Journey’s Eclipse released

First posted 3/28/2011; updated 9/11/2020.

Eclipse Journey

Released: May 24, 2011 Peak: 13 US, 33 UK, -- CN, -- AU Sales (in millions): -- US, -- UK, -- world (includes US and UK) Genre: classic rock

Tracks: Song Title (date of single release, chart peaks) Click for codes to singles charts. City of Hope (2011, --) Edge of the Moment Chain of Love Tantra Anything Is Possible (2011, 21 AC) Resonate She’s a Mystery Human Feel (2011, --) Ritual To Whom It May Concern Someone Venus Total Running Time: 66:20 The Players: Arnel Pineda (vocals) Neal Schon (guitar, backing vocals) Jonathan Cain (keyboards, rhythm guitar, backing vocals) Ross Valory (bass, backing vocals) Deen Castronovo (drums, backing vocals)

Rating: 3.188 out of 5.00 (average of 5 ratings)

About the Album: This album is somewhat a return to form – just not the form that most Journey fans would want. “There is no ‘Separate Ways,’ no ‘Don’t Stop Believin,’’ no ‘Open Arms’ here because the emphasis is not on the song, it’s on the instrumental action.” AMG “This is music made for musicians.” AMG In other words, they sort of return to the progressive rock leanings that fueled the band on their first three albums before Steve Perry joined the fold and took Journey into the stratosphere of popularity. This is an album where “the group carves soundscapes out of massive guitars, intricate rhythmic interplay, and cascades of synthesizers” AMG more than trying to capture their “arena rock heyday.” AMG “What they neglect to do is find hooks to have this play for an audience larger than the already devoted….That’s not to say that Eclipse is hook-less, because there are melodies for Arnel Pineda to sing and riffs for Neal Schon to churn out, but both certainly take a backseat to the overall sound Journey creates, one that is certainly classic rock without sounding particularly classic.” AMG Keyboardist Jonathan Cain said this record is “very guitar-driven. This album has very little of me, keyboard-wise. Neal wanted to do a heavier rock album. So, this is kind of his baby.” BM He continued by sayig “It’s probably one of Neal’s best guitar albums. I think he’s on a mission on this album – to play, and he did.” BM Cain did, however, co-write all the songs with Schon, with some collaboration from Pineda. As Cain said, “I wrote the lyrics on the thing and lots of the melodies that sit above the guitars.” BM He also said, “It’s a very hard-hitting record that has some conscience to it. It’s about lots of things – spirituality, sexuality. There’s a song called Tantra on it about tantric circles. I was fascinated with all of that. It’s definitely a departure from what we’ve done before.” BM

Resources and Related Links: Journey’s DMDB Encyclopedia entry AMG All Music Guide review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine BM Blabbermouth.net