With the requested ‘Journey-related’ bands featured yesterday, here’s something you need to check out for sure. There’s many Journey Tribute bands on the road, but ODYSSEY ROAD is perhaps the best of them all. Sanctioned by Neal Schon, ODYSSEY ROAD is the oldest Journey Tribute acts in America, and they were the first to release a 17-song CD of Journey covers available in the Nation; “Essence Recaptured“.
You may ask why to listen to cover versions when you can hear the originals. Well, ODYSSEY ROAD not only are stupendous, but let us to discover how awesome tunes ‘Who’s Crying Now’, ‘Anyway You Want It’, ‘Separate Ways’, etc, are in other hands.
A good song is always a good song, and the cool thing here is that while ODYSSEY ROAD respect the originals – they are a live band, people what to hear these songs in its original form – they add their ‘own touch’ to ’em. Singer James Bubba Sanderford has a set of pipes like a mix between Stan Bush, John Waite and of course… Steve Perry. And the way he modulate, especially the low octaves has ‘something special’…
ODYSSEY ROAD don’t look like Journey (for the most part), they don’t replicate guitars, clothing, etc, but they have the sound and arrangements nailed down tight.
Journey songs aren’t easy to cover, even if you’ve got a vocalist that can hit those notes and duplicate that tone. The guitar parts ain’t easy (Schon is, after all, rated among the guitar gods) particularly the sound set-up; Journey’s drummers have always been stellar, and the keys & bass have to be perfect.
You’ll be surprised by ODYSSEY ROAD’s “Essence Recaptured”; great performances, professional production & mix, and like I said, these guys have ‘something especial’. They are capable songwriters as well, and added as bonus we find a ODYSSEY ROAD original song.
Journey is one of the greatest bands in Rock history, and ODYSSEY ROAD here makes justice to their music for sure.
Highly Recommended
01 – Don’t Stop Believin’
02 – Wheel In The Sky
03 – Faithfully
04 – I’ll Be Alright Without You
05 – Anyway You Want It
06 – Ask The Lonely
07 – Who’s Crying Now
08 – Separate Ways ( Worlds Apart )
09 – Feeling That Way
10 – Anytime
11 – Lights
12 – Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin’
13 – Open Arms
14 – Girl Can’t Help It
15 – Send Her My Love
16 – After The Fall
17 – Be Good To Yourself
18 – If I Never Have You (original song) [bonus]
James Bubba Sanderford – lead vocals
Mike Soper – keys, synths, vocals
Paulie G – guitars, vocals
Brian Lutz – drums
Bobby G – bass, vocals