Thoughts on a new Perry CD

[STORY_TELLER]

If he did record a new disc, I think he should ask Smitty to be on it...how cool would that be????

That would be amazing! I could see Smith working with him again.

Smith would probably tell him to fuck off and feel real good doing it.

I met a guy who knows a guy (sincerely) that said Steve Smith quit, he was never
fired from Journey.

On the VH1 documentary, he says he was fired.

Smith says that? well damn, I missed that.

He was fired along with Ross. That being said, he comes off as the kind of guy who allows time to heal wounds. Now that his mindset is firmly in his Jazz career, I think he'd work with Perry on something if he asked, but I seriously doubt Perry would seek out any former Journey member to work with ever again. Too bad because Smitty is one of the best out there. Precise yet organic and incredibly versatile. A real artist with his instrument.

[RockitRide]

If he did record a new disc, I think he should ask Smitty to be on it...how cool would that be????

That would be amazing! I could see Smith working with him again.

Smith would probably tell him to fuck off and feel real good doing it.

Sorry, bud...Smith has said [in the past few years] that Perry was his favorite vocalist to record with and would do so again with him.

He may be his favorite vocalist, but after the band purged Smith and Vallory prior to RoR I bet he isn't his favorite human being. Perry never brought that up in the his cry baby GQ interview.

[Art Vandelay]

If he did record a new disc, I think he should ask Smitty to be on it...how cool would that be????

That would be amazing! I could see Smith working with him again.

Smith would probably tell him to fuck off and feel real good doing it.

Sorry, bud...Smith has said [in the past few years] that Perry was his favorite vocalist to record with and would do so again with him.

He may be his favorite vocalist, but after the band purged Smith and Vallory prior to RoR I bet he isn't his favorite human being. Perry never brought that up in the his cry baby GQ interview.

Everyone forgets that Smith ALREADY came back, to record TBF? And the reason why he left afterward on his own terms was because he saw no reason to stay with them sans Perry?

[Brigadier]

Also, wasn't Smitty asked to play on Arrival, yet declined?

[SteveForever]

If he did record a new disc, I think he should ask Smitty to be on it...how cool would that be????

That would be amazing! I could see Smith working with him again.

Smith would probably tell him to fuck off and feel real good doing it.

I met a guy who knows a guy (sincerely) that said Steve Smith quit, he was never
fired from Journey.

On the VH1 documentary, he says he was fired.

Smith says that? well damn, I missed that.

He was fired along with Ross. That being said, he comes off as the kind of guy who allows time to heal wounds. Now that his mindset is firmly in his Jazz career, I think he'd work with Perry on something if he asked, but I seriously doubt Perry would seek out any former Journey member to work with ever again. Too bad because Smitty is one of the best out there. Precise yet organic and incredibly versatile. A real artist with his instrument.

He's hosting a fantasy drum camp with a few others this summer. I live with 2 drummers, they love him.

[Gordon from Edinburgh]

Any thoughts on what style of music you would like to hear on a new Perry CD, if he does decide to go forth with one? Would you like to hear more ballads? Uptempo rock? Or would you like to hear him experiment with a different style?

Maybe a downtempo jazz feel?

One of my favorite vocals of his is on Sandcastles on the Dream After Dream soundtrack. The way that he plays off of Smith's jazz fills is amazing. I always though of this song as sort of a duet with him and Smith.

PS - no I am not Perry, trying to ruin the Revelation review threads

He can do what he likes - if he is singing i am buying.
It doesnt take away from Journey either - Revelation arrives tomorrow from Amazon.

[bru87tr]

we will finally get to hear how bad he really sounds.

[Red13JoePa]

To be released to coincide with the official announcement of the first leg of dates for the Trial By Fire tour.

[RockitRide]

If he did record a new disc, I think he should ask Smitty to be on it...how cool would that be????

That would be amazing! I could see Smith working with him again.

Smith would probably tell him to fuck off and feel real good doing it.

I met a guy who knows a guy (sincerely) that said Steve Smith quit, he was never
fired from Journey.

On the VH1 documentary, he says he was fired.

Smith says that? well damn, I missed that.

He was fired along with Ross. That being said, he comes off as the kind of guy who allows time to heal wounds. Now that his mindset is firmly in his Jazz career, I think he'd work with Perry on something if he asked, but I seriously doubt Perry would seek out any former Journey member to work with ever again. Too bad because Smitty is one of the best out there. Precise yet organic and incredibly versatile. A real artist with his instrument.

The type of music Perry is probably going to produce would not require the talents of a master drummer like Smith. Smith plays with top gun musicians like Vinnie Moore and Tony MacAlpine who produce technically over the top music. Perry doesn't need to spend the money it would cost to have Smith on his CD, when any studio jockey or even good high school trained drummer will be able to keep the four on the floor beat his easy listening stuff will require. Based on what I have heard, Perry's next CD will be in the "Mandy" mode, and in fact a Perry / Manilow tour will probably be appropriate. (By the way Manilow is a helluva musician and I was blown away by the quality of his live show. He is a "professional" in the strick sense of the word so I don't mean that as a knock on Perry or anyone else.)

[maverick218]

I'll believe it when I see/hear it.

[Rhiannon]

To be released to coincide with the official announcement of the first leg of dates for the Trial By Fire tour.

Burn.

[kgdjpubs]

Everyone forgets that Smith ALREADY came back, to record TBF? And the reason why he left afterward on his own terms was because he saw no reason to stay with them sans Perry?

There was an interview with Smith several years ago in a drummer magazine, and basically the gist of it was that he was very happy with Vital Information and his other projects, but once it became inevitable that Journey was going to reunite with Perry, he decided to take part in it so that fans could see the "classic" lineup. The impression I got was that was that he was not in it for the long haul with Journey, regardless of whether Perry stayed or not. By all accounts, his material outside of Journey is considerably more challenging and intricate, and that playing in a "rock band" limits some of his freedom/expression, and that he had simply moved on. My impression was that TBF (and tour) were to be a one-off thing to see how his newfound playing abilities could be used in the context of Journey, and then he would go back to doing VI and other stuff.

Once Perry left, the "classic" lineup was gone, and there was no real reason for him to stay around. It appears he would have left if ANYBODY had departed the band, not just Perry. Yes, he was asked to play on Arrival and declined, and there was an interview where Deen mentioned he had consulted with Steve Smith when he joined. I don't think there is any animosity there--just simply that Steve Smith has moved on and has little interest in playing with a "rock band", as it is not all that challenging to him anymore.

[frfksakes]

To be released to coincide with the official announcement of the first leg of dates for the Trial By Fire tour.

Hey, I still have my lighter ready!

[finalfight]

In my opinion Perry should take a listen to the latest Al Green release Lay It Down for inspiration. Its a great album with real class and a style likely suited to Perry's current vocal abilities without the need for compromise.

Samples at Amazon -

http://www.amazon.com/Lay-Down-Al-Green/dp/B0016A2FFG

[jrnyman28]

Everyone forgets that Smith ALREADY came back, to record TBF? And the reason why he left afterward on his own terms was because he saw no reason to stay with them sans Perry?

Smitty was back BEFORE Perry. He was there with Neal, Jon, Ross, Gregg and Kevin. And he signed on for ONE CD and ONE TOUR only. He left when he realized the tour was not going to happen. He wanted to get back to his VI stuff.

[jrnyman28]

Smith plays with top gun musicians like Vinnie Moore and Tony MacAlpine who produce technically over the top music.

And don't forget Savage Garden!!

But I get your point...

[Gibby]

There will be no new CD.

So true. We have heard the last of Steve Perry. Like Neal said, he gets paid like a motherfucker to do nothing. He has no sense of urgency and no commitment to the fans to give anything except to regurgitate the same yearly birthday message. If he had to rely on music to put food on the table and feed his family, we'd have seen and heard something by now. It is much easier to fatten the wallet by repackaging and remastering the same Journey cd's than to actually make the effort to create new music. He's had YEARS to do it and hasn't. My opinion - Steve is a lazy loner and is happy to remain reclusive and cash his royalty checks. [/list]

[bru87tr]

There will be no new CD.

So true. We have heard the last of Steve Perry. Like Neal said, he gets paid like a motherfucker to do nothing. He has no sense of urgency and no commitment to the fans to give anything except to regurgitate the same yearly birthday message. If he had to rely on music to put food on the table and feed his family, we'd have seen and heard something by now. It is much easier to fatten the wallet by repackaging and remastering the same Journey cd's than to actually make the effort to create new music. He's had YEARS to do it and hasn't. My opinion - Steve is a lazy loner and is happy to remain reclusive and cash his royalty checks. [/list]

the real reason is he cant sing, youtube has plenty of proof. a guy doesnt walk away from even doing solo unless he cant sing. someday it will come out and mark my word you will remember the people who have said this.

he cant sing anymore. not enough that he would feel he is doing a good enough job for the fans. his last solo tour he sounded terrible.

[Gibby]

There will be no new CD.

So true. We have heard the last of Steve Perry. Like Neal said, he gets paid like a motherfucker to do nothing. He has no sense of urgency and no commitment to the fans to give anything except to regurgitate the same yearly birthday message. If he had to rely on music to put food on the table and feed his family, we'd have seen and heard something by now. It is much easier to fatten the wallet by repackaging and remastering the same Journey cd's than to actually make the effort to create new music. He's had YEARS to do it and hasn't. My opinion - Steve is a lazy loner and is happy to remain reclusive and cash his royalty checks. [/list]

the real reason is he cant sing, youtube has plenty of proof. a guy doesnt walk away from even doing solo unless he cant sing. someday it will come out and mark my word you will remember the people who have said this.

he cant sing anymore. not enough that he would feel he is doing a good enough job for the fans. his last solo tour he sounded terrible.

I agree with you. There is some pride involved here -- maybe he feels he can't deliver what the fans expect from him. If that's the case, then say it and stop teasing everyone year after year about making new music. I still feel there is an aspect of laziness with Steve Perry.

[DracIsBack]

the real reason is he cant sing, youtube has plenty of proof.

Once again, we fall into this (frankly silly) "all or nothing approach".

Here's a thought: Why don't you challenge Steve Perry to a sing off? I'm fairly certain he'd hand you your sorry ass on vocals, even in his current condition! I'm pretty sure (even without ever hearing you sing) he'll hit high notes that you won't, sing more in tune than you do and have more finese than you can muster.

My point (again) is:

there is a middle ground between ...

"he can't sing"

and

"he can sing the original Journey songs in their original key, to the level of that impossibly high bar in concert night after night"


Even if he can't do the latter any more, I find it absolutely, utterly ridiculous that all you armchair vocalists are claiming he can't "sing at all". I think he can't still probably sing better than all of the naysayers who are saying he "can't sing".

[RockitRide]

There will be no new CD.

My opinion - Steve is a lazy loner and is happy to remain reclusive and cash his royalty checks. [/list]

That pretty much sums it up. Without a doubt, Perry is your typical celebrity whack job if I ever saw one. (By the way, no Wal Marts in my area had Revelation today...yeesshh...)

[bru87tr]

the real reason is he cant sing, youtube has plenty of proof.

Once again, we fall into this (frankly silly) "all or nothing approach".

Here's a thought: Why don't you challenge Steve Perry to a sing off? I'm fairly certain he'd hand you your sorry ass on vocals, even in his current condition! I'm pretty sure (even without ever hearing you sing) he'll hit high notes that you won't, sing more in tune than you do and have more finese than you can muster.

My point (again) is:

there is a middle ground between ...

"he can't sing"

and

"he can sing the original Journey songs in their original key, to the level of that impossibly high bar in concert night after night"


Even if he can't do the latter any more, I find it absolutely, utterly ridiculous that all you armchair vocalists are claiming he can't "sing at all". I think he can't still probably sing better than all of the naysayers who are saying he "can't sing".

hey dont hate the fan, hate the singer who doesnt sing.

[scarygirl]

To all you naysayers, I hope Perry makes you eat shit, and I'll gladly shovel.

[froy]

There will be no new CD.

I agree
The way he was talking was a guess
I guess this and I guess that

No new cd

[Saint John]

To all you naysayers, I hope Perry makes you eat shit, and I'll gladly shovel.

Just don't hurt your hip while your shoveling.

[scarygirl]

To all you naysayers, I hope Perry makes you eat shit, and I'll gladly shovel.

Just don't hurt your hip while your shoveling.

My hips are good and strong, don't you worry.

[RockitRide]

To all you naysayers, I hope Perry makes you eat shit, and I'll gladly shovel.

Hey now you classy lady, that's not very nice...I hope Perry does put out a great CD, but if it is a collection of ballads and mid-tempo schmaultz like the ones that killed TBF and FTLOSM then it's not going to work for me. I don't think Perry is a rocker and I therefore expect a Cetera or Manillow type of disc. However, I am not holding my breath for any new CD. Singers don't quit singing unless they can't sing. Ask Tina Turner who is back on the road after "retiring" a while back. Great ball players will play as long as they can and so will singers.

At this point I am extremely optimistic about Arnel. If you can put your emotional attachement to the past aside it is tough to argue that Arnel is not the best singer around today. Listen to the radio for 30 minutes and tell me Arnel doesn't stand head and shoulders above the Kurt Nobrain left overs of no talent and no technique pop singers. I thought SA was the be all and end all and I saw him three times in concert. However, I must admit Arnel blows him away. Your ears don't lie...your heart might, but not your ears...

[tammy]

None of you will be happy about anything SP does so why do you bother?! It's so easy for you to criticize - how many of you can do EXACTLY what you could over 25 yrs ago? Yeah, I thought so. Leave the man alone! What the hell has he done to you personally? Seriously, you people need professional help if you feel slighted.

If SP puts out new music, new old music, old music - great, I'll be ripping off the plastic with my teeth at the register. If he doesn't, fine, I understand completely...he gave SO much already.

[Michigan Girl]

None of you will be happy about anything SP does so why do you bother?! It's so easy for you to criticize - how many of you can do EXACTLY what you could over 25 yrs ago? Yeah, I thought so. Leave the man alone! What the hell has he done to you personally? Seriously, you people need professional help if you feel slighted.

If SP puts out new music, new old music, old music - great, I'll be ripping off the plastic with my teeth at the register. If he doesn't, fine, I understand completely...he gave SO much already.

I'll bet a LOT of people can bitch, whine and complain even BETTER than they did 25 years ago!!!

[SteveForever]

If SP puts out new music, new old music, old music - great, I'll be ripping off the plastic with my teeth at the register. If he doesn't, fine, I understand completely...he gave SO much already.

me too! I'll be licking it on the way up to the register