Revelation is the thirteenth studio album by American rock band Journey, and their first with lead singer Arnel Pineda.[5] It features 11 new songs ("Faith in the Heartland" was previously recorded with Steve Augeri), 11 re-recorded greatest hits (all featuring Pineda) and a DVD (North American version only) featuring the current lineup's March 8, 2008 concert in Las Vegas, Nevada. Three singles penned by Neal Schon and Jonathan Cain were released to radio: the distinctively Journey-sounding "Never Walk Away," "Where Did I Lose Your Love," and the power ballad "After All These Years". "Where Did I Lose Your Love" and "After All These Years" both found success on the adult contemporary charts; "Where Did I Lose Your Love" peaked at No. 19, while "After All These Years" peaked at No. 9 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart and stayed on the charts for over 23 weeks. It was met with generally positive reviews, with many calling it a return to form from the band and praising Pineda's vocals, musicianship and the band's performance.
| Revelation | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | June 3, 2008 | |||
| Recorded | 2008 | |||
| Studio | The Plant (Sausalito, California) | |||
| Genre | Hard rock, arena rock | |||
| Length | (Disc 1): 66:08 (Disc 2): 48:39 (Total): 104:50 | |||
| Label |
| |||
| Producer | Kevin Shirley | |||
| Journey studio album chronology | ||||
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| Revelation | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Video by | ||||
| Released | June 3, 2008 | |||
| Recorded | March 8, 2008 | |||
| Venue | Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino (Las Vegas, Nevada) | |||
| Genre | Hard rock, arena rock | |||
| Length | 63:00 | |||
| Label | Nomota LLC | |||
| Producer | Kevin Shirley | |||
| Journey chronology | ||||
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| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Rolling Stone |   [1] |
| Rock Hard | 8/10[2] |
| Ultimate Guitar | 9.3/10[3] |
| PiercingMetal | [4] |
On May 14, 2008, MelodicRock.com reported that Journey and Frontiers Records agreed to add "an exclusive original bonus track, "Let It Take You Back", a mid-tempo rocker, to the European release to close the album.[6]
Production
Revelation was recorded throughout early 2008 at The Plant in Sausalito, California by John Neff.
The album was released in the U.S. on June 3, 2008 by Nomota LLC (Schon's personal recording label) exclusively through Wal-Mart,[7] and in Europe on June 6, 2008 through Frontiers Records.[8] In addition, Wal-Mart also released a limited-edition ZVUE 1-gigabyte MP3 player pre-loaded with discs 1–2 of Revelation.[9]
The album was produced by Kevin Shirley, who also produced Trial by Fire and Arrival.
Reception
On its first week of release, Revelation sold over 105,000 copies, marking a 1,400% increase over the first week sales of the band's 2005 release Generations.[10] The album debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's Independent Albums chart, No. 2 on Billboard Rock Album chart, and No. 5 on the Billboard 200, where it remained for 42 weeks.[11] The album was not only a huge success in the United States, but also reached the charts in 9 different countries.
Revelation was nominated for Album of the Year in Classic Rock Magazine's annual poll.
On December 18, 2008, the album was certified platinum by the RIAA,[12] making it Journey's first such certification since their 1996 album Trial by Fire.[12] According to Nielsen Soundscan, Revelation has sold more than 1,000,000 copies in the U.S. as of November 2009.[10]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Neal Schon and Jonathan Cain, except where noted
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Never Walk Away" |
| 4:19 |
| 2. | "Like a Sunshower" | 4:29 | |
| 3. | "Change for the Better" | 5:52 | |
| 4. | "Wildest Dream" | 5:02 | |
| 5. | "Faith in the Heartland" (original version from Generations, 2005) |
| 6:18 |
| 6. | "After All These Years" | Cain | 4:10 |
| 7. | "Where Did I Lose Your Love" | 5:02 | |
| 8. | "What I Needed" |
| 5:28 |
| 9. | "What It Takes to Win" | 5:23 | |
| 10. | "Turn Down the World Tonight" | 4:56 | |
| 11. | "The Journey (Revelation)" (Instrumental) | Schon | 5:25 |
| 12. | "Let It Take You Back" (bonus track on the European and Mexican releases) | 4:59 | |
| 13. | "The Place in Your Heart" (bonus track on the Japanese release; original version from Generations, 2005) | 4:45 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Only the Young" (original version from Vision Quest soundtrack, 1985) |
| 4:14 |
| 2. | "Don't Stop Believin'" (original version from Escape, 1981) |
| 4:55 |
| 3. | "Wheel in the Sky" (original version from Infinity, 1978) |
| 5:01 |
| 4. | "Faithfully" (original version from Frontiers, 1983) | Cain | 4:47 |
| 5. | "Any Way You Want It" (original version from Departure, 1980) |
| 3:25 |
| 6. | "Who's Crying Now" (original version from Escape, 1981) |
| 5:16 |
| 7. | "Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)" (original version from Frontiers, 1983) |
| 5:27 |
| 8. | "Lights" (original version from Infinity, 1978) |
| 3:16 |
| 9. | "Open Arms" (original version from Escape, 1981) |
| 3:22 |
| 10. | "Be Good to Yourself" (original version from Raised on Radio, 1986) |
| 4:29 |
| 11. | "Stone in Love" (original version from Escape, 1981) |
| 4:27 |
DVD
- "Sky Light" (N. Schon)
- "Any Way You Want It"
- "Wheel in the Sky"
- "Lights"
- "After All These Years"
- "Never Walk Away"
- "Open Arms (Prelude)" (Cain)
- "Open Arms"
- "Mother, Father" (Perry, Matt Schon, N. Schon, Cain) (from Escape, 1981, Deen Castronovo on lead vocals)
- "Wildest Dream"
- "Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)"
- "Faithfully"
- "Don't Stop Believin'"
- "Be Good to Yourself"
Personnel
Journey
- Neal Schon – all guitars, backing vocals
- Jonathan Cain – keyboards, backing vocals
- Ross Valory – bass, backing vocals
- Deen Castronovo – drums, backing vocals
- Arnel Pineda – lead vocals
Production
- Kevin Shirley – producer, mixing
- John Neff – engineer
- Justin Pintar – mixing assistant
- George Marino – mastering
- Dave Skaff – FOH Mix-Tracking Engineer
Charts
Singles
| Year | Title | Chart | Peak position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | "After All These Years" | Adult Contemporary (USA)[26] | 9 |
| "Where Did I Lose Your Love" | Adult Contemporary (USA)[26] | 19 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[27] | Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
Release history
| Region | Date | Label | Catalog | Format |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States[28] | June 3, 2008 | Nomota LLC | 4506-2 | 2 CD + DVD |
| Europe[29] | June 6, 2008 | Frontiers Records | FR CD 376 | 2 CD |
| Philippines | July 10, 2008 | Universal Music Group | 060075310028[30] | |
| South Korea[31] | LOEN Entertainment | SDP-0125 | ||
| Japan[32] | October 8, 2008 | King Records International | KICP-1321 |