With the re-emergence and success of former Journey vocalist Steve Perry, it was only a matter of time before other Journeymen let themselves be heard.
Sure, guitarist Neal Schon recorded a solo album and appeared on the "Woodstock '94" stage with former Bad Company frontman Paul Rogers, but where else has he been?Keyboardist Jonathan Cain, who penned the music to such Journey ballads as "Open Arms" and "Who's Crying Now," must have been spending time with Schon because they appear on each other's new albums, "Back to the Innocence" (Cain) and "Beyond the Thunder" (Schon). Journey drummer Steve Smith, who has pursued a jazz career since the Journey bus parked for good, lets his sticks be heard on both albums as well.
Hmmm, is there a Journey reunion in the air? Probably not. Perry and the boys parted company in 1987 on very bad terms. And no one's heard from bassist Ross Valory since his stint with original Journey keyboardist, Gregg Rolie, in the band the Storm.
Still, there's always hope, fans. And, for you Journey collectors, Cain and Schon have released a couple of albums you might want to check out.
JONATHAN CAIN; "Back to the Innocence" (Intersound). * * *
"Back to the Innocence" is Cain's answer to Don Henley's "The End of the Innocence." Using Bruce Hornsby-like arrangements, Cain returns to his first love - the piano.
His songs are quite autobiographical in nature - something that started with the road-trip heart-tugger "Faithfully." In fact, most of songs on "Back to the Innocence," are taken from significant moments of this man's life.
"Waiting on the Wind," with its casual-speak lyrics and gentle skip, reminisces about a once-powerful rock star whose spotlight has dimmed a little. (It even includes the phrase ". . . every journey has its end. . . .")
Funky "Full Circle," as Cain puts it in the liner notes, is a "good hard look at how things come around." Cain actually started as a solo artist before joining the Babys, a move that eventually led to Journey. And now he's back where it all began.
One dramatic moment occurs during the album's title track. The ringing piano takes the listener back to a time when Little League and high school dances revolved around youth and celebration. Cain, one of the best mood composers of adult-oriented rock, proves he still holds fast to his sentiment with balance and doesn't complicate things with too much mush or cheese.
The role of fatherhood rears its reverent head during "Little River." And on the flip-flop, Cain nods to his late father, Leonard, in the liberating tribute, "My Old Man," a song Cain premiered at the funeral.
"Baptism Day," with gospel undertones, tells the story of Cain's first brush with death as a child in a near-drowning incident.
One of the most personable songs on the album is a toned-down version of "Faithfully." Cain revamped the song, bringing it back to what he says was its original sound. Though you can hear guest guitarist Neal Schon's electric guitar on the cut, the song retains its simple, loyal message.
While Cain is no Steve Perry - the vocal comparison can't be helped - he keeps true to himself and his arrangements. The singing is a subtle mix of John Waite, Bruce Hornsby and Barry Mani-low. This is definitely an album to cuddle to.
NEAL SCHON; "Beyond the Thunder" (Higher Octave). * * *
It seems the best-selling San Francisco rockers of the 1970s and 1980s have turned to the sounds of contemporary acoustic jazz.
Jefferson Starship guitarist Craig Chaquico has released two acoustic/new age albums, and former Journeyman Neal Schon refocused his direction and has now released the world music-inspired smooth jazz of "Beyond the Thunder."
Schon, who joined the band Santana when only 15 years old, and helped form Journey at 19, appears to have grown up. Sort of. He still knows how to blaze out biting solos and screaming leads, but on this album he zeros in on dynamic technique and, in a sense, dips back to his Santana-developed roots.
"Beyond the Thunder," co-produced by Jonathan Cain, features the mellow tones of Schon's acoustic guitar in such Latinesque cuts as the sentimental "Bandalero" and the grooving "Espanique." Santana percussionists Chepito Areas and Michael Carabello join their former bandmate on these easy-sounding tracks. To further the Latin feel, Schon even flirts with the flamenco during the octave-hopping "Deep Forrest."
The mystic "Zanzibar" and the soothing acoustic notes of "Send Me an Angel," a song about his wife Dina, bring to mind mellow cuts from Journey's last album, "Raised on Radio." And when Schon clicks on the guitar distortion for an angelic, screaming interlude solo, man, it soars.
"Someone's Watching Over Me" is Schon's solemn, autobiographical tip to the time he looked back on his life and wondered how he survived the rock 'n' roll lifestyle.
The short, picturesque "Iguassa Falls," which is the second half of "Someone's Watching Over Me," instrumentally tells of the peace of mind he has found today. It serves as Schon's personal confirmation piece.
Closing the album is the cool epic "Call of the Wild." During this opus, Schon emulates Alaskan wolf howls with his guitar. Add that to the crack of distant thunder, digital note delays and Steve Smith's crystal-cut drumming, the serene, northern winter whispers its chill.
While Cain and Schon's albums are a departure from the staple rock 'n' roll of their former band, both artists' musical evolution is captured for their listeners' escape to refreshingly new stylistic frontiers where creativity lasts for infinity - or at least a very long time.
RATINGS: four stars (* * * * ), excellent; three stars (* * * ), good; two stars (* * ), fair; one star (* ), poor, with 1/2 representing a higher, intermediate grade.