Any Way You Want It | Through the Shattered Lens

Okay, so you’ve probably heard Any Way You Want It by Journey at a sports game, a movie, or blasting from someone’s car with the windows down. And yeah, it’s a classic rock anthem, but let me tell you why you need to actually listen to it like it’s your new favorite song. First off, that opening riff? Pure adrenaline. It kicks in with this chugging, joyful energy that doesn’t let up. Steve Perry’s vocals are famously sky-high and smooth, but the real secret weapon here is how the whole band locks into this unstoppable groove. It’s not complicated—it’s just fun. If you’re in a bad mood, hit play. I guarantee you’ll be tapping your steering wheel by the ten-second mark.

Now, let’s talk about the guitar solo, because that’s where Neal Schon earns his legend status. It starts at 1:34, right after the second chorus when the song pulls back just for a breath. And then—bam. Schon doesn’t waste time with flashy nonsense. He comes in with this biting, melodic line that feels like a conversation. It’s not about showing off speed (though he’s got plenty); it’s about attitude. The solo builds with these perfect bends and a little wah pedal flavor, then climbs higher and higher until it just explodes into a fiery run that hands the energy right back to Perry for the final chorus. From 1:34 to about 2:00, it’s pure rock and roll perfection.

What I love most is how the solo doesn’t overpower the song—it serves it. So many guitar heroes try to steal the spotlight, but Schon is playing like he’s part of a team. You can hear him weaving in and out of the rhythm section, almost dancing with the bass and drums. And that tone? Crisp, a little overdriven, but never muddy. It’s the sound of someone who knows exactly when to let a note ring out and when to smash into the next one. If you’ve ever thought Journey was just a “ballads band,” this solo will change your mind fast.

Bottom line: Any Way You Want It is a shot of pure joy, and the guitar solo from 1:34 to 1:45 is the heart of the whole thing. Put on headphones, crank the volume, and just focus on how Schon makes his guitar sing, shout, and then whisper all in under thirty seconds. Then hit replay, because I promise you’ll miss something the first time. Give it two listens—one for the vocals, one for the solo—and you’ll wonder how you ever slept on this track. It’s not deep, it’s not complicated. It’s just perfect. Any way you want it, that’s the way you’ll need it. Trust me.

Any Way You Want It

Any way you want it
That’s the way you need it
Any way you want it

She loves to laugh
She loves to sing
She does everything
She loves to move
She loves to groove
She loves the lovin’ things

Ooh, all night, all night
Oh, every night
So hold tight, hold tight
Ooh baby, hold tight

Oh, she said
Any way you want it
That’s the way you need it
Any way you want it
She said, any way you want it
That’s the way you need it
Any way you want it

I was alone
I never knew
What good love could do
Ooh, then we touched
Then we sang
About the lovin’ things

Ooh, all night, all night
Oh, every night
So hold tight, hold tight
Ooh baby, hold tight

Oh, she said
Any way you want it
That’s the way you need it
Any way you want it
I said, any way you want it
That’s the way you need it
Any way you want it

[guitar solo]

She said ohh, hold on, hold on, hold on
Oh, she said any way you want it
That’s the way you need it
Any way you want it

Any way you want it
That’s the way you need it
Any way you want it

She said any way you want it
That’s the way you need it
Any way you want it

Any way you want it
That’s the way you need it
Any way you want it

Any way you want it
That’s the way you need it

Great Guitar Solos Series

I’ve recently been reading Noel Monk’s memoir about managing Van Halen during the early years of their career, Runnin’ with the Devil: A Backstage Pass to the Wild Times, Loud Rock, and the Down and Dirty Truth Behind the Making of Van Halen.

Among the many revealing stories in the book is one about an incident that happened when Van Halen was touring with Journey. Monk went backstage and discovered that David Lee Roth and Eddie Van Halen had gotten into a food fight. Eddie threw a bowl of peanuts at Dave. Dave threw guacamole at Eddie but he missed his target and, instead, ended up hitting the lead singer of Journey, Steve Perry. Monk says that he found Perry in his dressing room, softly crying and trying to get the guacamole off of his leather jacket. Monk compared Dave and Eddie to “heartless mean children,” picking on the smart kid in the middle school cafeteria.

Steve Perry deserved better.

(He deserved better than the Separate Ways video, too.)

Today’s music video, Journey’s party anthem Any Way You Want It, was selected in honor of Steve Perry.

Ever since I first saw Caddyshack (not to mention the episode of The Simpsons were Rodney Dangerfield played Mr. Burns’ son), Any Way You Want It has always been my favorite Journey song. The video is also Journey at its best, simple, without pretension, and rocking!