Greatest Hits Live

Here, fans who were too young to experience Journey in its heyday can now hear how flawlessly the band performed in a live setting. Over enthusiastic crowd noises, Journey opens with “Don’t Stop Believin’,” which sounds near-identical to the studio recording, save for some charged audience sing-alongs in the chorus. Neal Schon’s guitar also sounds noticeably more ferocious here and throughout—as if the bite of his studio solos had been tamed by producers when they started rolling tape. With its gleaming synth hook and pounding rhythm section, the anthemic “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)” sounds tailor-made for the stadium stage, while the power ballad “Lights” takes on a new life in this setting. Interesting factoid: the cover art for Greatest Hits Live was illustrated by Steven Adler of Guns N’ Roses fame.