Journey/Tokyo,Japan 7.29.1981

JOURNEY in 1981 created “ESCAPE” and finally opened the door to its peak era. A new original recording has been discovered that allows you to experience the scene of the performance in Japan, which Carlos Santana also attended. What is infused into this work is the “July 29, 1981: Tokyo Welfare Pension Hall” performance. This is an exquisite audience recording. Speaking of coming to Japan in 1981, the super-excellent professional shot “THE NIGHT ESCAPE” reigns as a symbol, but that masterpiece was also performed in Tokyo. First, let’s look back at the schedule at the time to sort out that relationship. [“ESCAPE” released on July 17th]・July 27th: Osaka Festival Hall・July 28th: ​​Nagoya City Public Hall・July 29th: Tokyo Welfare Pension Hall　←★This work★・July 31st: Tokyo Welfare Pension Hall ← *Proshot/August 1st: Nakano Sunplaza Total of 5 performances. Although there were some warm-up festival appearances before coming to Japan, the full-scale tour will begin from Japan. It was right at the moment when the album had just been released. In Tokyo, 2 venues and 3 performances were held, and the performance at the Welfare Pension Hall of this work was the day before the show where the professional shot was taken. This work recorded at such a scene is a fresh and clear masterpiece recording. It is an original recording that will be released for the first time worldwide, but its preciousness is a lie. Although it is definitely an audience recording that includes a sense of atmosphere, it is only a matter of tone. The core stretches straight and clean, and its edges are as sharp as a laser beam cutting through dry ice. Even when I listen carefully with headphones, I can’t hear any hall noise, and there’s no smearing or clouding at all. Even when the notes of all the instruments overlap, they are perfectly separated and do not mix together. If I had to visually compare this feeling, it would be a cradle. Each phrase is like a thread being pulled with strong tension, and each taut line is clearly defined. Many such threads intersect, creating an ensemble that resembles a three-dimensional structure. That’s the image. While it doesn’t have the close contact that you would mistake for a sound board, there is no sense of distance and the clarity and detail are comparable to line recording. It is a masterpiece recording that is intoxicating with subtleties that are strange but outside the common sense of the audience. The birth of a historical masterpiece with such a bright sound! A full show that makes you choke on the sense of the times. Of course, it features a new song from “ESCAPE”, but it is completely out of sync with the current feeling. In order to help you understand its meaning, let’s organize the set here. Classics (13 songs) ・Infinity: Lights/La Do Da/Wheel In The Sky ・Evolution: Too Late/Lovin’ You Is Easy/Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin’ (with Carlos Santana) ・Departure: Where Were You/Line Of Fire/Any Way You Want It・Others: Turn Around in Tokyo/Little Girl (★)/Dixie Highway/The Party’s Over (Hopelessly in Love) Escape (5 songs)・Stone In Love/Keep On Runnin’/Who’s Crying Now/Lay It Down/Dead or Alive *Note: Songs marked with a “★” cannot be heard in the next day’s symbolic pro shot. …and it looks like this. Even though it features five songs, about half of them, from “ESCAPE”, there is no “Don’t Stop Believin’” or “Open Arms”! It was because it hadn’t been cut as a single yet, but even so, it featured not only “Keep On Runnin'” and “Dead or Alive” but also “Lay It Down” and not playing the two major future signs. Of course, that’s not all. They also have a lot of repertoire unique to that time, such as “Dixie Highway” and “The Party’s Over (Hopelessly in Love)” from the live album “CAPTURED” and “Little Girl” from the movie “Yume, Yume no Ato”. THE BABYS’ cover “Turn Around in Tokyo” is an extremely rare song that was only played at the 1981 performance in Japan. And the highlight of the show was definitely “Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin'”! Carlos Santana, who had come to Japan to tour Japan with JOURNEY, jumped in. This will allow him to co-star as master and student with Neal Schon. Moreover, this is not just a meeting, the performance is also amazing. They continued to exchange unyielding interplay and developed into a jam with Jonathan Cain also participating. Before I knew it, the performance had become more than 18 minutes long. What’s more, this work also has a delicious sense of the times created by the audience at the scene. The constant clapping of hands is part of the Western music boom, and since they don’t know about the upcoming big hit, they don’t seem to be bothered even if the two biggest hits aren’t played. There is a solo by Jonathan, and the ensemble is definitely “ESCAPE” itself, but the mood at the scene is more like “CAPTURED”. You will be able to place yourself right in the middle of a situation that could only exist in Japan in 1981, both later and later. This is a live album where you can experience the best of delicious shows from a delicious era. I can’t believe that such a recording did not see the light of day for 40 years. How many treasured recordings are still sleeping on this earth…or rather, in Japan? A newly discovered album that makes you feel dizzy even with the possibility of such audience culture. Exquisite audience recording of the “July 29, 1981: Tokyo Welfare Pension Hall” performance. The original master, which will be released for the first time in the world, is a fresh and clear masterpiece recording. The core stretches straight and clean, and its edges are as sharp as a laser beam cutting through dry ice. Brilliant sound with no hall noise and no blur or cloudiness. As it was right after the release of “ESCAPE”, the classics “Don’t Stop Believin'” and “Open Arms” were not played, but extremely rare songs such as “Lay It Down”, “Little Girl” and “Turn Around in Tokyo” were played. Lots of stuff. In “Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin’,” Carlos Santana jumps in and you can enjoy a passionate performance that lasts more than 18 minutes. Live at Kouseinenkin Kaikan, Tokyo, Japan 29th July 1981 TRULY PERFECT SOUND(from Original Masters) Disc 1 (41:19) 1. Intro 2. Where Were You 3. Line of Fire 4. Stone in Love 5. Keep On Runnin’ 6. Who’s Crying Now 7. Lay It Down 8. Keyboard Solo 9. Dead or Alive 10. Guitar Solo 11. Turn Around in Tokyo Disc 2 (78:52) 1. Little Girl 2. Lights 3. Too Late 4. Dixie Highway 5. Lovin’ You Is Easy 6. La Do Da 7. Drum Solo 8. The Party’s Over (Hopelessly in Love) 9. Wheel in the Sky 10. Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin’ (with Carlos Santana)★Santana will be a guest. 18 minutes of passionate performance. 11. Any Way You Want It Steve Perry – Vocals Neal Schon – Guitar, Vocals Jonathan Cain – Keyboards, Vocals Ross Vallory – Bass, Vocals Steve Smith – Drums