Journey mainstay Neal Schon, the only member of the globally renowned arena band who's been there since day one, has just released his latest solo venture -- an all instrumental album he recorded on a four-day creative spree right after putting the finishing touches to his band's last album "Eclipse." The album entitled "The Calling" is instantly interesting considering it is "showcasing a side of Schon that isn’t often represented on Journey albums." Released by MCA Music late last January, the 12-track instrumental set was created minus the pressure of giving in to the requirements of radio-friendly format, thus, guitar purists and music enthusiasts tired of hearing saleably safe and forcibly derivative hooks will find this one a breath of fresh air, especially that it comes from a guitar god whose talent sometimes gets underrated when stirred with Journey's monumental pop rock success. From the in-your-face “Back Smash" to the new age-meets-jazz-meets-movie soundtrack “Fifty Six,” to the contrapuntal, classical-sounding “Irish Field”, "The Calling" is a sonic adventure borne out of artistic depth resulting from years of exposure to a wide array of music.
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