MR

Which Album Better - Evolution or Departure.........


1979 marked the debut of Steve Smith as drummer of Journey and they also scored its first top twenty hit that year.The album of Evolution has plenty of great material including one of the most underrated songs Sweet And Simple.

1980 was Gregg Rollie last year and studio album with the band and they scored the first top ten hit of its career.This album called Departure has plenty of great material also.

I think this is a toss up actually. Any Way You Want It is as banal as Lovin Touchin Squeezin to me. So they cancel each other out.
People and Places is just a great great tune.... but so is Lovin You is So Easy.

One thing Evolution had that Departure didn't- Majestic. I LOVE that song.
However, Departure had Stay Awhile- totally underrated (non-Cain) ballad.

I can't decide which I prefer. I like them both equally.

brywool wrote:I think this is a toss up actually. Any Way You Want It is as banal as Lovin Touchin Squeezin to me. So they cancel each other out.
People and Places is just a great great tune.... but so is Lovin You is So Easy.

One thing Evolution had that Departure didn't- Majestic. I LOVE that song.
However, Departure had Stay Awhile- totally underrated (non-Cain) ballad.

I can't decide which I prefer. I like them both equally.

I'm there with you. But I would edge towards Departure but only b/c some of my favorites are on there. But it's kind of a draw.

Both have some great, great songs and both have some misses.

my two favorite Journey albums... because the harmony combo of Perry/Rollie was just sooo smoooth...

hard to choose.i think too late,sweet and simple,just the same way,daydream,etc.. are very good.my favorites from departure would be people and places,precious time,where were you and stay awhile.

Departure sounded better.
Evolution was foggy and the snare sounded like rattly cardboard.
In many ways, Departure was a matured Evolution.
Interesting actually, I, E, & D all built on each other.



later~

Love them both in their entirety!!
Evolution has a slight edge, Sweet & Simple!!!

Love every song on both Albums.

Evolution has always been my favourite Journey album, Departure is excellent too.

KDOUBLEU wrote:Love every song on both Albums.

Same for me........they both "win"

Both are at the very bottom of the Perry albums...along with TBF.

Saint John wrote:Both are at the very bottom of the Perry albums...along with TBF.

SJ, it seems quite apparent to me that as far as the Perry years are concerned, you are primarily an Escape/Frontiers only fan and nothing else is relevant with this band? What is there NOT to like about Departure?

jrnyjetster wrote: What is there NOT to like about Departure?

It contains atrocious lyrics, it's generally boring and Perry's voice still sounded like a female's.

^
The lyrics were worse on Evolution (probably my least favorite perry-era album), and there are a lot of songs I just don't like on that album anyway.

Departure had a few doofy filler songs, but it also had way better non-filler songs, so it wins in my book. Precious Time, one of my favorites on Departure, is a pretty original Journey song in my opinion... it has a really cool folk-rock vibe to it.

Also, I actually quite liked the androgynous quality that Steve's voice had back then. Everyone's different, though.

ChildInTime wrote:^
The lyrics were worse on Evolution (probably my least favorite perry-era album), and there are a lot of songs I just don't like on that album anyway.

Departure had a few doofy filler songs, but it also had way better non-filler songs, so it wins in my book. Precious Time, one of my favorites on Departure, is a pretty original Journey song in my opinion... it has a really cool folk-rock vibe to it.

Also, I actually quite liked the androgynous quality that Steve's voice had back then. Everyone's different, though.

No one's right and no one's wrong. In the end it's all about personal preference. I just find the pre-Escape Perry to sound way too feminine and Mariah Carey-esque. Just like I find the TBF Perry to sound like Kim Carnes ... weak, too raspy and hollow.

I'll have to align with SJ that their middle 3 albums (with JC) were their best work (as I said in the other thread... sales #'s don't lie, lol).

The duets with GR are favorites, and SP was at his acrobatic best singing in the upper register, but I have to say these early albums (and songs) seem very dated now. I don't even listen to these 2 albums anymore, preferring the live concert boots, instead.

annie89509 wrote:but I have to say these early albums (and songs) seem very dated now.

That's the exact term I was looking for, but didn't find. The music and sonic seem almost prehistoric. I think Escape and Frontiers had the most popular songs because the music and message is so timeless.

ChildInTime wrote:^
The lyrics were worse on Evolution (probably my least favorite perry-era album), and there are a lot of songs I just don't like on that album anyway.

Departure had a few doofy filler songs, but it also had way better non-filler songs, so it wins in my book. Precious Time, one of my favorites on Departure, is a pretty original Journey song in my opinion... it has a really cool folk-rock vibe to it.

Also, I actually quite liked the androgynous quality that Steve's voice had back then. Everyone's different, though.

I love many songs on Departure. Listen to this CD a lot. I'm Cryin' I can OD on that song with Perry's vocals and Neal's guitar. Precious Time is one of my all-time favorite songs. Love, love Stay Awhile. People and Places, love their duet, and the uniqueness of the whole song. Good Morning Girl, outstanding. Homemade Love, yuk. That and Line of Fire his vocals grate on me. Both skip songs. Little Girl, bonus track, on the remastered version, stunning.

To me the two similar eras we are talking about from the departure and evolution ALBUMS seem to be the bands surefire guided effort to stay with the current music industry or sound at that time. To improve their idenity for the bigger picture which as we all now did happen. I can't say i like one over the other but what i am sure of is that i'm in the oppisite opinion of St. John. First of all, Perry's vocals were untouchable, but what i find interesting is at that time of those releases, the public was kinda getting use to hearing Perry's vocal's with the band and it seemed to fuel the fire for the so called rock-ballad which was invented because of SMFP. I at that time thought or expected more from those albums being into Journey and waiting for both releases. But i for one, felt as i stated above that SMFP vocal's were better or more flexable through that era.

journey361 wrote:the so called rock-ballad which was invented because of SMFP.

Stairway To Heaven , Dream On and Free Bird were all much more influential than anything Journey did in the 70's. And the most notable initial "power ballad" of the 80's was Home Sweet Home by Motley Crue, and the decade's most notable one being I Want To Know What Love Is by Foreigner. Perhaps I'm misconstruing what you mean, but neither Journey nor Perry "invented" shit.

Saint John wrote:
And the most notable initial "power ballad" of the 80's was Home Sweet Home by Motley Crue

You've got to be fucking kiddin' me, right?

I didn't mean they invented it, i meant they trademarked it as their moneymaker which they did and it worked for them rather than stick with all rock and no play. All those songs you mentioned were ballads for there type of music. There ballads sound nothing like faithfully, WCTNGOF or Stay awhile. But my opinion is for me and me alone because i need a super voice with a super guitar player with a super supporting cast to move me. That lineup did just that.

jrnyjetster wrote:

Saint John wrote:
And the most notable initial "power ballad" of the 80's was Home Sweet Home by Motley Crue

You've got to be fucking kiddin' me, right?

Looking back I was mistaken about the song's release year. Faithfully, as well as a host of other songs, preceded it and I didn't realize that. The rest of my prior post stands.

Honestly, it's so close it's hard for me to vote...But I'd go with Departure by the closest margin.

PRECIOUS TIME was sooo amazing from Departure... but the feel of EVOLUTION... Just the same way.. LTS/city of angels... too late... do you recall... and sweet and simple...

Departure... AWYWI... to line of Fire... to where where you... people and places... precious time... AND good morning girl/stay awhile... probably best ballad for journey before faithfully...

the continuation of something HUGE from the band!!

I can't place one above the other. Lump Infinity in there as well. I can listen to any of the three today and enjoy them like it was late 70s all over again. Schon had his best (dynamic and diverse) work on these albums.

Commercially not as successful, but still my favorites.

journey361 wrote:I didn't mean they invented it, i meant they trademarked it as their moneymaker which they did and it worked for them rather than stick with all rock and no play. All those songs you mentioned were ballads for there type of music. There ballads sound nothing like faithfully, WCTNGOF or Stay awhile. But my opinion is for me and me alone because i need a super voice with a super guitar player with a super supporting cast to move me. That lineup did just that.

I'll have to say that Keep On Loving You was the first great Power Ballad.

Depature but Evolution's got the best all-around song in Sweet & Simple.

I'd have to say Evolution by a hair. I just love the feel of Evolution (believe it or not, my lease favorite song is LTS). I have a special feeling for Departure though- that was the album that got my "journey" started. The Infinity-Captured era will always be my favorite.

Evolution by far. A couple of great songs on that album. I love Perry's high vocals on it as well