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CD Review: Journey, “Eclipse”

Dw. Dunphy May 22, 2011 21

When I set out to listen to Journey’s latest, Eclipse, I put aside all the things I’ve thought about the band, their back story, their personnel decisions, and so forth, and gave myself a strict rule to work around — focus strictly on the songs. If the songs are good, then how they arrived wouldn’t matter and all the falderal over the band’s inner workings would be rendered moot. It is a solid foundation on which to begin.

I only wish this album made things easier than that, but alas it does not. From the title one would get the impression that this was going to hew close to their benchmark Escape album, but instead is closer in tone to Frontiers, not always for the right reasons. Take, for instance, “Edge of the Moment” which is title-wise a callback to Frontiers‘ “Edge of the Blade.” The song is supposed to be about love, but the backing track sounds so aggressive and mismatched that the two seem completely independent from each other, and frankly so does the band. Everyone is just wailing away at their chosen instrument, and the end result sounds less like a group effort and more like each member showed up, recorded their part with little regard to what the other members had recorded, and producer Kevin Shirley was left to mash all the disparate thrashing together.

It would be easy to throw the album out were it not for a few things –  First, the track “Someone” has the one thing most of the album doesn’t, and that is a looseness where everything actually gels together. Sure, the lyrics aren’t earth-shattering, but Journey finally sounds like they’re having a little bit of fun. Second, even though I still feel their singer is there not as Arnel Pineda, vocalist, but as Steve Perry Proxy, Pineda nails it. I’ve come to the point of saying, just maybe, he’s the right guy for the job. Finally, let it not be said that Neal Schon is a mediocre player, because he certainly isn’t. He is a world-class shredder, and under the right circumstances is extremely effective.

It’s just that he is so all over this album, there’s almost no room to breathe. “Tantra,” despite a lyric  chock full of new-agey aphorisms and cliches about the circle of life and hopes across the universe, still had the potential to slowly build and grow and be that big meaningful something-or-other the band clearly intends it to be. Instead, Schon jumps into the song about a minute-and-a-half in and widdles it to death.  Contrast “Tantra” with “Still They Ride” and you’ll know what I’m talking about.

Think about a few more of the band’s highest achievements: “Who’s Cryin’ Now” is pretty darn perfect so far as AOR tunes go, and because Schon is held back until that solo outro, it’s twice as notable. Remember that the band originated as a blues-rock-based jam band of sorts, extracted by Herbie Herbert from the original Santana lineup, and a song like Departure‘s “Walks Like A Lady,” which is all blues-feel in an easy-going stroll seems like a natural. Finally, think of the heights of Journey’s bombast, like the unassailable “Mother, Father” wherein all that guitar flamethrowing is not only justified, but necessary. Why did they have such a keen understanding of dynamics then, but not now?

I have to believe it is because, oddly enough, they’re doing this on their own. Sure, Kevin Shirley is the producer, but I doubt he’s in the position to tell this band what not to do, not like their producers of old. Not to let the band off the hook though. After all, they brought these songs to him, but I have to believe there were times he would have liked the group to back off a bit, and that type of relationship simply wasn’t there.

I came to Eclipse with a wide-open mind and, admittedly, more goodwill than I did with their previous effort, but I’m still walking away disappointed.

Eclipse is available from Amazon.com.

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POSTED IN » CD Reviews, Music
About the author: Dw. Dunphy View all posts by
Dw. Dunphy is a writer, artist, musician, bon vivant, n'er do well, but neither a president nor client of the Hair Club for Men. He resides in New Jersey with his decades-old neuroses and debt.You can follow him at Facebook, Twitter, or hit him up on Google+. Or just hit him. Really hard. With bats. Until he asks for you to stop, but don't stop. If you stop, an angel doesn't get its wings.

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  • ucdavis4.0gpa

    Horrible review. Not only does it go against the majority of reviews in its conclusions (which by the way see the parallels with Frontiers and assert its a GOOD thing) but get the little details right….like its not available at Amazon-only Wal Mart

  • David_E

     Umm, if it’s not available at Amazon, then how do you explain the very first link in the article? 

    Rapture?

    #tryagain

  • DJW

    thank you for taking your time for this review…you need more research though. all good but the only Im complaining your review as is like you are wearing Steve Perry thong or boyfriend.

  • DJW

    After you said that, I now decided I am wearing boxer shorts and not a thong. I replaced the old thong.  

  • BW

    It might be a good idea to review the album (ANY album) for what it IS rather than trying to make it fit into what you expected. For anyone reading, the new album “Eclipse” has ZERO to do with Escape. Escape and Frontiers were what they were. Eclipse is different than those and is actually a brilliant album. Eclipse is NOT targeted to be a “hit” album, but more a bigger musical statement. The album takes Journey where they’ve not gone before and does it well. Seriously… LISTEN to the album. Let it sink in. It’s really a great piece of work.

  • http://www.grayflannelsuit.net/ Chris Holmes

    I can’t believe you had the unmitigated gall to not love this album, Dw. Where do you get off having opinions about music, anyway? When the Rapture comes – and forget last weekend, it WILL come – heathens like you and Herbie Herbert (and probably Steed too) will be left behind to gnash your teeth over the error of your ways while you scrounge for food in the burning shells that were once our cities. Meanwhile the select few of us will soar to heaven while a choir or Arnel Pinedas sings “Wheel in the Sky.”

  • GK

    I agree with the review……there’s no songs on this album just a stringing together of ideas which clearly reflect the lack of pre-production.  Obviously they just turned up at the studio and fought with each other until they got a song. Seems like Neil was the butch and Jonathan Cain was the bitch because its unnecessarily top heavy in guitars and Cain is a great songwriter who has had his ideas shoved to the back. Kevin Shirley has stated it was a very difficult album to make……to me sounds like it

    I’m a journey fan  AND as a guitarist, a huge Neil Schon fan but your review hasnt pissed me off, it just helps to confirm my massive disappointment in this record. BW, I’m trying to let it sink in but so far nothing, hopefully I get it soon!!

  • Jlloyd1234

    This is insane review. Finally!, Journey is “rockin” again.
    City of Hope? awesome. No more “99% ballad cd’s”. I think they have finally crested the hill in the post Perry days. Comparisons w/any “old” Journey should now be gone.  This is Van Halen now.. .both bands/singers stand alone … excellent. Check out “Melodicrock.com” for a real song by song review…

  • Jason

    Yep the New Album Sucks Sucks big time I have heard it, Its just bad, Arnel Pineda sounds out of place on it with his high vocals, and hte low tones on the music. Most songs sound like movie changing clothes montage music. Its just noise. Not a fun experience to hear Eclipse is a good name for it as it should never see the light of day. 

  • td62

    This review definitely smells of “old school”. Eclipse is for the new generation of Journey fans. To compare it with Escape and Frontiers is an insult to one’s intelligence. It’s a different kind of animal. Journey had decided to move on and this is the path they’ve chosen and I’m glad they did. If you don’t like it, then leave it. Wake up and smell the coffee! Time really stood still on this one.

  • SDS

    Arnel’s voice just doesn’t do it for me. His voice is very vanilla and flat. Perry had so much emotion and air- that mic in the throat sound. The music sounds great. Put Steve Smith and Perry back in the mix and you have a whole new level.

  • D_big9

    I wanted to like this new cd so much. I was so pumped to go buy it and after all this talk from Journey that this one was going to rock harder I thought YES YES FINALLY. Well bought, opened it, put it in my car stereo which by the way is an amazing Infiniti 11 speaker system that makes everything sound great and here we go. Well after 7 songs I stopped looked at my wife and we both said the same thing “OH MY GOD THIS CD IS JUST LAME”. Something is missing I can’t believe this is what they wanted to release. Sure it has less ballads which is ALWAYS a good thing to me but the songs still have to be good and they just are not that good.
    Finally as for Pineda. Look the guy is a great singer but there is nothing interesting about him. He bores me in Journey and I am NOT IN ANYWAY waiting for the return of Perry. Been there done that move on. However that does not mean Pineda is the right guy but at the same time I can’t totally blame him because in the end the songs just are not that great.
    I still love the band but I am disappointed with the cd. I hope the tour makes them a ton of money and we get another new cd in a year or two.

  • bob batter

    The album is great in places and pants in others.  It’s no 100% though as scored by some reviewers.  Schon’s guitar sols are a mess on many of the songs due to overlairs and overdubs and at times Cain’s ivory sounds are way too high in the mix to get Schon’s solos.  Arnel’s a good singer… not a great one… he just happens to sound like a great past singer (at times).

    An ok cd but not a classic.  I’m going to sdee them next week so I’ll play it to death, but after that…

  • bob batter

    Weirdo

  • AJC

    I gotta disagree here…this CD is very well put together and shows that Journey is not just going through the motions like a lot of artists these days. Eclipse is a solid effort with some new twists ( Tantra, She’s a Mystery) and some very classic sounding Journey in places (Someone, Anything is Possible) the rest are rockers and were not made for gleeks and newcomers,Journey hardcore fans will love this CD… the rest of you, well…who cares! The band doesn’t.

  • Honeylet80

    Are you referring to yourself?

  • Krockster44

    I have to agree with the author. Even Kevin Shirley said it was a mess because of all the fighting and disagreements. He finally abandoned the project as Neal wanted to redo the whole thing, HIS way, which he did. Can’t blame Shirley who is an excellent producer. Too bad Neal is so hard-headed and self-centered. Always has been. Being the talent that he is, if he would only grow up, he would be great. 

    The album is a mish-mash of frantic jamming. Arnel’s vocals are forced. Jonathen is audibly absent. Deen is out of control, like Neal. The magic of the former days is not coming back apparently. The band, and the sound is missing the ‘it’ factor.

    This album hurts my brain to listen to it. I am so disappointed, as I really was looking forward to another album from one of my favorite bands. 

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_3KOCJHV4NTLBSRRRHIZO7WISK4 Anonymous

    The album’s marketing reeks of “old school” as well. Let’s see, still using the scarab on the cover? Check. Using a one-word title similar to “Escape?” Check. Using numbers in the title for the first time since, what, 1981? Check. For a band trying to reinvent themselves, they sure do like referencing their past glories.

  • Krockster44

    It won’t be Arnel Pineda’s voice that will soar to heaven. First, it has to soar down here, and it just doesn’t quite do that. But we all know who’s voice did soar.

  • eric hall

    I agree! Terrible review!!! I think Arnel is the best thing that ever happened to this band. He sounds alot better than Steve Perry. Steve sings softer..I think Eclipse sounds great. Can’t wait until their next CD.      Joy

  • JLB

    It would’ve been a much better album (as a whole) if the songs were sequenced differently and a couple left off. As with most CDs in the last decade or so, it didn’t need to be so long just because the space was available. Oh–and they really should’ve dropped the opening and closing vocal parts on TANTRA. Too Disney-sounding.