When Steve Perry "took a break" from Journey in the middle of the Raised on Radio tour in the mid-80s, the band more or less dissolved. Though they never released an official statement, it was safe to say that Journey was gone. The band members all had their little projects, including Steve Perry's 1994 For the Love of Strange Medicine, the follow up to his debut solo record exactly ten years prior. Shortly after this, following his successful supporting tour, Journey came back with the classic line-up that produced amazing records like Escape and Frontiers. The mid-90s success came in the from of Trial By Fire and it was as if they never left. Immediately they garnered critical and mainstream acclaim with When You Love a Woman, a ballad that earned them their first Grammy.

The title-track is definitely classic Journey, though mellowed out a little bit. Though it dances on the edge of Bryan Adams, it's Steve Perry proving how stunningly his voice had kept up over the years that keeps it from falling. The simple piano introduction immediately has you hooked, and trust me, it's not easy to please me with ballads (if you read my reviews consistently, then you're very much aware of this). The song is a very clever single, as it's like a re-introduction into Journey. Mid-song has a typical Neal Schon guitar break that waxes nostalgia from Who's Crying Now and Lights. As passionate and evocative as this song is, I prefer the b-side, actually, album cut Message of Love.

Any fans of classic 80s Journey knows the words to Separate Ways (Worlds Apart) inside and out. They know every snyth pop and crackle, and they know how and when Steve's voice is going to slur a little bit. Well, the first impression of the fiery hot Message of Love is that it's a rehashing of the afore mentioned 1983 hit. The magic on this song is electrifying, and with each second, it just screams, "HELLO, WE ARE JOURNEY. GET READY FOR THIS." In the middle of the song, we're treated to a keyboard break that's very similar to the one in Separate Ways, and it's a little sly of them to nod their head at their past work. It's when Steve Perry sings "And here I stand: the king of ... FOOLS," that you know Journey is back.

Well, unfortunately, they aren't.

If you follow Journey (if at all possible), you know that Steve Perry was fired after refusing to get hip replacement surgery. Ironically, after his firing, he got the surgery. In short, the two parties acted like complete brats, and since his departure from the band in the late 90s, the band has used three other singers like used tissues after a night of fun-- none of which added up the lyrical and vocal magic that is Steve's voice (yes, I am a bit of a Perry fanboy). Oh, well. At least we've got this.

JUDGING
If you haven't heard their 1996 comeback record Trial By Fire, that's okay. I forgive you. However the two tracks on the single for When You Love a Woman are absolutely essential Journey songs that rank up there with the material they pulled off in the early 80s.

When You Love a Woman (4.5 Stars)
Message of Love (5 Stars)

OVERALL SCORE: 5 STARS (4.7+)

Recommended: Yes

Great Music to Play While: Driving