Journey were already on the upswing as they entered the 1980s. But they took off into the stratosphere with Escape, the 1981 album that represented a peak moment in the history of arena rock.
In many ways, the album was a progression from where the band had already been heading. But a tweak of their lineup provided big dividends and gave a shot of adrenaline to their forward momentum. Here’s how Escape became Journey’s landmark record.
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Cain and Able
Like most rock bands, Journey underwent some lineup changes here and there throughout their career. But few bands received such a boost from those changes as they did. The first came in 1978 when they added Steve Perry as lead singer. Perry’s powerhouse vocals immediately opened up the musical sandbox for the band, allowing them to move away from the prog-rock elements of earlier albums and invade the pop landscape.
Gregg Rolie, who had been one of the founding members of the band and had been the lead singer before Perry, seemed to see the writing on the wall. He decided to leave Journey not long after the 1980 record Departure. While Perry had locked down the singing duties, the group needed a new keyboardist to replace Rolie. Jonathan Cain, formerly of The Babys, got the gig, in part based on a recommendation from Rolie.
Cain changed the chemistry of the band, which was always a bit volatile anyway. His classical training pushed Journey toward more slow songs. He also proved to be an active songwriter, often pairing with Perry in that department. That didn’t always sit well with guitarist Neal Schon, who considered Journey to be his band and wanted to make an impact on their musical direction.
Luckily, they found a way to all work together on one memorable track. Cain had the title “Don’t Stop Believin’” tucked away in a notebook of ideas. His piano riff got things rolling, and Schon started filling in the opening spaces with inventive guitar licks. Perry suggested the band do something unusual and hold off the chorus until near the end of the song.
The resulting track, “Don’t Stop Believin’,” helped point the way forward toward a new sound. Journey could still provide instrumental fireworks, but they would do so with lyrical stories that were relatable to their fan base. Escape had its signature song, and as it turned out, a whole lot more.
The Impact of Escape
While “Don’t Stop Believin’” has enjoyed an impressive afterlife, it’s important to remember it was just one of many delights to be found on Escape. It was actually the lowest-charting of the three Top-10 singles that came from the record. After all, this was also the album where Journey, with Cain’s melodic touch melding with Perry’s incredible pipes, mastered the power ballad.
“Who’s Crying Now?” started the ball rolling by rising to No. 3. And after “Don’t Stop Believin’” cleared a path, “Open Arms” sealed the deal by becoming the band’s first chart-topping pop single. While some of Journey’s longtime fans might have balked at the band taking this route, they more than made up for it with the new audience they gained.
Escape contains a few other gems, although it is a bit top-heavy. Some of the album cuts seem lost between the band they once were and the one they were becoming. When they kept it punchy and hooky, as on the rocking “Stone in Love” and the Perry vocal showcase “Still They Ride,” they generally got it just right.
The album put Journey at the top of the heap among their arena rock contemporaries. They found a formula on Escape that many others tried to emulate, one that even they had a hard time duplicating on future records. There was no escaping Escape, and it still casts a pretty long shadow.
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