The first Journey album is a masterpiece

I agree. It's also a very underrated album too like you said. I kind of wonder what those who only know the Steve Perry version (or later) of the band would think of it.

I adore that first album , but already, by their sophomore, they were going downhill . Look To The Future still has three excellent tracks, but is filled with stuff that was the majority of their mediocre third album.
In some ways, it's little wonder that Columbia forced them to hire a popular singer (he wasn't at the time) or lose their well-paying recording contract.

The loss (firing actually) of Dunbar in a first step, than Rollie (disgusted) made them the kings of "corporate rock" (even Jagger toured with them to observe the band's functioning)



what an ugly end

.

I'll have to listen again. I'll give you that it's like a totally different group, and quite non commercial, but I don't remember liking it much more than their dreadful AOR work

It's underrated, but hardly a prog rock masterpiece.