Neal Schon

With the release of his Higher Octave debut "Beyond The Thunder," guitarist Neal Schon reveals an aspect of his musical personality that will surprise his longtime followers while introducing his distinctive instrumental voice to legions of new fans. Best known as the lead guitarist and songwriter of the platinum-gilded rock group Journey, the biggest selling band in CBS' history, Schon investigates gentler and more contemplative moods on this album of lyrical guitar instrumentals.

"Everybody says, This is so different for you, what have you been listening to? It's what I've been listening to my whole life, it's just that I've never presented this side of myself on record before," explains the California-based musician. "I wanted to convey a feeling, not so much to make a statement of musical genius but to capture some soul and feeling on tape in a simple format. I found out it's not as easy at it appears."

Playing guitar, however, has always come easily to Schon. He took up the instrument at the age of ten; he was improvising by the time he was 13; and he joined the Santana band when he was just 15. Neal's father had been a jazz saxophonist and band leader, his mother a singer; but Neal was immediately drawn to rock and roll - the Beatles and the Dave Clark Five, but especially Cream and Jimi Hendrix. "I really understood that," he says, "I sat with those records in my bedroom all day long, doing nothing but listening to songs, copping licks, figuring out where those guys had their fingers on the fret board."

Schon was so devoted to his music that he would skip school in order to practice. Eventually he began sneaking away from his home in San Mateo and slipping into San Francisco, where he could jam with such guitar giants as Gabor Szabo, B.B. King, Albert King, and Buddy Guy. "I got this reputation as the fastest gun in town," he remembers, "the guy who could shoot anybody down, so they used to bring these kids from all over the place and the kids got bigger and bigger."

Schon parlayed his legendary prowess and his many professional connections into his first high profile role - alongside Carlos Santana. In 1973, shortly after he and keyboardist Gregg Rolie left Santana, they formed Journey, which gradually ascended to the top of the pop charts with such radio staples as 'Lights', 'Lovin, Touchin, Squeezin''Anyway You Want It' and 'Open Arms'

"I did one track in Journey that reminds me of what I'm doing on this new album," Schon recalls. "The solo at the end of 'I'll Be Alright Without You' was a sort of rolling blues over the top of the R&B changes. It's really a lot of fun to play that way, with a little jazz, blues, R&B, and Spanish influence, because it's so natural for me."

The challenge of "Beyond The Thunder" was to come up with expressive material to which Schon could apply that fluid technique. To that end, he called upon his longtime collaborator in Journey, gifted and versatile keyboardist Jonathan Cain. A former member of the immensely popular power pop band, The Babys, Cain had joined Journey in 1980 and immediately exerted his compositional skills, co-writing the top five hit "Who's Crying Now."

"It's so important that the songs are always there," Schon explains. "Jonathan has such a great songwriting ability in general, and an ear for melody in particular. There's just a chemistry between us - when we were writing, we came up with a song a day, or more, from out of nowhere."

When it came time to record the songs, Schon called on Journey drummer Steve Smith and paired him with Minneapolis bassist Billy Peterson. "He plays a lot of upright electric stick bass, which adds a beautiful dimension to the record," Schon says of Peterson. "Sting is going to take note of this guy." On other tracks, Schon brought in Oakland drummer Tommy Bradford and bassist Tony Saunders. "The rest is just Jonathan and myself," the guitarist explains, "with [original Santana percussionists] Chepito Areas and Mike Carabello on a few tunes."

The result is an album that flows effortlessly through 13 different moods and grooves, from 'Big Moon"' through 'Cool Breeze' reflecting myriad international influences - on such compositions as 'Bandalero' ,'Zanzibar','Espanique' and 'Caribbean Blue' - but always riding on Schon's distinctive, glistening guitar work.

"It's easy for me to sound like almost anybody, from B.B. King to Jimi Hendrix," Schon says, "but what I'm really concentrating on is coming up with my own style and sounding like Neal Schon, trying to maintain a style that people can recognize."

That style has always been indelibly associated with rock and blues, whether in the bands Journey, Bad English, and Hardline, or supporting former Free and Bad Company vocalist Paul Rodgers. Indeed, Schon has actually intensified his rock playing this year, touring with Rodgers, working with Abraxas (which includes all the original members of the Santana band except Carlos Santana), writing for Steve Miller, and planning a new Journey record. "I love playing rock and roll and I probably always will," Schon says, "because there's nothing like cranking up a big amp and playing in a big place - it's exciting, the adrenaline is real heavy. But this new music is a little more mature. I'm experimenting a lot, I feel compelled by playing again; I'm pushed by it and I'm just looking to get better in different ways."

Consequently, "Beyond The Thunder" becomes even more important as a full representation of Schon's muse. It is not the first album under his own name - he recorded two projects with Jan Hammer in the 70s and the solo "Late Night" in the mid-80s - but it's easily his favorite. "I am really happy with it," Schon says of "Beyond The Thunder," "it turned out great. It's one of the best things I've done. Hopefully, I think we'll set a new little standard for other people to follow."