While Journey fans await the band's upcoming album currently in the works, leader Neal Schon will close out 2020 with Universe — the guitarist's first solo set in five years.
Schon posted a message to fans on his Instagram page announcing the new album:
Dear friends hope your all having a great weekend. The weathers (sic) been amazing — I’m so ready to play live!!!
If nothing good at all came out of all these months of COVID my chops are up and I’ve learned how to be my own guitar tech lol . . . I’ve learned a lot about what I like. Hope to get back to it next year at some point. Until then I’m going to keep recording new music.
(The) Universe album will become available soon next month and I think you’ll all find it very healing and apropo (sic) for the times / rocking also. Tributes to Jimi Hendrix, Prince, Stevie Wonder, The Beatles, John McLaughlin, and Journey. . . yes Journey with an instrumental version of “Lights” and amazing all original songs written and Produced by Narada Michael Walden — also New Journey music coming after the first of the year.
We asked Neal Schon if he ever thinks about recapturing Journey's early-'80s success with new material: “I'm not even thinking about that. What we need to bring to the table is what we all have. I'm just bringing what I have, and that's good enough for me — so if it's not good enough for everyone else, then I'll just cater to that audience out there that likes what I do. Whoever digs it, great.”
