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Music From My Youth: Journey

I've been downloading some full-lengths from iTunes lately, primarily stuff I was listening to back in late 70s and early 80s.  This particular download was prompted by Anthrax.

Anthrax...you mean that thrash metal band way back when??

Yep.

Y'see, they just released an EP called Anthems, and one of the tracks is a very awesome cover of Journey's "Keep On Runnin'" from their Escape album (that's the one with "Don't Stop Believin'").  Anthrax has always managed to perform cover tunes of other bands quite remarkably, and they did so with every song they covered on this EP.   Incidently, they did a bangin' job with the other tracks (from Boston, Thin Lizzy, Rush, and Cheap Trick).

Hearing this track brought me back to 1981, when I bought this live album on vinyl.

This album/CD/digital download is Journey at their best, before Escape was released in later in 1981.  Not one bad track on this title, and as far as live albums go, this is one of the best ones if you're a rock fan.  The tracks range from hard rock, to less edgier tracks, to some nice ballads.  The musicianship is great, and the live energy comes through very nicely.  The vocal harmonies are quite remarkable.

I saw Journey in 1983 at the Brendan Byrne Arena (Meadowlands), when they were supporting their Frontiers album.  Though it's not one of my favorites (I'm convinced that Jonathan Cain's entry into the band started them on a downward spiral), they put on a fantastic show.  Bryan Adams opened for them (he was supporting his "Cuts Like A Knife" album) and put on a fantastic show in his own right.

After Frontiers, I lost interest in the band and no longer followed them.  The stuff that followed became forgettable and the band was made worse by Randy Jackson's entry, and they lost their identity.  Fortunately, I caught them when I did and enjoyed them for what they were: a good rock band with lots o' talent.


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