Journey’s Frontiers released

Frontiers Journey

Released: February 1, 1983 Peak: 2 US, 6 UK, 10 CN, -- AU, 13 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): 6.0 US, -- UK, 8.0 world (includes US and UK), 14.25 EAS Genre: classic rock

Tracks: Click on a song title for more details. Separate Ways (Worlds Apart) [5:26] Send Her My Love [3:57] Chain Reaction [4:22] After the Fall [5:04] Faithfully [4:03] Edge of the Blade [4:35] Troubled Child [4:32] Back Talk [3:20] Frontiers [4:13] Rubicon [4:20] Total Running Time: 44:09 Bonus Tracks on 2006 CD Reissue: Only the Young [4:20] Ask the Lonely [3:57] Liberty [2:58] Only Solutions [3:39] The Players: Steve Perry (vocals) Neal Schon (guitar, backing vocals) Jonathan Cain (keyboards, rhythm guitar, backing vocals) Ross Valory (bass, backing vocals) Steve Smith (drums)

Rating: 3.774 out of 5.00 (average of 21 ratings) Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

Following Up a Classic Journey hit the big time in 1981 when Escape, the album’s fourth album with Steve Perry on vocals, hit the big time. Fueled by three top-ten hits, the album reached #1 and achieved multi-platinum status. The follow-up album, Frontiers, was largely an attempt “to use the same musical recipe.” AM It couldn’t possibly reach the same lofty heights, but it was still a success most bands could only dream of. Like its predecessor, Frontiers landed four top-40 hits. It fell just short of topping the album chart, but still achieved multi-platinum status. Not Quite the Same Level Despite another slew of hits, “Frontiers comes up a little short, mainly because the keyboards seem to overtake both Schon’s guitar playing and Steve Perry’s strong singing.” AM Overall “Jonathan Cain had more input on this album; not only did he once again help co-write all the tracks, he was the main pen behind ‘Faithfully,’” JM another power ballad in the vein of “Open Arms” from Escape. However an “overabundance of…[his] synth work cloaks the quicker tunes and seeps into the ballads, slightly widening the strong partnership of Perry and Schon.” AM “Separate Ways grabs attention right off the bat with stinging synthesizer and a catchy guitar riff” AM that makes it “one of the heaviest and most emotive tracks the band have ever recorded.” CRM “Journey never rocked harder than on Frontiers, with Neal Schon really ripping on Edge of the Blade and Rubicon.” CRM Where the Album Suffers “The rest of the songs on the album lack the warmth that Journey is famous for, especially in their mix of fervor and intimacy shown on this album’s predecessor.” AM “The album would have been even better” CRM “had it not been for the last minute decision by Michael Dilbeck, the band’s longtime A & R man, to switch two tracks; he put Back Talk,” JM “a real stinker,” CRM “and Troubled Child in, and took out ‘Ask the Lonely’ and ‘Only the Young.’” JM The latter two were “brilliant tracks” CRM that were both later released on soundtracks and became top 10 album rock hits; “Only the Young” was a top 10 pop hit as well. Front Loaded The album also suffers from being front-loaded. All four of the singles from the album appear on what was, at the time, side one of the cassette or record. Even the non-single from side one, “Chain Reaction,” was promoted with a video. That made for little incentive to flip the album over. I’ve addressed both of these problems by adding in “Ask the Lonely” and “Only the Young” and shuffling the track listing. Check it out here: Frontiers: My Spotify Playlist. Reissues: “Only the Young” and “Ask the Lonely” appeared as bonus tracks on the 2006 reissue. Also included were the songs “Liberty,” which had been released on the Time3 box set) and “Only Solutions,” which appeared in the 1982 movie Tron. The Songs Here’s a breakdown of each of the individual songs.

Separate Ways (Worlds Apart) Journey

Writer(s): Jonathan Cain, Steve Perry (see lyrics here) Released: single (1/4/1983), Frontiers (1983) B-side: “Frontiers” Peak: 8 BB, 9 CB, 2 GR, 12 RR, 14 AR, 11 CN, 93 AU, 3 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): 4.0 US Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 118.7 video, 404.31 streaming

Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

About the Song: Singer Steve Perry and keyboardist Jonathan Cain wrote “Separate Ways” while Journey was touring in 1982 in support of their Escape album. Cain said they didn’t usually write songs that far in advance of an album, but that they “were just working on an idea backstage and it call came together.” WK Guitarist Neal Schon and bass player Ross Valory were both going through divorces and Perry and Cain wanted to create something positive out of the negative circumstances. SF Cain also said, “we wanted to write something rhythmic and still have a strong and haunting melody…It’s really a throwback to all of our roots and the Motown sound. Steve has always listened to a lot of Motown records, songs with a strong chorus approach. Songs that were real urgent sounding but still had rhythm and melody.” WK Guitarist Neal Schon echoed that sentiment, saying it was “Motown mixed with R&B and blues…it’s got a heavier guitar than an R&B song, but I think that’s what makes it sound like Journey.” WK According to Songfacts.com, the band introduced the unfinished song in concert the night after it was written. SF Cain said, “I think [Perry] mumbled his way through half the lyrics…but the audience just came unglued.” SF Schon said, “It doesn’t matter where we put this song because it has always had a strong effect on the audience, all the way back to the first time we played it – before it was even recorded.” WK The band “were dragged kicking and screaming into the video era.” SF This was the first non-live-performance video shot by the band. Perry was not in favor of making a “choreographed video.” WK Cain said, “He’d always say, ‘We’re performers, we’re entertainers, but we’re not actors.” WK He added, “And we were not a very photogenic band.” WK The video has been widely mocked for the scenes with the band pretending to play non-existent instruments. WK Cain said, “I will never live down those air keyboards. No matter what else I’ve done in my career, sooner or later people find a way to ask me about the ‘Separate Ways’ video.” WK MTV ranked it the 13th worst video of all time in 1999. WK A remix of the song was used in season 4 of Stranger Things in 2022. It is “surprisingly spooky, with the song’s refrain sounding like a classic horror movie theme.” SF Perry, a big fan of the show, signed off after hearing the demo of the remix. SF

Send Her My Love Journey

Writer(s): Steve Perry, Jonathan Cain Released: single (September 1983), Frontiers (1983) B-side: “Chain Reaction” Peak: 23 BB, 31 CB, 13 GR, 12 RR, 27 AC, 17 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): 0.5 US Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 39.39 streaming About the Song: “Send Her My Love emphasizes Perry’s keen ability to pour his heart out.” AM This is a ballad in the vein of “Open Arms” from 1981’s Escape. It’s a very good song, but is overshadowed by the even better “Faithfully.”

Chain Reaction Journey

Writer(s): Steve Perry, Jonathan Cain, Neal Schon Released: B-side of “Send Her My Love” (September 1983), Frontiers (1983) Peak: 26 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 6.89 streaming About the Song: Surprisingly, this song didn’t reach the album rock chart although it was promoted on MTV with a video and was seemingly a perfect fit for more rock-oriented audiences.

After the Fall Journey

Writer(s): Steve Perry, Jonathan Cain Released: single (7/1/1983), Frontiers (1983) B-side: “Only Solutions” First Charted: 2/26/1983 Peak: 23 BB, 23 CB, 14 GR, 15 RR, 30 AR, 16 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 9.51 streaming About the Song: This mid-tempo song was a worthy top-40 hit that first dented the album rock chart five months before it was released as a single.

Faithfully Journey

Writer(s): Jonathan Cain (see lyrics here) Released: single (4/15/1983), Frontiers (1983) Peak: 12 BB, 15 CB, 5 GR, 4 RR, 24 AC, 36 CN, 5 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): 6.0 US Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 278.85 video, 322.24 streaming

Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

About the Song: Classic Rock magazine’s Paul Elliott called this the greatest power ballad ever recorded. Dave’s Music Database won’t go quite that far, but it does rank as one of the top 20 power ballads of all time. It also ranks as one of the top 30 love songs of all time. Nate Larson of HuffPost ranked it the seventh-best love song of all time. WK Journey’s own “Open Arms,” a #2 hit from the year before and a song which also makes both Dave’s Music Database lists, is one of the songs that carved out the template for power ballads in the 1980s. During the 1970s, groups like Journey, Styx, REO Speedwagon, and Foreigner built loyal followings with constant touring and a presence on album-rock radio. All four then experienced the biggest hits of their careers in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s with slower-tempo love songs – the kind that evoked stadiums full of rockers to lift their lighters in synchronicization. Keyboardist Jonathan Cain wrote the song about the challenges of being a married man on the road with a rock band. Appropriately, he wrote the song while the band was on tour. He jotted down the initial lyric “highway run into the midnight sun” on a tour bus while headed to Saratoga Springs, New York, and finished the song the next day in just a half hour. He said, “I’d never had a song come to me so quickly.” WK The band performed it for the first time at the Sarotga Performing Arts Center. WK The eventual video for the song featured footage of the band on the road and onstage. When Prince recorded “Purple Rain” in early 1984, he called Cain because he was worried the chord changes were too similar to “Faithfully.” Prince played the song for Cain, saying “I don’t want you to sue me.” Cain reassured him it was fine and said, “I’m just super-flattered that you even called. It shows you’re that classy of a guy. Good luck with the song. I know it’s gonna be a hit.” GG

Edge of the Blade Journey

Writer(s): Steve Perry, Jonathan Cain, Neal Schon Released: Frontiers (1983) Peak: 34 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 3.89 streaming

Troubled Child Journey

Writer(s): Steve Perry, Jonathan Cain, Neal Schon Released: B-side of “Ask the Lonely” (1983), Frontiers (1983) Peak: 12 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 2.30 streaming

Back Talk Journey

Writer(s): Steve Perry, Jonathan Cain, Steve Smith Released: Frontiers (1983) Peak: 32 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 1.44 streaming

Frontiers Journey

Writer(s): Steve Perry, Jonathan Cain, Neal Schon, Steve Smith Released: B-side of “Separate Ways” (1/4/1983), Frontiers (1983) Peak: 13 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 1.80 streaming

Rubicon Journey

Writer(s): Steve Perry, Jonathan Cain, Neal Schon Released: Frontiers (1983) Peak: 14 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 1.84 streaming

Ask the Lonely Journey

Writer(s): Jonathan Cain, Steve Perry (see lyrics here) Released: single (1983), Two of a Kind (soundtrack, 1983), Frontiers (2006 reissue) B-side: “Troubled Child” First Charted: 12/3/1983 Peak: 3 AR, 1 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 3.62 video, 28.82 streaming

Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

About the Song: The story goes that this song and “Only the Young” were recorded during the sessions for Journey’s 1983 album, Frontiers. Some brilliant executive, however, decided the album was overloaded with hits (since when is that a problem?) and the two songs were pulled in favor of the vastly inferior cuts “Back Talk” and “Troubled Child.” Journey’s recording of “Only the Young” was released on the Vision Quest soundtrack in 1985 and reached the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100. “Ask the Lonely” was released in late 1983 on the Two of a Kind soundtrack and reached #3 on the album-rock chart. These weren’t Journey’s first foray’s into soundtrack work. “Only Solutions” appeared on the 1982 Tron soundtrack. In 1980, the band recorded a full soundtrack for the movie Dream After Dream. The nine songs were somewhat a return to the band’s more progressive leanings from their first few albums and featured only three songs with vocals. “Little Girl,” from the album, was released as the B-side to “Open Arms” in 1982. On a personal note, “Ask the Lonely” was a major hit on my own weekly chart, which I started in September 1982. It was their tenth song to reach my top 10 in that short amount of time. The song’s biggest competition on my charts was “Twist of Fate,” a song by Olivia Newton-John which was also on the Two of a Kind soundtrack. The movie reteamed Olivia with John Travolta, who she’d starred with in 1978’s Grease.

Only the Young Journey

Writer(s): Jonathan Cain, Steve Perry, Neal Schon (see lyrics here) Released: single (1/7/1985), Vision Quest (soundtrack, 1985), Frontiers (2006 reissue) B-side: Sammy Hagar “I’ll Fall in Love Again” Peak: 9 BB, 18 CB, 6 RR, 3 AR, 11 CN, 1 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): 0.5 US Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 14.32 video, 44.47 streaming About the Song: “Only the Young” and “Ask the Lonely” were recorded during the sessions for Journey’s 1983 album, Frontiers. Some genius, however, balked at the idea of the album being too hits heavy and withheld those two fantastic songs in favor of the inferior “Back Talk” and “Troubled Child.” Both songs would see release on soundtracks and be included on the 2006 reissue as bonus tracks. “Only the Young” was released on the soundtrack for the 1985 movie Vision Quest and became Journey’s fifth top-10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. Journey’s version, however, was not the first to see release. Journey sold the song to the group Scandal, who released it in 1984 on The Warrior. After Journey released their version, Scandal won a legal settlement against the band. WK The song “focuses on young people and the hope and future they all have in front of them.” WK Appropriately, a young person was the first outside the band to hear the song. Sixteen-year-old Kenny Syaluk of Rocky River, Ohio, had cystic fibrosis and his mother reached out to Journey through the Make a Wish Foundation. The band flew to Cleveland and visited him at the hospital. They gave him a football helmet signed by the San Francisco 49ers, an autographed Journey platinum record, and a Walkman with the song “Only the Young.” WK Kenny died the next day with the Walkman in his hand. WK Singer Steve Perry said, “As soon as I walked out of the hospital room, I lost it. Nurses had to take me to a room by myself.” WK Keyboardist Jonathan Cain experienced similar emotions. He broke down in tears recalling the event on VH1’s Behind the Music, saying “children should not have to live with that kind of pain.” WK As a tribute to Kenny, Journey opened the shows on their 1986 Raised on Radio tour with “Only the Young.” SF

Liberty Journey

Writer(s): Steve Perry, Jonathan Cain, Neal Schon Released: Time3 (box set, 1992), Frontiers (2006 reissue) Peak: -- Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- US, -- UK, -- world (includes US + UK) Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 1.30 streaming About the Song: This previously unreleased song first surfaced on the Time3 box set in 1992 and was added to the 2006 reissue of Frontiers.

Resources/References: AM AllMusic.com review by Mike DeGagne GG Billboard (4/26/2016). “Why Prince Asked for Journey’s Blessing Before Releasing ‘Purple Rain’” by Gary Graff CRM ClassicRockMagazine.com JM JourneyMusic.com SF Songfacts page for “Separate Ways” SF Songfacts page for “Faithfully” SF Songfacts page for “Only the Young” WK Wikipedia page for “Separate Ways” WK Wikipedia page for “Faithfully” WK Wikipedia page for “Only the Young” Related DMDB Pages: First posted 10/12/2008; last updated 10/2/2025.