Steve Perry Talks - The GQ Interview

[mistiejourney]

I think I know exactly why "the voice" distances himself from Schon and Cain...he CAN'T tour anymore. He knows if he keeps perpetuating this "war" against Neal and Jon that his sheep will keep the "He is too classy to ever return to Journey" mantra going. He finds every little excuse to keep the war going because deep down inside he can't admit that he can no longer tour and it kills him that they've moved on without him...regardless of how much/little success they've had. Everything he bitches about is a front to cover the fact that he can't return to Journey. That's the way I see it.

Why is it that Perry is never asked point blank; "Can you still sing the Journey catalog?" Why is it that none of these interviewers have the stones to ask him the only question that really matters. They need to pin him down once and for all instead of always giving him a free pass.

If he's causing drama to avoid the issue of admitting he can no longer sing like he would need to, why would he admit that he couldn't sing the catalog to some joe-schmoe reporter? Not denying that the theory is not accurate, but I don't buy that just because someone asks him 'that' question, it would somehow be answered any more honestly than anything else he holds so close to his vest.

Oh heck, I can sing the Journey catalog! You won't want to hear it, trust me, but any one here could sing it.

The question is, can he sing it like he did back in the day?

Probably not.

I'll buy anything the man chooses to release, but it gets a bit tiresome trying to figure out how he thinks, why he does (or doesn't) do this or that. I'll be a fan until the day I die, but geeze after awhile I get a headache trying to figure him out.

[Onestepper]

I think I know exactly why "the voice" distances himself from Schon and Cain...he CAN'T tour anymore. He knows if he keeps perpetuating this "war" against Neal and Jon that his sheep will keep the "He is too classy to ever return to Journey" mantra going. He finds every little excuse to keep the war going because deep down inside he can't admit that he can no longer tour and it kills him that they've moved on without him...regardless of how much/little success they've had. Everything he bitches about is a front to cover the fact that he can't return to Journey. That's the way I see it.

Why is it that Perry is never asked point blank; "Can you still sing the Journey catalog?" Why is it that none of these interviewers have the stones to ask him the only question that really matters. They need to pin him down once and for all instead of always giving him a free pass.

If he's causing drama to avoid the issue of admitting he can no longer sing like he would need to, why would he admit that he couldn't sing the catalog to some joe-schmoe reporter? Not denying that the theory is not accurate, but I don't buy that just because someone asks him 'that' question, it would somehow be answered any more honestly than anything else he holds so close to his vest.

Oh heck, I can sing the Journey catalog! You won't want to hear it, trust me, but any one here could sing it.

The question is, can he sing it like he did back in the day?

Probably not.

I'll buy anything the man chooses to release, but it gets a bit tiresome trying to figure out how he thinks, why he does (or doesn't) do this or that. I'll be a fan until the day I die, but geeze after awhile I get a headache trying to figure him out.

Agreed. He'll always have his fans that will worship him day and night. My only wish is that he would learn to communicate better to show his appreciation for the years of undying support his base continues to show him.

[SteveForever]

[quote="Onestepper
Agreed. He'll always have his fans that will worship him day and night. My only wish is that he would learn to communicate better to show his appreciation for the years of undying support his base continues to show him.[/quote]

What the F*** does that mean!

[Onestepper]

[quote="Onestepper
Agreed. He'll always have his fans that will worship him day and night. My only wish is that he would learn to communicate better to show his appreciation for the years of undying support his base continues to show him.

What the F*** does that mean! [/quote]

If you don't know...I'm not gonna spend the time telling ya.

[SteveForever]

[quote="Onestepper
Agreed. He'll always have his fans that will worship him day and night. My only wish is that he would learn to communicate better to show his appreciation for the years of undying support his base continues to show him.

What the F*** does that mean!

If you don't know...I'm not gonna spend the time telling ya. [/quote]

guess you don't know sarcasm when you see it

[Onestepper]

[quote="Onestepper
Agreed. He'll always have his fans that will worship him day and night. My only wish is that he would learn to communicate better to show his appreciation for the years of undying support his base continues to show him.

What the F*** does that mean!

If you don't know...I'm not gonna spend the time telling ya.

guess you don't know sarcasm when you see it [/quote]

I was giving it right back...it's Monday.

[SteveForever]

[quote="Onestepper
Agreed. He'll always have his fans that will worship him day and night. My only wish is that he would learn to communicate better to show his appreciation for the years of undying support his base continues to show him.

What the F*** does that mean!

If you don't know...I'm not gonna spend the time telling ya.

guess you don't know sarcasm when you see it

I was giving it right back...it's Monday.[/quote]

[RockitRide]

I think I know exactly why "the voice" distances himself from Schon and Cain...he CAN'T tour anymore. He knows if he keeps perpetuating this "war" against Neal and Jon that his sheep will keep the "He is too classy to ever return to Journey" mantra going. He finds every little excuse to keep the war going because deep down inside he can't admit that he can no longer tour and it kills him that they've moved on without him...regardless of how much/little success they've had. Everything he bitches about is a front to cover the fact that he can't return to Journey. That's the way I see it.

Why is it that Perry is never asked point blank; "Can you still sing the Journey catalog?" Why is it that none of these interviewers have the stones to ask him the only question that really matters. They need to pin him down once and for all instead of always giving him a free pass.

If he's causing drama to avoid the issue of admitting he can no longer sing like he would need to, why would he admit that he couldn't sing the catalog to some joe-schmoe reporter? Not denying that the theory is not accurate, but I don't buy that just because someone asks him 'that' question, it would somehow be answered any more honestly than anything else he holds so close to his vest.

Oh heck, I can sing the Journey catalog! You won't want to hear it, trust me, but any one here could sing it.

The question is, can he sing it like he did back in the day?

Probably not.

I'll buy anything the man chooses to release, but it gets a bit tiresome trying to figure out how he thinks, why he does (or doesn't) do this or that. I'll be a fan until the day I die, but geeze after awhile I get a headache trying to figure him out.

I really don't care what he thinks and to tell you the truth I don't even care if he can sing. It won't impact my stock portfolio a bit. I am more interested in getting a copy of Revelation and enjoying Journey tunes than reading any interview with dysfunctional celebrities. The problem for Perry is that if he opens his mouth and he sounds like Rod Stewart with streppe throat, then that will be the end of the interviews and any lingering interest. He will officially join the Has-Been Club. If anything, I believe Perry will form a Peter Cetera tribute band and peddle more schmaultz to the late night "pillow talk" radio shows. And if he does, than God bless him for doing what he wants.

From what I have heard of Arnel and the most current tunes from Perry, Journey has a better chance of producing rock music that I would enjoy with the current line-up. I played a crappy You-Tube video for the lead guitar player in my band last week. His reaction: "Jesus Christ, he sounds better than freakin' Perry."

[Gordon from Edinburgh]

Neal comes out shining in this "tit for tat" interview. Much more believable. Like Herbert, he's a straight shooter...when sober.

Neither of them come out of interviews shining. I wish they would talk to each other if only to give themselves closure - cos they seem a million miles from that even today.

[Monker]

Neal seems...shall we say...a little.....um....BITTER.

Neal sounds like he has kissed the bullshit of the Perry era goodbye and has completely moved on.

Uh, no he hasn't...he 'moved on' into rerecording the hits with a tribute singer and reclaiming the 'legacy sound'. That is NOT moving on from the Perry era.

[Monker]

Neal seems...shall we say...a little.....um....BITTER.

Neal sounds like he has kissed the bullshit of the Perry era goodbye and has completely moved on.

Yeah..sure. SP still has the keys to the real deal...

The only keys SP has is to a door to emix the old albums. That's not much different then Neal.

[Monker]

Another thing. The whole tid-bit about SP being scared to death, and felt he owed every night to the band to prove to Neal and the guys that he could fit in with the band and meet their standards. (Hence the never really felt part of the band thing..)

This is STEVE PERRY were talking about. STEVE PERRY. One of the most prolific rock god vocalists of ALL TIME..and this is the way he felt with the band even after great success?

Now...could you IMAGINE how a man like Steve Augeri...or Arnel Pineda felt..or feels right about now? Pressure must be heavy.


Unbelievable job.

Correct, it's 'unbelievable'...and I don't believe a word of it.

[Magwheels]

Neal seems...shall we say...a little.....um....BITTER.

Neal sounds like he has kissed the bullshit of the Perry era goodbye and has completely moved on.

Yeah..sure. SP still has the keys to the real deal...

The only keys SP has is to a door to emix the old albums. That's not much different then Neal.

No..THE real deal. The REAL deal. The real DEAL.

[Monker]

Neal seems...shall we say...a little.....um....BITTER.

Neal sounds like he has kissed the bullshit of the Perry era goodbye and has completely moved on.

Yeah..sure. SP still has the keys to the real deal...

The only keys SP has is to a door to emix the old albums. That's not much different then Neal.

No..THE real deal. The REAL deal. The real DEAL.

It doesn't exist. It hasn't existed in almost 25 years. So, all Perry has are old recordings of how it used to be. All Neal has are songs that can be performed or rerecorded, but will never sound like they did 25yrs ago.

They are in the same situation.

The keys Perry stole in 1986 are to a useless hunk of crap that has rusted away in the garage.

Neal rebuilt it once, and didn't need Perry's keys for eight years. Now it seems he is trying to rebuild the rusted out hunk of crap...and it will never be the same no matter how hard he tries, or who holds the keys, or who is singing.

[Magwheels]

Neal seems...shall we say...a little.....um....BITTER.

Neal sounds like he has kissed the bullshit of the Perry era goodbye and has completely moved on.

Yeah..sure. SP still has the keys to the real deal...

The only keys SP has is to a door to emix the old albums. That's not much different then Neal.

No..THE real deal. The REAL deal. The real DEAL.

It doesn't exist. It hasn't existed in almost 25 years. So, all Perry has are old recordings of how it used to be. All Neal has are songs that can be performed or rerecorded, but will never sound like they did 25yrs ago.

They are in the same situation.

The keys Perry stole in 1986 are to a useless hunk of crap that has rusted away in the garage.

Neal rebuilt it once, and didn't need Perry's keys for eight years. Now it seems he is trying to rebuild the rusted out hunk of crap...and it will never be the same no matter how hard he tries, or who holds the keys, or who is singing.

Those 8 years after Arrival? Neal needed them..and he still does.

[Shadowsong]

Well, Shadow, don't you think SP has ever hurt anyone? I think he probably has.

Did the people cut him when he refused to talk to them...or did they keep trying to communicate and his precious privacy put him behind a wall?

No doubt
alot of hurt goes on in this life when we do things in the light of the time that seem right.

Steve is no angel
He will be the first to admit it.

I hope they all come to acknowledge the greatness they made together
& forgive themselves & each other for there mortal weakness...

[walkslikealady]

Well, Shadow, don't you think SP has ever hurt anyone? I think he probably has.

Did the people cut him when he refused to talk to them...or did they keep trying to communicate and his precious privacy put him behind a wall?

No doubt
alot of hurt goes on in this life when we do things in the light of the time that seem right.

Steve is no angel
He will be the first to admit it.

I hope they all come to acknowledge the greatness they made together
& forgive themselves & each other for there mortal weakness...

How do you know "He will be the first to admit it."? Are you a friend of his?

I "met" you and some of your friends on a site where people enjoyed pretending to be SP in chat; however, he denies ever being in chat or associated with any sites.

"looking into the eyes of love" my ass!

[DracIsBack]

How do you know "He will be the first to admit it."? Are you a friend of his?

LOL - a lot of the posts on this board come from people who act as though they personally know the band members and were there to personally witness many events first hand, in great detail.

[bru87tr]

hey, all I am saying is arnel is making me forget about steve perry alot easier.

arnel is great. perry isnt interested in music and I believe its cause he cant sing anymore. he loved to sing and loved the fans, someone like him doesnt just give that up for nothing.

[DracIsBack]

I believe its cause he cant sing anymore.

I just don't get why it's "all or nothing" with some of you guys?

You know, there is a middle ground

- Can't sing at all; and
- Can sing the original Journey songs in their original key, night after night.

He can probably sing quite well still ... likely a shitload better than you or I ... even at age 60. I swear, you guys make it sound like Steve Perry now sings like Cameron Diaz in "My Best Friend's Wedding"

[The_Noble_Cause]

Uh, no he hasn't...he 'moved on' into rerecording the hits with a tribute singer and reclaiming the 'legacy sound'. That is NOT moving on from the Perry era.

Bingo.
With Augeri they hesitantly straddled the line between new and old.
Now they have chosen to embrace the past in a white-knuckled deathgrip.
The fact that this business decision seems motivated by an episode of a TV show (The Sopranos) makes it all the more sad.

[Barb]

Uh, no he hasn't...he 'moved on' into rerecording the hits with a tribute singer and reclaiming the 'legacy sound'. That is NOT moving on from the Perry era.

Bingo.
With Augeri they hesitantly straddled the line between new and old.
Now they have chosen to embrace the past in a white-knuckled deathgrip.
The fact that this business decision seems motivated by an episode of a TV show (The Sopranos) makes it all the more sad.

I think it's more than that, TNC. I was reading the liner notes earlier. I get the impression that this 10 year bondage that Journey has been in with Perry has opened a lot of new doors for them to do whatever they want to do. I think the legal freedom from Perry is the catalyst for all of this. JMO...

[Red13JoePa]

Yep.
Never seen Neal expound that much in the liners.

Again mentioned NEXT album in there.

[The_Noble_Cause]

I think it's more than that, TNC. I was reading the liner notes earlier. I get the impression that this 10 year bondage that Journey has been in with Perry has opened a lot of new doors for them to do whatever they want to do. I think the legal freedom from Perry is the catalyst for all of this. JMO...

Haven't read the liner notes yet. Must take a looksee.

[conversationpc]

Yep.
Never seen Neal expound that much in the liners.

Again mentioned NEXT album in there.

Yeah, baby!!!