Did the HH Interview Change Your Opinion of Steve Perry?

[Voyager]

I have zero "hate" for Steve Perry...don't even know the man. My comments/opinions are solely about his role in the band. Perry is the greatest vocalist I have ever heard...period. It's his antics as a bandmate, specifically post 1983, that I have a problem with. I call it like I see it, but I wish no ill will upon the man. May he live a long, happy and healthy life.

Cool

[T-Bone]

But... "Was he really ever part of the band?"

[Saint John]

But... "Was he really ever part of the band?"

Only up until 1984.

[brywool]

The breakup of Steve Perry and Journey seems very similar to that of Styx and Dennis DeYoung. Both Steve and Dennis had visions of a direction that they felt their band should go that the other members of the band didn't agree with. Interestingly, neither band has put out any hit records without them.

Very similar. Almost eerily so. The Behind The Musics were cut from the same cloth...

But DeYoung still has his voice - if you haven't heard 100 Years From Now (released in Canada), its a must have - sounds more like Styx than Styx. Supposedly, it is coming out in the US later this year with a duet with a US singer.

One of the reasons Dennis still had his voice is because he continued to use it..properly.

Dennis sees the two situations differently.

The main reason Dennis has his voice is because there were 2 lead singers in that band (3 if you count JY, but, um, yeah...). Now that he's a solo act, I would be that he's having more problems than he used to. I know that Shaw did and went to a voice coach after Styx broke up.

[brywool]

The breakup of Steve Perry and Journey seems very similar to that of Styx and Dennis DeYoung. Both Steve and Dennis had visions of a direction that they felt their band should go that the other members of the band didn't agree with. Interestingly, neither band has put out any hit records without them.

Very similar. Almost eerily so. The Behind The Musics were cut from the same cloth...

But DeYoung still has his voice - if you haven't heard 100 Years From Now (released in Canada), its a must have - sounds more like Styx than Styx. Supposedly, it is coming out in the US later this year with a duet with a US singer.

One of the reasons Dennis still had his voice is because he continued to use it..properly.

Dennis sees the two situations differently.

Maybe, but you gotta admit, the Journey catalog is much harder on a voice than the Styx catalogue. Even Herbie admitted that it is "murder on a voice." It trashed Augeri's voice in just a few years, while Dennis DeYoung's replacement is still going strong.

Dennis' replacement was never going strong..

Perry used his voice properly, but with that touring schedule during the Escape tour and beyond, it took it's toll. Overuse will take it's toll on ANY singer, even DeYoung. Btw, Gowan plays circles around DeYoung. His key skills are at a much higher level. DeYoung had a better voice on HIS songs. Anybody sounds better singing their own stuff. Gowan sounds great on his stuff. At least Gowan wants to work and wants to be a TEAM member. The shows I've heard from Deyoung... sounds like a cruise ship band.

[mistiejourney]

Hmmm...on the one side we have Herbie, who will talk anywhere to anybody about any opinion he has

Yeah, two interviews in seven years....he's a regular magpie, isn't he?

Compared to Perry, he's a downright chatterbox!

And like he said...no one ever asked!!!!

[Johnny Mohawk]

Saint John wrote;
Incorrect. Perry had nothing to do with lighting, production, the advent of monitors (big screens), trucking companies, the fan club, the idea of a "corporation, Nocturne, real estate, etc.

He did have a LITTLE to do with the music that made it possible for all of those others things to even need to exist.

Saint John wrote;
Perry's "vision" outside of Journey and Herbie Herbert yielded one shit stain album (FTLOSM) that nose dived like a sea gull into fish guts.

I certainly enjoy the album, and others must agree as it sold more than any non-Perry Journey album.

Saint John wrote;
His "creative control" also saw ROR and TBF yield 2 rockers combined (Be Good To Yourself and Message Of Love).

Hmmm, so "Can't Tame the Lion", "Raised on Radio", "One More", Castles Burning", "I Can See it in Your Eyes", are all ballads? I must have been playing them at the wrong speed.

Saint John wrote;
The guy completely altered/destroyed the Journey "formula"

So, you think that art should follow a "formula"? Every album should have had the same ratio of rockers to ballads and sound similar? That's probably what the record labels would want (the old "if something sells, keep making more of the same until everyone's had their limit" analogy), but most artists prefer to express their own creativity (even if you don't happen to agree with it at the time).

[RossValoryRocks]

ross,what were your reasons for disliking perry at one time? sorry haven't been around here that long.

I had a bad experience as a kid when I met Mr. Perry...that being said I always though he was the best vocalist in the business...and he has definately proved to me that he is a top notch person.

Sometimes when we look back on our lives things that seem to be such big deals are not, and when you look at them through the eyes of the child that you were it magnifies things out of proportion.

So water under the bridge...Steve Perry is as a quality human being as there is in my book.

Now...I think that Herbie's big problem is that Perry not continuing and forcing Herbie out cost Herbie a lot of money that Herbie saw (and still sees probably) as his due. So he is just disgruntled about that and it is venting on Perry because of it.

[Journey/Survivor]

I think the biggest mistake he made is thinking that he knew more than the band combined. Unless it's THE STEVE PERRY show, you're still part of a BAND and a band can NEVER be a dictatorship or it will fall apart, no matter who is trying to take control.

Can you do me a favor, and post this same comment on the Survivor board, only minus the name Steve Perry?

And I think Red13JoPa and Andrew would agree with this.

[Vladan]

I had a bad experience as a kid when I met Mr. Perry...

Yeah? what happened mate, we would be interested to know what went down

[Rick]

I had a bad experience as a kid when I met Mr. Perry...

Yeah? what happened mate, we would be interested to know what went down

He wet himself. j/k Stu.

[Blueskies]

I had a bad experience as a kid when I met Mr. Perry...

Yeah? what happened mate, we would be interested to know what went down

He wet himself. j/k Stu.

[squirt1]

I thought Herbie said many important things and was toned down about 60%. The light he put on Jon & Neal with Open Arms shows perfectly what genius those two have had since Perry left making decisions. WOW! I also think Herbie may be looking to the future if Azoff slips on a banana peel.

[TRAGChick]

"And I'll still be a Perry fan 'till the day I die. Maybe the voice is or is not gone, but I have the proof that it was there, and I listen to that proof every day."

DAAMN!

If I had more room in my "Sig", I'd DEFINITELY crib this and post it! LOL

[bionic]

What i got from this was he just hates Perry even now after all these years? Thats a bit odd he sounds quite bitter.I have not really heard any other artists say anything to bad about Perry so maybe they just did not hit it off?
I do wonder what a lot of fans who doubted the whole Augeri tape gate saga made of his confirming comments of singing to a hard drive?

[SteveForever]

What i got from this was he just hates Perry even now after all these years? Thats a bit odd he sounds quite bitter.I have not really heard any other artists say anything to bad about Perry so maybe they just did not hit it off?
I do wonder what a lot of fans who doubted the whole Augeri tape gate saga made of his confirming comments of singing to a hard drive?

Its called guilt, the guy is ruthless. No matter what a shrewd business man HH is, he sounds and looks like a damn fool.

[Saint John]

What i got from this was he just hates Perry even now after all these years? Thats a bit odd he sounds quite bitter.I have not really heard any other artists say anything to bad about Perry so maybe they just did not hit it off?
I do wonder what a lot of fans who doubted the whole Augeri tape gate saga made of his confirming comments of singing to a hard drive?

Nice little Journey plug.

[larryfromnextdoor]

ROR was a SP solo record, ok, but 2 years later the Against the Wall sessions sounded totally different ..

ATW was so different that i understand it not getting released at the time.. what was he thinking? are

those great songs??? didnt sound like ROR, the perry solo album..

[mistiejourney]

"And I'll still be a Perry fan 'till the day I die. Maybe the voice is or is not gone, but I have the proof that it was there, and I listen to that proof every day."

DAAMN!

If I had more room in my "Sig", I'd DEFINITELY crib this and post it! LOL

LOL - Hey, that never occurred to me, maybe I have room! Thanks for the compliment!

[rubyglare]

Herbie really reminded me of an Old Hollywood mogul-used to having his own way but very intelligent; he hates Steve in a direct inverted ratio to his love for Neal. He shocked me because I thought members of the band had thought of those things-like album covers, fonts, etc. It was fascinating to read how he got Journey noticed in the age of disco, just an incredible understanding of human psychology, what would he have done for 80s acts who found themselves 'out of fashion' in the 1990s? I know he says he was retired, Roxette was I guess one of his last projects.

[DracIsBack]

I haven't met either man so I'm not in a position to judge character. In reading the interview, I thought Herbie is always interesting but I felt the same way I did after I read the last one: If Perry comes across as a quiet, egomaniac asshole, Herbie comes across as a loud, egomaniac asshole.

Herbie's brilliant no doubt and very successful,but modesty isn't exactly his strong suit ...

Also, on the question of whether or not Perry can sing, I find these threads interesting to read. A lot of people seem to take an approach of "it's either all or nothing" in saying "he can sing" or "he can't sing".

My gut tells me he can probably still sing a whole lot better than the folks in this forum. LOL.

However, Steve Perry in his prime set that bar pretty damn high. High enough to do damage to his voice and high enough to damage Augeri's (whom I quite liked). Age and punishment probably took away the most exceptional qualities, but no doubt he can probably still sing better than a lot of singers out there.

[Journey/Survivor]

I haven't met either man so I'm not in a position to judge character. In reading the interview, I thought Herbie is always interesting but I felt the same way I did after I read the last one: If Perry comes across as a quiet, egomaniac asshole, Herbie comes across as a loud, egomaniac asshole.

Herbie's brilliant no doubt and very successful,but modesty isn't exactly his strong suit ...

Also, on the question of whether or not Perry can sing, I find these threads interesting to read. A lot of people seem to take an approach of "it's either all or nothing" in saying "he can sing" or "he can't sing".

My gut tells me he can probably still sing a whole lot better than the folks in this forum. LOL.

However, Steve Perry in his prime set that bar pretty damn high. High enough to do damage to his voice and high enough to damage Augeri's (whom I quite liked). Age and punishment probably took away the most exceptional qualities, but no doubt he can probably still sing better than a lot of singers out there.

Excellent first post, I agree with just about everything you said.

And welcome to the MR-forums!