I’m not sure I really need to see or hear another live DVD by Journey, much as I love the band and think they are great live the thought of another DVD to add to the collection just doesn’t get those sparks flying. But wait what is this? Oh it’s the DVD of that special show in 2017 when Journey played the Budokan in Japan and did a set that consisted of playing two of their much-loved classic albums – ‘Escape’ (1981) and ‘Frontiers’ (1983) almost in their entirety. You know that great set that none of the rest of us actually got to see unless you caught the handful of US dates where they repeated it…
Well now you can witness that magical night second-hand via yet another DVD (in fairness it is their first Live DVD since 2010), when you and I know that we’d rather have seen this played out live ourselves. The setlist of course as you might imagine holds few surprises, though with ‘Escape’ being performed first you are in the strange position of hearing the band’s most recognisable song ‘Don’t Stop Believin” played first up.
It’s worth noting too that the band from the recording of these albums back in the 80’s are all still on stage including drummer Steve Smith with the exception of course of new vocalist Arnel Pineda who fill’s Steve Perry’s role.
The songs are great, the band is on form, the set and lighting is rather basic, letting the music do the talking and it’s all really rather good even if there are a couple of clunkers on those albums, I’d forgotten how unmemorable ‘Back Talk’ was!
The only real surprises comes in the form of the inexplicable omission of Frontiers’ ‘Troubled Child’ (I love that song) and the inclusion instead of the underwhelming ramble that is ‘La Raza Del Sol’ (the B-Side to Escape’s ‘Still They Ride’) and Journey’s most twee song ‘Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin” from 1979’s ‘Evolution’ album which acts as a finale.
Great album even with that odd ending…