Gregg Rolie

[Deb]

I may be the only person on the planet that prefers the Rollie-era Journey albums to the Cain stuff.

Your not, the contrast between Perry's and Rollie's vocals is fantastic, love it. That era's music had a more unpolished sexiness to it. Captured is my most played cd.

[Todd H]

Trust me, you're not. I can't stand most of the 'brilliance of Mr. Friga, versus what Rolie offered this band. I'd take the early Journey up to and including Departure versus any of the lovey dovey ballady shit that came after, but then again, maybe its just me...

That's good to know. I feel the same way about the ballads from Cain as well. If I hear Open Arms one more time, I think I'm going to snap!

[Matthew]

I may be the only person on the planet that prefers the Rollie-era Journey albums to the Cain stuff.

Trust me, you're not. I can't stand most of the 'brilliance of Mr. Friga, versus what Rolie offered this band. I'd take the early Journey up to and including Departure versus any of the lovey dovey ballady shit that came after, but then again, maybe its just me...

Lovey dovey ballady shit? Escape and Frontiers are much heavier than any Rolie-era album.

[Matthew]

Trust me, you're not. I can't stand most of the 'brilliance of Mr. Friga, versus what Rolie offered this band. I'd take the early Journey up to and including Departure versus any of the lovey dovey ballady shit that came after, but then again, maybe its just me...

That's good to know. I feel the same way about the ballads from Cain as well. If I hear Open Arms one more time, I think I'm going to snap!

I love all this nonsense about how 'credible' and 'manly' and 'uncommercial' the "Lovin' Touchin' Squeezin" era was...

[Todd H]

I love all this nonsense about how 'credible' and 'manly' and 'uncommercial' the "Lovin' Touchin' Squeezin" era was...

To you, nonsense perhaps. To me, the success of songs like Open Arms and Faithfully helped turn Journey into the travesty that was the Raised on Radio lineup. To this day I can't listen to that album for more than a few seconds before wanting to throw it across the room.

[jrnyman28]

Yes, I know it was Rolie's decision to leave but it's a mystery why Rolie would object to the way things were headed with Perry - two hard-rocking albums and an AOR masterpiece all selling millions and millions of copies - so the reason must have been either ego or exhaustion.

I would go with "ego"...Perry's.

there was nothing on "Departure" which suggested that an exciting evolution/transformation was about to happen with Rolie in the band. Don't get me wrong -I think "Departure" is a great album - but to me it sounds like the end of a cycle rather than the start of a new one.

Well, you do have to end one cycle to start another one. But I happen to feel that Departure is the band firing on ALL cylinders!!

Compare these three albums to the three that came afterward. "Escape" "Frontiers" and "ROR" each have a much stronger individual identity than any of the predecessors, I reckon.

The individual identity you have is Perry...not Journey. That is the problem!

[jrnyman28]

To you, nonsense perhaps. To me, the success of songs like Open Arms and Faithfully helped turn Journey into the travesty that was the Raised on Radio lineup.

BINGO!!

[conversationpc]

To you, nonsense perhaps. To me, the success of songs like Open Arms and Faithfully helped turn Journey into the travesty that was the Raised on Radio lineup.

BINGO!!

Disagreed...I believe it was more songs like "After the Fall", "Party's Over (Hoplessly in Love)", etc., with more of a pop feel than it was the power ballads. The power ballads on ROR are good tunes, in my opinion. It's the more pop-oriented songs like "Once You Love Somebody" and "Positive Touch" that sink that album for me.

[Matthew]

I love all this nonsense about how 'credible' and 'manly' and 'uncommercial' the "Lovin' Touchin' Squeezin" era was...

To you, nonsense perhaps. To me, the success of songs like Open Arms and Faithfully helped turn Journey into the travesty that was the Raised on Radio lineup. To this day I can't listen to that album for more than a few seconds before wanting to throw it across the room.

There was one ballad on "Escape". And one ballad on "Frontiers". And two on "ROR". Yet you're arguing that these four songs define a five year period of the band's history. Sure, a thirteen year old girl in 1981 might have thought Journey was all about "Open Arms" but surely you don't?

[Matthew]

To you, nonsense perhaps. To me, the success of songs like Open Arms and Faithfully helped turn Journey into the travesty that was the Raised on Radio lineup.

BINGO!!

Disagreed...I believe it was more songs like "After the Fall", "Party's Over (Hoplessly in Love)", etc., with more of a pop feel than it was the power ballads. The power ballads on ROR are good tunes, in my opinion. It's the more pop-oriented songs like "Once You Love Somebody" and "Positive Touch" that sink that album for me.

The first three albums after Perry joined are full of pop-orientated songs. "Lights", "LTS", "Anyway You Want It", etc, etc. All pop-orientated. Journey's signature or trademark style is pop-orientated. AOR is pop-orientated. We're not talking about some obscure metal or prog band. We're talking about Journey.

BUT I am so with you on the power ballads. They are great songs and Journey did them better than anyone else. No they're not 'cool' but who cares?

Also agree about "Once You Love Somebody" - it's the weakest track on the album and I'd rather they did a rock number instead. But still ROR reflected the direction AOR was taking in the mid-80s. So many bands went for a similar production - such as Heart's "These Dreams", Don Henley's "Boys of Summer", Foreigner's "That Was Yesterday", John Waite's "Missing You" and so on.

All these acts had to break away from the 70s 'classic rock' sound to survive. So was ROR a mistake? A strange choice of direction? No. It made perfect sense. So I disagree that Perry and Cain somehow led Journey astray.

[ArnelRox]

I may be the only person on the planet that prefers the Rollie-era Journey albums to the Cain stuff.

Trust me, you're not. I can't stand most of the 'brilliance of Mr. Friga, versus what Rolie offered this band. I'd take the early Journey up to and including Departure versus any of the lovey dovey ballady shit that came after, but then again, maybe its just me...

U got a 3rd here guys.

[X factor]

I may be the only person on the planet that prefers the Rollie-era Journey albums to the Cain stuff.

Trust me, you're not. I can't stand most of the 'brilliance of Mr. Friga, versus what Rolie offered this band. I'd take the early Journey up to and including Departure versus any of the lovey dovey ballady shit that came after, but then again, maybe its just me...

Nope, not hardly! I was just listening to JUST THE SAME WAY the other day, after not hearing it for an eternity, and it really rocked my world! I had forgotten how much I loved Gregg's input to the band. I like Jon Cain, but I remember being really taken aback at all the gooey ballads when he joined the band. I was a HUGE Baby's fan back in the day, and he simply didn't write that kinda shit with them. Much more rockin...
Would be real interesting to see what would've happened if those two (Cain/Rolie) ever occupied a place in the band at the same time...

[Matthew]

I may be the only person on the planet that prefers the Rollie-era Journey albums to the Cain stuff.

Trust me, you're not. I can't stand most of the 'brilliance of Mr. Friga, versus what Rolie offered this band. I'd take the early Journey up to and including Departure versus any of the lovey dovey ballady shit that came after, but then again, maybe its just me...

I remember being really taken aback at all the gooey ballads when he joined the band.

Well, I can think of four ballads - "Open Arms", "Faithfully", "Why Can't This Night Last Forever" and "Happy To Give" - spread over three albums. That's hardly any. And yet you were "taken aback" by this? Were you "taken aback" by every other rock band who recorded ballads in the 1980s?

I'd understand it more if you were surprised by how heavy Journey became in the two albums after Cain joined...by how the band who brought us "Lights", "Too Late" and "Good Morning Girl" could now give us "Edge of The Blade", "Chain Reaction", "Keep On Runnin'" and "Escape".

If you prefer 70s music to 80s music then that's fine. But this idea that Cain wimped out the band on "Escape" and "Frontiers" just isn't true. Do you only listen to Journey on the radio?

[ArnelRox]

Matthew I'm a Perryloon-self admitted. But please stop getting so defensive. There are lots of Perryloons here. There are Augeriheads too. Now there are also Sotolocos. Some cross between groups. Some are just Journey fans & love whatever they do regardless of the singer.

But some of us have different tastes & prefer one song over another. I'd listen to Perry sing the phone book and go wow. But I love best the (perhaps 70s-ish) sound of Rolie on organ & the duets he did w/Perry. Some of Journey's greatest songs (ballads too) came from before Cain. They're still huge today (Lights & Wheel In The Sky). Some of Journey's biggest hits came during the Cain era (also great ballads & rockers). Some great songs came after Perry left the band too & had Augeri's stamp on them somewhere in the mix.

But if u ask 10 diehard Journey fans for their top 5, they will all be different. Ask the casual fan & they'll say Open Arms, Dont Stop Believing & Faithfully cos those are the 3 they know. Amongst the diehards we all have our favorites & they change from week to week, sometimes day to day, bcoz we listen to Journey all the time.

But let's not have a war over it. There's enough wars on this forum about so many other things especially the 3 main lead singers (I know there have been 5-6 if you include Deen-but only 3 main leads so far).

Let's just agree to have favorites songs & be Journey fans. That's what makes Journey so special. In their entire catalogue there is something for everyone to love (& maybe even hate). No need to fight about the music. That's what brought us all here together in the 1st place.

[Matthew]

Matthew I'm a Perryloon-self admitted. But please stop getting so defensive. There are lots of Perryloons here. There are Augeriheads too. Now there are also Sotolocos. Some cross between groups. Some are just Journey fans & love whatever they do regardless of the singer.

But some of us have different tastes & prefer one song over another. I'd listen to Perry sing the phone book and go wow. But I love best the (perhaps 70s-ish) sound of Rolie on organ & the duets he did w/Perry. Some of Journey's greatest songs (ballads too) came from before Cain. They're still huge today (Lights & Wheel In The Sky). Some of Journey's biggest hits came during the Cain era (also great ballads & rockers). Some great songs came after Perry left the band too & had Augeri's stamp on them somewhere in the mix.

But if u ask 10 diehard Journey fans for their top 5, they will all be different. Ask the casual fan & they'll say Open Arms, Dont Stop Believing & Faithfully cos those are the 3 they know. Amongst the diehards we all have our favorites & they change from week to week, sometimes day to day, bcoz we listen to Journey all the time.

But let's not have a war over it. There's enough wars on this forum about so many other things especially the 3 main lead singers (I know there have been 5-6 if you include Deen-but only 3 main leads so far).

Let's just agree to have favorites songs & be Journey fans. That's what makes Journey so special. In their entire catalogue there is something for everyone to love (& maybe even hate). No need to fight about the music. That's what brought us all here together in the 1st place.

Oh...sorry...my tone was a bit defensive, wasn't it?You're right - we are just talking about a soft rock band so there's no need to get my knickers in a twist.

Let's me clarify what I meant...of course I respect the fact that all Journey fans have a different bias...that some prefer one era to another...but I was responding to the suggestion that Journey's material became focused on ballads after Cain joined. When you actually look at the tracklistings it's obvious that Journey recorded hardly any ballads in the early 80s.

Now maybe I ought to go and have my morning coffee and lighten up.

[ArnelRox]

Oh...sorry...my tone was a bit defensive, wasn't it? You're right - we are just talking about a soft rock band so there's no need to get my knickers in a twist.

Let's me clarify what I meant...of course I respect the fact that all Journey fans have a different bias...that some prefer one era to another...but I was responding to the suggestion that Journey's material became focused on ballads after Cain joined. When you actually look at the tracklistings it's obvious that Journey recorded hardly any ballads in the early 80s.

Now maybe I ought to go and have my morning coffee and lighten up.

Put a lot of cream in it Matthew. Make it light dude. U'll feel better.

Ur points are good. Just don't blow a gasket making 'em.

It's all good baby (well except for Randy's polka dots anyway)

[Matthew]

Oh...sorry...my tone was a bit defensive, wasn't it? You're right - we are just talking about a soft rock band so there's no need to get my knickers in a twist.

Let's me clarify what I meant...of course I respect the fact that all Journey fans have a different bias...that some prefer one era to another...but I was responding to the suggestion that Journey's material became focused on ballads after Cain joined. When you actually look at the tracklistings it's obvious that Journey recorded hardly any ballads in the early 80s.

Now maybe I ought to go and have my morning coffee and lighten up.

Put a lot of cream in it Matthew. Make it light dude. U'll feel better.

Ur points are good. Just don't blow a gasket making 'em.

It's all good baby (well except for Randy's polka dots anyway)

Especially the polka dots.

[X factor]

I may be the only person on the planet that prefers the Rollie-era Journey albums to the Cain stuff.

Trust me, you're not. I can't stand most of the 'brilliance of Mr. Friga, versus what Rolie offered this band. I'd take the early Journey up to and including Departure versus any of the lovey dovey ballady shit that came after, but then again, maybe its just me...

I remember being really taken aback at all the gooey ballads when he joined the band.

Well, I can think of four ballads - "Open Arms", "Faithfully", "Why Can't This Night Last Forever" and "Happy To Give" - spread over three albums. That's hardly any. And yet you were "taken aback" by this? Were you "taken aback" by every other rock band who recorded ballads in the 1980s?

I'd understand it more if you were surprised by how heavy Journey became in the two albums after Cain joined...by how the band who brought us "Lights", "Too Late" and "Good Morning Girl" could now give us "Edge of The Blade", "Chain Reaction", "Keep On Runnin'" and "Escape".

If you prefer 70s music to 80s music then that's fine. But this idea that Cain wimped out the band on "Escape" and "Frontiers" just isn't true. Do you only listen to Journey on the radio?

Ok I really think Journey had a few more ballads than those four during that period (I love songs like STILL THEY RIDE and SEND HER MY LOVE, but call me crazy, I consider those to be "ballads")
Despite this, what I was refering to is that there is nothing like OPEN ARMS or FAITHFULLY on any of the Cain-era BABYS albums. There was no precidence for him to have written songs of that nature....hence my being "taken aback".Take an album like ON THE EDGE and the only thing resembling a ballad is a 2 minute song called DARKER SIDE OF TOWN, that is, as the name implies, a dark little tune and in no way resembles a song that would be played at my high school prom, like say...I dunno...OPEN ARMS.
I also never said that they didn't have material that didn't rock during this time. ESCAPE happens to be my all time favorite Journey tune,and I love EDGE OF THE BLADE and RUBICON, despite the fact that none of these ever received airplay...because as you know , of course, I "only listen to Journey on the radio"
Was Journey my favorite band growing up? Probably not...still loved em. (Saw 'em at Murphy Center on the MTSU campus on FRONTIERS tour- I even reviewed the FRONTIERS album in my HS newspaper ,calling it one of the top ten albums of that year) ...and did I have ALL the Perry era albums (and on VINYL no less?) Damn straight...even that turd ROR, which I actually still listen too now and again.

[Matthew]

I may be the only person on the planet that prefers the Rollie-era Journey albums to the Cain stuff.

Trust me, you're not. I can't stand most of the 'brilliance of Mr. Friga, versus what Rolie offered this band. I'd take the early Journey up to and including Departure versus any of the lovey dovey ballady shit that came after, but then again, maybe its just me...

I remember being really taken aback at all the gooey ballads when he joined the band.

Well, I can think of four ballads - "Open Arms", "Faithfully", "Why Can't This Night Last Forever" and "Happy To Give" - spread over three albums. That's hardly any. And yet you were "taken aback" by this? Were you "taken aback" by every other rock band who recorded ballads in the 1980s?

I'd understand it more if you were surprised by how heavy Journey became in the two albums after Cain joined...by how the band who brought us "Lights", "Too Late" and "Good Morning Girl" could now give us "Edge of The Blade", "Chain Reaction", "Keep On Runnin'" and "Escape".

If you prefer 70s music to 80s music then that's fine. But this idea that Cain wimped out the band on "Escape" and "Frontiers" just isn't true. Do you only listen to Journey on the radio?

what I was refering to is that there is nothing like OPEN ARMS or FAITHFULLY on any of the Cain-era BABYS albums. There was no precidence for him to have written songs of that nature....hence my being "taken aback".Take an album like ON THE EDGE and the only thing resembling a ballad is a 2 minute song called DARKER SIDE OF TOWN, that is, as the name implies, a dark little tune and in no way resembles a song that would be played at my high school prom, like say...I dunno...OPEN ARMS.

Ah...okay...I see what you mean now. (And good to hear the turd still gets an outing.)

[Moon Beam]

Yay! Matthew found it way back from Caption Mode.

[Matthew]

Yay! Matthew found it way back from Caption Mode.

Tell me about it! Such a relief....

[frostbite]

Gregg Rolie? Love him.

[Aaron]

Ditto ....

I may be the only person on the planet that prefers the Rollie-era Journey albums to the Cain stuff.

Trust me, you're not. I can't stand most of the 'brilliance of Mr. Friga, versus what Rolie offered this band. I'd take the early Journey up to and including Departure versus any of the lovey dovey ballady shit that came after, but then again, maybe its just me...

U got a 3rd here guys.