FRONTIERS

If it ain't broke don't fix it appears to have been the philosophy behind this album, the follow up to Journey's best selling "Escape" album. Released two years after that album, "Frontiers" has a similar quota of hit singles, the tracks as a whole being pretty much interchangeable with their peers on "Escape". Once again, Steve Perry and Jonathan Cain dominate the song writing, usually with Neal Schon also contributing.

The opening "Separate ways" may have a title which suggests a soppy ballad is coming, but it is in fact a deliciously heavy out and out rock song. Soaring synths and pounding lead guitars compete with Perry's fine vocals for centre stage in a song which is as good as anything the band have recorded thus far. Even the following ballad "Send her my love" has a depth and power to it which sets it apart from the band's usual forays into such territory.

The ballad "Faithfully" is one of my favourite Journey songs. For sure, it is at heart a soppy number reflecting the challenges of maintaining a relationship while on tour ("They say that the road ain't no place to start a family"). It is though a delightful piece with a fine vocal by Perry and some excellent lead guitar by Schon. The closing "Rubicon" has no connection with Tangerine Dream, although the pounding synths are upfront here. The track is a bit different for this incarnation of Journey, with slight echoes of their distant past. The track also has hints of Led Zeppelin from their "In through the out door" days.

Inevitably there are the well performed but more prosaic songs, mainly those which are straightforward rock songs such as "Chain reaction" and "Edge of the blade". Even these though display a quality which sets the band apart from many of their peers. "Troubled child" is another such track, although the chorus did remind me a lot of "After the lie" from Tony Banks' solo album "A curious feeling". "Back talk" has a bit of a Led Zeppelin feel to it (really!), but it only works up to a point, the type of song not really being suited to Perry's vocal style.

In all, an immensely powerful album by Journey, which contains some fine song writing, fine performances, and fine arrangements.

This would become a first finale album for the band, with some members concentrating on solo projects for the following couple of years. It would also prove to be the last album for the time being to include the rhythm section of Steve Smith and Ross Valory.

The 2006 reissue of the album contains four bonus tracks. The first two of these, "Only the Young" and "Ask the Lonely" were reportedly originally intended to be included on the album, but were replaced by "Back Talk" and "Troubled Child" at the behest of the band's A&R representative Michael Dilbeck. "Only the Young" and "Ask the Lonely" were subsequently used on soundtracks for different films in 1986. "Only the young" is a real hidden jem with a fine melody and strong performances by Perry and Schon in particular. Fans of (AOR) Journey are well advised to seek out this track. "Ask the lonely" too would have been an album highlight had it been included.

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