how long have you been into journey,what got you started....

[mikemarrs]

just wondering how long everyone here has been into the band and what got you started?

originally i thought most of the people here would be in their late thirties or early forties but lately i think i've seen as many younger people in the twenties as i have older ones so i was just curious how most people got started on the journey.....

[SusieP]

I heard 'Dont Stop Believing' on the radio in '82, and flipped. That voice, that guitar, that whole sound just blew me away.
Went to my local record store and got the album. Then I got the back catalogue.
I eagerly searched the music press [no internet back then] for any tour dates..........but none came.

I had missed their only visit in '79. That was a deeply upsetting discovery. And I had to wait until they came over with Augeri to see them live and discovered something even more deeply upsetting.....tapegate.

You over in the US are so lucky to have been able to see all the line-up's live as often as you have.
I'm not an envious person, but I do wish I'd had the chances you have had.

[Rick]

I was aware of Journey as early as 1978. Wheel In The Sky and Feeling That Way/Anytime were on the radio a good bit. Just The Same Way has been a favorite of mine since the first time I heard it. I know they're from different albums, but it seemed like they all came out at the same time. Was a long time ago though. Went to my first concert in '81, and got seriously hooked. Went again in '83. Missed the '86 tour and didn't go back until '06 after I watched the Vegas DVD. That was supposed to be Augeri, but saw JSS instead. That show got me rehooked. Have been back on the train in a big way ever since. Went to the Vegas show last month to see them with Arnel.

[DracIsBack]

Newbie here. Saw the Houston and Vegas DVDs in the stores and picked 'em both up. Looking forward to seeing them this year if they come close.

[lights1961]

the year was 1978... i first started driving and in the car my brother and i shared was a tape of infinty from the radio... i was 16-17 the announcer says a new group
has a brand new LP out called infinty we think you will like it and lights comes on then feeling that way comes on.. I was hooked from there.
then when evolution came out---then spring summer of 79 playing pool at a friends house we would always have that LP cranking out loud.
WOW, first tour was iowa jam 1980... then escape tour then frontiers tour--- then not until 1999 with vacations over tour... it was like they are back!!! even with Augeri it
was still cool to hear the sound of journey again!! brings back cool memories!!!

Rick

[ProgRocker53]

I was aware of Journey after I started getting into rock music in my early teens. I liked them but didn't buy any CDs or anything, but I'd sing along when "Don't Stop Believin'" or "Lights" or "Any Way You Want It" came on the radio.

Fast forward a couple years. Ten minutes earlier my first serious girlfriend had dumped me for my best friend, and I was driving home in the rain, looking for some medicine in the form of music on the radio. All of a sudden....

"Bowm-bowm Bowm-bowm BOWM bowm bowm bowm! Bowm-bowm Bowm-bowm BOWM bowm bowm bowm! Duh duh dudda, duh, duh dudda dudda duh, duh duh dudda, duh, du dudda dudda duh... BOWM duh dudda, Bowm duh dudda, bowm duh dudda! duh duh dudda dudda duh!" I was sitting there, thinking... this song is freaking EPIC... the throbbing guitar riff and creepy synth reflected EXACTLY how I felt at that moment. The lyrics hadn't even come in yet and I had a new favorite song! THEN when the lyrics came in...

"Here we stand, worlds apart, hearts broken in two! Two, two...." I listened as Perry perfectly described my exact feelings in a very gripping (and epic) manner... I just kinda pulled over in a random parking lot and listened to the whole song, slack-jawed.... I loved everything about this song, ESPECIALLY the guitar solo and the ending... "Nooooo! NOOOOOOO!"

BUT THE FREAKIN' DJ DIDN'T TELL ME WHAT SONG IT WAS!

I drove to Wal-Mart. I if I had to search the back of every CD in the place to find anything that related to the lyrics of the song I just heard, I'd do it. I asked a guy standing there looking at a Bob Seger album, "Hey who does this song? *vocalizes keyboard part, sings chorus*" and he told me.... Journey.. I was impressed, first random person I talked to and he knew the song.

I walked out of Wal-Mart with a Journey Greatest Hits album and a copy of their newest album, Generations. I listened to the GH on my CD player while in bed that night, and was enraptured by every last note, tone, rhythm, word, and beat of the music. I stayed up way longer than I should've and listened to it three times through!

The next day was a big football game. On the two-hour bus ride to the game, instead of listening to my usual Van Halen or AC/DC, I popped in my new Generations album. I noted there was a different vocalist and drummer, and then hit "play." Listening to "Faith in the Heartland" while riding through the rainy Ohio countryside hit a certain place in my heart... and I listened to the whole thing all the way through without skipping a song... and I liked most of it (still not a big KTYLM fan). Yes, people, Gens was my first non-GH Journey album and I stuck around.... hahaha!

The following week I found MelodicRock while searching for information on the band and the album. I read alot of Andrew's reviews, browsed the forums for a few months, and fell in love with the site. By the time I left for college football camp ten months or so after I had heard Separate Ways for the first time, I had Journey's ENTIRE discography plus all kinds of other Melodic Rock goodies.... I actually got into Progressive Rock because the self-titled debut I loved had been referred to as being prog by multiple sources.... most Prog hardcores start with Pink Floyd or Yes or something... well I started with Journey.

[Rhiannon]

It was back in '78, I was coked out of my head. I thought Steve Perry was a cheeseburger.

Just kidding...

[MrsPerry]

my sisters grew up liking journey. i inherited it from them....good times:)

[SusieP]

I was aware of Journey after I started getting into rock music in my early teens. I liked them but didn't buy any CDs or anything, but I'd sing along when "Don't Stop Believin'" or "Lights" or "Any Way You Want It" came on the radio.

Fast forward a couple years. Ten minutes earlier my first serious girlfriend had dumped me for my best friend, and I was driving home in the rain, looking for some medicine in the form of music on the radio. All of a sudden....

"Bowm-bowm Bowm-bowm BOWM bowm bowm bowm! Bowm-bowm Bowm-bowm BOWM bowm bowm bowm! Duh duh dudda, duh, duh dudda dudda duh, duh duh dudda, duh, du dudda dudda duh... BOWM duh dudda, Bowm duh dudda, bowm duh dudda! duh duh dudda dudda duh!" I was sitting there, thinking... this song is freaking EPIC... the throbbing guitar riff and creepy synth reflected EXACTLY how I felt at that moment. The lyrics hadn't even come in yet and I had a new favorite song! THEN when the lyrics came in...

"Here we stand, worlds apart, hearts broken in two! Two, two...." I listened as Perry perfectly described my exact feelings in a very gripping (and epic) manner... I just kinda pulled over in a random parking lot and listened to the whole song, slack-jawed.... I loved everything about this song, ESPECIALLY the guitar solo and the ending... "Nooooo! NOOOOOOO!"

BUT THE FREAKIN' DJ DIDN'T TELL ME WHAT SONG IT WAS!

I drove to Wal-Mart. I if I had to search the back of every CD in the place to find anything that related to the lyrics of the song I just heard, I'd do it. I asked a guy standing there looking at a Bob Seger album, "Hey who does this song? *vocalizes keyboard part, sings chorus*" and he told me.... Journey.. I was impressed, first random person I talked to and he knew the song.

I walked out of Wal-Mart with a Journey Greatest Hits album and a copy of their newest album, Generations. I listened to the GH on my CD player while in bed that night, and was enraptured by every last note, tone, rhythm, word, and beat of the music. I stayed up way longer than I should've and listened to it three times through!

The next day was a big football game. On the two-hour bus ride to the game, instead of listening to my usual Van Halen or AC/DC, I popped in my new Generations album. I noted there was a different vocalist and drummer, and then hit "play." Listening to "Faith in the Heartland" while riding through the rainy Ohio countryside hit a certain place in my heart... and I listened to the whole thing all the way through without skipping a song... and I liked most of it (still not a big KTYLM fan). Yes, people, Gens was my first non-GH Journey album and I stuck around.... hahaha!

The following week I found MelodicRock while searching for information on the band and the album. I read alot of Andrew's reviews, browsed the forums for a few months, and fell in love with the site. By the time I left for college football camp ten months or so after I had heard Separate Ways for the first time, I had Journey's ENTIRE discography plus all kinds of other Melodic Rock goodies.... I actually got into Progressive Rock because the self-titled debut I loved had been referred to as being prog by multiple sources.... most Prog hardcores start with Pink Floyd or Yes or something... well I started with Journey.

What a GREAT story! Thanks for sharing.
Do you think the guys have any idea how much their work has touched so many people?

[ProgRocker53]

Also---

Neal Schon is my main inspiration behind buying a guitar. Not any of the "usual" legends like Hendrix, Page, SRV, EVH, and so on... but Neal.

The first song I ever learned on the guitar was "Stone in Love." I HAD to fulfill the vision of me playing the song with the hand in the air and everything like Neal did on the Houston DVD.

[Lady Luck]

Saw them live for the first time in 1980, but really don't remember what song I heard on the radio that got me started. Lost track of them after ROR and never saw them with Augeri. I do remember seeing the video for WYLAW and hearing talk about a tour, but that's it. When the tour was announced with DL in '06, I started brushing up on what I'd lost out on. Bought the Arrival and Generations CDs and the Vegas DVD. I was hoping to see Augeri, but that didn't happen...but on the flip side, I became a JSS fan from his time in Journey. Saw them 4 times w/Perry and 8 times w/JSS. Can't wait until July 30th w/Arnel!

[Sarah]

I knew of them as a kid but I didn't like them until the synchronized swimming team at the pool I lifeguarded had a Journey routine. That was '02 or '03.

I've spent literally thousands on them since then. sigh

[hoagiepete]

I was aware of Journey after I started getting into rock music in my early teens. I liked them but didn't buy any CDs or anything, but I'd sing along when "Don't Stop Believin'" or "Lights" or "Any Way You Want It" came on the radio.

Fast forward a couple years. Ten minutes earlier my first serious girlfriend had dumped me for my best friend, and I was driving home in the rain, looking for some medicine in the form of music on the radio. All of a sudden....

"Bowm-bowm Bowm-bowm BOWM bowm bowm bowm! Bowm-bowm Bowm-bowm BOWM bowm bowm bowm! Duh duh dudda, duh, duh dudda dudda duh, duh duh dudda, duh, du dudda dudda duh... BOWM duh dudda, Bowm duh dudda, bowm duh dudda! duh duh dudda dudda duh!" I was sitting there, thinking... this song is freaking EPIC... the throbbing guitar riff and creepy synth reflected EXACTLY how I felt at that moment. The lyrics hadn't even come in yet and I had a new favorite song! THEN when the lyrics came in...

"Here we stand, worlds apart, hearts broken in two! Two, two...." I listened as Perry perfectly described my exact feelings in a very gripping (and epic) manner... I just kinda pulled over in a random parking lot and listened to the whole song, slack-jawed.... I loved everything about this song, ESPECIALLY the guitar solo and the ending... "Nooooo! NOOOOOOO!"

BUT THE FREAKIN' DJ DIDN'T TELL ME WHAT SONG IT WAS!

I drove to Wal-Mart. I if I had to search the back of every CD in the place to find anything that related to the lyrics of the song I just heard, I'd do it. I asked a guy standing there looking at a Bob Seger album, "Hey who does this song? *vocalizes keyboard part, sings chorus*" and he told me.... Journey.. I was impressed, first random person I talked to and he knew the song.

I walked out of Wal-Mart with a Journey Greatest Hits album and a copy of their newest album, Generations. I listened to the GH on my CD player while in bed that night, and was enraptured by every last note, tone, rhythm, word, and beat of the music. I stayed up way longer than I should've and listened to it three times through!

The next day was a big football game. On the two-hour bus ride to the game, instead of listening to my usual Van Halen or AC/DC, I popped in my new Generations album. I noted there was a different vocalist and drummer, and then hit "play." Listening to "Faith in the Heartland" while riding through the rainy Ohio countryside hit a certain place in my heart... and I listened to the whole thing all the way through without skipping a song... and I liked most of it (still not a big KTYLM fan). Yes, people, Gens was my first non-GH Journey album and I stuck around.... hahaha!

The following week I found MelodicRock while searching for information on the band and the album. I read alot of Andrew's reviews, browsed the forums for a few months, and fell in love with the site. By the time I left for college football camp ten months or so after I had heard Separate Ways for the first time, I had Journey's ENTIRE discography plus all kinds of other Melodic Rock goodies.... I actually got into Progressive Rock because the self-titled debut I loved had been referred to as being prog by multiple sources.... most Prog hardcores start with Pink Floyd or Yes or something... well I started with Journey.

Hey! This is the exact stuff I was talkin about in your "Revelation" thread. There you go! My dreaded break up song was LTS though. If you add Arnel led songs to your future experiences...power to you and the latest edition of Journey.

[LyricalLady]

1977....

[Since 78]

1978- I saw them on the Infinity Tour and have been a fan ever since.

[mistiejourney]

Perry's voice first noted in 1977 (Lights)

Full blown fan in 1985 (after I bought Captured to break in a new stereo system).

Stay Awhile - sealed the deal!

[Squidward24]

I don't know what year it was but I head this song that stuck in my ear, I heard it again a few days later and tossed in a cassette tape then played it for the local used record store guy. The song was "Separate Ways." I purchased a copy of their Greatest Hits right there. A few weeks later on MTV or VH1, they played the Raised On Radio special and I taped it, shortly after that I rented "Frontiers And Beyond" and was hooked. Thinking about it, the time frame was around 1992, 1993 - my best friend was in college and I went to visit him and on the way there I bought "Raised On Radio."

After soaking up Greatest Hits and Radio, I bought Frontiers, Escape and Captured - and promptly tossed Captured out. I was still learning about the band and I did not like that OTHER guy signing (still don't). Time went by, I purchased the other albums, as well as the Steve Perry solo stuff. I saw Steve on his FTLOSM tour, then bought "Trial By Fire" and waited, and waited for them to tour. Then they did and it was with another singer - he sounded almost like Perry, so what the hell. The first time I saw Journey was in 1998 at the Palace of Auburn Hills.

So it was "Separate Ways" that got me into the band and I've been a fan since 1992-ish.

[Rick]

I don't know what year it was but I head this song that stuck in my ear, I heard it again a few days later and tossed in a cassette tape then played it for the local used record store guy. The song was "Separate Ways." I purchased a copy of their Greatest Hits right there. A few weeks later on MTV or VH1, they played the Raised On Radio special and I taped it, shortly after that I rented "Frontiers And Beyond" and was hooked. Thinking about it, the time frame was around 1992, 1993 - my best friend was in college and I went to visit him and on the way there I bought "Raised On Radio."

After soaking up Greatest Hits and Radio, I bought Frontiers, Escape and Captured - and promptly tossed Captured out. I was still learning about the band and I did not like that OTHER guy signing (still don't). Time went by, I purchased the other albums, as well as the Steve Perry solo stuff. I saw Steve on his FTLOSM tour, then bought "Trial By Fire" and waited, and waited for them to tour. Then they did and it was with another singer - he sounded almost like Perry, so what the hell. The first time I saw Journey was in 1998 at the Palace of Auburn Hills.

So it was "Separate Ways" that got me into the band and I've been a fan since 1992-ish.

Cool story Squid. Try giving 'that other guy' another chance. His and Perry's duets are epic. His name is Gregg Rolie by the way.

[FishinMagician]

me and my friend got gift cards a couple years ago to a music store. we went and looked at the dvd's. he picked GNR and i randomly picked Escape in houston, not knowing much about journey, but hey it was free so i said what the hell. and it was love as soon as i popped it in!

[StoneCold]

1978- I saw them on the Infinity Tour and have been a fan ever since.

Nice, high five!




Have you caught every tour since then?

[The Sushi Hunter]

My sister was into Journey before I was, but at that time I was just into surfing, hanging out at the beach with my girlfriend and listening to Beach Boys and the rest of the 50's and 60's era tunes.

A few years later, I was living in Japan and working the grave yard shift. I was sad thinking of my high school sweetie back in the states that I wasn't going to be seeing again. Just so happened at the very same time, someone had left a Journey cassette in the workplace after they left so I found it and popped it into my handy dandy Japanese cassette player.
I had heard of Journey before but after listening to this cassette, I had this different opinion about it now. There I was alone and half way around the world in this foreign country in the middle of the night sometime after 2am and missing my girl so badly. I really liked "Send Her My Love" made me think of my girl back in the states even more that night.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ZhVsoHYVvo

Shortly after that, I met Arnel and the rest of AMO band who were performing in the Philippines. I couldn't believe how well Arnel and the band did those top Journey hits with SP as the frontman. I went out and got a few albums, Escape was one of the other album I got at about that time. That's it, plain and simple. Only two albums I really liked, Frontiers and Escape, though some of the other singles that I completely love are on other albums, those were my two favorites.

[(Crazy)Dulce Lady]

opps, i just posted this in the 'saved' thread. trust me. it has my story.

[Rodimus]

My brother got me into them. Not really sure when, I guess since I started listening to music. I got my first journey Cassette which was Trial By Fire back somewhere between '98 and 2000. Now I have all of their albums from Escape to Generations, and a bunch of downloaded i-tunes songs from the ones previous.

As a matter of fact my brother also introduced me to this website back in 1998-9

[annie89509]

It was in the spring of 2005 when I purchased the We Are the World 25th Anniv. Dvd. Watched it that night. Got to the part where they were showing the solos and the camera followed each artist singing their 1 or 2 verses. Between Kenny Loggins and Daryl Hall is this short guy dressed in all black. Hmm, he’s kind of cute, has a soulful voice. Who is he? Must be somebody or he wouldn’t be there? How come I know everybody else but him. Looked through the booklet, and says right there, Steve Perry-lead singer of the group Journey. Oh, Journey, 80’s band with the power ballads. Got to get some of their records.

I checked around and saw they had a GH dvd out. Sat there mesmerized by the Voice and charisma of SP singing those songs, some of which I vaguely remember hearing before. Started playing it on the TV every single night (some nights 2 or 3 times) for 3 weeks straight, until I was afraid I’ll wear out the disk. By day, started googling for info, amazed that there are so many sites devoted to SP and Journey. Oh, they had a WOF plague given to them just this January. Fans surprised to see former frontman Steve P show up? SP is a recluse (?) He and his former bandmates don’t get along?

I dug deeper and deeper into their history, became addicted to the stories and articles. By this time, I was buying and collecting bootlegs (which I have never done before) on ebay and from other Journey fans. Bought their entire back catalog. Bummed off the Augeri-era cd's from a local acquaintance who just happened to have those records. Don't like them as much as SP's. Their entire history – the highs and lows—unfolded in front of my eyes like a soap opera.

I literally discovered internet messageboards in the summer of 2005, only through my interest in SP and Journey. And, good or bad, it has forever changed the way I lead my life! Hubby and sons don’t know what to make of my obsession . Hooboy, if SP ever decides to do a one-off somewhere--it's good-bye Family, and hello, Journey fans!

[Since 78]

1978- I saw them on the Infinity Tour and have been a fan ever since.

Nice, high five!




Have you caught every tour since then?

Twice with SP and Three with SA, didn't know I was supposed to write a Fuckin Book! BTW nice pic of you there

[mikemarrs]

got into journey around 1982 or so,i think open arms was being played non stop on the radio and was almost but not quite number one on the casey kasem countdown.i then bought the escape release which i played from front to back over and over.then for my birthday in march of '83 i got the frontiers cassette which had just been released.a year or so later my grandmother gave me a 45 of lovin' touchin' squeezin' when i looked it said from the lp 'evolution' so i then knew there was more to the band then escape and frontiers but being nine or ten years old i didn't know any better anyway.so of course i then got 'infinity','evolution' and 'departure'.and of course my favorite for a while was evolution for some reason.then i bought 'captured' which then became my all time favorite besides 'escape'.so in '87 i then go buy the first three not really knowing steve perry wasn't on any of these.i liked some of the songs but overall i sort of threw in the closet because to me at the time they didn't come nowhere near as great as the later stuff with perry.last but not least i then got raised on radio where besides happy to give i just didn't seem to care for too much and this was around '88 or so and then greatest hits came out which everybody pretty much bought.i bought the time3 around christmastime of '92 and then after that i stopped listening to them for about 15 years until last year when i started back up again.i never bought any augeri era stuff and just recently purchased trial by fire on amazon and its ok to me considering it was a reunion effort.too bad the tour didn't happen back then in '96.i'm still out on the arnel issue but i think i'll buy revelations when it comes out just to hear the new stuff and hear his take on the classics.