Journey was once my favorite group, and my introduction to the world of rock before MTV erupted on the music scene. It's actually coincidental that one of Journey's biggest and best albums, in my opinion, occurred in practically the same time frame. So, I was eager to get my hands on Livin' Just to Find Emotion by David Hamilton Golland. This book covers all the territory from the start of the band to their most recent fallout.

A few months ago, I read another Journey book, which makes it interesting to compare. I found this book easier to read in that it's set up more like a story or biography and not just a chronicle of the band. Both books gave me some interesting insights into the band, the origins, and what it meant to be part of Journey. I did prefer this one because of the way it's written although there are a few issues I have with the book that gave me pause.

The issues I'm speaking of were the comparisons to Motown in the book. Obviously, Motown influenced a staggering number of musicians and their music. It's accurate to say that lead singer Steve Perry considered Sam Cooke an influence on his singing, but I don't feel that Journey has its roots in Motown--it has roots in an endless amount of musical genres. The book brings up a divide between music beloved by the black and white communities, which I found to be an interesting angle but doesn't feel like it has a basis in reality with this band's music. Can't people just like whatever music they like? Does music really separate people as much as the underlying message of this book suggests?

Also, the assumptions that Steve Perry may be bisexual seemed completely unfound. Just because he became friends with Patty Jenkins and consulted on her movie, Monster, and liked the movie? If you remember, the movie was about female serial killer Aileen Wuornos who was involved with both men and women. Charlize Theron played the part and won an Oscar for her portrayal. She even thanked Steve Perry! Or just because he had long hair and wore some frilly shirts in the 1970s? I found this to be a stretch.

Otherwise, I thought this was a well-written, appealing book, which I enjoyed except for those blips mentioned in the last few paragraphs. Whereas the last book I read confused me about the tangled web of lawsuits infiltrating the band, this cleared up all the reasons and logistics of them, which I really appreciated it.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Styx, Journey, Foreigner, Boston, you name it, I listened to it. Some disparagingly called it corporate rock or arena rock, but I enjoyed it. My older brothers and sisters introduced me to it, and it's a shared connection to the music and memories that were made while listening to various performers.

I only knew the basics about Journey, and part of that was from a documentary I streamed a few years ago. While I learned more about the individual members of the group throughout the years, the author was not objective and had an agenda, despite saying he was a fan and loved their music when he was younger. Really had a beef against Steve Perry, accusing him explicitly of the cultural appropriation of the soul sound in his music. Made it clear that it was okay for Elvis to get his influence from black musicians, but Perry was guilty of liking Motown too much. Later, while discussing Steve's minor involvement in the making of the movie, Monster, the author speculates that Perry might have enjoyed watching the lesbian love scenes in the movie because many men like that sort of thing? Like. what? Because Perry has notoriously stayed out of the spotlight as much as possible since leaving the group, I guess it's okay for an author to speculate about one's sexuality.

Then there's the fact that the author's feelings about the various musicians who have been part of the band throughout the years. Who knew Journey's story was actually about race?

This book was not what I expected it to be at all.

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers provided an early galley for review.

The music of Journey is part of the soundtrack of my junior high and high school years. For someone growing up in a western New York town, these songs were vibrant and expansive, evoking freedom and possibility. When this one popped up on upcoming releases, I was definitely interested to check it out.

Right from the introduction, Golland makes it clear that this is more than just a rehashing of the band history and discography. Given his profession, he looks at the band's journey from a very specific viewpoint: race. I was curious to see how this would play out as Journey is not a band I think of instantly when the word "race" comes to mind.

I learned a lot from the early chapters, especially the origins of the band and their connections with other groups. In fact, throughout I enjoyed seeing how Journey's path crossed with other acts of the time as well. It gave me a lot of context for the music going on at the same time. Of course, when Perry joined the group with the Infinity album, that is when they also hit my pre-teen listening radar.

The latter chapters after Perry's departure were also very interesting, especially for someone like me who put the band aside after that point. From what I can tell, I was hardly the only one. Still, watching as those who remained did everything they could to keep the band relevant was also an interesting read. Overall, this is very much a classic rock 'n' roll story.