Mind blowing and bigger than life November 1, 2008
I am not going to diss Steve Perry- in my opinion he is an awesome and amazing singer. I appreciate the newer stuff to a degree- I could do without Raised on Radio (by far Journey's most lame album) and I was not terribly impressed with Steve Augeri, but Perry for the most part was great. So far I think Pineda can handle the range and fits in well, we shall see. But- Next, as well as Journey and Look Into the Future, is a different genre altogether than what the band was/is with Perry/Augeri or Pineda. I appreciate the just plain hardcore almost jazz fusion quality of this album. In comparison to Journey's newer stuff it's almost counter culture. It's music for musicians, but a bit too instrumentally complex for the general public to appreciate. Neal Schon is not only a versatile and prolific guitarist (and he is master of many styles, genres and subgenres- check out his solo stuff as well as SoulSirkus, etc.) but also shall we say an interesting singer. He sings the lead vocal on "Karma" which is my favorite song on this CD. As a former lead singer and bass player in a metal band (it's been a long time) I appreciate both a vocally oriented band (Journey now) and a primarily instrumental jazz fusion/blues type band (Journey then.) Both good- but different.

5 out of 5 stars

Eldo Pop (Brazil, Rio de Janeiro) August 15, 2008
Aqui no Brazil quase todas as musicas do disco tocavam na Radio Eldorado (Eldo Pop)98.1, foi entao que os amantes do rock procuravam por esse e os anteriores para ouvirem sem parar. O RED marcou o fim da banda, ou seja, a borboleta virou lagarta.

5 out of 5 stars

It grows on you after repeated listenings August 4, 2008
When I first heard this album, it back in 1983, 6 years after its release. A friend of mine had a TON of cassettes he wanted to get rid of, so I took this one. I wore that sucker out! Fast forward a few years later to 1990. I was in a used record store and saw this on a LP (long playing) record. I picked it up. My friend, John, who was with me said while scrubching up his face "Journey!?! Yeech!!!" I told him that this was a good album. He sneered, but I KNEW it was a good album. We go back to his house and put the record on. Halfway through the 2nd side, he said "Dude, are you leaving the record here?". When he said that, it sounded more like a command than a question. "Why" I asked. "because I want to make a copy of it"

I have NEVER heard any of these songs on the radio, so this is NOT the usual Journey people are used to, but it's like a cancer, only in a good way. The 1st time you listen, you realize that while it does sound familar, it all new. Then you listen again a few days later, and some songs just start grabbing you. For me, it was "I would Find You" and "Here We Are". In fact, i have to listen to them both. I can't listen to one with the other. This album may have been made back in 1977, but it will always be fresh to me!

4 out of 5 stars

The second in line from Journey July 6, 2008
The sophomore effort from Journey without a true lead singer.Mostly instrumentation from the guys but very well done.The rock roots are very present for the 70's album.Well worth the price musically or as just a collectors item.

5 out of 5 stars

The Difference Between This One And INFINITY Is Incredible June 24, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful

The difference between NEXT, Journey's last pre-Perry album, and INFINITY, the follow-up on which Perry joined, is totally amazing. On this CD, the band is still blending such influences as Rare Earth, Santana, Joe Cocker, the Allman Brothers Band, Steely Dan, the Grateful Dead, Yes, the James Gang, Return To Forever, Little Feat, Genesis, Humble Pie, Chicago, Led Zeppelin, Leon Russell, Grand Funk Railroad, the Mahavishnu Orchestra, Traffic, the Buffalo Springfield, and the Marshall Tucker Band into a unique form of progressive hard blues-rock with jazz and R&B twists. The best songs on this CD are "People" and "Hustler", which sound like lost Led Zeppelin cuts. The band continued to make great music after Perry joined, but we can only guess what might have been had they stayed the course they were on here.