MR

TBF has always been my favorite Journey album, so there’s nothing new there, but my appreciation for it has swelled even more recently.

My 49 year old mother is currently in her final days of hospice after grappling with terminal lung cancer. The musicianship, lyrics, and emotional resonance of this album really is remarkable.

As much as I adore the rest of Journey’s catalog, most of it sounds positively primitive in comparison to TBF. Just wanted to give voice to a renewed and heightened appreciation for this album and would encourage those who don’t like it to give it another try with an open mind.

Very sorry to hear the news of your mother. Music can be a powerful tool. Hopefully it helps you find peace and comfort during this time.

Gideon, sorry to hear about your mom.

TBF is a great album.

Sorry to hear about your Mom.

Perry wrote When I think of you for his mom.

TBF is a CD I go back to often. Especially with the Japan Bonus song.

I appreciate the kind words, folks.

But yeah, it's amazing how a strong emotional situation can deepen your appreciation of something you already thought was spectacular in the first place.

TBF really is the band at its best. Though Perry isn't at his peak vocally, he's still quite strong and the rest of the band raises their game to help compensate for the lack of vocal gymnastics. "If He Should Break Your Heart" is my all time favorite Journey song, but I've really loved going back and listening to stuff like "One More." What a fantastic track.

Its just the rain, easy to fall, and especially still she cries are amazing songs.

Yeah, and MOL, One More, are also amazing.

Even the midtempo Forever in blue and as you said If he should break your heart (especially the last half when Perry and Schon bring it) are great.

The title song was always an okay song for me until I heard Deen sing it with JTT, now its great as well

I was 6/7 when TBF was released. Lot's of fond memories of being in my Dad's card listening to it on drives home.

My favourite album by them too. It's the band at the best, doing something a little different.

Still She Cries is my favourite. I've even grown to like Down By Down On Me Baby

Gideon wrote:TBF has always been my favorite Journey album, so there’s nothing new there, but my appreciation for it has swelled even more recently.

My 49 year old mother is currently in her final days of hospice after grappling with terminal lung cancer. The musicianship, lyrics, and emotional resonance of this album really is remarkable.

As much as I adore the rest of Journey’s catalog, most of it sounds positively primitive in comparison to TBF. Just wanted to give voice to a renewed and heightened appreciation for this album and would encourage those who don’t like it to give it another try with an open mind.

I'm very sorry to hear about your mom. I lost my mom to lung cancer years back and music eventually helped me climb out of the dark place I was in. I so totally agree with your statement that much of Journey's catalog sounds "positively primitive'' in comparison to TBF. Loved that album when it came out and love it just as much today.

scarab wrote:Its just the rain, easy to fall, and especially still she cries are amazing songs.

Yeah, and MOL, One More, are also amazing.

Even the midtempo Forever in blue and as you said If he should break your heart (especially the last half when Perry and Schon bring it) are great.

The title song was always an okay song for me until I heard Deen sing it with JTT, now its great as well

The only decisively weak song on the album for me, off the top of my head, is "Baby I'm A Leavin' You." The others range from decent to fantastic. "Trial By Fire" is so haunting, as is "Still She Cries."

Praise is almost always heaped (and rightly so) on Perry, Schon, and Cain - but TBF also makes liberal use of Ross and Smitty to great effect. The drums and bass on these songs are killer.

youkeepmewaiting wrote:I was 6/7 when TBF was released. Lot's of fond memories of being in my Dad's card listening to it on drives home.

My favourite album by them too. It's the band at the best, doing something a little different.

Still She Cries is my favourite. I've even grown to like Down By Down On Me Baby

Great stuff. Haha Don't Be Down On Me Baby is great. My Dad used to Freudian slip the fuck out of that song, calling it "Don't Go Down On Me Baby."

Lora wrote:

Gideon wrote:TBF has always been my favorite Journey album, so there’s nothing new there, but my appreciation for it has swelled even more recently.

My 49 year old mother is currently in her final days of hospice after grappling with terminal lung cancer. The musicianship, lyrics, and emotional resonance of this album really is remarkable.

As much as I adore the rest of Journey’s catalog, most of it sounds positively primitive in comparison to TBF. Just wanted to give voice to a renewed and heightened appreciation for this album and would encourage those who don’t like it to give it another try with an open mind.

I'm very sorry to hear about your mom. I lost my mom to lung cancer years back and music eventually helped me climb out of the dark place I was in. I so totally agree with your statement that much of Journey's catalog sounds "positively primitive'' in comparison to TBF. Loved that album when it came out and love it just as much today.

Thanks, Lora. It's a brutal thing to watch the utter physical and now mental deterioration of a person.
It really does! Great tunes in Journey's back catalog, but TBF is so much more nuanced, ambitious, and powerful than any of its other albums.

Very sorry to hear this Gideon. TBF was always one of my favs too. If they swapped out two of the ballads and added "I Can See It In Your Eyes" it would probably rival Frontiers as my fav. The production is top notch.

Very sorry to hear about your mother Gideon. Cancer has taken far too many great people from this world. I've always loved TBF. I felt it was the right, mature, album for Journey at the time. Doesn't mean Journey was too old to rock - far from it. Just that the sound and the feel of that album was right for a reunion record. Still one of my favorites from the discography.

The_Noble_Cause wrote:Very sorry to hear this Gideon. TBF was always one of my favs too. If they swapped out two of the ballads and added "I Can See It In Your Eyes" it would probably rival Frontiers as my fav. The production is top notch.

Thanks, TNC. TBF for me is the Japanese edition with ICSIIYE on it. Great song. I agree that it could've used some more rockers, but the only song I'd casually ditch is Baby I'm A Leavin' You. Which ballads would you get rid of?

Greg wrote:Very sorry to hear about your mother Gideon. Cancer has taken far too many great people from this world. I've always loved TBF. I felt it was the right, mature, album for Journey at the time. Doesn't mean Journey was too old to rock - far from it. Just that the sound and the feel of that album was right for a reunion record. Still one of my favorites from the discography.

Thanks, Greg. It's a great album, innit? Favorite track?

Sorry to hear about that, Gideon! Praying for you and your family during this difficult time. Thank for sharing this and yes TBF is one of my favorites. Such mature sound, writing, and emotion on this album. It's one of those albums I pretty much listen to all the way through. Love "Trial by Fire", "It's Just the Rain", "WYLAW", and "Message of Love". My favorite would have to be "If He Should Break Your Heart"....should have been a much bigger hit in the States!

Gideon wrote:Thanks, TNC. TBF for me is the Japanese edition with ICSIIYE on it. Great song. I agree that it could've used some more rockers, but the only song I'd casually ditch is Baby I'm A Leavin' You. Which ballads would you get rid of?

"Baby I'm a Leavin" is fine for what it is - a bonus track. I would prolly ditch "Don't Be Down On Me Baby" and "Still She Cries." Both great songs. But something needs to be cut somewhere. After ROR, the ballad to rocker ratio just became out of control. Revelation and Eclipse are more even.

The_Noble_Cause wrote:

Gideon wrote:Thanks, TNC. TBF for me is the Japanese edition with ICSIIYE on it. Great song. I agree that it could've used some more rockers, but the only song I'd casually ditch is Baby I'm A Leavin' You. Which ballads would you get rid of?

"Baby I'm a Leavin" is fine for what it is - a bonus track. I would prolly ditch "Don't Be Down On Me Baby" and "Still She Cries." Both great songs. But something needs to be cut somewhere. After ROR, the ballad to rocker ratio just became out of control. Revelation and Eclipse are more even.

Dude - Still She Cries is one of the best songs for me. At that time you had Neal doing his solo stuff that sounded similar, Jon too. It's like it all came together on that song.

Gideon - really sorry to hear about your mom. That's brutal. You and her are in my thoughts.

Memorex wrote:Dude - Still She Cries is one of the best songs for me. At that time you had Neal doing his solo stuff that sounded similar, Jon too. It's like it all came together on that song.

Not sure what to tell ya. TBF is too ballad heavy and the axe needs to be dropped somewhere.

So sorry, Gideon. I certainly feel your pain. My mother died 3 1/2 weeks after she was diagnosed with advanced colon cancer. She was 83 and her favorite song was "I'll Be Alright Without You". I played it for her minutes after she received the news. It was the last time she got to hear it.

I, too, love TBF. So well mixed, the chemistry was still there and the title track just takes me to another world.

WHAT IN THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE??? My mom just got a cancer diagnosis yesterday. 79 years old and has been in great health. Next week she gets word on how to proceed. This after my wife beat cancer 2 years ago.

BTW, the best thing about TBF for me was that the band I grew up loving was finally back together.