DEPARTURE

3.5 stars, really. Not as good as the previous two, but still a very fine AOR/melodic rock album with some prog influences. Once again a great showcase of the talented (and very underrated) guitarist and songwriter Neal Schon and vocalist extraordinaire Steve Perry. AS usual the repertoire is quite varied, showing they didn´t stick to the successful formula. Oh, I only wish the radio played such sophisticated pop music nowadays! The subtle arrangements, the magnificent guitar solos, the great melodies! Small wonder when Journey arrived at the charts they were soon the kings of the AOR movement!

The sad side of this story is that Departure would be the last studio album to feature founder member Gregg Rolie, who grew tired of the constant touring. But still he does a fine job here, even if in a somewhat subdue form. The album contains some of Journey´s most popular songs like the opener Any Way You Want It ( quite a big hit for a rocker then) and Stay Awhile, but my favorite song is Someday Soon, a great ballad with some fine harmonies. A pity that it is such a forgotten track. Although the album has some weaker tunes (Homemade Love is definitly one of them), none is crap.

Once again the production is top notch and the album still sounds fresh and strong after all these years. If you like high caliber AOR/melodic rock this is a a nice pick.