Rediscovering Arrival

[The_Noble_Cause]

Went on a long car drive the other day. Hadn't listened to Arrival in a few years. It still holds up. I actually don't think the band has done anything of equal quality since. Monster album, even with all the wedding ballads. Contrary to what many say, Augeri sounds like his own man, here. At times he goes for the stratospheric high notes, but by and large, he is doing his own bluesy thing. Songs like "Live and Breathe" and "Kiss Me Softly" are not carbon copies of earlier greatest hits and actually forge new sonic ground. The band should not re-record any of these songs. It's excellent just the way it is.

[scarab]

Was very happy of the inclusion of World Gone Wild (which was played live briefly the year before) and Nothin Comes Close.
Just like TBF it could have done without a ballad or 2 (namely loved by you) and never liked the chanting lyrics in Lifetime of Dreams. (I Can See You and Me) repeated too much.

Rest of album kicks ass. So sad Journey has pretty much have ignored this album since Arnel came in.
Had it my CD player in my old truck for ages so listened to it all the time. Great Driving songs!

[Moonglow]

I’ll contribute to the “driving music” theme. Wife and I went to SW Michigan (we live in NW Indiana) for a weekend vacation and I popped In Arrival. My favorite post-Perry album, and post-Perry singer. Personal favorite is “We Will Meet Again.” Too bad this album didn’t get more airplay, I heard “Higher Place” only once on the predominant Chicago classic rock station at that time. Did this, or any other Arrival song, even crack the charts?

[scarab]

I’ll contribute to the “driving music” theme. Wife and I went to SW Michigan (we live in NW Indiana) for a weekend vacation and I popped In Arrival. My favorite post-Perry album, and post-Perry singer. Personal favorite is “We Will Meet Again.” Too bad this album didn’t get more airplay, I heard “Higher Place” only once on the predominant Chicago classic rock station at that time. Did this, or any other Arrival song, even crack the charts?

Heard Higher Place maybe 1/2 dozen times on FM radio. Sad that it was the radio edit version.
All the way, which was a bad choice for the MOR single went 56 on the billboard charts.

How signs of life never got released is beyond me, classic journey song.

[marco17]

I loved this album then and still do now. I preface that with the fact that I was never a huge J fan before this. I knew the hits but after hearing Remember Me I was drawn to Arrival. This is the incarnation of J that I first saw live during the Arrival tour and I regret not seeing later on before Augeri's tenure concluded. As mentioned, ditch a couple ballads or at least swap out for I'm Not That Way...I just think that's a better song than some of them.... But, overall I love it.

[FamilyMan]

Went on a long car drive the other day. Hadn't listened to Arrival in a few years. It still holds up. I actually don't think the band has done anything of equal quality since. Monster album, even with all the wedding ballads. Contrary to what many say, Augeri sounds like his own man, here. At times he goes for the stratospheric high notes, but by and large, he is doing his own bluesy thing. Songs like "Live and Breathe" and "Kiss Me Softly" are not carbon copies of earlier greatest hits and actually forge new sonic ground. The band should not re-record any of these songs. It's excellent just the way it is.

Agree completely. Though I discovered the album on Napster it assured me that Journey was in fact back. I didn't love the mix on it, but the songs are great. And yes, Augeri holds his own.

[Aaron]

I agree but IMO it's soft. I peeled though it a couple of weeks ago but in general it's soft. The song that carry weight in my mind are:

1. All The Way - great but soft
2. Signs of Life - gave me hope again, great song, but soft
3. To Be Alive Again - kick ass rocker, best song on the cd
4. The rest sucked IMO

[The_Noble_Cause]

4. The rest sucked IMO

Higher Place, I Got A Reason, and World Gone Wild suck?
Higher Place, in particular, is one of the best rockers the band has ever recorded imo.
Ever since Frontiers, the ratio of ballads to rockers have been uneven. That said, the US version of Arrival has more rockers than TBF. Rocks harder than Revelation also.