Frontiers
Studio album by
Journey
ReleasedFebruary 1, 1983[1]
RecordedAutumn 1982
StudioFantasy Studios (Berkeley, California)
Genre
Length44:09
LabelColumbia
ProducerMike Stone, Kevin Elson
Journey chronology
Escape
(1981) 		Frontiers
(1983) 		Raised on Radio
(1986)
Singles from Frontiers
  1. "Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)"
    Released: January 1983 (US)
  2. "Faithfully"
    Released: April 1983 [2]
  3. "After the Fall"
    Released: July 1983 (US)[3]
  4. "Send Her My Love"
    Released: September 1983

Frontiers is the eighth studio album by the American rock band Journey, released on February 1, 1983, by Columbia Records. This was the band's last album to feature bassist Ross Valory until 1996's Trial by Fire.

The album reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200 chart[4] and would garner four top 40 singles: "After the Fall" (No. 23), "Send Her My Love" (No. 23), "Faithfully" (No. 12), and "Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)" (No. 8),[5] and a rock radio hit in "Chain Reaction". The album would later achieve the RIAA certification of six times platinum.[6]

The album had been sequenced and prepped for pressing when, in a last-minute conference with Journey's A&R man Michael Dillbeck, two songs were pulled from the original lineup, "Ask the Lonely" and "Only the Young". These two tracks were replaced with "Back Talk" and "Troubled Child". "Ask the Lonely" was utilized in the soundtrack for the film Two of a Kind. "Only the Young" would find its way into the Top Ten two years later, as part of the soundtrack of the movie Vision Quest.[7]

The band recorded a song called "All That Really Matters," with keyboardist Jonathan Cain singing lead, during the album sessions. It didn't see release until the 1992 release of the Time3 box set.

Frontiers was the band's highest-charting album in the United Kingdom, reaching No. 6 on the UK Albums Chart in 1983.[8]

Album artwork

Jim Welch designed the album cover. This was the first album cover since Next that did not employ the talents of Stanley Mouse and Alton Kelley.

Welch, who has been Journey's art designer for more than 30 years (as of 2022), commented: "Frontiers was a subtle shift. Mouse and Kelley were not involved with that cover. My vision for Frontiers was based on "tunnels" and the relativity of time and motion. Light stays the same, but time bends. It was Einstein theories for artist interpretation. The alien in Frontiers wasn't really an alien at all, he was a connection to a higher level of listening to Journey."[9]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[10]
Rolling Stone[11]
The Village VoiceD+[12]

In 2005, Frontiers was ranked number 363 in Rock Hard magazine's book The 500 Greatest Rock & Metal Albums of All Time.[13]

Track listing

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)"
5:23
2."Send Her My Love"
  • Perry
  • Cain
3:55
3."Chain Reaction"
4:21
4."After the Fall"
  • Perry
  • Cain
5:01
5."Faithfully"Cain4:27
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
6."Edge of the Blade"
  • Perry
  • Schon
  • Cain
4:30
7."Troubled Child"
  • Perry
  • Schon
  • Cain
4:29
8."Back Talk"
3:17
9."Frontiers"
  • Perry
  • Schon
  • Cain
  • Smith
4:10
10."Rubicon"
  • Perry
  • Schon
  • Cain
4:19
2006 CD reissue bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
11."Only the Young" (from the soundtrack of Vision Quest)
  • Perry
  • Schon
  • Cain
4:18
12."Ask the Lonely" (from the soundtrack of Two of a Kind)
  • Perry
  • Cain
3:55
13."Liberty"
  • Schon
  • Perry
  • Cain
2:54
14."Only Solutions" (from the soundtrack of Tron)
  • Cain
  • Schon
  • Perry
3:33

Personnel

Band members
Additional Musicians
Production

Charts

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[25] Platinum 100,000^
United States (RIAA)[26] 6× Platinum 6,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ "Frontiers".
  2. ^ "Journey singles".
  3. ^ Strong, Martin Charles (1995). The Great Rock Discography. p. 445. ISBN 9780862415419.
  4. ^ "Frontiers Billboard Albums". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved July 15, 2013.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Frontiers Billboard Singles". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved July 15, 2013.
  6. ^ RIAA Gold and Platinum Search for albums by Journey. Retrieved on June 30, 2013.
  7. ^ Journey "Time3" Box Set, page 41, 2005
  8. ^ "Journey Official Charts". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 14, 2013.
  9. ^ "Journey WWW Page Exclusive Interview".
  10. ^ DeGagne, Mike. "Journey Frontiers review". AllMusic. Retrieved July 15, 2013.
  11. ^ Considine, J. D. (April 14, 1983). "Album Reviews: Journey - Frontiers". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on December 22, 2007. Retrieved July 15, 2013.
  12. ^ Christgau, Robert (July 26, 1983). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. New York. Retrieved November 14, 2015.
  13. ^ Best of Rock & Metal - Die 500 stärksten Scheiben aller Zeiten (in German). Rock Hard. 2005. p. 65. ISBN 3-89880-517-4.
  14. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  15. ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 6198a". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved July 25, 2021.
  16. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Journey – Frontiers" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved July 25, 2021.
  17. ^ Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005 (in Japanese). Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN 4-87131-077-9.
  18. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Journey – Frontiers". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 25, 2021.
  19. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Journey – Frontiers". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 25, 2021.
  20. ^ "Journey | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved July 25, 2021.
  21. ^ "Journey Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved July 25, 2021.
  22. ^ ジャーニー - クイーンズライクのアルバム売り上げランキング (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved February 17, 2013.
  23. ^ "Top Singles - Volume 38, No. 4, March 26, 1983". Library and Archives Canada. March 26, 1983. Retrieved July 16, 2013.
  24. ^ "Top Singles - Volume 38, No. 15, June 11, 1983". Library and Archives Canada. June 11, 1983. Retrieved July 16, 2013.
  25. ^ "Canadian album certifications – Journey – Frontiers". Music Canada. Retrieved July 25, 2022.
  26. ^ "American album certifications – Journey – Frontiers". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved July 25, 2022.
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