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Freedom (Journey album)

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Freedom
Studio album by
Journey
ReleasedJuly 8, 2022
Recorded2021
StudioTarpan Studio (San Rafael, California)
Yo Mama's House (Hollywood, California)
Left On Sunset (Hollywood, California)
NRG Recording Studios (Los Angeles, California)
Addiction Sound (Nashville, Tennessee)
Dreamsong (Orlando, Florida)
Length73:12
LabelBMG
Producer
Journey chronology
Live in Japan 2017: Escape + Frontiers
(2019) 		Freedom
(2022) 		Live in Concert at Lollapalooza
(2022)
Singles from Freedom
  1. "The Way We Used to Be"
    Released: June 24, 2021[1]
  2. "You Got the Best of Me"
    Released: April 26, 2022[2]
  3. "Let It Rain"
    Released: May 17, 2022[3]
  4. "Don't Give Up on Us"
    Released: June 7, 2022[4]
  5. "United We Stand"
    Released: July 4, 2022[5]
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[6]
Classic Rock[7]
Riff Magazine[8]

Freedom is the fifteenth studio album by the American rock band Journey, released on July 8, 2022, through BMG Rights Management and Frontiers Records. It is the band's second album to date not to feature founding bassist Ross Valory, who was dismissed in 2020; he is replaced by Randy Jackson, who previously replaced Valory on Raised on Radio (1986). With fifteen songs and a run time of one hour and thirteen minutes, it is the longest Journey album ever released, excluding compilations.[9][10]

Upon its release Freedom received mixed critical reviews – despite the performances and musicianship receiving near-universal praise, criticism was directed at its production, mixing and length.

Background and title

[edit]

The album's 11-year gap from Eclipse (2011) marked the longest between two Journey studio albums to date. It is the only Journey album to feature drummer and producer Narada Michael Walden, as well as the first album to feature bassist Randy Jackson since Raised on Radio (1986). Both departed the group before its release.[11]

The album's title of Freedom was the original title of the group's 1986 album Raised on Radio, but was changed by then lead singer Steve Perry.[12]

Track listing

[edit]

All tracks are written by Neal Schon, Jonathan Cain, and Narada Michael Walden, except where noted

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Together We Run"
4:49
2."Don't Give Up on Us" 5:23
3."Still Believe in Love" 5:16
4."You Got the Best of Me" 5:33
5."Live to Love Again"Cain5:30
6."The Way We Used to Be" 3:35
7."Come Away with Me" 4:02
8."After Glow" 5:22
9."Let It Rain" 4:40
10."Holdin' On"
  • Schon
  • Cain
  • Jackson
  • Walden
3:14
11."All Day and All Night" 3:38
12."Don't Go"
4:58
13."United We Stand"
  • Schon
  • Cain
  • Jackson
  • Walden
5:05
14."Life Rolls On"
  • Schon
  • Walden
4:57
15."Beautiful as You Are" 7:10
Total length:73:12
Japanese edition bonus track
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
16."Hard to Let It Go"Cain4:08
Notes
  • The CD released by BMG does not list Walden among the writers of "The Way We Used to Be".

Personnel

[edit]

Journey

  • Neal Schon – guitars, backing vocals, keyboards
  • Jonathan Cain – keyboards (except "All Day and All Night" and "Don't Go"), backing vocals, synth bass on "Still Believe in Love"
  • Arnel Pineda – lead vocals (except "After Glow")
  • Randy Jackson – bass (except "Still Believe in Love"), backing vocals
  • Narada Michael Walden – drums, backing vocals, keyboards
  • Jason Derlatka – backing vocals on tracks 5, 6, 9, 12, 14, 15
  • Deen Castronovo – lead vocals on "After Glow"

Production

  • Neal Schon, Jonathan Cain, Narada Michael Walden – production
  • Bob Clearmountain, Adam Ayan, Jim Reitzel, Keith Gretlein, David Kalmusky – engineering

Charts

[edit]
Chart performance for Freedom
Chart (2022) Peak
position
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[13] 23
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[14] 25
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[15] 77
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[16] 65
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[17] 7
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[18] 22
Japanese Hot Albums (Billboard Japan)[19] 29
Scottish Albums (OCC)[20] 8
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[21] 92
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[22] 2
UK Albums (OCC)[23] 87
UK Independent Albums (OCC)[24] 3
US Billboard 200[25] 88
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[26] 9
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[27] 17

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Kaufman, Gil (June 24, 2021). "Journey Release First New Song in Decade, 'The Way We Used to Be'". Billboard. Retrieved May 16, 2022.
  2. ^ Greene, Andy (April 26, 2022). "Journey Preview New LP 'Freedom' With 'You Got the Best of Me'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 16, 2022.
  3. ^ Irwin, Corey (May 17, 2022). "Listen to Journey's New Song 'Let It Rain'". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved May 17, 2022.
  4. ^ "Journey Releases New Single 'Don't Give Up On Us'". Blabbermouth.net. June 7, 2022. Retrieved June 7, 2022.
  5. ^ Irwin, Corey (July 4, 2022). "Listen to Journey's New Single 'United We Stand'". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved July 4, 2022.
  6. ^ Monger, James Christopher. "Journey Freedom review". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
  7. ^ Barton, Geoff (July 8, 2022). "Journey's Freedom: a succession of songs that are the stuff of legend". Classic Rock. Future plc. Retrieved July 8, 2022.
  8. ^ Hicks, Tony (July 4, 2022). "ALBUM REVIEW: After 11 years, Journey overstays its welcome on 'Freedom'". Riff Magazine. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
  9. ^ "Journey Releases Official Visualizer For New Single 'You Got The Best Of Me'". Blabbermouth.net. May 4, 2022. Retrieved May 16, 2022.
  10. ^ "Freedom by Journey". Retrieved July 4, 2022.
  11. ^ "Jonathan Cain Says Journey 'Step Out a Little Bit' on New Album". Ultimate Classic Rock. March 2022. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
  12. ^ Wardlaw, Matt (May 24, 2022). "Journey's 'Raised on Radio' Was Almost Called 'Freedom'". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved May 26, 2022.
  13. ^ "Austriancharts.at – Journey – Freedom" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
  14. ^ "Ultratop.be – Journey – Freedom" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 17, 2022.
  15. ^ "Ultratop.be – Journey – Freedom" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 17, 2022.
  16. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Journey – Freedom" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 16, 2022.
  17. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Journey – Freedom" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved July 15, 2022.
  18. ^ "Oricon Top 50 Albums: 2022-07-18/p/3" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
  19. ^ "Billboard Japan Hot Albums: 2022/07/13 公開". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved July 13, 2022.
  20. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 16, 2022.
  21. ^ "Spanishcharts.com – Journey – Freedom". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 17, 2022.
  22. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Journey – Freedom". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 17, 2022.
  23. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 15, 2022.
  24. ^ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 16, 2022.
  25. ^ "Journey Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved July 19, 2022.
  26. ^ "Journey Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved July 19, 2022.
  27. ^ "Journey Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved July 19, 2022.
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