Freedom (Journey album)

Freedom is the fifteenth studio album by the American rock band Journey, released on July 8, 2022, through BMG Rights Management and Frontiers Records. It is the band's second album to date not to feature founding bassist Ross Valory, who was dismissed in 2020; he was replaced by Randy Jackson, who previously replaced Valory on Raised on Radio (1986). With fifteen songs and a run time of one hour and thirteen minutes, it is the longest Journey album ever released, excluding compilations.^[9][10]

Freedom
Studio album by Journey
Released	July 8, 2022
Recorded	2021
Studio	Tarpan Studio (San Rafael, California) Yo Mama's House (Hollywood, California) Left On Sunset (Hollywood, California) NRG Recording Studios (Los Angeles, California) Addiction Sound (Nashville, Tennessee) Dreamsong (Orlando, Florida)
Length	73:12
Label	BMG
Producer	Neal Schon Jonathan Cain Narada Michael Walden
Journey chronology
Live in Japan 2017: Escape + Frontiers (2019) Freedom (2022) Live in Concert at Lollapalooza (2022)
Singles from Freedom
"The Way We Used to Be" Released: June 24, 2021[1] "You Got the Best of Me" Released: April 26, 2022[2] "Let It Rain" Released: May 17, 2022[3] "Don't Give Up on Us" Released: June 7, 2022[4] "United We Stand" Released: July 4, 2022[5]

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[6]
Classic Rock	[7]
Riff Magazine	[8]

Upon its release Freedom received mixed critical reviews – despite the performances and musicianship receiving near-universal praise, criticism was directed at its production, mixing and length.

Background and title

The album's 11-year gap from Eclipse (2011) marked the longest between two Journey studio albums to date. It is the only Journey album to feature drummer and producer Narada Michael Walden, as well as the first album to feature bassist Randy Jackson since Raised on Radio (1986). Both departed the group before its release.^[11]

The album's title of Freedom was the original title of the group's 1986 album Raised on Radio, but was changed by then lead singer Steve Perry.^[12]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Neal Schon, Jonathan Cain, and Narada Michael Walden, except where noted.

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Together We Run"	Walden Rachel Efron Randy Jackson Cain Schon	4:49
2.	"Don't Give Up on Us"		5:23
3.	"Still Believe in Love"		5:16
4.	"You Got the Best of Me"		5:33
5.	"Live to Love Again"	Cain	5:30
6.	"The Way We Used to Be"		3:35
7.	"Come Away with Me"		4:02
8.	"After Glow"		5:22
9.	"Let It Rain"		4:40
10.	"Holdin' On"	Schon Cain Jackson Walden	3:14
11.	"All Day and All Night"		3:38
12.	"Don't Go"	Arnel Pineda Schon Walden Cain	4:58
13.	"United We Stand"	Schon Cain Jackson Walden	5:05
14.	"Life Rolls On"	Schon Walden	4:57
15.	"Beautiful as You Are"		7:10
Total length:			73:12

Japanese edition bonus track

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
16.	"Hard to Let It Go"	Cain	4:08

Notes

• The CD released by BMG does not list Walden among the writers of "The Way We Used to Be".

Personnel

Journey

• Neal Schon – guitars, backing vocals, keyboards
• Jonathan Cain – keyboards (except "All Day and All Night" and "Don't Go"), backing vocals, synth bass on "Still Believe in Love"
• Arnel Pineda – lead vocals (except "After Glow")
• Randy Jackson – bass (except "Still Believe in Love"), backing vocals
• Narada Michael Walden – drums, backing vocals, keyboards
• Jason Derlatka – backing vocals on tracks 5, 6, 9, 12, 14, 15
• Deen Castronovo – lead vocals on "After Glow"

Production

• Neal Schon, Jonathan Cain, Narada Michael Walden – production
• Bob Clearmountain, Adam Ayan, Jim Reitzel, Keith Gretlein, David Kalmusky – engineering

Charts

Chart performance for Freedom

Chart (2022)	Peak position
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[13]	23
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[14]	25
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[15]	77
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[16]	65
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[17]	7
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[18]	22
Japanese Hot Albums (Billboard Japan)[19]	29
Scottish Albums (OCC)[20]	8
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[21]	92
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[22]	2
UK Albums (OCC)[23]	87
UK Independent Albums (OCC)[24]	3
US Billboard 200[25]	88
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[26]	9
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[27]	17