Infinity (Journey album)
Infinity is the fourth studio album by American rock band Journey, released in January 1978 on Columbia Records. It was the band's first album with vocalist Steve Perry and the last to feature drummer Aynsley Dunbar.
Looking for a stronger lead vocalist, Journey briefly enlisted Robert Fleischman and even recorded a few tracks with him, one of which, "For You", later appeared on the Time3 compilation album and Fleischman's solo album Perfect Stranger. Fleischman was soon replaced by Steve Perry, due to musical and management differences. Fleischman would later resurface as the first singer of the glam metal band Vinnie Vincent Invasion.
In "Feeling That Way", Perry dueted with keyboardist Gregg Rolie, who sings lead vocals on "Anytime".
"Patiently" was the first song Perry and Neal Schon wrote together. Perry wrote the lyrics, in which he expresses the sadness of being on the road and away from home, while also expressing admiration for the band's fans, and Schon wrote the music for the song. Other popular singles included "Lights" and "Wheel in the Sky". The latter was co-written with temporary frontman Fleischman.
Journey's manager, Herbie Herbert, enlisted English producer Roy Thomas Baker to produce Infinity. Baker produced a layered sound approach, similar to his work with Queen, as demonstrated on tracks such as "Winds of March". In addition, Baker's method of stacked harmonies, notable on several other albums he produced, became trademarks of Journey's sound. He achieved this by having each vocalist sing each harmony part in unison. This had the effect of making three or four voices sound like more, and is notable on the songs "Feeling that Way" and "Anytime", which are often played in tandem consecutively on radio stations as presented on the album.
The addition of Perry gave the band a more mainstream sound, and helped Journey attain their highest chart success to date.
Track listing
Personnel
Band members
- Steve Perry – lead vocals
- Neal Schon – electric and acoustic guitars, backing vocals
- Gregg Rolie – keyboards, backing and co-lead vocals
- Ross Valory – bass guitar, backing vocals
- Aynsley Dunbar – drums, percussion
Production
- Roy Thomas Baker – producer, mixing
- Geoff Workman – engineer
Charts
| Year | Chart | Position |
| 1978 | Billboard 200 | 21 |
| 1978 | RPM100 Albums | 22 |
| 1978 | Swedish Albums Chart | 37 |
| 2006 | Oricon Japanese Albums Charts | 238 |
;Singles
| Year | Title | Chart | Position |
| 1978 | "Wheel in the Sky" | Billboard Hot 100 | 57 |
| 1978 | "Wheel in the Sky" | RPM100 Hit Tracks | 45 |
| 1978 | "Anytime" | Billboard Hot 100 | 83 |
| 1978 | "Lights" | Billboard Hot 100 | 68 |