o/t Journey

[stmonkeys]

this is bob lefsetz' current email re the current journey situation. kind of amusing... can styx be far behind?

*******

I threw a Journey cassette away.

The publicity firm we used for W.A.S.P. also repped Journey. The girl who wrote the bio had just graduated from USC and was proud of this. She gave me "Frontiers".

I gave it a spin. And then tossed it. Because I didn't want anybody to see it.

Our collections used to be representations of ourselves. They were built over years, they evidenced our passion and interests. Sure, at first Journey was a Santana splinter band. But then they became schmaltzy, playing to a broad audience that I was not a member of. I wanted nothing to do with them.

But I enjoyed hearing "Wheel In The Sky" on FM radio every Saturday night. And "Lights". I told myself it was all right to like these two tracks. Every band cut a couple of good ones. But "Separate Ways"?

So how I explain getting hooked on Steve Perry's solo work, I'll never know. But I'd NEVER delete "Oh Sherrie" from my iTunes library. This is RELIGIOUS music. What with the big organ intro and Steve singing like the star of a choir...

"I should have been gone!"

And then he was. Eventually Irving got Steve back with the rest of the boys, but claiming health problems, Steve begged off the tour. And without a tour, the Kevin Shirley produced album never caught fire. I didn't love it. But this was back when the tour was still an ad for the record, before the album became the ad for the TOUR!

Then a funny thing happened. Journey went on to do boffo at the b.o. WITHOUT Steve Perry. Huh? Who didn't get the memo? Nobody wants to see Zeppelin without Robert Plant, why do they want to see this hackneyed eighties band without its one true star?

Then that guy lost his voice. And was replaced by another. And eventually, following Judas Priest's lead, they signed up a soundalike, from the Philippines, if you can believe that.

That's just how bad people want to hear Journey music. That's just how much they want to believe.

You see Journey fans have never stopped believin'. And there's a fuck of a lot of them. Who were ignored, consigned to their own special backwater, until the finale of the "Sopranos". When suddenly all was forgiven. Seemed like suddenly EVERYBODY liked Journey. Kids not even born in their heyday were hooked. And as a result of ALL this, and a cheap price, the newly-constituted band even sold a package at Wal-Mart. DECENTLY!

But it's still not the real Journey.

And I thought I still didn't care until I heard "Stone In Love" on XM two days ago.

I can't like "Stone In Love" TOO! That's too many Journey tracks. Could I be becoming a fan?

And you know what a fan wants to do... SEE THE BAND LIVE!

But I don't want to see the ersatz Journey, but the real thing, the Steve Perry Journey!

Does Steve talk to Neal? Is there still bad blood? If Irving couldn't broker a tour way back when, what are the odds now?

But now it's different. Because of the collective consciousness. Because of the DEMAND!

That's what we want. A Journey STADIUM TOUR!

Face it, they're the only band that can do it. Sure, you pay a couple of hundred bucks to be up close. But up in the rafters, er, the upper deck, tickets go for way under $100. And no one complains about being far away, because with Journey it was never about the band, but the MUSIC! People want to go to feel the music, they want to go to SING ALONG!

The time has finally come. This is what America needs, to take its mind off the economic doldrums, to bring us together in a way no politician can, A JOURNEY STADIUM TOUR!

And you know it will sell every single ticket.

It will be 1982 all over again. Is that such a bad thing?

*******

[Rocker Chic]

this is bob lefsetz' current email re the current journey situation. kind of amusing... can styx be far behind?
<snip>

Oh, God, I hope not, Stacey! They change out lead singers almost as often as Neal Schon changes wives. At least Styx found an accomplished singer/musician in his own right with Lawrence, who can sing DDY's songs well, without trying to copy him, while still doing the songs justice.

This last one that Journey has, although he has a similarity to Perry (which helps him cover the classics), it is too "spooky" similar for me... well, aside from the accent. After hearing these classics for a few decades sung in a particular way, it really bothers me to hear them sung with an Asian accent now. Nothing against Arnel, but it just sounds wrong to my ears.

Lawrence looks like he "fits" in with Styx, while Arnel simply looks out of place. They should have went with Kevin Chalfant: He sounds wonderful and can definitely cover the classics with ease, and also looks like he would fit in the other guys on stage, plus he's got many years of experience in the business.

This whole "YouTube discovery" thing that has been going on just seems like a cheap, easy way to look for a clone, not for someone who is disciplined, seasoned, and professional. With the world tours that bands like this endure regularly, you would think that they would seek out people with the stamina and experience to pull off multiple dates on a regular basis. I wish the guy luck, but the new encarnation of Journey just isn't for me any longer. :::shrug:::

[stmonkeys]

this is bob lefsetz' current email re the current journey situation. kind of amusing... can styx be far behind?
<snip>

Oh, God, I hope not, Stacey! They change out lead singers almost as often as Neal Schon changes wives. At least Styx found an accomplished singer/musician in his own right with Lawrence, who can sing DDY's songs well, without trying to copy him, while still doing the songs justice.

This last one that Journey has, although he has a similarity to Perry (which helps him cover the classics), it is too "spooky" similar for me... well, aside from the accent. After hearing these classics for a few decades sung in a particular way, it really bothers me to hear them sung with an Asian accent now. Nothing against Arnel, but it just sounds wrong to my ears.

Lawrence looks like he "fits" in with Styx, while Arnel simply looks out of place. They should have went with Kevin Chalfant: He sounds wonderful and can definitely cover the classics with ease, and also looks like he would fit in the other guys on stage, plus he's got many years of experience in the business.

This whole "YouTube discovery" thing that has been going on just seems like a cheap, easy way to look for a clone, not for someone who is disciplined, seasoned, and professional. With the world tours that bands like this endure regularly, you would think that they would seek out people with the stamina and experience to pull off multiple dates on a regular basis. I wish the guy luck, but the new encarnation of Journey just isn't for me any longer. :::shrug:::

hey rockerchic!

believe me, i hear ya. was basically kidding about the styx part. lol i'm fine with what they are doing.

a friend of mine saw journey a few months ago in FL and fell in love with arnel. i haven't seen them, so i can't offer an opinion, but she said he had a ton of energy and gave the songs his own personal spin, while keeping true to the original spirit of the songs.

i do find it kind of ironic that youtube has been featured so prominently in the search for new lead singers (journey, yes, boston....) i'm amused at the whole prospect. how funny would it have been if tommy & jy scoured the internet for a new singer. yeah, you bring up many good points. having stage presence, discipline, experience, stamina, the right look/sound.... all very important qualities that need to be considered. can a band always find these in a "tribute" singer? not always. styx definitely went the right route in not hiring a boring "sound alike."

[Sharon45]

Not to change the subject or anything, but I'd like to ask a question. Does anyone remember back in October 2001, when Styx, REO, Journey, Night Ranger, and several other bands joined together to do the Volunteers For America shows. There were only two shows, and Dallas was lucky enough to host one of them. Anyway, the bands all came together and raised money for the firefighters fund and the survivors of the 9/11 tragedy. I seem to recall at some point during the show that Tommy said they were filming for a dvd, but I've never seen it released. Does anyone know what happened to that plan? I'd love to see that show again, coz it was truly awesome to see all my favorite bands together for a good cause. If anyone has a connection to Tommy, can you ask him about it?
Thanks. Rock on, gang!

Sharon

[stmonkeys]

i heard that was a great show. the following year, they performed "Rock To THe RESCUE" in NJ (which was amazing... very similar line up to what you saw) and i believe in cleveland as well. haven't heard anything about them being officially relased on DVD, but there are a few bootlegs floating around out there...