Why Journey Was the Hardest Thing Narada Michael Walden Ever Did

For a short second, Journey had an “army of drummers.” That’s how legendary drummer and producer Narada Michael Walden phrases the time he spent taking part in reside with the San Francisco-bred rock legends. As he advised UCR, it was additionally one in every of the hardest issues he is ever carried out.

Walden had crossed paths with numerous members of the group all through his lengthy profession. But he linked up with Neal Schon to assist produce and co-write materials for the guitarist’s Universe solo album, which was launched in 2020.

They by no means left the studio – and earlier than he knew it, he was serving to the members of Journey craft their first new studio album in over a decade. Freedom arrived in 2022, an expansive double LP with fifteen new songs that the band wrote with Walden, who co-produced the effort with Schon and Jonathan Cain.

He performed a sequence of high-profile concert events with Journey in 2021, together with a headlining efficiency at Lollapalooza. The exhibits marked an extra evolution for the group, who welcomed Deen Castronovo again to the ranks – and carried out with each drummers for a short interval. But Walden finally determined to step away.

In the previous couple of years, he is been engaged on quite a lot of tasks, together with Euphoria, his newest solo album, which might be launched on Nov. 17. He’ll preview the set with a brand new single, “The More I Love My Life” on Nov. 10. The energetic single options Sting, Carlos Santana and Stevie Wonder and proves that Walden hasn’t misplaced a little bit of his zest for making music.

During a dialog on Zoom, he mentioned quite a lot of matters, together with the new album. In the first a part of the interview beneath, he digs into his rocket trip expertise with Journey and why he determined he wanted to go away. 

You had labored with Neal Schon on his Universe album, however you have been additionally coming in after Steve Smith left Journey, so there’s various various things that occurred main as much as you doing the Freedom album with the band. How did all of it unfold out of your perspective?
I did the Universe solo album with Neal and we broke a whole lot of love and a whole lot of soul on that report, right here in the studio, reside. It was such a loving undertaking [for both of us] that when COVID got here round, it shut the whole lot down. We couldn’t go anyplace. We have been caught. So by some means or one other, it was urged, “Why don’t we just do a Journey album?” I’m unsure if Neal urged it or I urged it or the way it got here down. But it was like, “Maybe I could just join up and do it with Journey and make a new album.” That form of factor. It was very natural and pure, the way it form of fell into that. Neal was on a excessive, creatively talking. He introduced in his keyboards and his amplifier, which we nonetheless had from the solo album, arrange already. He introduced in a number of extra issues that he needed to get into.

I stated, “Why don’t I just help you channel your vision for what you think that Journey should be doing at this time?” That’s what I did, I simply form of helped him have infants. He would go on the keyboard and simply hear it, what he felt and what he cherished. Then, we’d instantly observe that concept on guitar and reside drums. No bass. We may do this for the first 4 or 5 concepts after which ship it out to Randy [Jackson] in L.A. to place bass on. [Then we would] ship it out to Jonathan Cain to do some keyboard work after which write some lyrics. When I’d get the lyrics again from Jonathan, then I’d join on Zoom with Arnel [Pineda] in the Philippines. I’d are available on the night time shift with Jimmy Reitzel, our predominant engineer and say, “Hi, Arnel!” He’d sing it on Zoom and we’d report it on the album.

It simply snowballed. There have been so many songs carried out like that. Neal caught a fireplace and thought after thought stored coming. Now, we’ve acquired a double album. There was a lot materials that it grew to become [that]. Everyone simply had fun giving to the undertaking. Bob Clearmountain stepped in and did some mixing. Before we knew it, he blended a complete album. Like I stated, we had time on our fingers throughout COVID, so we simply used our inventive juices and acquired busy. One factor led to a different and earlier than we knew it, we had a double album up in right here.

READ MORE: Journey, ‘Freedom’: Album Review

Did you assume you have been going to exit on the highway with the band? All of the sudden, you’re in the group.
Yeah, I preferred the thought of taking part in the basic hits. I really like a few of their basic hits. Neal had requested at one level about me doing…he had form of a Journey band [Journey Through Time] that does extra of the jam aspect. I wasn’t curious about that. I’ll have stated to him alongside the manner, “You know, I’m a fan of Steve Smith and I like a lot of the things he’s played with you cats and I like your hits. So maybe at some point, if Journey ever tours, maybe I can help on that side.” Because I like the hits. Then, that occurred. [Laughs] That occurred, man. Where I really began studying the materials.

After COVID, we did some exhibits in Chicago. We went up there to rehearse and we did [a show] at the Aragon Ballroom. It was in all probability the most excessive [of the shows we played]. I’ll always remember my drum solo on that first night time taking part in with Journey. I really misplaced consciousness, I went that prime. I don’t even bear in mind what I performed. I acquired out of the physique. On the final night time we have been in Chicago, we did a large present known as Lollapalooza, for 125,000 folks open air, throughout the tail finish of COVID. It was nonetheless occurring. But they didn’t care. They needed the rock, so we introduced it, man. We introduced it hardcore.

The manner all of it unfolded, after I went to Chicago to rehearse with the band, it was a lot music. Like, I discovered the first 11 songs. And then, they gave me, possibly one other 13 songs. Also, I need to say, they needed to play the reside variations. Not the report variations, however the reside variations. Everything that Steve [Smith] had carried out reside. Which is a whole lot of drumming. To memorize all of that [was a lot]. In the fifth day of rehearsals, Neal stated, “We want to do more than these songs you’ve learned. Playing the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago, we want to be able to draw from the hat of older material.” Early Journey with Aynsley Dunbar. [Laughs] So he stated, “I suggest we bring in Deen [Castronovo], who knows that music too. You can learn from him.” I stated, “Great!”

So in got here Deen and he was shocked, me. I’m him and there’s a Roland drum package there and there’s my drums. We began taking part in collectively and like that, we locked – with what he knew and what I knew. I began realizing that what I knew may be a bit bit completely different than what he was taking part in. So I needed to form of be on my toes to lock in with [us having] two drummers, actually play the groove robust and go together with what I knew. That’s form of what we did. We did one other 5 days of rehearsing with what he knew from all of the years of touring with Journey and what I had discovered in studying the recordings with Steve and no matter else. We form of discovered a mishmash of the better of each worlds. It appeared like a military of drummers. It sounded simply big. I imply, even Neal was like, “It’s an army of drummers!” He was turned on by it. We all acquired turned on by it.

For the reside exhibits, like Aragon and Lollapalooza, the sound is huge. It’s like Journey instances two. Me and him collectively, going at it. It was huge. We went again and did some extra exhibits [after that]. The final present was in Pennsylvania after which God stated that was sufficient. But I did my share, to actually assist [them] popping out of COVID, carry a brand new life again to that band. They had a brand new double album. But I’m gonna inform you one thing, man. Journey music is not any joke. Because Steve Smith – let me inform you – he’s a beast. It’s humorous, again in my [early] life, after the Mahavishnu Orchestra and dealing with Jean-Luc Ponty, Steve Smith got here on the scene and began taking part in with Ralphe Armstrong and [Ponty]. I knew about him. He was an awesome, younger cat on the scene.

When I got here out right here to San Francisco, Steve took a number of classes with me, really. I confirmed him some stuff I’d discovered from Steve Gadd in New York. I used to be sharing with him stuff I’d discovered and he would share with me. It was enjoyable, to be form of buddies. We had a band collectively at one level with two drummers, known as Take That. We’d do battles collectively, simply form of going at it. So I grew to become an actual buddy to Steve. But it’s a unique factor to be taught what he performed with Journey, be aware for be aware. He performed a whole lot of music, man. Quite a lot of fills, a whole lot of stuff. Quite a lot of chops – and I needed to actually be taught all of that stuff. Man, it was in all probability one in every of the hardest issues I’ve needed to do in my life. You see, as a result of [playing with] Mahavishnu Orchestra, though it’s exhausting, it’s open to interpretation. It’s open to spontaneity. You know, you be part of Tommy Bolin, you may play no matter. But it’s opened up, there’s a whole lot of room to do stuff.

That’s not the case with Journey. Journey was like taking part in a Broadway present. It was like getting into particular fills that individuals have grown to like and anticipate. If you don’t play those self same feels, it doesn’t really feel like Journey. So that’s what I needed to be taught. It’s not as open to interpretation as one may assume. It’s actually like, play the guide that we’re used to listening to – with new gusto – however play the guide. Because should you change it round an excessive amount of, the followers don’t jell, prefer it’s Journey. When you play these actual drum fills, it’s like, “Whoa, this is Journey.” Because there’s a whole lot of imitation bands on the market, which I didn’t take into consideration that a lot. You know, there’s a whole lot of imitators doing their very own factor. So when Journey exhibits up, they’re anticipating Journey! [Laughs] So that’s what I needed to be taught. It’s a whole lot of music, man. Oh my God, it’s a whole lot of music.

Watch Journey Perform ‘Any Way You Want It’ at Lollapalooza

I respect you sharing all of that, as a result of I believe of us have been actually interested in why you stepped away. It was a particular second having you in the lineup. I’m glad it was documented with the Lollapalooza launch.
Thank you, brother. You know, I had a whole lot of stress in my life. Like I advised you, I’ve acquired three younger youngsters. I couldn’t be gone that lengthy. And Journey, man. I form of knew they toured so much … however you recognize, no matter. No. No, they tour. They’re beasts. They’re touring beasts. I imply, it’s nothing for them to be gone all of the time. Major excursions – after which all of the company gigs on prime of that after which extra main touring. It wasn’t good for my life. But Neal grew to become a extremely shut buddy. Jonathan Cain is a really gifted cat, as you recognize, Randy Jackson didn’t tour with us, however he performed super bass. Marco Mendoza was with us on bass after I was touring with them. He was one other beast. Deen coming again, stronger than ever – he was all cleaned out and simply robust, simply singing and taking part in [his heart out]. It was cool to lock with him. He introduced that brother spirit out. There was a whole lot of love happening and a whole lot of depth.

I grew to become actually shut with Neal’s spouse as properly, Michaele. She’s a spearhead in the band, actually driving with Neal and simply targeted on Journey and the way they will maintain it going and have the possession they deserve and get it to the place they be ok with it, to allow them to go for one more 25 years! They’re actually pushed, man. I’ve actually acquired to take my hat off for the quantity of affection they’re actually making an attempt to protect [with] Journey, as folks. It’s like going again into time warp. People hear this music and so they bear in mind the place they have been after they heard that music. They get excited. The entire place will get excited. I imply, “Don’t Stop Believin’” isn’t just a tune. It’s an anthem. People get chills. They get caught up in the fever, the faith, the spirituality of it. I gotta inform you, man. It’s like a faith. Journey’s like a faith. A very good faith or spirituality. It’s a excessive that individuals sit up for after they hear the music.

“Mother, Father” – the entire catalog, man. It will simply beat you up, since you go, “Damn, I love that song! Damn, there’s another one!” It simply retains going like that. And Neal’s like a beast. He’s bringing it. Note for be aware. Bringing it. You know, once you ask me about that form of stuff, I really feel captivated with it. Because I knew there was a whole lot of love in it. Even although they might battle generally. You know, as a result of they’ve been collectively [for a lot of years], they’re like brothers. When the music hits on the stage, it’s like BAM. It’s otherworldly. I imply, working with Journey, I’m going to inform you, man. It was otherworldly for me. I knew it will be an enormous to-do. But I didn’t notice it will be that massive. It’s an enormous expertise. It’s like getting into something that you recognize and love by means of the years and also you need to deal with it with nice reverence. That’s what I attempted my greatest to do is deal with it with nice reverence.

READ MORE: All 173 Journey Songs Ranked