Alfred Publishing Releases Updated Journey Songbooks
(ShackMan | Posted 2010-05-05)
Alfred Publishing may be one of the largest publishing companies in the business, distributing products from over 50
companies, including Belwin, Daisy Rock Girl Guitars, Dover Publications, DW Drums, Faber Music, Highland/Etling, Kalmus Editions, National Guitar Workshop, Penguin, TASCAM, Ultimate Support & WEA. They also make some of the better-known and more widely used piano methods out there for teaching newer students. In light of the recent popularity of Journey's music, Alfred has decided to re-release their Journey songbook as arranged for piano and voice.
The new arrangements feature a brand new font and engraving for easier reading as well as tighter arrangements that get closer to the original Journey recordings. These new arrangements are possible because of Alfred's decision to publish the new book without the melody line in the piano, something I, as a pianist, greatly appreciate, and audiences will too. Using the vocal line in the music all too often lends an amateurish feel to the performance and, as long as the vocalist has done his or her home practicing, it's entirely unnecessary. That frees up the pianist to play more notes and more relaxed arrangements, and it frees up the duo to create more of a full ensemble setting within the music. This pianist wishes that more publishing and editing companies would do the same. Kudos to Alfred for taking a step in the right direction.
The new songbook is a running list of Journey's greatest hits with "Only the Young," "Don't Stop Believin'," "Faithfully," "Any Way You Want It," "Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)," and the classic ballad "Open Arms" as just a sample of the fifteen songs in it. It's an adequate sampling of Journey's career, although I feel that they could have including a few more to round out the selections with some less well-known titles.
The "Journey Greatest Hits" Piano/Vocal/Guitar book is available online at www.alfred.com (make sure you click on the UPDATED Edition) with a price tag of $19.99 plus shipping and handling.
