“I haven’t heard this in 35 years,” Gregg Rolie allows, as he and guitarist Alan Haynes launch into a searching version of the title track from Journey’s 1976 album Look Into the Future. It’s never sounded better.
Rolie co-founded Journey after both he and Neal Schon left Santana, releasing a self-titled LP in 1975. The band eventually fashioned a trio of proggy, jam-band-ish fusion albums through ’77 — all of them recorded with Ross Valory and Aynsley Dunbar on bass and drums — in those heady pre-Steve Perry days. When none reached higher than No. 85 on the album charts, however, the band added Perry — and began a steady ascent to the very top of the pop charts.
Along the way, songs like “Look Into the Future” — originally an eight-minute exploration, it’s one of the longest-ever recorded Journey tracks — somehow got left behind. Until now, that is: Rolie has included “Look Into the Future,” featured here as an exclusive stream, on a terrific new concert recording from his 2012 appearance at the Iridium in New York City.
Also featured are his Journey classic “Anytime” as well as select songs from his tenure in Santana (“Black Magic Woman,” “Treat,” “Evil Ways”) and a host of other cover songs like Don Robey’s “As the Years Go Passing By.” “Trouble in Mind,” “If I Went Home,” “Cool Little Mama” were also featured on Rolie’s 2010 solo EP Five Days.
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Want more? The Gregg Rolie Band has a stand-alone Web site with additional music and other cool merchandise.
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