Which Album Better - Trial By Fire or Arrival

[Jana]

I really feel Arrival is a better and stronger album overall. I love the sophistication and moodiness, almost melancholy feel to the album where all the members of the band really shine, many fantastic songs with a lot of keyboard used in the melodies, and great layering of guitar and drums on all the songs, and an album that stands the test of time for me. Steve Augeri displays a real soulfulness in delivery. Some of their best instrumental intros ever are on this album setting the tone of the songs.

TBF starts out really strong but halfway through turns into a Perry solo album of slow music and doesn't sound much like a Journey album to me, and his vocals in the upper range on many of the songs have always bothered me on this CD, sadly, and sounds very hollow and bothers my ears for some reason. But some really great songs on TBF, some of which are my favorites that Steve shines on vocally, like WYLAW, fantastic unique songs, not cookie cutter, like Message of Love, One More, It's Just the Rain, etc.

Which one is better overall, in your opinion?

[Deb]

Trial By Fire.

Easy To Fall and WYLAW are 2 of their best ballads in my opinion. Looooove If He Should Break Your Heart. Anything that's got Perry's vocals on it, gets my vote.

[Ehwmatt]

REALLY tough call, as these are two of my favorites as album efforts. True, TBF is slow in parts (so is Arrival for that matter), but what really sets both apart for me is that the band is trying some new things - you can't find songs that are structured or sound like One More, Higher Place, or Livin' To Do anywhere else in the Journey canon. I really like seeing the band spread its wings a bit while still remaining true to the classic sound in songs like If He Should Break Your Heart, When You Love a Woman, Signs of Life, To Be Alive Again, etc.

[marco17]

Arrival

[Jana]

Trial By Fire.

Easy To Fall and WYLAW are 2 of their best ballads in my opinion. Looooove If He Should Break Your Heart. Anything that's got Perry's vocals on it, gets my vote.

Two of my favorite ballads also. And some of my favorite more rocking songs are on TBF. The whole band shines on Message of Love (esp Neal and Steve Perry) and One More is amazing. Trial By Fire, the song, soulful marriage of guitar and voice. But overall as a TOTAL album I have to give it to Arrival as a stronger album I connect with more.

[Red13JoePa]

you can't find songs that are structured or sound like One More, Higher Place, or Livin' To Do anywhere else in the Journey canon.

All The Things and Castles Burning are pretty offbeat too.

I'll take the best of both.

MOL, One More, Forever In Blue, Castles Burning, CTTL, TBF, HP, LTD, WGW, NCC, and maybe the best of all, We Will Meet Again.

[Ehwmatt]

you can't find songs that are structured or sound like One More, Higher Place, or Livin' To Do anywhere else in the Journey canon.

All The Things and Castles Burning are pretty offbeat too.

I'll take the best of both.

MOL, One More, Forever In Blue, Castles Burning, CTTL, TBF, HP, LTD, WGW, NCC, and maybe the best of all, We Will Meet Again.

Oh certainly, that list was not inclusive by any means.

[Jana]

you can't find songs that are structured or sound like One More, Higher Place, or Livin' To Do anywhere else in the Journey canon.

All The Things and Castles Burning are pretty offbeat too.

I'll take the best of both.

MOL, One More, Forever In Blue, Castles Burning, CTTL, TBF, HP, LTD, WGW, NCC, and maybe the best of all, We Will Meet Again.

I was just listening to We Will Meet Again today while driving to work. Stunning song. Of course, Still She Cries so soulful and beautiful, also, from TBF.

[Michigan Girl]

I love TBF, I love Perry's vox on this disc very powerful!! Love the haunting
lyrics and melodies. It contains one of my favorite songs of all time (WYLAW *sigh*)
and many others that I love, SSC, IJTR, MOL, IHSBYH, ICSIIYE
and Baby I'm Leavin' You...love, love love it!!!~fun song!! Can't say enough
about this CD. The guys are playing off of each other just beautifully as if no time had passed, as if
there were no ill will...one of my Journey favs!!!

[Michigan Girl]

Trial By Fire.

Easy To Fall and WYLAW are 2 of their best ballads in my opinion. Looooove If He Should Break Your Heart. Anything that's got Perry's vocals on it, gets my vote.

+ a very Powerful 1...

[jrny84]

Trial by Fire. Love Arrival, but definetly have to go with the Perry album.

[Red13JoePa]

I was just listening to We Will Meet Again today while driving to work. Stunning song.

Yep UNbelievable song. Would love to know who wrote those lyrics.

[Jana]

I was just listening to We Will Meet Again today while driving to work. Stunning song.

Yep UNbelievable song. Would love to know who wrote those lyrics.

Neal/Augeri/Tribble. But I don't know specifically lyrics alone. I love the intro, first drums, then the piano comes in lavering over drums, and then next the guitar layering over that, and such beautiful lyrics.

[brywool]

Arrival. Hands down.
TBF has some moments, but as a whole, Arrival's the better record.

[portland]

I love TBF, I love Perry's vox on this disc very powerful!! Love the haunting
lyrics and melodies. It contains one of my favorite songs of all time (WYLAW *sigh*)
and many others that I love, SSC, IJTR, MOL, IHSBYH, ICSIIYE
and Baby I'm Leavin' You...love, love love it!!!~fun song!! Can't say enough
about this CD. The guys are playing off of each other just beautifully as if no time had passed, as if
there were no ill will...one of my Journey favs!!!

Everything she said +100000...TBF....hands down.....Perry's voice.....and all of them together.....I like Arrival but LOVE TBF.

[lights1961]

I love NEALS SOLO before MOL... DAMN haunting...and you knew that Journey was back in a HUGE WAY...
castles burning is a good tune too... but other than that. a lot of misses on TBF...

ARRIVAL. MUCH MORE DEPTH as a whole... and if it wasnt for NAPSTER I think the ARRIVAL... would have been a top 20 CD..

higher place, to be alive again, I got a reason, livin to do... Kiss me Softly... live and breathe...

[Red13JoePa]

I was just listening to We Will Meet Again today while driving to work. Stunning song.

Yep UNbelievable song. Would love to know who wrote those lyrics.

Neal/Augeri/Tribble. But I don't know specifically lyrics alone. I love the intro, first drums, then the piano comes in lavering over drums, and then next the guitar layering over that, and such beautiful lyrics.

Wow, not even a Cain cowrite! So given that, I guess the lyrics are Schon/Augeri unless "Tribble (who?)" is a guest ghost lyricist.

[bluejeangirl76]

Which one is better overall, in your opinion?

Well, the adult in me loves the mature wheatyness of Trial By Fire, but the kid in me like the frosted rockin' good time on Arrival.



They're both good.

[Don]

I was just listening to We Will Meet Again today while driving to work. Stunning song.

Yep UNbelievable song. Would love to know who wrote those lyrics.

Neal/Augeri/Tribble. But I don't know specifically lyrics alone. I love the intro, first drums, then the piano comes in lavering over drums, and then next the guitar layering over that, and such beautiful lyrics.

Wow, not even a Cain cowrite! So given that, I guess the lyrics are Schon/Augeri unless "Tribble (who?)" is a guest ghost lyricist.

Kim Tribble



Growing up in the musical hotbed of Muscle Shoals, Alabama, Kim Tribble could listen to any kind of music he wanted. All he had to do was turn on the radio.


“Back then there were no formats in radio, so you would hear ‘(Sittin On) The Dock of the Bay’ and then ‘Foxy Lady’ or ‘Stairway to Heaven,’ and then Tom Jones right into the Rolling Stones,” Tribble says. “When people said ‘pop music,’ it meant popular. Those stations were across the board.”

“When I got to be about 9 years old, I decided that music was something I wanted to do,”
he says. “I had one of the first bands in the area. There were only three bands in town, and one of them was the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section.”

Just about the time that now-legendary rhythm section started recording huge hits with everyone from Aretha Franklin to Wilson Pickett to Rod Stewart, Tribble left town for Sarasota, Florida. Moving from band to band and making his first stabs at songwriting, he landed in a regional favorite group that regularly opened shows for national acts, making Tribble some good friends and valuable contacts. Eventually the performer whittled things down to a one-man band, drawing big crowds and even bigger paychecks.

“I worked clubs for 15 years and made a great living, kicking bass pedals with one foot and a tamborine with the other, singing and playing harp,” Tribble says. “I was just crazy. After 15 years of that it was either leave town or just dig my grave, because I was pushing the limit.”

Around that time, the singer/songwriter was offered a solo record deal, and he found himself rocking out with that same hit-making rhythm section back in Muscle Shoals. A quick trip to Nashville to record strings for the project gave Tribble his first taste of Music City, and he liked it.

Tribble started playing his songs around town and caught the ear of Tree Publishing executive Bob Montgomery, who signed him to the first of many publishing deals he would have over the years. Tribble was soon collaborating with hit writers and has since written hits for artists as diverse as Gary Allen, Collin Raye, Trick Pony, Shania Twain and multi-platinum rockers Journey. The most recent developments in his long and successful career are a Top-5 single with Montgomery Gentry (“One In Every Crowd”) and his recent affiliation with SESAC.

“SESAC reminds me of when I first came to town,” Tribble says. “When you walked through the door you could see anyone. SESAC has held onto that sense of community. The people here are easygoing and extremely helpful. It’s much more downhome.”

[EightyRock]

TBF, by a mile! One More is a kick your ass around the block TWICE song. Perry's vocals were fierce on that.

Still She Cries is better than any ballad Cain concocted with outside writers on Arrival.

[SueinFlorida]

I love Trial By Fire. Arrival is Ok.

[brywool]

Easy to Fall
When You Love a Woman
Can't Tame the Lion
If He Should Break Your Heart
I Can See It In Your Eyes


Only good songs on that album.

[Since 78]

My ratings from 1 to 10

"Message of Love" - 7 - Has its moments
"One More" - 5 - I prefer the version Journey did on tour this year.
"When You Love a Woman" - 10 - Beautiful.. Perry, Cain and Schon shine on this one. To bad we never heard it live.
"If He Should Break Your Heart" - 10 - Just a great solid Journey tune.
"Forever in Blue" - 1- Total skip.
"Castles Burning" - 7- Took me awhile to like this song.
"Don't Be Down on Me Baby" - 9 - Very Soulful to quote Deb.
"Still She Cries" – 5:04 - 7 - Nice vocals by Perry, kind of light and airy.
"Colors of the Spirit" - 3 - Nice song, but Perry sounds like he's losing his voice.
"When I Think of You" - 1 - Another total skip, are these rejects from FTLOSM?
"Easy to Fall" - 4 - Its a decent song.
"Can't Tame the Lion" - 1 - To different for me.
"It's Just the Rain" - 10 - Second favorite on the album.
"Trial By Fire" - 7 - Another solid track.
"Baby I'm Leaving You" - Minus 10 - This gets the what were they thinking award!

Total = 72

"Higher Place" - 10 - Steve and Deen Rock!
"All the Way" - 10 - One of my favorite Journey Ballads.
"Signs of Life" - 5- This one is good, not great.
"All the Things" - 7 - Really like Neal's playing on this.
"Loved By You" - 10 - Another great Ballad.
"Livin' to Do" - 10 - Again, very Soulful, great lyrics and vocals.
"World Gone Wild" - 7 - Would have been lower but Neal's guitar work is outstanding on this.
"I Got a Reason" - 1 - Skip.
"With Your Love" - 9- Perfect Wedding song.
"Lifetime of Dreams" - 2 - Redundant, after With Your Love.
"Live and Breathe" - 8 - Steve vocals and Deen's drumming make this one good.
"Nothin' Comes Close" - 1 - Skip.
"To Be Alive Again" - 8 - Good song, reminds me of Chicago for some reason.
"Kiss Me Softly" - 10 - Did I say that there are some great ballads on this album?
"We Will Meet Again" - 8 - Another solid effort.

Total = 106

[Jana]

My ratings from 1 to 10

"Message of Love" - 7 - Has its moments
"One More" - 5 - I prefer the version Journey did on tour this year.
"When You Love a Woman" - 10 - Beautiful.. Perry, Cain and Schon shine on this one. To bad we never heard it live.
"If He Should Break Your Heart" - 10 - Just a great solid Journey tune.
"Forever in Blue" - 1- Total skip.
"Castles Burning" - 7- Took me awhile to like this song.
"Don't Be Down on Me Baby" - 9 - Very Soulful to quote Deb.
"Still She Cries" – 5:04 - 7 - Nice vocals by Perry, kind of light and airy.
"Colors of the Spirit" - 3 - Nice song, but Perry sounds like he's losing his voice.
"When I Think of You" - 1 - Another total skip, are these rejects from FTLOSM?
"Easy to Fall" - 4 - Its a decent song.
"Can't Tame the Lion" - 1 - To different for me.
"It's Just the Rain" - 10 - Second favorite on the album.
"Trial By Fire" - 7 - Another solid track.
"Baby I'm Leaving You" - Minus 10 - This gets the what were they thinking award!

Total = 72

I'm not a fan of FIB either. Forever in Blue is one of the songs where the higher register of Steve's vocals is so hollow sounding that it hurts my ears, truly. I can't describe it, but it bothers me when trying to listen. Someone on here noticed the same thing on some of the TBF songs and said it had a tin sound on some of his higher vocals. When I go back to ROR, there's no such problem, very full sounding in the higher notes. And BILY does not fit on this album at all, or any Journey album.

FIB - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZHEMhE0GXA

[brywool]

Baby I'm a Leavin' You is THE dumbest song the band ever did. I'd rather hear "Can Do" for Christ's sake.
It may have been meant as a piece of humour, but it blows.

[lights1961]

Easy to Fall
When You Love a Woman
Can't Tame the Lion
If He Should Break Your Heart
I Can See It In Your Eyes


Only good songs on that album.

okay one more on TBF that song FLAT OUT ROCKED

[KDOUBLEU]

Trial By Fire.

[RocknRoll]

I like both but I got to go with Arrival since Livin' to Do is one of my all-time favorites.

[Starrider]

Arrival.

Could have done without a few of the ballads, but overall, a great disc.

And speaking of Arrival, here is an obscure (and very good) cover of "All The Way":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMMJuRzJcCs

[Arkansas]

TBF has a much better sonic to it...better overall production, crisper, more of a powdery feel without sounding too thin...yet monstrous in other spots. Arrival was over-produced and individual sonics were punchy at times, which killed certain songs...while some songs were too processed & compressed/encapsulated.

But comparing songs is really apples to oranges. They're all good, just two very different albums.
With a scoring cap of a hundred each, TBF over Arrival, 94-78.

In many ways, 'Its Just the Rain' takes down Arrival on its own.



later~