INFINITY

It's a little known fact that for nine months between Next and Infinity, Robert Fleischman, who was never on a Journey studio album, was the lead singer for the band. Steve Perry (pretending to be the cousin of a roadie) sang at a sound check with the band during Fleischman's absence, and wound up being the replacement. Ironically, part of the reason manager Walter Herbert wanted to remove Fleischman from the lineup was because Fleischman wasn't working well in the band's early progressive rock styling; when Perry came on board, he was instrumental in pushing them into the mainstream rock circuit. In general, I like this album as much as I like every Journey album with Perry on board; that is to say, it has both great moments and below-average filler.

"Lights" "Lights" is a good ode to the band's hometown, San Francisco. It has some pleasing rhythm guitar work and is overall a satisfying song.

"Feeling That Way" My favorite song on this album has Greg Rolie handling the verses and Perry singing the choruses, a formula they would use on a few other songs during their brief time together. Neal Schon's guitar solo is diligent and fits with the music, but Perry's dynamic vocalizations toward the end of the song are the real gem.

"Anytime" The previous song goes right into this one (and usually does so on the radio also). It's a simple arrangement with a catchy chorus and Rolie on the verses.

"La Do Da" The heaviest song on the album, full of rocking guitars and a screaming solo, this happens to be my least favorite song on the album, mainly because it doesn't flow very well.

"Patiently" The previous track goes into this ballad led by Schon's twelve-string guitar. Perry does a great job singing this one. Halfway through, the electric guitar kicks in with the whole band, and gives this song a completely different flavor.

"Wheel in the Sky" One of Journey's greatest hits, this song has always been one of my favorites. It has a memorable main riff and chorus, and a screaming guitar solo under which Perry delivers some extremely high vocal notes.

"Somethin' to Hide" This song is largely forgettable, but has some good dual lead and enjoyable vocal harmonies. The ending has Perry copying the lead guitar note for note, and has him exhibiting his phenomenal pipes.

"Winds of March" This piece has the most interesting instrumentation, with Rolie on piano and Schon on acoustic guitar. The lyrics are bland, though, and had they not been so dull, this song would have been a top notch addition to this album. Halfway through, the music shifts gears, relying on a heavier sound with Rolie finally getting to cut loose on his organ.

"Can Do" Here's a song that sounds a lot like rock from the mid-to-late 1960s, featuring lazy vocal legatos and thick harmonies, only it uses heavier instrumentation and Schon lets it rip on his guitar.

"Opened the Door" A flow of piano and guitar make for another agreeable track, with Perry singing quite smoothly. It's a decent ending to a decent rock album, and even has a little synthesizer on the last minute before Schon's lead guitar drowns it out.