Podunkian Music Club

Journey-Don't Stop Believin'

We succumb to pop culture tonight and reprise the song that has been given a short rebirth this week thanks to it's closing scene soundtrack to the Sopranos last Sunday.

From the Kings of the power ballads of the 1980's, Journey gave the category it's life with a number of school dance closers over the early to mid eighties.

While they could certainly rock out with the best of them Anyway you wanted it, the power ballad for a while there became their personal signature piece, using the vocal range of Steve Perry to its fullest advantage.

Formed in the early 70's in San Francisco from some refugees of Santana, Journey would reach its highest points by the mid 1980's with multi million selling albums and sold out concerts world wide.

They were formed during the heady days of that San Francisco sound that not only brought the Jefferson Airplane/Starship into the mainstream of the rock world, but also sent Santana, The Steve Miller Band and The Tubes out into the bad old rock and roll world as well.

The key to Journey's success was Perry's range and Neil Schon's driving guitar play, a combination that brought in Jonathon Cain and moved them to the top of the rock world in a short order and then with numerous personal differences cracking the surface just as quickly bringing them back down.

A departure for a solo career by Perry seemed to hasten the demise, though the band would continue on and off through the years in different configurations. Even reuniting for a brief period in the late nineties with the original line up, only to have life throw a few curves and send the reunion plans to the back burner.

Never wildly accepted by the rock press, they were painted as one trick ponies to a degree, without a power ballad they were just another band working the circuit said many. Later entries such as one from Rolling Stone suggest they're nothing but a good karaoke band (interpreted nicely by the folks at Family Guy). But during the late seventies and into the mid eighties that appeared to be what audiences wanted. The record sales were high, the audiences large and the airplay was frequent. Making a trifecta of success by any rock and roll standard.

The song that closes the Soprano's was a perfect fit for the tension of the final show and for subliminal message interpreters everywhere (the movie never ends.....).

Much like the fans of the Soprano's hoped that Tony and the family survived the night, the legions of Journey refuse to Stop Believin' that one day their long time heroes will be back together for one more time.

Artist-Journey
Recording-Escape