The first Journey album is a masterpiece
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Category: Progressive Music Lounges
Forum Name: Prog Bands, Artists and Genres Appreciation
Forum Description: Discuss specific prog bands and their members or a specific sub-genre
URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=135018
Printed Date: July 27 2025 at 02:08
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Topic: The first Journey album is a masterpiece
Posted By: Gnik Nosmirc
Subject: The first Journey album is a masterpiece
Date Posted: June 02 2025 at 18:28
...and probably one of the most underrated crossover prog album of all time. Just listen to Topaz and In My Lonely Feeling. So amazing.  ------------- Jazz Rock / Fusion · Canterbury · Psych / Space Rock · Krautrock · Prog Electronic · RIO / Avant-Prog · Post Rock |
Replies:
Posted By: AFlowerKingCrimson
Date Posted: June 02 2025 at 19:08
| 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. |
Posted By: moshkito
Date Posted: June 02 2025 at 19:15
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Hi, The best thing that JOURNEY ever did was have their music in one of the first LAZERIUM Shows. The albums were nice, and they had some good things, but I'm not sure I would consider them "important" and being listed here as "Prog Related" is probably just fine. ------------- Music is not just for listening ... it is for LIVING ... you got to feel it to know what's it about! Not being told! www.pedrosena.com |
Posted By: Sean Trane
Date Posted: June 03 2025 at 03:07
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's departure (disgusted at the new musical direction, in which he had less space) made them the kings of "corporate rock" (even Jagger toured with them to observe the band's functioning) what an ugly end  . ------------- let's just stay above the moral melee prefer the sink to the gutter keep our sand-castle virtues content to be a doer as well as a thinker, prefer lifting our pen rather than un-sheath our sword |
Posted By: TenYearsAfter
Date Posted: June 03 2025 at 10:21
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I was a huge Santana fan when Greg Rolie and Neal Schon left the band and founded Journey, an exciting time. I have seen Journey in 1978 and 1980, I still consider their debut album as a top notch progrock effort, my favorite is Kohoutek, the band in its full splendor. |
Posted By: kenethlevine
Date Posted: June 03 2025 at 12:40
| 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 |
Posted By: Steve Wyzard
Date Posted: June 03 2025 at 13:11
| Neal Schon performed 3 songs from the 1st album ("Kohoutek", "Mystery Mountain", and "Of a Lifetime") on his 2019 "Journey Through Time" tour. |
Posted By: verslibre
Date Posted: June 03 2025 at 16:05
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It's underrated, but hardly a prog rock masterpiece. ------------- https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_ipg=50&_sop=1&_rdc=1&_ssn=musicosm" rel="nofollow - eBay |
Posted By: AFlowerKingCrimson
Date Posted: June 04 2025 at 21:16
Maybe because it's more like jazz-rock? 
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verslibre wrote:Posted By: verslibre
Date Posted: June 05 2025 at 12:12
It's not a jazz-rock masterpiece, either. It's good, just lacks something to make it great. I realize I'm in the minority. ------------- https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_ipg=50&_sop=1&_rdc=1&_ssn=musicosm" rel="nofollow - eBay |
Posted By: The Dark Elf
Date Posted: June 05 2025 at 18:57
Nope, you're not in the minority. For whatever merits the album has, referring to it as a masterpiece is silly. ------------- ...a vigorous circular motion hitherto unknown to the people of this area, but destined to take the place of the mud shark in your mythology... |
Posted By: MortSahlFan
Date Posted: June 06 2025 at 09:00
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I think on a prog site, when people compare early Journey to later hits-Journey, it seems better than it is. I like it. "Of a Lifetime", "Kohoutek", "Topaz", "In My Lonely Feelings" are good songs. I just wouldn't call it a masterpiece. ------------- https://www.youtube.com/c/LoyalOpposition https://www.scribd.com/document/382737647/MortSahlFan-Song-List |
Posted By: AFlowerKingCrimson
Date Posted: June 10 2025 at 16:06
Well, compared to all or at least most of their other albums it is but maybe that's not saying much.
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Posted By: Themistocles
Date Posted: July 25 2025 at 18:36
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Had never listened to it in totality before so I thought Id use this as as good an excuse as any. Its good. definitely underrated. The drums and guitars are excellent performances but dont sparkle like on their higher budget productions. Maybe not a masterpiece but rather good. The songwriting is a bit mired in tropes rather than owning tropes like they later did. These were professional musicians looking to punch a ticket and it sounds like it, perhaps following the parade too much. I like Kohoutek... it shows signs of greatness. Topaz too. The cover art is hecklarious. Still very good and they grew. ------------- Sjå, my first album in 25+ years is out now: https://jeffjahn.bandcamp.com/album/sj I am told its quite original |