DEPARTURE

The seventh album of Journey from 1980. By the time they entered in a new decade, the 80's, they were already a big and well known band, not only in USA but also gained cohorts of fans in Europe in that period. In the late '70's early '80's Journey and Styx were the most well known bands in USA, with many hits, millions of albums sold and hundred of thousands of fans on both sides of the Atlantic. This album from 1980 entitled Departure was in the same vein with the predecesor Evolution, same AOR meets hard rock conception, like on the previouses 2 albums. The direction was drastically changed in 1978 when Perry joined the band, from a jazz rock with fusion leanings into AOR - hard rock music, but also they reach the peak of their career in the early '80 with this kind of music. So about this album, is again a good one with some top hits pieces like Any Way You Want It and I'm Cryin', the rest are also good and more enjoyble than this two hits. I'm talking about People And Places (one of my fav Journey pieces ever) and Someday Soon (featuring Rolie as lead singer) great tune remembering the times from Look into the futute or Next albums. Steve Perry again deed a great job, delivering some very fine and in the same time very solid vocal parts ( he is one of my fav vocalists ever) just check out Stay Awhile and People and places, excellent voice. All in all a good album no doubt, better than the predecesor, more up tempo, more strong ideas as on Evolution, but less intristing than the early albums. 3 stars without hesitation.