"Steve Perry Did Come Back In 1996"--TRIAL BY FIRE--Journey POLL:

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Psychedelic Good Trip, Jan 24, 2017.

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  1. Psychedelic Good Trip

    Psychedelic Good Trip Beautiful Psychedelic Colors Everywhere Thread Starter

    Location:
    New York
    Trial by Fire

    [​IMG]

    Released October 22, 1996
    Recorded Ocean Way Recording Studios, Hollywood, California,
    The Site Studio and Wildhorse Studio, Marin County, California,
    Summer 1996
    Genre Rock
    Length 75:02
    Label Columbia/Sony
    Producer Kevin Shirley

    20 Years Ago: Journey Power Up for Resurgent 'Trial by Fire,' Then Disintegrate »

    Trial by Fire (Journey album) - Wikipedia »

    Forgot about this album so I gave the cd a spin. After twenty plus years you know it's a really solid 1996 Steve Perry Journey reunion album. All in all it has aged really well.

    Opening track Message Of Love is a scorcher Journey circa sounding 1980--1981 tune. Excellent production by Kevin Shirley.
    Journey sounds like their clicking on all cylinders, Fire sounds intense, not like a reunion album at all.

    I had kind of forgotten about Journey during the 1990's. In 1996 when I heard about the Perry, Journey classic 1980's line-up reunion I was excited. When Trial By Fire was released I was pleasantly surprised how smooth and 80's sounding it was with a tint of the then current 90's sound.

    The Perry/Journey reunion didn't last long but I'll tell you it was fun and produced a really good Journey album. Twenty + years later Trial By Fire is still a great fun listen

    WIKIPEDIA:

    Trial by Fire is the tenth studio album by American rock band Journey. Released on October 22, 1996, the album marked the reunion of the classic 1980s lineup, which had not recorded together since 1983's Frontiers. Trial by Fire was produced by Kevin Shirley, who continues to produce the band's albums until now. The first album to feature bassist Ross Valory since Frontiers and the last to feature vocalist Steve Perry and drummer Steve Smith until the latter rejoined Journey in 2015.

    Trial by Fire includes the Top 20 hit and Grammy nominated single "When You Love a Woman", which reached No. 12 and No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 andAdult Contemporary charts respectively. "Message of Love", "Can't Tame the Lion" and "If He Should Break Your Heart" were released as singles and received radio airplay.

    The album reflected a growing maturity with the members of Journey and could be loosely termed a concept album with many tracks reflecting a more overt spirituality in lyrical content. The title track, for example, is taken directly from Paul's First Epistle to the Corinthians.

    Trial by Fire was Journey's last album featuring vocalist Steve Perry and the only one to not be accompanied by a supporting tour. That was due to internal disputes over a tour (originally scheduled for the summer and fall of 1997), as a result of Perry's hip injury as he prolonged getting the necessary surgery. If the band had toured, the tour wouldn't start until over a year after the album's release. Perry left the band feeling that he was being forced out over his mulling over his decision to have the necessary surgery and because of the other band members' pressure to tour sooner than later. Drummer Steve Smith also quit citing that the band without Perry didn't interest him.

    On November 9, 1996, the album peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and was eventually certified platinum in the United States by the RIAA. The band did not receive another platinum award until Revelation in 2008.

    Personnel:

    Band members
    Additional musicians
    Background:

    Trial by Fire is Journey's first studio album in ten years following the release of Raised on Radio in 1986 and the band's subsequent split. In the years after the split musicians Neal Schon andJonathan Cain formed supergroup Bad English and released two albums in 1989 and 1991, while lead singer Steve Perry released his second solo album,For the Love of Strange Medicine (1994). While on his solo tour in 1994, it became apparent to Perry that "underneath it all, I was missing more and more being the singer in Journey than I ever thought I would. "When A&R executive John Kalodner of Columbia Recordssuggested that the band members reform, Cain, Perry, and Schon began writing together. According to Perry, the band wanted to "see if we had the spark to write again" instead of simply reforming for a comeback tour.

    Steve Perry said the band did not try to reinvent themselves on the album: "Nothing sounds more pretentious than someone being something they're not. One of the things we've always known is that there are certain musical directions that fit what [our] chemistry is about. We're going to sink or swim being what we are and not by trying to reinvent ourselves and not by trying to be the flavor of the month.

    Production:


     
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  2. Galley

    Galley Forum Resident

    Too many ballads!
     
  3. driverdrummer

    driverdrummer Forum Resident

    Location:
    Irmo, SC
    My favorite song off the album is If He Should Break Your Heart.
     
  4. PacificOceanBlue

    PacificOceanBlue Senior Member

    Location:
    The Southwest
    Message Of Love and One More is a great one/two punch.
     
  5. Psychedelic Good Trip

    Psychedelic Good Trip Beautiful Psychedelic Colors Everywhere Thread Starter

    Location:
    New York
    A ballad yes but a beautiful one.


     
  6. Psychedelic Good Trip

    Psychedelic Good Trip Beautiful Psychedelic Colors Everywhere Thread Starter

    Location:
    New York
    So true. Powerful at that.
     
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  7. krock2009

    krock2009 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Philadelphia, PA
    Way too long, and brickwalled . If they had spread it out over two albums, Steve could have bought time to get his hip replaced.
     
  8. JPagan

    JPagan Generation 13

    Location:
    South Florida
    I like the album overall. Even with half his voice, Perry still shines. I'm not a fan of the production – very uneven, too loud/compressed and maybe a tad too long.

    But the songs are good. My favorite is One More – listen to that bass... great stuff. Also voted for Still She Cries, When You Love A Woman and the title track.
     
  9. Jimmy Agates

    Jimmy Agates CRAZY DOCTOR

    Great album and for once a decent production from Kevin "Cloth Ears" Shirley. a lot of slower moody numbers but Perry absolutely shines on this album and I'd rate it one of the very best of the mid-90's.
     
  10. swandown

    swandown Under Assistant West Coast Forum Resident

    Location:
    Portland, OR
    It seemed like it had been an eternity since Journey broke up, but it was only 9 years.

    And here we are, TWENTY years later...
     
  11. Psychedelic Good Trip

    Psychedelic Good Trip Beautiful Psychedelic Colors Everywhere Thread Starter

    Location:
    New York
    Time flies.
     
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  12. thxphotog

    thxphotog Camera Nerd Cycling Nerd Guitar Nerd Dietary Nerd

    Location:
    Los Angeles, CA
    Even as a huge fan in their heyday, I couldn't give this record more than a single listen. Didn't like the production at all, especially coming off of Raised on Radio, which was an audiophile delight, and the songs just weren't there. Granted I never gave them much of a chance, but nothing grabbed me.
     
  13. walrus

    walrus Staring into nothing

    Location:
    Nashville
    "I Can See It In Your Eyes" is really the only song even worthy of my vote, and it wasn't even on the main album. Only song that had a solid Journey chorus, wasn't a mind-numbing ballad, or wasn't a complete re-write of "Separate Ways."
     
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  14. PacificOceanBlue

    PacificOceanBlue Senior Member

    Location:
    The Southwest
    Interesting. I thought the opening track "Message of Love" was a bona fide Journey song, one that could stand alongside classic Journey.
     
  15. thxphotog

    thxphotog Camera Nerd Cycling Nerd Guitar Nerd Dietary Nerd

    Location:
    Los Angeles, CA
    I'll revisit but I think it may have been the production that pulled me out. I'll report back. :)
     
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  16. PTgraphics

    PTgraphics Senior Member

    Not sure when the last time I listened to this whole album. I do have the CD single for "If He Should Break Your Heart (VU Mix)" and I listen to that song a lot. On a side note: if anyone has the artwork for this single in hi-res let me know. My CD didn't include any art.

    "When You Love A Woman" and "Message of Love" are the other really good songs on this album. Right now I don't remember any other songs.
     
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  17. Psychedelic Good Trip

    Psychedelic Good Trip Beautiful Psychedelic Colors Everywhere Thread Starter

    Location:
    New York
  18. Talisman954

    Talisman954 Forum Resident

    I Remember paying a fortune for this extra song from the Japanese version of TBF And was so excited to hear it.
    The biggest waste of time, I Can See It In Your Eyes is the worst Journey song I have ever heard.
    I loved Trial By Fire though.
     
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  19. I think Trial by Fire is pretty solid. "Message of Love" and " When You Love a Woman" can definitely stand alongside "classic" Journey.
     
  20. Cheevyjames

    Cheevyjames Forum Resident

    Location:
    Graham, NC
    My opinion of Trial By Fire is the same as it was when it came out - really good album, but way too long and too many ballads. Cut out 4 or 5 songs, and complete obliterate "Baby I'm Leaving You", then you'll have a damn good album. The title track is my favorite song on there.
     
  21. walrus

    walrus Staring into nothing

    Location:
    Nashville
    That’s how I felt about the other 15 tracks, for the most part.
     
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  22. GodShifter

    GodShifter Forum Member

    Location:
    Dallas, TX, USA
    I've owned this album for years and never heard it. I probably should do something about that. I've never heard Arrival either come to think of it.

    I'm a big fan of Generations though.
     
  23. Psychedelic Good Trip

    Psychedelic Good Trip Beautiful Psychedelic Colors Everywhere Thread Starter

    Location:
    New York


    Just listened to Generations last week. A solid effort. IMHO
     
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  24. brfloydfan

    brfloydfan Forum Resident

    Location:
    Brazil
    At that time, I've never heard of Journey. A coleague from work brought a copy of TBF from the US, and played it at work. I was very impressed. Songs with great melodies, very radio-friendly (nothing against it, on the contrary). Hats off to Neal Schon, for his beautiful solos.
     
  25. bartels76

    bartels76 Forum Hall Of Fame

    Location:
    CT
    Underrated album with only one(!) video from it. Would've done better if they toured and been involved with more promotion. This was obviously on Steve Perry that none of that happened. The tour would've been massive.
     
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