If Journey's video for "Chain Reaction" video was a tuxedo, it wouldn't just be any tuxedo; it'd be one of those that screams "disco ball at a funeral." Here we have the band, decked out in outfits that seem to have been borrowed from a Las Vegas magician's rejected wardrobe, waltzing through a series of scenes that make as much sense as pineapple on pizza (yeah I went there). The video's plot, if we dare use the word "plot" in this context, swings between abstract performance art and an undercover prom night gone awry. What's actually going on here?
Steve Perry, with hair that deserves its own zip code, leads the charge, belting out vocals with the kind of intensity you'd expect from someone trying to serenade a cat out of a tree. Neil Schon, meanwhile, seems to have been told that the best way to handle his guitar was as if he was trying to solve a Rubik's cube blindfolded – and the result is visually perplexing but undeniably captivating. And why are these two fighting over a mannequin anyway?
And the tuxedos, oh the tuxedos! Each seems to have been designed with the philosophy that more is more, and then some. Imagine attending a black-tie event only to find that you're the blackboard, and everyone else is the chalk. That's Journey in "Chain Reaction" – a vibrant, confusing, mesmerizing chalk party. Watching the video is like taking a trip back in time, not just to the '80s, but to an '80s that only existed in an alternate universe where fashion (and hair styles) were both a form of expression and a mild hallucinogen.
Bottom line, Journey's 1983 video for "Chain Reaction" is a beautiful, bewildering ride. It's like eating a mystery flavored jelly bean – you're not sure if you're thrilled or terrified, but you can't stop going back for more. Journey, in their puzzling splendor, reminds us that sometimes, it’s not about the destination; it’s about the wildly eccentric, tuxedo-clad ride to get there. After 40+ years, this one's definitely a classic and one I unfortunately won't soon forget!
- Matthew Belter
