Journey, ‘City Of Hope’ – Video Review

Journey has released their new video for 'City of Hope,' which was the initial single from the band's current album 'Eclipse.'

The new song was written in frontman Arnel Pineda's homeland of Manila, Phillipines, and reportedly inspired by the area. So it makes sense that the video shows the band exploring the city, intermixed with performance and rehearsal footage (filmed in San Francisco) of them performing 'City of Hope.'

Some pretty cool video effects add extra spice to the clip, including editing that drops a black and white extracted visual of guitarist Neal Schon over the otherwise colorized landscape. Schon's slicing guitar riffs are at the center of the track, so it makes good sense that video cuts of him are often the connecting point as scenes and scenery shift.

The 'City of Hope' video offers an interesting glimpse into the often colorful culture of Manila, and reveals the open adoration that is expressed by the local citizens towards Pineda. The residents are visibly proud that one of their own has done so well and brought so much attention to their city. Band members are shown signing autographs as local fans film and photograph the band, with the group patiently posing together for these amateur journalists.

As you can imagine, Pineda's addition to Journey has opened up a new pocket of popularity for the group in the Philippines. Just as they did with their recent DVD 'Live in Manila,' Journey has wisely embraced the promotional opportunity presented by the subject matter of 'City of Hope' for this video. (You can also read our song review of 'City of Hope' here.)

Jonathan Cain recently spoke with Ultimate Classic Rock about Journey's new album and Pineda's contributions to the band, saying that the new singer has “done really well,” and calling him an “inspiration.”

Watch Journey Perform 'City Of Hope'