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Schon comes clean... well sort of...
Posted:
Wed Jul 30, 2008 4:00 pmby MRMUSIC413
Hey... not sure if this has already been mentioned, but the latest issue of CLASSIC ROCK (Aug '08 Issue #122)
has a great 4 page spread on the bands current tour, with some excellent photos.
It also had this little blurb that surprised me out of NS:
Shortly after the '06 Monsters tour, Journey played the Sweden Rock Festival. It was here an eagle-eared
Scandinavian sound engineer speculated that Steve Augeri-Journey's singer at the time-might be lip synching.
CLASSIC ROCK has quizzed Journey about this in the past and has always received evasive answers.
This time however, Schon is a trifle more open:
"Y'know, people get themselves into trouble and they do what they gotta do to get through shows. Augeri had serious problems with his vocals. He had a yeast infection in his throat that was incurable. He couldn't get the gunk off his throat, so he couldn't get anything out of it. Anybody in the band who knows what he sounded like when we first got him knew he was hurting."
So Journey were actually trying to bolster up Augeri by the use of extra added 'vocal assistance' shall we say ?
"No comment. You'll have to talk to him (Augeri) about it. In all seriousness, this is such old news."
Whatever, Augeri exited soon enough, to be replaced by Jeff Scott Soto.
"Jeff did a great job," says Schon. "He came in, got us through a tour and got paid very, very well for it. But
personality-wise he was not right. After we asked Jeff to leave it got nasty and he decided to sue us. Which
was a shame because he had already been taken care of very well.
Did Journey always regard Soto as something of a stop-gap frontman ?
"I think for a second we thought it was going to work," Schon admits. "He was a very good showman. But what
turned my head around was when we wrote a couple of new songs. We sent them to Jeff... he laid down some vocals...
and it didn't sound like Journey at all. Jeff didn't have to be a clone of Steve Perry, but his register was more like a
baritone. We needed an alto-tenor... that timbre of voice that everybody's used to. So that was the problem. It didn't
sound great. It didn't sound like Journey.. It was just very nondescript."
Posted:
Wed Jul 30, 2008 4:08 pmby Since 78
Whatever, Augeri exited soon enough, to be replaced by Jeff Scott Soto.
"Jeff did a great job," says Schon. "He came in, got us through a tour and got paid very, very well for it. But
personality-wise he was not right. After we asked ?Jeff to leave it got nasty and he decided to sue us. Which
was a shame because he had already been taken care of very well.
Did Journey always regard Soto as something of a stop-gap frontman ?
"I think for a second we thought it was going to work," Schon admits. "He was a very good showman. But what
turned my head around was when we wrote a couple of new songs. We sent them to Jeff... he laid down some vocals...
and it didn't sound like Journey at all. Jeff didn't have to be a clone of Steve Perry, but his register was more like a
baritone. We needed an alto-tenor... that timbre of voice that everybody's used to. So that was the problem. It didn't
sound great. It didn't sound like Journey.. It was just very nondescript."
Well this is a little different from the first post about the article! Comments?
Posted:
Wed Jul 30, 2008 4:11 pmby MRMUSIC413
Since 78 wrote:Well this is a little different from the first post about the article! Comments?
I looked for a similar post but didn't notice one. Have a link ?
Posted:
Wed Jul 30, 2008 4:12 pmby Memorex
Fuck Neal.
Posted:
Wed Jul 30, 2008 4:16 pmby Ms_M
Memorex wrote:Fuck Neal.
How can you improve on that comment?
Posted:
Wed Jul 30, 2008 4:19 pmby Since 78
MRMUSIC413 wrote:Since 78 wrote:Well this is a little different from the first post about the article! Comments?
I looked for a similar post but didn't notice one. Have a link ?
Never tried this before but!
http://forums.melodicrock.com/phpBB/vie ... 55&start=0
And I see its already started!
Posted:
Wed Jul 30, 2008 8:02 pmby texafana
"He was a very good showman. But what turned my head around was when we wrote a couple of new songs. We sent them to Jeff... he laid down some vocals... and it didn't sound like Journey at all. Jeff didn't have to be a clone of Steve Perry, but his register was more like a baritone. We needed an alto-tenor... that timbre of voice that everybody's used to. So that was the problem. It didn't sound great. It didn't sound like Journey.. It was just very nondescript."
Is that a real Neal quote? That's pretty fkin harsh.
Posted:
Wed Jul 30, 2008 8:05 pmby SusieP
I have the magazine and that is exactly what it says.
The journalist didn't delve into the manner of the sacking, though.
I know it's old news, but I would have liked to read Neal's answers to those kind of questions.
Posted:
Wed Jul 30, 2008 8:27 pmby wednesday's child
texafana wrote:"He was a very good showman. But what turned my head around was when we wrote a couple of new songs. We sent them to Jeff... he laid down some vocals... and it didn't sound like Journey at all. Jeff didn't have to be a clone of Steve Perry, but his register was more like a baritone. We needed an alto-tenor... that timbre of voice that everybody's used to. So that was the problem. It didn't sound great. It didn't sound like Journey.. It was just very nondescript."
Is that a real Neal quote? That's pretty fkin harsh.
Keep in mind that when Neal spoke of "it" not sounding great or being nondescript, he could easily
have been referring not solely to JSS'voice, but the overall "sound" of the band with JSS' voice.
Printed interviews sometimes compress the verbatim answer, with less than satisfactory results.
-wech
Posted:
Wed Jul 30, 2008 8:52 pmby SusieP
wednesday's child wrote:texafana wrote:"He was a very good showman. But what turned my head around was when we wrote a couple of new songs. We sent them to Jeff... he laid down some vocals... and it didn't sound like Journey at all. Jeff didn't have to be a clone of Steve Perry, but his register was more like a baritone. We needed an alto-tenor... that timbre of voice that everybody's used to. So that was the problem. It didn't sound great. It didn't sound like Journey.. It was just very nondescript."
Is that a real Neal quote? That's pretty fkin harsh.
Keep in mind that when Neal spoke of "it" not sounding great or being nondescript, he could easily
have been referring not solely to JSS'voice, but the overall "sound" of the band with JSS' voice.
Printed interviews sometimes compress the verbatim answer, with less than satisfactory results.
-wech
And Neal isn't exactly eloquent at the best of times, as we know.
Posted:
Wed Jul 30, 2008 9:50 pmby Saint John
Ms_M wrote:Memorex wrote:Fuck Neal.
How can you improve on that comment?
Easily...Fuck Memorex.
Posted:
Wed Jul 30, 2008 9:56 pmby Memorex
Saint John wrote:Ms_M wrote:Memorex wrote:Fuck Neal.
How can you improve on that comment?
Easily...Fuck Memorex.
I can't argue with that.
Posted:
Wed Jul 30, 2008 10:00 pmby Saint John
Memorex wrote:Saint John wrote:Ms_M wrote:Memorex wrote:Fuck Neal.
How can you improve on that comment?
Easily...Fuck Memorex.
I can't argue with that.
lol...at least you realize I
was joking. Schon has certainly been a buffoon at times, but I found this article to be what I believe pretty straight forward regarding the Soto termination. The "No comment" part was pretty dumb...though we all understand why he
had to say it. It's just a dumb thing to say because it would certainly raise my suspicions into looking a bit deeper had I never heard anything about it. It comes across like he has something to hide...which again we know the answer to.
Posted:
Wed Jul 30, 2008 10:52 pmby Greg
Pure BS from Neal at its stinkiest.
Neal, it's not about the money. It's about being honest with people and you sir are not.
Posted:
Wed Jul 30, 2008 11:16 pmby Michigan Girl
Since 78 wrote:Whatever, Augeri exited soon enough, to be replaced by Jeff Scott Soto.
"Jeff did a great job," says Schon. "He came in, got us through a tour and got paid very, very well for it. But
personality-wise he was not right. After we asked ?Jeff to leave it got nasty and he decided to sue us. Which
was a shame because he had already been taken care of very well.
Did Journey always regard Soto as something of a stop-gap frontman ?
"I think for a second we thought it was going to work," Schon admits. "He was a very good showman. But what
turned my head around was when we wrote a couple of new songs. We sent them to Jeff... he laid down some vocals...
and it didn't sound like Journey at all. Jeff didn't have to be a clone of Steve Perry, but his register was more like a
baritone. We needed an alto-tenor... that timbre of voice that everybody's used to. So that was the problem. It didn't
sound great. It didn't sound like Journey.. It was just very nondescript."
Well this is a little different from the first post about the article! Comments?
It is a tad different, it seems a little more abrasive~is it me?
Posted:
Wed Jul 30, 2008 11:33 pmby Onestepper
Not sure what people are not seeing in those comments. They are not mean spirited or even 'harsh'. It appears to be a diplomatic way of saying what everyone was looking for as a reason to let JSS go. He didn't say 'he sucked' or anything close to that. Just that it didn't fit their sound. I think that is reasonable.
My belief is that most people would have a completely different feeling about those comments if they had handled the termination more professionally, and actually discussed the issue of why they wanted to go in a different direction to JSS one on one. I don't think how or what he said in the interview was that bad.
Posted:
Wed Jul 30, 2008 11:35 pmby Saint John
Onestepper wrote:Not sure what people are not seeing in those comments. They are not mean spirited or even 'harsh'. It appears to be a diplomatic way of saying what everyone was looking for as a reason to let JSS go. He didn't say 'he sucked' or anything close to that. Just that it didn't fit their sound. I think that is reasonable.
My belief is that most people would have a completely different feeling about those comments if they had handled the termination more professionally, and actually discussed the issue of why they wanted to go in a different direction to JSS one on one. I don't think how or what he said in the interview was that bad.
Agreed on all counts.
Posted:
Wed Jul 30, 2008 11:41 pmby WykkedSensation
Saint John wrote:Onestepper wrote:Not sure what people are not seeing in those comments. They are not mean spirited or even 'harsh'. It appears to be a diplomatic way of saying what everyone was looking for as a reason to let JSS go. He didn't say 'he sucked' or anything close to that. Just that it didn't fit their sound. I think that is reasonable.
My belief is that most people would have a completely different feeling about those comments if they had handled the termination more professionally, and actually discussed the issue of why they wanted to go in a different direction to JSS one on one. I don't think how or what he said in the interview was that bad.
Agreed on all counts.
Ditto.
Posted:
Wed Jul 30, 2008 11:48 pmby Tito
Saint John wrote:lol...at least you realize I was joking. Schon has certainly been a buffoon at times,
Neal has NEVER been a buffoon. Unless you consider being too loyal - buffoonery.
Posted:
Wed Jul 30, 2008 11:49 pmby Tito
WykkedSensation wrote:Saint John wrote:Onestepper wrote:Not sure what people are not seeing in those comments. They are not mean spirited or even 'harsh'. It appears to be a diplomatic way of saying what everyone was looking for as a reason to let JSS go. He didn't say 'he sucked' or anything close to that. Just that it didn't fit their sound. I think that is reasonable.
My belief is that most people would have a completely different feeling about those comments if they had handled the termination more professionally, and actually discussed the issue of why they wanted to go in a different direction to JSS one on one. I don't think how or what he said in the interview was that bad.
Agreed on all counts.
Ditto.
Count me in.
Posted:
Thu Jul 31, 2008 12:01 amby Arkansas
WykkedSensation wrote:Saint John wrote:Onestepper wrote:Not sure what people are not seeing in those comments. They are not mean spirited or even 'harsh'. It appears to be a diplomatic way of saying what everyone was looking for as a reason to let JSS go. He didn't say 'he sucked' or anything close to that. Just that it didn't fit their sound. I think that is reasonable.
My belief is that most people would have a completely different feeling about those comments if they had handled the termination more professionally, and actually discussed the issue of why they wanted to go in a different direction to JSS one on one. I don't think how or what he said in the interview was that bad.
Agreed on all counts.
Ditto.
Yeah, ditto ditto.
I don't see at all why people bash NS for this. He seems honest. While this may not be the whole story, it's probably true. And about handling the 'termination' professionally, I believe it was. That's the way it goes in business - avoid confrontation. That is the professional way. Management does the dirty work, and you be quiet. It's not that you don't want to talk to people, you just don't. The politics and the legals virtually prohibit you from talking. I've been in these tough situations. You keep your mouth shut and re-focus on your work. Maybe down the road you can say something, but even then you purposely keep it vague and ambiguous.
No way Neal Schon is as dumb as some out here seem to think.
later~
Posted:
Thu Jul 31, 2008 12:01 amby Saint John
Tito wrote:Neal has NEVER been a buffoon. Unless you consider being too loyal - buffoonery.
Everyone has been a buffoon at one time or another. Thank you for being so kind and using
yourself as an example just now.
Posted:
Thu Jul 31, 2008 12:07 amby Michigan Girl
Tito wrote:WykkedSensation wrote:Saint John wrote:Onestepper wrote:Not sure what people are not seeing in those comments. They are not mean spirited or even 'harsh'. It appears to be a diplomatic way of saying what everyone was looking for as a reason to let JSS go. He didn't say 'he sucked' or anything close to that. Just that it didn't fit their sound. I think that is reasonable.
My belief is that most people would have a completely different feeling about those comments if they had handled the termination more professionally, and actually discussed the issue of why they wanted to go in a different direction to JSS one on one. I don't think how or what he said in the interview was that bad.
Agreed on all counts.
Ditto.
Count me in.
Did any one of you read the
entire article? It's not just about JSS!!!
Posted:
Thu Jul 31, 2008 12:07 amby Tito
Saint John wrote:Tito wrote:Neal has NEVER been a buffoon. Unless you consider being too loyal - buffoonery.
Everyone has been a buffoon at one time or another. Thank you for being so kind and using
yourself as an example just now.
I have
never been a buffoon.
Posted:
Thu Jul 31, 2008 12:09 amby Tito
Arkansas wrote:
Yeah, ditto ditto.
I don't see at all why people bash NS for this. He seems honest. While this may not be the whole story, it's probably true. And about handling the 'termination' professionally, I believe it was. That's the way it goes in business - avoid confrontation. That is the professional way. Management does the dirty work, and you be quiet. It's not that you don't want to talk to people, you just don't. The politics and the legals virtually prohibit you from talking. I've been in these tough situations. You keep your mouth shut and re-focus on your work. Maybe down the road you can say something, but even then you purposely keep it vague and ambiguous.
No way Neal Schon is as dumb as some out here seem to think.
later~
Thank you.
Posted:
Thu Jul 31, 2008 12:09 amby Onestepper
Michigan Girl wrote:Tito wrote:WykkedSensation wrote:Saint John wrote:Onestepper wrote:Not sure what people are not seeing in those comments. They are not mean spirited or even 'harsh'. It appears to be a diplomatic way of saying what everyone was looking for as a reason to let JSS go. He didn't say 'he sucked' or anything close to that. Just that it didn't fit their sound. I think that is reasonable.
My belief is that most people would have a completely different feeling about those comments if they had handled the termination more professionally, and actually discussed the issue of why they wanted to go in a different direction to JSS one on one. I don't think how or what he said in the interview was that bad.
Agreed on all counts.
Ditto.
Count me in.
Did any one of you read the
entire article? It's not just about JSS!!!
What's your point? I think that subject got the attention because it is the first time (that I know of) anyone from the band has gone on record about the split. I think the 'no comment' statement was addressed in a different thread.
Re: Schon comes clean... well sort of...
Posted:
Thu Jul 31, 2008 12:11 amby The_Noble_Cause
Neal Schon wrote:"I think for a second we thought it was going to work," Schon admits. "He was a very good showman. But what
turned my head around was when we wrote a couple of new songs. We sent them to Jeff... he laid down some vocals...
and it didn't sound like Journey at all. Jeff didn't have to be a clone of Steve Perry, but his register was more like a
baritone. We needed an alto-tenor... that timbre of voice that everybody's used to. So that was the problem. It didn't
sound great. It didn't sound like Journey.. It was just very nondescript."
[/i]
Total BS.
Anyone with a short-term memory will remember Neal gushing over JSS giving Perry an emotive run for his money on "Coming Home", as well as in concert.
The fact that he wasn't a total vocal doppelganger was a good thing. He captured the spirit of Journey without being an outright fraud.
Posted:
Thu Jul 31, 2008 12:11 amby Tito
Michigan Girl wrote:Count me in.
Did any one of you read the
entire article? It's not just about JSS!!!
[/quote]
Is there a link?
Re: Schon comes clean... well sort of...
Posted:
Thu Jul 31, 2008 12:12 amby Deb
"No comment. You'll have to talk to him (Augeri) about it. In all seriousness, this is such old news."
- Never was a fan of Augeri's but that comment just pissed me off, ya sure, lay the whole tapegate episode at Augeri's feet?
It didn't
sound great. It didn't sound like Journey.. It was just very nondescript."
- JSS? Nondescript? That one actually made me laugh out loud.....coming from somebody who's got an SP vocal duplicate fronting Journey now.
No disrespect to Arnel, I like the guy.............but I lose more and more respect for NS everytime he opens his mouth.
Re: Schon comes clean... well sort of...
Posted:
Thu Jul 31, 2008 12:14 amby Tito
The_Noble_Cause wrote:Neal Schon wrote:"I think for a second we thought it was going to work," Schon admits. "He was a very good showman. But what
turned my head around was when we wrote a couple of new songs. We sent them to Jeff... he laid down some vocals...
and it didn't sound like Journey at all. Jeff didn't have to be a clone of Steve Perry, but his register was more like a
baritone. We needed an alto-tenor... that timbre of voice that everybody's used to. So that was the problem. It didn't
sound great. It didn't sound like Journey.. It was just very nondescript."
[/i]
Total BS.
Anyone with a short-term memory will remember Neal gushing over JSS giving Perry an emotive run for his money on "Coming Home", as well as in concert.
The fact that he wasn't a total vocal doppelganger was a good thing. He captured the spirit of Journey without being an outright fraud.
He was just hyping him up.