Now that it's had a chance to sink in...??

[texafana]

...Mine are the fact that only 2 songs really grabbed me...

That's about right, everthing I've read about albums says usually typical fans key on 2-3 songs at the most per release as songs they really like.

[Arkansas]

... and I can see the NFL or any sports program
using this song over and over.

Or maybe Obama's campaign ???


later~

[ProgRocker53]

I haven't skipped songs on my listen-throughs yet, and I've had six or seven so far.

Now that it's sank in a bit I think it's a top-five or top-six Journey album for sure. It's got a variety of different moods and styles yet retains a distinct "flow." "Flow" is very important to me in listening to an album, and alot of Journey albums have suffered from bad "flow."

It doesn't touch Escape or Frontiers and it's behind the self-titled debut for me at this point. However, I find it to have a better variety than TBF, ROR, Arrival, and Evolution. Its flow is better than Generations, Departure, and the two other non-Perry albums. It's neck and neck with Infinity.

I always rate my albums with a letter grade, and Revelation gets a B+ with me so far. (It's actually pretty tough for an album to get an A with me)

PROS:

-Excellent album flow
-Decent ratio of rockers, mid-tempo, and ballads
-Arnel's vocal range and versatility
-Instrumental technicality in full display
-Some of the better songwriting in awhile
-Several "goosebump" moments, and several "damn" moments

CONS:

-Arnel seems to lack distinctive emotive passion on a few songs
-Cain's superfluous keyboarding where it doesn't belong on a few songs
-A couple songs that seem to be written to bring to mind certain eras of the band, rather than to be a stand-alone song
-Turn Down The World Tonight not being the final song
-No Deen vocals or "trade-off" singing ala Chain Reaction, People and Places, Just the Same Way, etc.

PROGROCKER53's FINAL GRADE:


87%, a B+

[Triple S]

I think I've played Revelations more in the last few days than I've played Generations in 3 years.
Still think its a great record. Ask me in two weeks.

I've played it 3 times since I picked it up on Friday, which is definitely more than I've ever played Generations .

I absolutely love Disc 1, favorite song today is What I Needed. For me, it's pretty much a no-skipper, except for maybe FITH (not that I don't like the song, just don't thing it belongs on Disc 1). I don't hate Disc 2, but probably won't listen to it much. For me, I wouldn't say 'best since Frontiers' because I also loved Arrival and played the crap out of it when I got it too.

[YoungJRNY]

Before this album my favorite CD was Arrival hands down. I could listen to Arrival in it's full with maybe a couple skips here and there. That about does it for me. REVELATION, I listen to this CD straight through and it instantly gives me the notion that I want more..no skips on this baby. Two great Cd's without question but my opinion I like the more rockier feel that Revelation puts on the table. Arnels vocals are certainly more of an edgier voice than what Augeri's was and I love that. It's hard to debate the two, so far Arrival will be put in the backseat due to the new crispy sound on Revelation.

[Centaure]

PROS:

-Excellent album flow
-Decent ratio of rockers, mid-tempo, and ballads
-Arnel's vocal range and versatility
-Instrumental technicality in full display
-Some of the better songwriting in awhile
-Several "goosebump" moments, and several "damn" moments

CONS:

-Arnel seems to lack distinctive emotive passion on a few songs
-Cain's superfluous keyboarding where it doesn't belong on a few songs
-A couple songs that seem to be written to bring to mind certain eras of the band, rather than to be a stand-alone song
-Turn Down The World Tonight not being the final song
-No Deen vocals or "trade-off" singing ala Chain Reaction, People and Places, Just the Same Way, etc.

PROGROCKER53's FINAL GRADE:


87%, a B+

Good review !!! Kind of agree with all you pros and cons

[The_Noble_Cause]

Still living with it, but am pretty confidant in saying its the most consistent album since the days of Infinity-Evolution-Departure.
Neal's instrumental is great too.
Reminds me of 'The Theme' off Late Nite, in how it just soars.

[frfksakes]

Hasn't held up for me either, Liam. And I really loved WDILYL...

I drove people nuts with how much I played Escape and Frontiers.

I'm afraid I'm wearing out more Radiohead than Revelation these days, lol.

Definitely more bootlegs than the new stuff...

Maybe it'll grow on me...

[ProgRocker53]

Hasn't held up for me either, Liam. And I really loved WDILYL...

I drove people nuts with how much I played Escape and Frontiers.

I'm afraid I'm wearing out more Radiohead than Revelation these days, lol.

Definitely more bootlegs than the new stuff...

Maybe it'll grow on me...

Radiohead, dude. Radiohead. Yeahhh.

[PMA]

I just picked up Revelations today and listened to it all (other than the DVD). I believe this is their strongest release since Perry's exit from the band. Better than TBF but writing not as good as ROR or prior Perry era releases. I very much like the new material and I expect it will grow on me further like their classic material. The only other non Perry track from a prior release that has stayed with me is Higher Place from Arrival. I may have played Arrival a couple of times and then it was put away. I will listen to Revelations much more based on my initial reaction to the music.

One minor criticism which others have noted is that they may have tried too hard to deliver their classic sound with some of the riffs and arrangements of the new material but it's not distracting or too over the top.

I've been reading about Arnel for many months on this forum and although he's not Perry, he captures that style very well and acquits himself nicely on this debut. I just hope he is as good when I see them in September. After a few months on the road he should be well rehearsed and with hopefully no major road wear, I am hoping to be impressed live.

[Abitaman]

I can only listen to the Greatest Hits so many times. This freshens the songs up a little for me.

Same here-ERIC

[Matthew]

Still living with it, but am pretty confidant in saying its the most consistent album since the days of Infinity-Evolution-Departure.

TNC - you don't think Escape and Frontiers are consistent albums? I guess you could say that Dead or Alive and Back Talk are a bit ropey but its all pure gold otherwise.

[Matthew]

I've listened to Revelation a few times now and I do like it more than I did on first hearing. However it does seem less and less like a Journey album. Never Walk Away, Like A Sunshower and Turn Down The World are pretty spot on Journey pastiches for sure. These three tracks have all the hallmarks of classic Journey. The others?

Someone - I forget who - made the point that this actually sounded like a great comeback album for Survivor and you can really hear that - say - on What It Takes To Win and Where Did I Lose Your Love. What I Needed sounds like the kind of anonymous ballad you'd find on a Coney Hatch album. Change For The Better - possibly the second best track on the album - opens in an uncannily similar way to Straight To Your Heart by Bad English but at least takes a surprising direction after that - although with a whiff of Survivor again. And After All These Years...is anyone else reminded of Wind Beneath My Wings by Bette Midler or anyone one of those Diane Warren ballads that were everywhere in the late 80s and ealy 90s?

I know it's hard to be original now in this type of music and maybe it's a good thing that Journey are widening their influences. But Journey were one of the bands who invented AOR so it's a shame to see them sounding derivative and generic when they used to be such innovators.

Still...if they made the record sound too close to specific Journey albums then they'd be slagged off for not moving on etc....so I guess they can't win.

The main glaring problem though is that Neal Schon still hasn't found a singer who is as talented as he is....and the 'two voices' approach which made Journey rise above all their contemporaries isn't working so well because Neal is by far and away the star here....and his playing has lost some of its individuality as well.

Anyway..all that aside...the album is gettng better with each listen...

[slucero]

I've listened to Revelation a few times now and I do like it more than I did on first hearing. However it does seem less and less like a Journey album. Never Walk Away, Like A Sunshower and Turn Down The World are pretty spot on Journey pastiches for sure. These three tracks have all the hallmarks of classic Journey. The others?

Someone - I forget who - made the point that this actually sounded like a great comeback album for Survivor and you can really hear that - say - on What It Takes To Win and Where Did I Lose Your Love. What I Needed sounds like the kind of anonymous ballad you'd find on a Coney Hatch album. Change For The Better - possibly the second best track on the album - opens in an uncannily similar way to Straight To Your Heart by Bad English but at least takes a surprising direction after that - although with a whiff of Survivor again. And After All These Years...is anyone else reminded of Wind Beneath My Wings by Bette Midler or anyone one of those Diane Warren ballads that were everywhere in the late 80s and ealy 90s?

I know it's hard to be original now in this type of music and maybe it's a good thing that Journey are widening their influences. But Journey were one of the bands who invented AOR so it's a shame to see them sounding derivative and generic when they used to be such innovators.

Still...if they made the record sound too close to specific Journey albums then they'd be slagged off for not moving on etc....so I guess they can't win.

The main glaring problem though is that Neal Schon still hasn't found a singer who is as talented as he is....and the 'two voices' approach which made Journey rise above all their contemporaries isn't working so well because Neal is by far and away the star here....and his playing has lost some of its individuality as well.

Anyway..all that aside...the album is gettng better with each listen...

lmao.. AGAIN.... damn that Arnel Pineda... you'd think after 8 shows Arnel would be as good as Perry was after 8 years... why can't he develop as a singer any faster??

[Matthew]

lmao.. AGAIN.... damn that Arnel Pineda... you'd think after 8 shows Arnel would be as good as Perry was after 8 years... why can't he develop as a singer any faster??

I answered your point once already Slucero. But here it is again...Perry wasn't a 40 year old with two decades of singing experience behind him in 1978.

[StoneCold]

Ok, well its been almost two weeks now. Still cranking it. Its a keeper.

I find myself sometimes wanting to hear certain songs once in a while so the favorites are coming out. Of course, WDILYL. Then CFTB, TDTWT, and WIN.

The one song I'm not really into so much is instrumental at the end.

[journeyinto2001]

It's a great album. Hands down, their best since Frontiers.

You are spot on. Nothing since Frontiers is even close to Revelations. This release is simply phenomenal....every song is very strong. Bottom line is...the magic is back and YES- without Perry.

[jestor92]

I think it's a weak album and that onle 3 of the tracks on it are worth the time to listen, those being Never Walk Away, Turn Down The World Tonight, and Change For The Better. The rest of the album is really just average at best.

I am surprised as to how well Arnel's voice meshes with their sound though.

[Eric]

I've been through a dozen times now and I still crave tracks2 - 4......

[Matthew]

Where Did I Lose Your Love is really growing on me now...but What It Takes To Win is becoming a total joke. This wouldn't have made the cut on a Survivor album back in 1986.....

[conversationpc]

Where Did I Lose Your Love is really growing on me now...but What It Takes To Win is becoming a total joke. This wouldn't have made the cut on a Survivor album back in 1986.....

"What it Takes to Win" isn't a bad song, but it's not amongst my favorite new tunes, either.

[StoneCold]

Where Did I Lose Your Love is really growing on me now...but What It Takes To Win is becoming a total joke. This wouldn't have made the cut on a Survivor album back in 1986.....

Eye Of The Tiger was played almost every hour when Rocky 3 was out. WITTW should've been on the last Rocky soundtrack.

I'm sure it'll end up on a movie in the future.

[Tito]

This CD is great. I haven't stopped playing it. The only problem is it's over too soon.

[Gibby]

It's a great album. Hands down, their best since Frontiers.

You are spot on. Nothing since Frontiers is even close to Revelations. This release is simply phenomenal....every song is very strong. Bottom line is...the magic is back and YES- without Perry.

Absolutely!

[jestor92]

It's a great album. Hands down, their best since Frontiers.

You are spot on. Nothing since Frontiers is even close to Revelations. This release is simply phenomenal....every song is very strong. Bottom line is...the magic is back and YES- without Perry.

Absolutely not!

fixed

[The_Noble_Cause]

TNC - you don't think Escape and Frontiers are consistent albums? I guess you could say that Dead or Alive and Back Talk are a bit ropey but its all pure gold otherwise.

No, Matthew, I don't.
I mean, sure, like most of us, I endure "Troubled Child" and "Back Talk", but I can't really say I ever have the urge to listen to them individually.
As for Escape...it's good, but the triple punch of "Keep on Running", "Lay it Down" and "Dead or Alive" gets on my last nerve.
Those three all kinda blend together after a certain point.
"Departure" and "Infinity" are the gold standard in terms of consistency for me.
I don't use the skip button on those at all.
Same thing with 'Revelation'.

[conversationpc]

I mean, sure, like most of us, I endure "Troubled Child" and "Back Talk", but I can't really say I ever have the urge to listen to them individually.

I really like "Troubled Child". "Back Talk" I could do without but at least it rocks hard even though the lyrics are utterly terrible.

As for Escape...it's good, but the triple punch of "Keep on Running", "Lay it Down" and "Dead or Alive" gets on my last nerve.

I like both "Keep on Runnin'" and "Lay it Down". I've never cared for "Dead or Alive", though, and I'm still miffed as to why they included it on their setlist in 2006.

[marco17]

It has grown on me since the first listen. I still think that there are about 4-5 strong tracks and the rest are very blah. Definitely and improvement over Generations, but with a couple of exceptions, so is my karaoke singing half drunk. In my haste to put a number to it last week or the week before, I think I gave it either a 60% or 70%. Add 10% to either number and that's about where I stand now.