David Hamilton Golland, Ph.D., dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences and professor of history, will publish his third book, “Livin’ Just to Find Emotion: Journey and the Story of American Rock” (Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2024) on Feb. 6.
In “Livin’ Just to Find Emotion,” Golland writes the band’s complete biography, based on over a decade of interviews and thousands of sources. The book takes readers through Journey’s greatest songs and moments in this 50th anniversary tribute that is a complex story of ambition, larger-than-life personalities, and clashes.
As a lifelong Journey fan, Golland felt compelled to tell their story, but his roots as a historian encouraged him to dig beyond the surface, and he was surprised by what he uncovered. “[My] thesis [was] that the story of Journey—once voted America’s most popular band, according to a Gallup Poll—was the story of the re-segregation of popular music,” he explained. While chronicling the band’s history, “Livin’ Just to Find Emotion” also seeks to understand the context of how race in popular music contributed to Journey’s breakout success.
Golland explores the band’s rise to the top with their hit album “Escape” in 1981; front man Steve Perry’s quest for control and subsequent downfall; and ultimately the unlikely comeback of iconic song “Don’t Stop Believin’” and its relevance to a new generation of music fans.
“Golland leaves no stone unturned in this fine-grained chronicle of the rock group Journey,” according to a review in Publisher’s Weekly. “Golland’s passion and precision make this a pleasure.”