Cannot say whether or not Mitch’s recollection is completely accurate. The incident in question is permanently blocked from my memory like many other traumatic events. That said, said album was broken and I still have the empty sleeve somewhere in my garage.
Bravo to all of you for your entertaining and creative comments on Escape! Have to admit I am more of a Journey fan now then I was in the late 70's and early 80's, aka Journey's Best Days. I was more into Classic Rock and New Wave back then as a teenager in New Jersey. The album is nothing shot of excellent in my opinion. As Bob Dylan said about Steve Perry, The guy has some set of pipes!
As I delight in telling people (my ego seeking to bask in reflected glory) I was a third-rate high school baritone hornist in a band with that fellow for two years.
I am disappointed than none of you talked about the error in geography. There is no "south Detroit" in the United States. The place south of Detroit is Windsor, Ontario, Canada. The story goes that they had just played a gig in Detroit (or in the area at least) and from the hotel room saw a sign that said "South Detroit" as in south towards Detroit. If someone had sung something made up about the geography of Boston, I am sure you would have been all over it.
I was going to offer "East Boston" as an example, assuming that would be the Atlantic Ocean, but I fact checked myself and discovered East Boston is a real place. Then I gave up on finding a good example. Thank you for assisting me on that front.
Technically, the area "below" Detroit on the US-side of the border is known as "Downriver." While "being born in Downriver" is not as poetic as "South Detroit," in terms of the meaning of the song, it fits.
Escape is similar to REO's Hi Infidelity when it comes to having too much sub-par filler. That said, Escape has MORE good songs than the REO record and, let's be honest, Journey rocks 3,000,000 times harder than REO.
Plus, I really love some of the heights Steve Perry reaches with his voice on songs like "Keep On Run-in'" and "Lay It Down."
Ha! I don't think the phrase "You're the problem if you don't know Journey" has been uttered more than a few times in human history. So I'm glad you were there to experience it personally. I agree with your wife that Steve Perry is an iconic and distinct voice talent, like Sam Cooke. And Neal Schon should get credit for developing a signature sound. There were better albums in 1982, like the two you mentioned. In my little universe, Judas Priest's "Screaming for Vengeance" and Rush's "Signals" were definitely the standard bearers that year. But "Escape" was such a big part of my teenage years that to dismiss it would be to deny part of my own past.
Cannot say whether or not Mitch’s recollection is completely accurate. The incident in question is permanently blocked from my memory like many other traumatic events. That said, said album was broken and I still have the empty sleeve somewhere in my garage.
Bravo to all of you for your entertaining and creative comments on Escape! Have to admit I am more of a Journey fan now then I was in the late 70's and early 80's, aka Journey's Best Days. I was more into Classic Rock and New Wave back then as a teenager in New Jersey. The album is nothing shot of excellent in my opinion. As Bob Dylan said about Steve Perry, The guy has some set of pipes!
As I delight in telling people (my ego seeking to bask in reflected glory) I was a third-rate high school baritone hornist in a band with that fellow for two years.
https://www.enterprisenews.com/story/entertainment/local/2017/04/10/journey-complete-8211-whitman-drummer/21434137007/
How have I never heard that story before? So cool.
I am disappointed than none of you talked about the error in geography. There is no "south Detroit" in the United States. The place south of Detroit is Windsor, Ontario, Canada. The story goes that they had just played a gig in Detroit (or in the area at least) and from the hotel room saw a sign that said "South Detroit" as in south towards Detroit. If someone had sung something made up about the geography of Boston, I am sure you would have been all over it.
Yeah, like if somebody referenced western Mass, we would've said, "You mean Worcester?"
I was going to offer "East Boston" as an example, assuming that would be the Atlantic Ocean, but I fact checked myself and discovered East Boston is a real place. Then I gave up on finding a good example. Thank you for assisting me on that front.
Technically, the area "below" Detroit on the US-side of the border is known as "Downriver." While "being born in Downriver" is not as poetic as "South Detroit," in terms of the meaning of the song, it fits.
Escape is similar to REO's Hi Infidelity when it comes to having too much sub-par filler. That said, Escape has MORE good songs than the REO record and, let's be honest, Journey rocks 3,000,000 times harder than REO.
Plus, I really love some of the heights Steve Perry reaches with his voice on songs like "Keep On Run-in'" and "Lay It Down."
You get to the end of the rope pretty quickly with the Speedwagon. Journey has legit twelve songs that I still listen to from time to time.
100% agree
Ha! I don't think the phrase "You're the problem if you don't know Journey" has been uttered more than a few times in human history. So I'm glad you were there to experience it personally. I agree with your wife that Steve Perry is an iconic and distinct voice talent, like Sam Cooke. And Neal Schon should get credit for developing a signature sound. There were better albums in 1982, like the two you mentioned. In my little universe, Judas Priest's "Screaming for Vengeance" and Rush's "Signals" were definitely the standard bearers that year. But "Escape" was such a big part of my teenage years that to dismiss it would be to deny part of my own past.