Journey/Tokyo,Japan 1982

The world premiere of Kinney Master’s “First Nippon Budokan” album is here. JOURNEY is currently preparing for their 11th visit to Japan. The highlight of the tour is the complete reproduction of “ESCAPE” and “FRONTIERS” scheduled for the Nippon Budokan. The first time they stepped on the Budokan stage was on April 16, 1982. It was during the Japan tour accompanying “ESCAPE”. This work is an audience album recorded live by the prestigious Kinney at such a memorable concert. First of all, a promise. Let’s imagine the position of the first Nippon Budokan from the schedule at that time.・April 9, 1982: Fukuoka Sunpalace Hall ・April 11, 1982: Kyoto Kaikan ・April 12, 1982: Osaka Festival Hall ・April 13, 1982: Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium ・April 14, 1982: Nagoya City Public Hall ・April 16, 1982: Nippon Budokan [This work] ・April 17, 1982: Yokohama Cultural and Sports Center A total of seven performances. Since their first visit to Japan in 1979, JOURNEY has toured Japan with five performances each, but their popularity exploded with the success of “ESCAPE”. With their fourth visit to Japan, the number of performances has increased, and they finally took on the big stage for foreign artists: Nippon Budokan. This work, which contains such a concert, is a direct CD from Kinney’s treasured master. We have reprinted many original cassettes recorded by Kinney, some of which were famous sound sources from the analog era, and some of which were completely new. This work is the latter. It was a cassette that was never released at the time and was sleeping in a warehouse without anyone knowing. What came out of the master was a truly wonderful audience sound. When you close your eyes, the space of the Nippon Budokan octagon is filled with reality, and the rich musical tones and famous songs fill the space with a moist sound. The reality is depicted by the JOURNEY melody and the audience at the scene. As mentioned above, the popularity of this 1982 visit to Japan exploded, and the thoughts of the audience waiting for the famous songs overflow. This work also beautifully depicts the enthusiasm. Of course, since it is the prestigious Kinney, it is not a loud or roaring sound, nor is it a recording that searches for a performance among the cheers. The crystal-like sparkling melody is the main character, but at the same time, the applause from the venue is recorded to sparkle. The balance is such that the JOURNEY melody envelops the whole body and the applause falls on it. It is exactly the document sound of being at the Budokan at the height of its popularity. To be honest, I thought about pressing this work at first, but this sound is not for everyone. Although it is filled with beauty that penetrates the heart, its beauty is difficult to convey unless you are a fan of audience recordings. Since it is necessary to explain the beauty in words, we released it with the thought that “I want those who understand to listen to it”. However, that is why it is full of the beauty that filled the first Budokan performance, “those who understand will understand”. Of course, the main axis is “ESCAPE”. Although it is not an album reproduction because past repertoire is also mixed, all songs except “Lay It Down” will be played. Moreover, the audience also wants “ESCAPE”. The intros of each song, “Open Arms”, “Don’t Stop Believin'”, and “Stone In Love”, are very exciting, but especially the first single “Who’s Crying Now” caused screams throughout the Budokan, and the response was so great that it was as if the ceiling was literally blown off. It is obvious that the upcoming Japan tour will be very exciting, but the energy that can only be experienced in real time is blown out here. JOURNEY was in the midst of the Western music boom and was full of the brilliance of the era’s darlings. The brilliance of their masterpieces still remains, but this work is filled with the scent of the era when their melodies captured the hearts of Japanese people as new songs. Since then, they have excited the Nippon Budokan many times, but here you can see the enthusiasm that only 1982 could have. This is a masterpiece that captures even the smell of the scene with Kinney’s magic sound. This is a live album. This is an audience album. This is a work that is full of the charm of audience recordings that simply record “great music”. Live at Budokan, Tokyo, Japan 16th April 1982 TRULY AMAZING SOUND(from Original Masters) Disc 1 (44:30) 1. Intro. 2. Escape 3. Line of Fire 4. Lights 5. Still They Ride 6. The Party’s Over (Hopelessly in Love) 7. Lovin’ You Is Easy 8. Open Arms 9. Mother, Father 10. Who’s Crying Now Disc 2 (54:33) 1. Where Were You 2. Drum Solo 3. Dead or Alive 4. Don’t Stop Believin’ 5. Stone in Love 6. Keep on Runnin’ 7. Guitar Solo #1 8. Wheel in the Sky 9. Guitar Solo #2 10. Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin’ 11. Any Way You Want It 12. Dixie Highway Steve Perry – Vocal Neal Schon – Guitar, Vocal Jonathan Cain – Keyboards, Vocal Ross Vallory – Bass, Vocal Steve Smith – Drums