| Infinity | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio album by Journey | ||||
| Released | January 20, 1978 | |||
| Recorded | His Master's Wheels Studio, San Francisco, Cherokee Studios, Los Angeles, California, October-December 1977 | |||
| Genre | Hard rock | |||
| Length | 36:28 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Producer | Roy Thomas Baker | |||
| Journey chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Infinity | ||||
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Journey's fourth album, Infinity, was released in January 1978 on Columbia Records.
Looking for a stronger lead vocalist, Journey briefly enlisted front man Robert Fleischman and even recorded a few tracks, one of which, "For You," which later appeared on the Time3 collection, and Fleischman's solo album, Perfect Stranger. Fleischman was soon thereafter replaced by Steve Perry due to musical differences. Fleischman would later resurface as the first singer in the Vinnie Vincent Invasion.
With songs like "Feeling That Way" and "Anytime," Perry shared the vocals with former lead singer and keyboardist Gregg Rolie.
Perry and Neal Schon penned their first song together, "Patiently," a moving tribute to the band, Lynyrd Skynyrd, which later appeared on the new studio album. Other popular singles included "Lights" and "Wheel in the Sky." The latter was co-written with temporary front man Fleischman.
Journey's manager, Herbie Herbert, enlisted producer Roy Thomas Baker to engineer "Infinity." This produced a layered sound approach, similar to his work with Queen, as demonstrated on tracks such as "Winds of March." In addition, Baker's method of stacked harmonies, notable on several other albums he produced, became trademarks of Journey's sound. Baker achieved this by having each vocalist (usually Perry and Rolie, sometimes joined by Valory and/or Schon) sing each harmony part in unison. This had the effect of making three or four voices sound like more, and is notable on the songs "Feeling that Way" and "Anytime," which are often played in tandem consecutively on radio stations.
The addition of Perry led to a more mainstream sound , and helped Journey attain their highest chart success to date. Infinity marked the last appearance of drummer Aynsley Dunbar.
"Wheel in the Sky" was used in The Sopranos episode "Bust Out".
Infinity went 3x platinum in the US and was certified gold in Canada.
| Professional ratings | |
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| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic | link |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Lights" | Steve Perry, Neal Schon | 3:11 |
| 2. | "Feeling that Way" | Aynsley Dunbar, Perry, Gregg Rolie | 3:28 |
| 3. | "Anytime" | Robert Fleischman, Rolie, Schon, Roger Silver, Ross Valory | 3:28 |
| 4. | "Lă Do Dā" | Perry, Schon | 3:01 |
| 5. | "Patiently" | Perry, Schon | 3:21 |
| 6. | "Wheel In The Sky" | Fleischman, Schon, Diane Valory | 4:12 |
| 7. | "Somethin' to Hide" | Perry, Schon | 3:27 |
| 8. | "Winds of March" | Schon, Matt Schon, Fleischman, Perry, Rolie | 5:04 |
| 9. | "Can Do" | Perry, Valory | 2:39 |
| 10. | "Opened the Door" | Perry, Rolie, Schon | 4:37 |
| Year | Chart | Peak position |
|---|---|---|
| 1978 | US Billboard 200 | 21 |
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