Faithfully

So, once again I am long overdue for a post and way behind on things.  As mentioned earlier, I was out on the road for a week.  Long time to be gone from my computer!  As I was driving through the beautiful countryside going from gig to gig, I heard Journey's "Faithfully" on the radio.  I thought, "This is the perfect song for the road."  I listened to it again this morning and feel that it is probably one of the most perfect songs ever.  Listening to the beginning, I am blown away by how perfectly Steve Perry's beautiful voice is complimented by the piano line.  It is a perfectly matched ensemble of voice and piano - a perfect balance of melody and harmony.  I have heard so many performances of instrumentalists accompanied by piano, and none are a perfect as this opening.  The song progresses along with bits of added color by the guitar.  Drums come in with a few punctuations followed by a steady yet oh-so-subtle high hat to keep the rhythm in the third verse.  As I listen to the song again and again, I discover so many remarkable elements.  There are some really amazing solo guitar lines in this song, excellent balance and development of the vocal/instrumental combinations, and genuine, heart-felt lyrics.  It's not often that we hear "love affair" in rock lyrics, but Journey delivers that so beautifully.  "Being apart ain't easy on this love affair..."  Indeed.  Wow--I love this song.

The video is also pretty amazing.  Great glimpse once again into the styles of the decade.  If you watch it a couple of times, you'll notice all kinds of subtleties, including different seasons while they are on the road.  Nice to see a corded telephone gain, too.  I'm not quite sure I understand the mustache thing - but Steve Perry looks and sounds amazing with or without it.  Bravo, Mr. Perry!