Journey, “Freedom.”

New Journey music will always be worth a listen while Neal Schon is manning guitar. At least until you get to his solo.

After that, you’re on your own in 2022. Buyer beware.

Schon will always be the master of an underrated and important musical craft: pop guitar solos. He comes up with standalone lead melodies worth their own writing credits. Very few guitarists alternate what could be memorable, standalone melodies with absolute shedding as well as Schon. His leads are often songs within songs.

That said, Journey is about to release Freedom, its first record of new music in 11 years. Apparently, they’re trying to make up for lost time, as there’s 15 songs which, in this case, has more filler than a giant, overstuffed exploding Twinkie.

Everyone of a certain age growing up in the Bay Area, grew up with Journey. Love them or hate them, Journey was a permanent, important part of the local musical landscape. Many of us – me included – saw Journey at their first big concert and remembers their prime with great fondness.

But there’s no reason why anyone – even diehards – need 15 new subpar Journey songs. All it does is muddy the water and let a lot of time-killing get in the way of a few highlights. Unfortunately, there’s not many.

The downside with being super successful during a band’s first decade – which puts you in maybe the top 1 percent of serious bands – is that you will always be compared to your salad days. Journey is teetering on its 50th anniversary, which, even as Schon as the lone original member, is rarified air. I give credit to legacy bands who still try to make new music, despite everyone (but perhaps the band) knowing their best days are decades past.

But if I went to a Journey show in 2022, and they were actually trying to tour on Freedom by playing more than one or two songs, I would feel ripped off. Even nine or 10 new songs on an album from this version of Journey would be too many.

The record launches well, with three keepers out of the first four songs. “Together We Run” is classic Journey drama-pop. Jonathan Cain still understands a keyboard hook and this is modern Journey trying to be Journey. Arnel Pinedo is a great singer. He’s not that other guy, but no one is and we’re all over it by now (it’s been 15 years, believe it or not).

Second song “Don’t Give Up on Us” has a bit of “Separate Ways” in it, but not nearly as good. Like a lot of songs on Freedom, they band fails to finish the song after starting with a promising idea. Many end up with one or two decent parts, instead of three or four (not counting the guitar solos, which we’ve covered). They just don’t close the deal anymore.

Discounting the playing, which is always session-musician quality (former “American Idol” judge Randy Jackson returns to the bad after more than 30 years), “Still Believe in Love,” is the first throwaway. Journey quickly makes up for it with single “You Got the Best of Me,” one of the few songs up to Journey standards. You’ve probably heard it before, but it sticks.

“Live To Love Again” sounds like Survivor, a band that thrived for a few years by sounding like watered-down Journey. This would be watered-down Survivor. “The Way We Used to Be” just isn’t good despite Pineda’s best efforts and “Come Away With Me” shows a little backbone, but just kills more time.

Drummer Deen Castronovo, still part of the band despite Narada Michael Walden playing on most of the record, takes vocals on “After Glow,” and does a decent job. But the song tries to be emotionally moving without much of a hook, which just doesn’t work.

“Let It Rain” is a rocker and a keeper, with a big riff and grittier vocals from Pineda. But like much of Freedom, it stomps down a good premise, though maybe that’s OK, as Schon’s shredding is just unleashed. The same could be said of “Holdin On,” though it’s another song that feels stunted, as does “All Day and All Night.”

“Don’t Go” makes absolutely no case not to. It’s the filler of filler that sounds like it was written in less than 10 minutes. “United We Stand” is wince-inducing, like watching an aging All-Star try to make a comeback after too many years away from the game.

“Life Rolls on” is OK and “Beautiful As You Are,” is nice in a “Mother, Father” kind of way, without the sneaky hook, and it unnecessarily drenches great vocals in a wash of lightweight keyboards. Even with some first rate drumming broken out near the end, sometimes, less is better, fellas.

Follow music critic Tony Hicks at Twitter.com/TonyBaloney1967.