, though they went platinum, are unmemorable and feel at home on the soft 97.1 WSH FM adult contemporary rotation. They represent all that is wrong with bland 80's music. By then Steve Perry had taken control of the band and dropped everybody but Schon and keyboardist Johnathon Cain. By 1990 Steve Perry was getting really weird.
I keep using the word 'quasi' to describe Journey's songs because I don't think Journey is innovative or really very interesting musically. I'm not trying to be snobby. I picked up a guitar because of Jimmy Page and once I learned to play his songs I was all, 'That's all that is?'
Journey's just good. They made simple but powerful music that everyone can like.
Hey man, that's arena rock.
