JOURNEY: Look Into The Future
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| Original Album Cover Front |
Gregg Rolie.....................Keyboards, Lead Vocals
Neal Schon.....................Guitars, Background Vocals
Ross Valory.....................Bass, Background Vocals
Aynsley Dunbar................Drums, Percussion
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| Original Album Cover Back |
Main Release Format.................Vinyl Album (LP)
Label.......................................Columbia Records
Album Cover Photos...................A. Louis Bramy Photography
Album Cover Design..................Spreadeagle Productions
Band Management.....................Walter J. Herbert, A. Louis Bramy
Road Manager...........................John Villanueva
Produced by Journey for Spreadeagle Productions, A division of Herbert & Bramy, Inc.
Associate Producer.....................Glen Kolotkin
Recording Studio.......................CBS Studios, San Francisco, CA
Recording Dates........................August-October 1975
Recorded By.............................Mark Friedman
Engineer..................................Glen Kolotkin
Mastered By.............................George Horn at CBS Studios, San Francisco, CA
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| Original Inner Sleeve Front |
Chart Rating......................#100
Number Sold......................-500,000
Certification.......................None
Catalogue Number..............PC33904
Genre...............................Progressive Rock, Jazz Fusion
NO LINER NOTES
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| Original Inner Sleeve Back |
TRACKS:
Number of Tracks...........8;
Side 1;
1. On A Saturday Nite................3:58
2. It’s All Too Much....................4:03
3. Anyway................................4:10
4. She Makes Me (Feel Alright)....3:11
5. You’re On Your Own...............5:53
Side 2;
1. Look Into The Future..............8:10
2. Midnight Dreamer...................5:15
3. I’m Gonna Leave You..............6:58
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| Original Disc Label, Side 1 |
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| Original Disc Label, Side 2 |
SINGLES:
Number of Singles...........2;
On A Saturday Nite / To Play Some Music
She Makes Me (Feel Alright) / It’s All Too Much
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| Original Single |
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| Original Promo Single |
Wheel In The Sky Review
Journey's second album, Look into the Future, is a very promising follow-up to the classic self-titled debut album. The band toned down the overt progressiveness a bit at first in favor of a more focused, commercial approach. This resulted in shorter songs with a more lyrical touch, although the band still placed much emphasis on instrumental passages. As the album progresses along it still retains some of the experimental approach and sound of the debut. This is a solid album that incorporates many jazz themes. It is distinctly different from most accessible albums.
George Tickner had left the band to attend Stanford Medical School on a full scholarship leaving Neal Schon to fill both lead and rhythm guitars. Neal blazes though this album, offering world-class riffing and soloing throughout while there’s still great influence from Bass player, Ross Valory. Aynsley Dunbar’s drumming is again a superb backdrop to Gregg Rolie’s haunting vocals. Unfortunately the album was only slightly more successful than the debut album, and was never fully appreciated beyond Journey’s hometown, the San Francisco Bay area.
On A Saturday Nite
By Gregg Rolie
Right away, it seems there was already a push to give a pop spin to Journey’s sound. The piano is bouncy and the involved vocal melody is certainly terrific and catchy. This new approach leaves Neal Schon's electric guitar playing merely in the margins (until during the fade out when it is allowed to go nuts). This is the beginning of the sound that will take this band well into the future.
It’s All Too Much
By George Harrison
Journey’s only cover song. Journey does The Beatles better than The Beatles. The song is not quite as catchy as “On A Saturday Night” though it does still have a decent hook. The song emphasizes Neal Schon's guitar harmonies more than anything else, but it also makes great use of Gregg's keyboards, keeping the rhythm in line. Gregg might not have the chops to take this song to its limits, but his voice could surely soar. The backwards ending is both haunting and inspiring.
Anyway
By Gregg Rolie
This is an atmospheric and rather heavy ballad, and not nearly as popular as the power-ballads that Journey would come to be famous for, but certainly a solid foundation for what was coming in the later years. The musicianship here is amazing. That spooky, slide guitar in the background sends shivers, and that melody, once again, is fantastic.
She Makes Me Feel Alright
By Neal Schon and Gregg Rolie, Alex Kash
This one has a heavy riff that's insanely catchy. This song is a hard rocker, one of Journey’s hardest. Just a short song (three minutes) that packs enough of a punch that you can’t ignore it. Schon's guitar solo in the final third is very fast 'n' flashy while Aynsley slays on the drums. Gregg has the perfect voice for a song like this.
You’re On Your Own
By Neal Schon, George Tickner and Gregg Rolie
A fabulous song considering how obvious it is that this was modeled after The Beatles' “I Want You (You're So Heavy),” being faster and containing some really energetic grooves. It may be more fun for some listeners for that reason, though it doesn't have near the psychological impact. Gregg has an awesome keyboard solo in the song that really makes the song fly. Neal just kills on the guitar throughout. This is the song where all the members show their talents and creativity on this album.
Look Into The Future
By Neal Schon, Gregg Rolie, Diane Valory
This song is really amazing. It's an eight minute long extended ballad with plenty of dreamy Hammond organ and dramatic crescendos galore. The riffs do get a bit droney at times, but the crescendos help give the song quite a lot of development. A mostly instrumental song, but the vocal melody when it surfaces is soulful, and Rolie's vocals fantastically wrap around Diane Valory’s poetry. What really shines here the most is Neal Schon's electric guitar playing, which very well may be the best he's ever done. What a great epic ballad!
Midnight Dreamer
By Neal Schon, Gregg Rolie
What needs to be said about a song that is allowed to use a cowbell to it’s full potential? This song has a fast-paced, killer riff, energetic and frantic lead vocals, and it’s just another thrill-ride. This song is probably better suited for Santana fans rather than Journey fans. The song develops in a rather complex manner such that it crescendos flawlessly throughout. The grooves are endlessly entertaining, and the electric guitar solos are fantastic. This song is mainly Gregg Rolie's spotlight.
I’m Gonna Leave You
By Neal Schon, Gregg Rolie, George Tickner
The final song of the album is yet another solid one. That makes this possibly the most consistent Journey album on the planet. This is another heavy and fast-paced groove-song, seven-minutes long, containing some absolutely blistering organ and electric guitar solos. Lots of catchy riffs are thrown in here to help keep this addicting for its entire duration. Once again Rolie's vocals are heavy and this time maybe even a bit glammy. Overall, this is a great closer to the album, and a satisfying progressive rock song.
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