EVOLUTION

The evolution into bigger chart success...at least in my eyes. I've already reviewed a greatest hits thing from them, and I feel that while I hated that thing with a passion, maybe I wasn't giving Journey enough credit. So, in my uncle's vinyl collection, there rested a proper studio outing from them, and I decided to borrow it and listen to it.

So, the big question you ask, ''Is my opinion of Journey any different?'' Not really. EVOLUTION still sounds like poppy, pukeable AOR stuff that I can't stand for more than two minutes at a time. ''Lovin, Touchin, Squeezin'' is the big hit from the album (apparently, it was the only song from EVOLUTION that made it to the greatest hits thing I reviewed), and I feel it's one of the most cringeworthy songs I ever heard. It's sickly, slow-dance like feel makes me want to vomit in every conceivable direction.

I've grown more irritated towards Steve Perry's voice the more I listen to it. I don't know why I cannot stand it, but I can't and it deters my liking of the album. Gregg Rolie gets his chance to sing lead on ''Just the Same Way'', but for my ears, it's not that welcome of a change. Only the last two tracks have any sort of appeal to me.

Unless you have a thing for schmaltzy AOR pop, I wouldn't recommend this to anyone.