The album featured an edgier sound, thanks partly to the "live in studio" way the songs were recorded. The band went into The Automatt studio with 19 tracks, eventually trimming down to 12.
Departure would mark the last full-time studio album appearance of founding member Gregg Rolie, and his penultimate recording with the band: his final contributions would appear on Dream, After Dream, a soundtrack album to the Japanese film of the same name, which would also be released in 1980. Rolie had become tired of life on the road and decided to leave the band after assisting in the selection of his replacement, Jonathan Cain, then of The Babys. Rolie sang lead vocals on only one song on Departure, the ballad "Someday Soon".
The third and final album of what could be called Journey's cocoon phase (Escape would give birth to a fully formed butterfly and put the band through the stratosphere). Produced by Geoff Workman and Kevin Elson (essentially both engineers turned producers), the album continued to build on the band's previous two recordings, but offered an added edge, arrangement-wise.
Catapulted all the way up to number eight on the Billboard Top 200, Departure was the band's highest charting album to date and got off to an explosive start with the driving riffs and chorused vocals of "Anyway You Want It" (another radio smash that would chart Top 25).
Never sounding tighter, the quintet then launched into "Walks Like a Lady" (another future FM staple, climbing to number 32) and a string of outstanding rockers, including future concert opener "Where Were You" and the stop-go-stop-go energy of "Line of Fire."
On the other hand, elegant power ballads like "Good Morning" and "Stay Awhile" would foreshadow the band's future commercial triumphs on Escape.
And even though it packs the occasional filler like "Someday Soon" and "Homemade Love" (a weak attempt to boogie that falls absolutely flat), Departure is a solid record all around. Soon, Rolie would be replaced by the greater pop-savvy songwriting muscle of former Babys keyboard man Jonathan Caine, and Journey would go from huge cult act to monster superstars.
Side one
1. Any Way You Want It - 3:22
2. Walks Like a Lady - 3:17
3. Someday Soon - 3:32
4. People and Places - 5:05
5. Precious Time - 4:49
Side two
1. Where Were You - 3:01
2. I’m Cryin' - 3:43
3. Line of Fire - 3:06
4. Departure - 0:38
5. Good Morning Girl - 1:44
6. Stay Awhile - 2:48
7. Homemade Love - 2:54
Journey
- Steve Perry – lead vocals
- Neal Schon – guitars, co-lead vocals on "People and Places", backing vocals
- Gregg Rolie – keyboards, harmonica, co-lead vocals on "Someday Soon", backing vocals
- Ross Valory – bass guitar, backing vocals
- Steve Smith – drums, percussion, backing vocals
Production
- Geoff Workman – producer, engineer, mixing
- Kevin Elson – producer, live sound
- Ken Kessie – engineer
- Jim Welch – art direction
Notes
Release: 1980
Format: LP
Genre: Hardrock
Label: CBS Records
Catalog# 84101
Vinyl: VG
Cover: VG
Prijs: €10,00
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