Escape Journey

Escape is more than a great album: it has legitimate claims to be the greatest Pop-Rock (or, if you prefer, Arena Rock) album of all time, and to feature the greatest vocal performance in Rock history. Today, 34 years after its release, its biggest songs are still being sung with gusto, every single day, in karaoke bars and post-game sports-tournament celebrations around the world - the greatest testament of all to the quality of this music and how incredibly well its holding up.

After 25 years of making indelible marks on the music of the day, Rock music became a regular staple on the Pop charts in the late-70's and early 80's. This was the result of bands who consciously sought to blend the two into Pop-Rock, music driven by hard rock electric guitars and beats, but sweetened by keyboards and vocal harmonies and featuring ballads and intimate, female-friendly lyrics about relationships and esteem. Lots of artists did very well with this approach - Foreigner, REO Speedwagon, Styx. But they were all outshone by Journey, the masters of the subgenre, and 1981's Escape is the band's zenith. Five of its ten songs became singles, 4 of those big hits, and high-quality album tracks like "Keep on Runnin'" , "Mother, Father", and the epic "Escape" provided the power and energy to keep from letdowns between the unforgettable singles.

But does Escape really feature the the greatest vocal performance over an album in rock history? Well, why not call it that? The emotion and power in Steve Perry's voice is not in question. But its his phrasing and inflections where Perry is simply brilliant throughout Escape. Look, these lyrics are far from clever or memorable unto themselves. But Perry's delivery ("A singer in a smok-ay room/The smellofwine and CHEEP PER-fuuuume!) has made them absolutely immortal. Once heard, who would ever sing these lines differently? Who would *want* to? Escape is full of these brilliant singing moments, and me, you, and everyone whose ever heard these songs sings along to them. In a car, alone. In a bar, with strangers. They are practically irresistible, and its the singular vocal performance of Steve Perry that turned great songs into cultural icons.

A word about the rest of the band: it couldn't have been easy keeping up with Perry's brilliant vocals and Jonathan Cain's gorgeous and memorable keyboard lines. but guitarist Neal Schon is up to the task. His solos stand up to Perry's singing in memorability, making each song that much stronger. His guitar work, along with Steve Smith's powerful drumming and Ross Valory's adventurous bass lines (both wisely kept up in the mix), never let the Pop take over from the Rock, and thus together Journey delivers Escape, the defining album of the Pop-Rock subgenre and an enduring cultural icon. Essential.

Quite possibly the greatest album of its genre, Escape hits all the right notes. Between the ballads and the rockers, Journey had struck an incredible balance between its creative forces and the results are electric. The lyrics had never been sharper, the music never more crystal, and the vision never clearer. It would be easy to say this was the peak of Journey's career, but so much went into making Escape a defining moment. Key tracks are Don't Stop Believin', Stone In Love, Who's Crying Now, the title track, and Open Arms.

The undoubted KING of all AOR albums and with this we knew Journey had finally arrived!! Every track is solid gold .The combination of the stylish musicianship, Schon's clever guitar work and the best voice in rock ensure the delivery of the superb set of songs proved a winning formula..Perry just delivers through and through and when you listen to WHO'S CRYING NOW, STILL THEY RIDE and the Fabulous OPEN ARMS it still makes my heart stop its that good!..The rockers such as KEEP ON RUNNING and the timeless DONT STOP BELIEVING are so well put together it shows the tightness and diversity of this team of musicians superbly well.Tracks off this are still radio played today throughout the world.
It was a piece of history in the making and a monster seller for Journey...Time has proved it to be a classic that can be enjoyed by anybody, anywhere and anytime...PURE MAGIC!!

Journey got crucified by the 'serious' rock critics and many of their '70s peers for making this highly commercial album but there is a good reason that Escape attained sales figures well in excess of 12 million around the globe: it is a damn fine, incredibly consistent, irresistably catchy hybrid pop/hard rock album. The underlying theme of the album is the frustrations of youth and the yearning to...well..escape and find something better. It's a message which taps into how millions of people in any given generation are feeling and inspires them to believe (see what I did there?) that something better lies ahead. It's unabashed ear candy of the highest order and at least half this album will remain global FM radio staples forever more. 'Don't Stop Believin's popularity is persistently revived with every film and television appearance it makes and I've heard it's a legal requirement to to play 'Open Arms' at every single high school Prom held in the United states. But the depth of this album beyond the singles is the real strength of this album; 'Stone in Love' really should have been a fifth hit single after 'Still They Ride', while 'Mother, Father' is an absolute epic, when Steve Perry sang it live in his prime the hairs on the back of everyone's hairs would stand up (that's not a typing error). In the 21st century Journey are finally getting the respect that their music deserved and if any of their albums have earned it, this is the one.

Electric, raw, rockin’, powerful, diverse, and full of heart and soul, “Escape” shows the band taking the sound established in their last few albums and expanding on it tenfold, making one of the most infectious and most important rock albums of all time, all with incredibly fun and occasionally poignant writing that makes the album timeless. Mix that with the excellent production, good structure, superb composition along with some of the most raw vocals ever in a rock album from Steve Perry, as well as genius guitar work from Neal Schon that works surprisingly flawlessly with Jonathan Cain’s keyboards, and what you’ve got is one of the most iconic rock albums of the early ‘80s. While, at first, it can be easy to write this off as a typical ‘80s pop rock album, it’s way more than that. It defined an era, as well as push the rock genre forward. And with it being still this moving today, I can’t recommend it enough, as it’s an easy escape to somewhere incredible.

10/10

My 742nd most played album. Journey - Escape. Sold 12 million world wide. Had 4 singles "Don't Stop Believin'" (#9), "Who's Crying Now" (#4), "Still They Ride" (#19) and "Open Arms" (#2) Amazing "Stone in Love" did not make it to the billboard chart I know it is one of the most popular bar songs. Rolling Stone's Dave Marsh gave it a one star rating in the 1983 edition of the publication proving they have no taste in music. In 1988, Kerrang! readers voted Escape the greatest AOR album of all time. A 2000 Virgin poll saw the album voted the 24th greatest heavy metal/alternative rock album of all time.

This album clearly represents one of the peaks of the AOR genre, but at the time when it was released, most critics were already too upset, if not annoyed, by the genre itself to realize that it was just reaching its peak. One of those genuine cases where historical perspective helps casting a light over an unfairly overshadowed album, and as such renders it justice, and a never-aging memento on the importance of emotional absorption over crystallized notions, and of procedural and discoursive knowledge over immediate and trite sensationalism submerged by its own self-relevance.

A perfect album and Journey's best in my opinion. There is not a weak track on it and the album starts out amazing with "Don't Stop Believin'" and continues to somehow get better with each subsequent track. Loads of variety and the band is playing at the height of their abilities alongside vocalist Steve Perry who delivers a remarkable career defining performance. The mix and production are perfect. One of the all time best!

The departure of Greg Rolie, a founding member of Journey, marked a pivotal shift in the band’s trajectory. Rolie, who had been both the original lead singer and keyboardist, left after Steve Perry joined in 1978. Initially, Perry shared vocal duties with Rolie, but over time, he became the band’s definitive frontman. In 1980, Rolie’s exit was followed by the arrival of Jonathan Cain, formerly of The Babys, as Journey’s new keyboardist. This lineup change sparked a creative renaissance, as Perry, Cain, and guitarist Neal Schon formed a highly successful songwriting trio. The fruits of this collaboration would become most evident on Escape (1981), an album that catapulted Journey to worldwide fame.
The album opens with the iconic “Don’t Stop Believin’,” a track driven by a punchy, rhythmic keyboard line and Perry’s soaring falsetto. The song’s anthem-like quality set the tone for the album, and it's later inclusion in The Sopranos further cemented its place in my heart. Next, “Stone In Love” which is packed with blistering guitar riffs alongside Perry’s eloquent, emotive vocals.
“Who’s Crying Now” features a wistful keyboard intro, with Neal Schon adding inconspicuous chord progressions that gradually build into a display of virtuoso guitar work, marked by intricate bends, vibrato, and expressive phrasing. In contrast, “Still They Ride” falls into more familiar ballad territory, with a gentle piano motif accompanying Perry’s rich vocal performance. Although competent, it lacks the distinctiveness of other tracks on the album.
The infectious groove of “Lay It Down” showcases a strong bassline and sharp guitar riffs, infusing the record with a more playful, upbeat energy. Meanwhile, “Mother, Father” begins with sweeping keyboards before unfolding into a complex structure of three solos, seamlessly woven into the fabric of the song. The track’s rich harmonies and tender chorus culminate in an evocative, harmonized outro.
The album closes with the somber “Open Arms,” a ballad framed around a simplistic yet emotive piano arrangement. Simultaneously Perry’s melancholic wails echo throughout. While Escape may have been categorized as a rock album, its diverse range of sounds and emotional depth made it an immediate and undeniable success.
By 1982, Journey had become one of the most successful live acts in the world, with Escape serving as the soundtrack to their newfound mainstream popularity. That same year, the band’s influence extended beyond music with the release of the Journey Escape video game for the Atari 2600. While Journey has continued to release music in the years since, Escape remains their defining moment, a benchmark that few rock bands ever match.

It's kinda funny but, even though overall I prefer Greg Rolie on keys over Jon Cain because of the bluesier sound of his Hammond, Escape is my favorite record. In fact, its my favorite album of all time. Every song is good. Every song is timeless.