TRIAL BY FIRE

Journey do not have a classic line up as such. For some, the earliest albums are the only ones which earn credibility for the band, and it is hard to argue against the requirement that co-founder Greg Rolie and early drummer Aynsey Dunbar be included in any attempt to define a classic line up. That said, it must also be recognised that the bands biggest selling albums ("Escape" and "Frontiers") were recorded by the line up of Perry, Schon, Cain, Valory, Smith.

It is that quintet which reconvened in 1996 to record this album, the band having appeared to call it a day some 10 years earlier. The healing of wounds was all the more remarkable given that Valory and Smith had been unceremoniously sacked prior to the recording of "Raised on radio".

As had become the norm on the mid-1980's albums, the trio of Neal Schon, Jonathan Cain and Steve Perry monopolise the song writing, with only minor variations in the credits for a couple of the songs. Noted lyricist John Bettis (who also wrote for The Carpenters, Madonna, and Whitney Houston among many others) helps out on a couple of tracks. With no less than 15 tracks including the closing hidden track and a running time of over 70 minutes, this is by far the meatiest Journey release, and effectively a double album when compared to those from the LP years.

The main benefit of the CD age for this and albums such as this is that the extra space available allows the band to develop the tracks more fully. Thus the tracks here are generally slightly longer than they might have been 10-20 years previously. With running times of 4-6 minutes, the songs remain tight and focused, but Neal Schon is able to slip in more in the way of lead guitar breaks overall.

The opening "Message to love" reassures us that the band have lost none of their energy, this up-tempo rock number being as powerful and punchy as anything which has gone before. As we would expect, the album has the usual mix of such songs and smoochy ballads. What there also are though is a selection of mid-tempo rock anthems, namely "One more", "Still she cries", "It's just the rain" and the title track. It is these songs which are arguably the ones which distinguish the album and which are for me the best of the bunch. Indeed, the closing pairing of "It's just the rain" and "Trial by fire" make for a combined 10 minutes of classic Journey at their absolute best.

The piano led weepy "When you love a woman" is very much a vehicle for Perry's wonderful tones. Inevitability, it secured further singles chart success and a Grammy nomination for the band, but for me it is inferior to similar tracks on previous albums. Likewise, "When I think of you" with its "Magic moments" intro is a bit too drippy.

"Castle's burning" is by far the heaviest track the band have recorded, ever. With a running time of around 6 minutes, it is also the longest of the Perry age. The album actually closes with a hidden track called "Baby I'm leaving you", but this cod-reggae episode is not quite hidden enough!

In all, this is pretty much the perfect Journey album in terms of their AOR years. The song writing is spot on, the arrangements allow the songs to develop well, Steve Perry's voice never sounded better, and the instrumental performances are top notch. Forget the negative spin of the anti-Perry-era brigade, this is a wonderful album.

The cover illustration is superb, the fold-out lyric sheet reflecting the biblical references which abound through the album.

"Trial by fire" would prove to be something of a one off reunion, Steve Perry leaving the band again, apparently through injury but this time permanently, during planning for a subsequent tour to promote the album.

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