GREATEST HITS

As a teenager, I wore this Journey compilation out because it contained a healthy portion of Journey's most beloved classic rock hits. It easily encouraged me to acquire several of their studio albums, which I found contained few really excellent tracks that were not included here. The album opens with one of my favorite Journey songs (because I certainly couldn't choose one), "Only the Young," which was featured on the 1985 film Vision Quest. As compilations go, this is an exceptional one, highlighting the best of Steve Perry-era Journey (and to be frank, what came before him was a different band altogether). At barely over an hour, I would have liked to have seen a few of the Gregg Rolie-led compositions during Steve Perry's lengthy tenure, as I've always felt the two singers provided a remarkable contrast with each other. Namely, I would have liked to have seen "Feeling That Way" and "Anytime," which, considering the radio airplay that one still gets today, would have been an obvious choice. I also think the rather unnoticed gem from Departure, "Someday Soon" would have made a fine addition. However, the merits of this semi-career-spanning compilation far outweigh its flaws, and for anyone who wants a nearly perfect sample of the glory days of Journey, one need look no further.