Has the world finally remembered Journey had hits beyond “Don’t Stop Believin’?” The song wasn’t even their biggest single at the time (at least in the US), but, judging by Spotify play counts, it has now eclipsed any of their other hits. But in the cover world, at least, the great “Separate Ways” is making a comeback. Karine Hannah covered it in February, and now that gets followed up with a killer version by hard-rock band Eva Under Fire.
In her recent feature on AOR covers, Hope Silverman wrote:
When it comes to Journey covers, there isn’t a lot of middle ground. On the one hand, you have the acolytes, who tend to be so faithful to the originals that their covers often amount to nothing more than karaoke. Then there are those who take the insufferably ironic approach, donning wigs while performing songs in a “comedic” fashion. Like it or not, Journey songs, and the “Separate Ways” video, in particular, lend themselves pretty easily to that kind of mockery.
Eva Under Fire symphonic-metal version threads that needle perfectly. It’s fun but not funny, taking the song seriously enough but still giving it that over-the-top theatrical bombast it needs. And damn singer Amanda Lyberg can belt; next time Journey needs another lead singer, maybe give her a call?
Check out more Journey covers here.
