Band:	Journey
Album:	Live In Manila
Style:	Adult oriented rock
Release date:	October 02, 2009
A review by:	Baz Anderson

Disc I
01. The Journey/Majestic
02. Never Walk Away
03. Only The Young
04. Ask The Lonely
05. Stone In Love
06. Keep On Running
07. After All These Years
08. Change For The Better
09. Wheel In The Sky
10. Lights
11. Still They Ride
12. Open Arms
13. Mother Father
14. Wildest Dreams
15. When You Love A Woman
16. Separate Ways
17. What I Needed

Disc II
01. Edge Of The Blade
02. Where Did I Lose Your Love
03. Escape
04. Faithfully
05. Don't Stop Believin'
06. Anyway You Want It
07. Lovin' Touchin' Squeezin'
08. Turn Down The World
09. Be Good To Yourself

Journey are everywhere at the moment, but just a few years ago they were no where to be seen. One of the all time greatest 80's rock bands have resurrected themselves in a way no one thought possible. A large part of credit for this can be taken by the band's new Steve Perry sound-a-like Phillipino singer, Arnel Pineda. This guy is an outstanding vocalist, his singing is in exactly the same style as the great Steve Perry. It is with Arnel that Journey once again have someone capable of giving all the band's classics what they deserve.

Live In Manila is a homecoming for Arnel, and shows Journey in concert in front of 30,000 people on a huge stage. A big screen and one of those catwalk stages shows the magnitude of the occasion. The DVD itself was recorded using "special 4K high-definition cameras with a resolution exceeding 35mm", which apparently means better quality, although there isn't any great difference to the norm. The sound quality is top-notch, clearly flaunting each instrument from the keyboard to the bass guitar.

The performance is monumental. The set runs in total for about two and a half hours, and acts almost as a "greatest hits" in a whole new element performed live. Songs from the band's latest album and first with Arnel, Revelation also make an appearance. Songs like "Change For The Better" and "Turn Down The World Tonight" blend in superbly with old classics such as, well, the whole rest of the DVD.

Perhaps understandably so, the band, Arnel in particular are a little stiff at the beginning. By the end however, he is comfortably master of the stage jumping around, acting the part having the time of his life. The extremely long set will be too much for casual Journey listeners, Live In Manila is therefore probably reserved for the fanatic fans. The closing duo of "Don't Stop Believin'" and "Any Way You Want It" sets the house on fire, although the adapted new ending to the former is also a little bemusing.

Journey are an extremely talented melodic rock band, but their true magic lies in their ability to write catchy, memorable, and usually highly emotive songs. Arnel blows the audience away with a stunningly moving performance of "Faithfully", proof if you needed any more that Journey have the right man for the job. Drummer Deen Castronovo also demands an honourable mention very capably handling lead vocals whilst drumming for songs such as "Keep On Running" and "Still They Ride".

An encore of three songs closes the epic set, leaving all in awe. Live In Manila is a perfect display of Journey today, showing you that this band is very much alive once more and can still deliver an absolutely timeless, magnificent set that will have you just wishing for more. There is no other rock band out there in this day and age that can take you on an emotional journey like this and still rock the house to its knees. This band deserve everything they get.