Trial By Fire Jonesboro GA

Trial By Fire

Journey

Columbia Records, 1996

REVIEW BY: Christopher Thelen

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 03/29/1997

The old saying is true: the more things change, the more theystay the same.

Ten years after Journey supposedly breathed its last on theforgettable Raised On Radio, the "classic" lineup returns with Trial By Fire - and despite some valiant efforts, they pickup right where they left off.

Steve Perry, fresh off the failed restart of his solo career,returns as lead throat to the five-piece unit of keyboardistJonathan Cain, bassist Russ Valory, guitarist Neil Schon anddrummer Steve Smith. Of the instrumentalists, Schon's guitar workstands out as it always has, though his solos seem a little morebiting in 1996 than they did in the '80s. This is a welcomechange.

The album opens up with "Message Of Love," a catchy littlenumber which hooks the listener in quickly. In fact, were it notfor the recycled keyboard lick near the end of the solo (takenalmost directly from "Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)"), the songwould be perfect, and is almost guaranteed to be the nextsingle.