DREAM, AFTER DREAM (OST)

Dream after nightmare

This album is certainly an anomaly in the discography of Journey. Being released in 1980, in between the Departure and Escape albums, Dream After Dream is radically different from those albums and from anything else the band has made before or since. This one falls more in the Symphonic Prog category. Really! Not only the large white bird on the front cover remind of Camel's Snowgoose album, but also the feel of the music in parts.

When many people think about Journey they think primarily of albums like Infinity, Departure and Escape which leads them to think that Journey's output is rather homogenous and formulaic, but when one considers albums like the present one as well as the early Jazz-Rock/Fusion albums, the discography of the band suddenly appears very diverse.

Dream After Dream is an obscure soundtrack album made for a Japanese film of the same name. Being a soundtrack for a film, there naturally are some grey areas, but overall this is a surprisingly pleasant listen. The best track by far is the almost nine minute opener Destiny which moves from soft symphonic sweeps to hard rocking riffs. What follows is a rather agreeable string of vocal tunes and instrumental interludes. Only the closing track Little Girl is recognisably Journey. Indeed, in the other songs only the distinctive voice of Steve Perry reminds us of what band this is. As I said, several of the tracks are instrumental and are equally far removed in style from the AOR of Escape as they are from the Jazz-Rock of the band's debut.

While mostly interesting as a curiosity, Dream After Dream is worthy of a few listens in its own right and it will certainly please the Prog community more than most other albums by this band.

A real stylistic departure this. Recorded and released in 1980, 'Dream, After Dream' was not a studio album but the soundtrack to the obscure Japanese movie 'Yume, Yume, No ato' and one of the least well-known productions of Journey's otherwise stellar career. Still a year-or-so from releasing their 1981 smash-hit 'Escape', 'Dream, After Dream' was seemingly designed for two reasons: to strengthen the group's ties with their ever-growing Japanese audience who had been emphatically supporting the group since their mid- seventies, pre-Steve Perry days; and to let the musicians branch out into more musically challenging areas without damaging their commercial street cred back home. As an album, 'Dream, After Dream' very much harks back to the style of the American outfits early progressive phase, and has more in common with albums such as 1975's self-titled debut and 'Look Into The Future' than it does with the likes of breakthrough hit 'Infinity' and predecessor 'Evolution'. Of course, it's still recognisably a soundtrack piece, with a strong orchestral flavour backing Gregg Rolie's dreamy keyboards and the unusually understated guitars of Neal Schon. With only three tracks - 'Destiny', 'Sandcastles' and 'Little Girl' - featuring vocals, there isn't too much for Steve Perry to do, so this is a much more instrumentally ambitious affair, for the most eschewing the slick AOR style that had garnered the group such commercial success during the tail-end of the 1970s and showing yet again that there is so much more to Journey than sentimental balladry and streamlined pop-rock. There's also a whimsical, almost melancholic edge to much of 'Dream, After Dream', a mood heightened by the fact that it would prove to be the final album to feature founding member Rolie, a multi-talented player whose compositional abilities always favoured a more experimental approach. Fortunately, it's a worthy swansong to his time in the group, and in technical terms this is undoubtedly the most proficient and adventurous Journey release since 1977's underrated 'Next', giving a brief look at how the globe-conquering group may have turned out if Steve Perry hadn't joined the fold two years earlier. For those fans who have always preferred the trio of progressive-flavoured albums from Journey's early days, this should prove an exciting treat. 'Dream, After Dream' is an atmospheric, almost elegiac album featuring a richer, fuller sound that focuses much more on complex instrumentation and mood than it does on crafting simple pop songs. Younger Journey fans may find it all a bit ponderous at times - the pace on the whole is generally rather slow bar the occasional guitar-or- keyboard solo from Schon or Rolie - yet this album wasn't designed for the groups mainstream fanbase. Harking back to their excellent early albums, this is the sound of Journey in progressive rock mode and a reminder of their innate musical talents. Highly recommended.

STEFAN TURNER, STOKE NEWINGTON, 2012

An album that most Journey fans are not even aware of its existence, this a hard to find CD with the soundtrack of an obscure Japanese film Yume, Yume, No Ato. It was released in 1980. just before the band reached their mega hit status with Escape. In fact this is the last album by the group featuring original member Gregg Rollie. And the music in here has very few similarities from anything they have done, before or since. There are just three songs with vocals: Destiny, Sandcastles and Little Girl. Those are the ones you´ll find more familiar due to the very unique voice of Steve Perry, but even then, they are way different, featuring a more relaxing, laid back feel, with long instrumental breaks, lots of orchestration and even elements of world and japanese music thrown in for good measure. A "real" soundtrack album that seems to be made specially to please their enormous fan base in Japan.

There are few really remarkable parts, most of then featuring Neil Schons beautiful guitar lines and solos, backed by Rollies Fender Rhodes electric piano, with a definitely jazzy feel (even a sax solo is present on Sandcastles). It clearly shows the band could deliver much more than "just" the hard rock/fusion of their early stuff or the AOR/pop of the late 70s onward. Although I do not find it particularly appealing to me, it is nevertheless proof that they were better musicians and songwriters than most people think. And one can only wonder where would they have gone if they decided to take such departure further. Anyway, the album is still a valid statement of Jorneys versatility and talent. And if you like the band (and soundtracks), you should listen to Dream After Dream just to realise how different they could be without losing any of the melodic ear nor their skill in delivering great tunes.

An interesting surprise!