Steve Perry - Superteen March 1984

For Journey, the Summer of 1984 offers an event bigger than the Los Angeles Olympics and The National Democratic Convention in San Francisco put together! For Steve Perry, Neal Schon, Jonathan Cain, Steve Smith and Ross Valory, it's the first time in close to a year that they've come together to work as a band.
"I'm really glad to be writing and rehearsing again," Neal beams, taking in some fresh air outside a S.F. studio. "I loved doing all the things I was doing this year, but I love the kind of rock and roll I get to play with Journey. There's nothing else like it. Journey made me a performer. When I first joined the group I used to sort of hide behind the amplifiers. I'd sit there and wail and they'd wonder who that was playing. Journey has give me the confidence to come out front. I've learned to like getting into the faces of those people in the audience and let them know that I'm there by giving them what they want."
Steve Perry, who by all accounts should be exhausted after completing his first solo album, can't hide the twinkle in his eyes. "Yeah, it's great to be in the Journey groove again! This group belongs together. Sure, we can't always agree on what tunes to play or record, or what order to put them in, or how the arrangements should begin or end - but we all work it out together. Sometimes we have super hot and heavy fights over things, but we

never get to the point of saying 'Let's quit, I hate you. I never want to work with you again.' It never gets to a weird place like that. I can't believe it ever will."
    Ross Valory has a solo album on the streets these days but it's quickly obvious that he has other things on his mind that have little to do with soloing.
    "I've been editing my full length video of the group called The New Avocado Review, a sort of Monty Python thing with the band, but I must admit it's great to be back in a studio again with everybody. We all have distinct separate sounds we have to pursue in order to feel complete as musicians, but you know what we were talking about lately? The fact that nothing else we do has the sound of Journey. That's kind of remarkable I think."
    Both Jonathan Cain and Steve Smith have successfully completed their outside projects too, and appear to be absolutely glowing over the experience of continuing their Journey work.
    "I feel like I've come home again," Steve smiles warmly. "As long as we can continue our separate music and film interests, I believe now more than ever before that Journey will last forever. We bring fresh blood to our collaborations thanks to all these outside endeavors. I think our next Journey album will be the best ever - except for the one we do after that!"