Journey - Escape (1981)

Middle of the Road, AOR, Radio Rock . . . whatever you want to call it, Journey’s 1981 album Escape was about as big and as accomplished it got! With the inclusion of Jonathan Cain to the band as keyboardist and co-writer, Journey were set to write and record their 7th and biggest album which went multi-platinum in their native USA, spawned a clutch of hit singles and shot the band to global super-stardom status.

All the ingredients of a great melodic power-rock album exist within this record: good hooks, strong riffs, melodic soloing, soaring vocals and harmonies, high musicianship, emotional lyrics, musical variety from rock riffing to piano ballad and polished production from Mike Stone and Kevin Elson.

Rock compilation favourite Don’t Stop Believin’ opens the album and was a top 10 hit in the USA and really lays down the pattern for the rest of the album with a great use of keyboard melody coupled with Schon’s guitar playing, neither particularly dominating nor cancelling-out each other as was was often the case with bands of this genre. Strong vocal melody and a ‘catchy’ chorus – and a trademark Schon solo (never one for aimless shredding) – really make the track an outstanding opener and statement of intent.

Stone In Love is one of the many standout tracks on the album. Opening with a Schon riff it is one of the heavier on Escape albeit reigned-in by Steve Perry’s melodic harmonies – interspersed with some great guitar breaks and a pounding drum track from Steve ‘Machine Gun’ Smith. The track ends with Cain providing a real Jounreyesque keyboard build into which the band come and Schon works a really squealing guitar melody and solo: a very good track indeed!

Next-up is a tugger at the heart strings: Who’s Crying Now. A melancholy piano chord structure with Perry laying down some equally sombre, but ultimately hopeful, lyrics provides for a very strong track. Not one for eulogising about lyrical/emotional content of a track – always a bit more inclined towards the instrumentation – I have to confess that lyrically this is very strong and Perry wrings-out the full emotion of the piece, ably accompanied from a subtle backing from the rest of the group and a suitably in-keeping, and excellent, solo from Shon. I recall having just broken up with ‘the love of my life’ when I first heard this and spent many an angst-ridden teenage evening listening to this track and just being blown away! Schon is one of the most emotionally-fuelled melodic guitarists around and always went for substance over speed and nowhere is this more evident than on Who’s Crying Now.

Just as you are reaching for the tissue to blot a teary eye, the uptempo riff of Keep On Runnin’ kicks-in an you’re off on a powerful track with, as ever, a strong hook and impossibly high, soaring vocals from Perry. This is followed by the very mellow Still They Ride which, whilst not a weak track, compared with the quality throughout the rest of the album, is a little bland for my tastes.

Then just as you fear things may be taking a downturn – flipping the old vinyl to side 2 – the outstanding title track opens with a nice chugging Schon riff for an uptempo workout and one of the ‘heaviest’ tracks on the album. The taught and ascending bridge from Cain and Schon is a real highlight too leading into a strong riff featuring harmonics and altogether provides for a really uplifting track.

Lay It Down is a more mainstream American Rock track based around Schon followed by the really uptempo, almost rock and roll-feel, of Dead Or Alive.

Then the mood drops with the dramatic Mother Father – another emotional ballad which, whilst not having quite the heart-string twanging intensity of Who’s Crying Now – is a powerful track with Perry in particular on outstanding form both lyrically and vocally. This intensity is then maintained for the closing track Open Arms, another classic slice of Journey at their peak of their powers – I seem to recall this song being sung at a karaoke in Dynasty at some point! That apart, it’s a powerful closer to the album and was another chart hit for the band.

I don’t really have much else to say about this album other than get it at once: an absolute classic!

• Steve Perry – Vocals
• Neil Schon – Guitar
• Steve Smith – Drums
• Jonathan Cain – Keyboards
• Ross Valory – Bass