Tonight's the night

[RedWingFan]

So much for liking the show and waiting till the record comes out to pass final judgement on the new material.

Goodness Gracious.

If everyone loved it would you feel the same way? Thought not.

What? I don't need others acceptance to think for myself. What a waste.

I said, would you feel the same way that everyone should "wait till the record comes out to pass final judgement on the new material" if everyone was showering it with praise.

Clear now? Your response paints you as confused.

[RedWingFan]

I do agree with S2M on the song structures. I'm not hearing much variation in tempo and arrangement.

Yeah, it seems kinda laid out like grunge with a lead guitar. It all sounded the same. Kinda like Nirvana sounded like Soundgarden who sounded like Stone Temple Pilots...etc..

[Onestepper]

So much for liking the show and waiting till the record comes out to pass final judgement on the new material.

Goodness Gracious.

If everyone loved it would you feel the same way? Thought not.

What? I don't need others acceptance to think for myself. What a waste.

I said, would you feel the same way that everyone should "wait till the record comes out to pass final judgement on the new material" if everyone was showering it with praise.

Clear now? Your response paints you as confused.

Yes I was a bit confused. But you also made an assumption that I don't agree with. I said earlier in the thread that my wife and I liked the new stuff but that it wasn't that memorable hearing it live. We weren't blown away by most of it. But we also thought we'd have a better perspective once we heard the studio versions. Like I said, some of it just sounded like they were working out some kinks. No way to get a full appreciation of it. If others on here loved the stuff from what they could tell from the videos, good for them. Wouldn't affect my opinion one way or the other.

[Jana]

It's tough to really gauge things objectively when we are getting reviews and updates by peeps who follow Journey around, and would have an orgasm no matter what Journey did....'What?! Journey is doing an acoustic show, and they are going to play All That Really Matters on the Theramin? Wow, I'm SO there'

This seems about as inaccurate as a post could get. There are some pretty rabid Journey fans in this thread and not one person has been gushing about these songs. The reviews seem completely objective and are somewhere between uninspired/mediocre-need more listens-good/pretty good. That seems pretty fucking fair me. But you seem to have to bitch or complain about something.

I'm in the "pretty good" camp on the 5 new ones. City of Hope and Rise Up (or whatever the title of that one is) stood out on the first listen. No ballads or rock anthems in the group, but I didn't expect any based on the advance press.

They played 22 songs, full out; didn't yak, didn't slack, just gave us two hours of the best of Journey, current incarnation. Arnel sang his ass off. Taking it all in surrounded by friends and fellow fans ... I'm a happy bunny.

And DSB live has become a religious experience, even though I am past sick of the song.

I'm in the absolutely utterly fabulous camp. Rocking and dark...subtle melodies rather than instant love it and leave it style. Growers folks.....growers...

When do we get the full review of the album from you? It sounds like you have heard all the songs. I loved two of the songs straight off, Resonate and Chain of Love, and Rise Up has grown on me somewhat even from the youtube clips. City of Hope and the other one I have no feel for on the youtubes and and no reason to relisten on youtube. I have to agree with you on growers. Arrival I tried to listen to time after time and didn't care for it. One day had it on while working and I finally got it and really love that album above several of the Journey/Perry albums and listen to it far more than most of later Journey/Perry. So I will keep an open mind even though I wanted more piano and more balance with midtempo/ballad type songs.

[Don]

It sounds like everyone has found a t least one song right off the bat that might have promise. So in reverse, what song did you absolutely not like?

Resonate was the one for me. Obviously I'm in the minority but that's okay.

Anyone else have one that ain't cutting it so far? Of course all could change when the album comes out but since the band is playing them, we might as well be heard (even if we are, for the most part ignored )

I'm still of the opinion a lot of the material is going to be outstanding once it is heard through headphones but it won't change the fact that these aren't exactly anthems people are going to be rocking to in a live setting. As Journey has a lot of them already, that's not a biggie. Liked that they kept NWA in the setlist, not surprised that they didn't kill the mood by playing something as sappy as AATY. Still surprised that Open Arms and Lights survived the cut, however.

Looks like we can right off almost all the material from 1998 forward to be used very sparingly.

[Jana]

It sounds like everyone has found a t least one song right off the bat that might have promise. So in reverse, what song did you absolutely not like?

Resonate was the one for me. Obviously I'm in the minority but that's okay.

Anyone else have one that ain't cutting it so far? Of course all could change when the album comes out but since the band is playing them, we might as well be heard (even if we are, for the most part ignored )

I'm still of the opinion a lot of the material is going to be outstanding once it is heard through headphones but it won't change the fact that these aren't exactly anthems people are going to be rocking to in a live setting. As Journey has a lot of them already, that's not a biggie. Liked that they kept NWA in the setlist, not surprised that they didn't kill the mood by playing something as sappy as AATY. Still surprised that Open Arms survived the cut.

I think Resonate is a sexy song with the beat.

I would have said Rise Up. But from the new clip I found I think I am really going to like this song. Think. I'm not sure. - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LetgZJCtBOo

City of Hope, I like the moody vibe they're going for, but other than that, don't feel it off the youtubes. But will wait due to Andrew's review on that song.

The fifth song I can't remember the name, so I guess I would pick that one since it's forgettable from the youtube clip.

[S2M]

I liked Chain of Love because it sounded like it could have been off Frontiers....one song didn't Resonate with me. And the rest, not too memorable....

[Don]

I think anyone that enjoyed Trial By Fire will like this album, and yes, I'm basing that just off of the youtube clips.

Maybe getting ahead of myself, but I really don't feel that this will be Journey's Third Greatest album ever. Even stellar production can only do so much and while it may turn out to be wonderful in the end, I don't think Eclipes can jump ahead of the pack to land behind Frontiers and Escape. Even with the limitations of youtube, something that special would surely have made itself resonate somehow in the clips.

I think it could be the best album sans Perry though, even better than Arrival.

[Don]

Out of curiosity, for those that might have heard the finished product (Andrew), is there any one song on this album that is better than If I fall from W.E.T.? You were pretty high on that song when it came out.

[S2M]

Out of curiosity, for those that might have heard the finished product (Andrew), is there any one song on this album that is better than If I fall from W.E.T.? You were pretty high on that song when it came out.

To me, that was the penultimate Journey album....that is the what could have been.

[Voyager]

The same folk here that are bashing this new material for not sounding enough like "Journey" (whatever that is), are the same as the ones that bash them when they release something that does sound like early 80s Journey. The just have animosity towards this band - - end of story.

LMAO!! That is fucking hilarious. "They just have animosity towards the band..." LOL! That would be like Mick Jagger leaving the Stones and then saying the people are just mad at the band instead of saying THEY ARE MAD BECAUSE THE BAND LOST THEIR HIT LEAD SINGER. Hello??? What part of that is that too difficult to comprehend? I love it how people conveniently ignore the real issue at hand.

People are not bashing the new material for not sounding like the old Journey, nor are they mad when the band tries to sound like early Journey. They're just mad because Elvis has left the building and he ain't coming back. No one else is ever going to be able to fill that void - and that is the end of the story.

[Don]

Out of curiosity, for those that might have heard the finished product (Andrew), is there any one song on this album that is better than If I fall from W.E.T.? You were pretty high on that song when it came out.

To me, that was the penultimate Journey album....that is the what could have been.

There were a few GREAT songs on that album but to say it was the penultimate Journey album is a stretch. With that criteria we could say the same of Giuffria's self titled album.

[S2M]

Out of curiosity, for those that might have heard the finished product (Andrew), is there any one song on this album that is better than If I fall from W.E.T.? You were pretty high on that song when it came out.

To me, that was the penultimate Journey album....that is the what could have been.

There were a few GREAT songs on that album but to say it was the penultimate Journey album is a stretch. With that criteria we could say the same of Giuffria's self titled album.

Tracks:

1. Invincible (3:50)
2. One Love (3:56)
3. Brothers In Arms (4:46)
4. Come Down Like Rain (4:41)
5. Running From The Heartache (4:27)
6. I'll Be There (4:44)
7. Damage Is Done (3:25)
8. Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is (3:13)
9. One Day At A Time (5:02)
10. Just Go (4:25)
11. My Everything (3:19)
12. If I Fall (6:09)


1-4(although the acoustic CDLR is better), 5, 6, 11, and 12 are fucking unbelievable....

[Don]

I'm leaving the office, TTFN.

[StevePerryHair]

I'm leaving the office, TTFN.

What?? You can't say TTFN!! That is CLEARLY Tigger!! And you are CLEARLY Eeyore!!

[Jana]

Out of curiosity, for those that might have heard the finished product (Andrew), is there any one song on this album that is better than If I fall from W.E.T.? You were pretty high on that song when it came out.

To me, that was the penultimate Journey album....that is the what could have been.

There were a few GREAT songs on that album but to say it was the penultimate Journey album is a stretch. With that criteria we could say the same of Giuffria's self titled album.

Tracks:

1. Invincible (3:50)
2. One Love (3:56)
3. Brothers In Arms (4:46)
4. Come Down Like Rain (4:41)
5. Running From The Heartache (4:27)
6. I'll Be There (4:44)
7. Damage Is Done (3:25)
8. Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is (3:13)
9. One Day At A Time (5:02)
10. Just Go (4:25)
11. My Everything (3:19)
12. If I Fall (6:09)


1-4(although the acoustic CDLR is better), 5, 6, 11, and 12 are fucking unbelievable....

So you're saying they should have hired those Robert Sall and Erik Martensson to write their music to make it "what could have been"?

Love If I Fall, the vocal layering, the backing vocals, the guitar melody.

[Carlitto H@kk]

People are not bashing the new material for not sounding like the old Journey, nor are they mad when the band tries to sound like early Journey. They're just mad because Elvis has left the building and he ain't coming back. No one else is ever going to be able to fill that void - and that is the end of the story.

So, even if Perry still had his ROR or TBF era pipes, you'd still want him back in the band????

WHY???

Here's what would happen...
Either he would come back, and the band would just tour for a year or so doing the classsics.

OR

The band would try to record another album with Perry, and it would wind up being
just as crappy and boring as TBF or just as cheesey as ROR, or some weird cross-breed between the two.

All that "magic" that Cain, Schon, and Perry may have had with Escape & Frontiers
faded away a long time ago. Perry would've drove this band further
into mediocrity and boredom faster than anyone else has.

Its a shame "Arrival" was not the album recorded with Perry instead of TBF.
Perry singing those exact same songs would've been a HUGE success.

What did TBF garner? One really great song (WYLAW) and the rest
a bunch a tracks I haven't listened to since the day after the album's release.

So again, WHY would ANYONE really want Perrry back, other than to get one last glimpse of him, that line-up,
and listen to some old songs? Cause that's about all you'd get. No future
for Journey after that.

[S2M]

And Believe in Me, and As I Do 2 U are the best sounding Journey-like tracks recorded since Arrival. As I Do 2 U smokes any Cain penned ballad since like forever.....

[RedWingFan]

They're just mad because Elvis has left the building and he ain't coming back. No one else is ever going to be able to fill that void - and that is the end of the story.

In all honesty. If Perry himself stepped in and sang these songs as currently constructed, they'd still blow.

[Saint John]

They're just mad because Elvis has left the building and he ain't coming back. No one else is ever going to be able to fill that void - and that is the end of the story.

In all honesty. If Perry himself stepped in and sang these songs as currently constructed, they'd still blow.

We know. We all heard TBF.

[RedWingFan]

They're just mad because Elvis has left the building and he ain't coming back. No one else is ever going to be able to fill that void - and that is the end of the story.

In all honesty. If Perry himself stepped in and sang these songs as currently constructed, they'd still blow.

We know. We all heard TBF.

From these samples, this new record will make Journey fans yearn for TBF.

[Voyager]

All of this talk makes me LOL.

It's the same old argument. Steve Perry is gone, and some of us were Journey fans mainly because of his voice and the emotion behind it. Sure, Neal's soulful and bluesy guitar licks helped Journey become successful... sure, Jon Cain's brilliant keyboard playing and lyric writing helped create the Journey sound - but the Voice is missing, and cannot be duplicated.

We can re-argue this same topic for 10,000 pages... but at the end of the day you still have Elvis' band without Elvis. That will never change.

[Saint John]

All of this talk makes me LOL.

It's the same old argument. Steve Perry is gone, and some of us were Journey fans mainly because of his voice and the emotion behind it. Sure, Neal's soulful and bluesy guitar licks helped Journey become successful... sure, Jon Cain's brilliant keyboard playing and lyric writing helped create the Journey sound - but the Voice is missing, and cannot be duplicated.

We can re-argue this same topic for 10,000 pages... but at the end of the day you still have Elvis' band without Elvis. That will never change.

Again, this is old news. Journey's last great album with Perry was in 1983. Between ROR, Against The Wall, FTLOSM and TBF you have about 3.5 million in album sales. His fire went out in 1984. Elvis' voice left before Elvis did.

[Behshad]

All of this talk makes me LOL.

It's the same old argument. Steve Perry is gone, and some of us were Journey fans mainly because of his voice and the emotion behind it. Sure, Neal's soulful and bluesy guitar licks helped Journey become successful... sure, Jon Cain's brilliant keyboard playing and lyric writing helped create the Journey sound - but the Voice is missing, and cannot be duplicated.

We can re-argue this same topic for 10,000 pages... but at the end of the day you still have Elvis' band without Elvis. That will never change.

Again, this is old news. Journey's last great album with Perry was in 1983. Between ROR, Against The Wall, FTLOSM and TBF you have about 3.5 million in album sales. His fire went out in 1984. Elvis' voice left before Elvis did.

Speaking of voices going out,,,,one thing I'm surprised no one has brought up yet is Arnel's voice and it's future ,,,singing like that, every night for 18 months, the guy will be FRIED,,,, he will have NO voice left,,,, doesn't matter how strong it is now! He is singing in full voice & hitting ridiculous notes that will take it's toll soon enough.


Thoughts ?!

[StevePerryHair]

All of this talk makes me LOL.

It's the same old argument. Steve Perry is gone, and some of us were Journey fans mainly because of his voice and the emotion behind it. Sure, Neal's soulful and bluesy guitar licks helped Journey become successful... sure, Jon Cain's brilliant keyboard playing and lyric writing helped create the Journey sound - but the Voice is missing, and cannot be duplicated.

We can re-argue this same topic for 10,000 pages... but at the end of the day you still have Elvis' band without Elvis. That will never change.

Again, this is old news. Journey's last great album with Perry was in 1983. Between ROR, Against The Wall, FTLOSM and TBF you have about 3.5 million in album sales. His fire went out in 1984. Elvis' voice left before Elvis did.

Speaking of voices going out,,,,one thing I'm surprised no one has brought up yet is Arnel's voice and it's future ,,,singing like that, every night for 18 months, the guy will be FRIED,,,, he will have NO voice left,,,, doesn't matter how strong it is now! He is singing in full voice & hitting ridiculous notes that will take it's toll soon enough.


Thoughts ?!

Well, last big tour we thought the same thing. And THAT tour, when we did the Vegas kick off, he was STRUGGLING there! The desert air was very hard on his voice! They had him in a room with humidity from what I remember hearing. And then after that, they did a huge tour with Heart, and here he is, sounding good again. It seems as if they are fine, as long as they don't tour him EVERY year this way maybe? Hard to say I guess. I doubt they have a lot of years left anyway!

[DrFU]

All of this talk makes me LOL.

It's the same old argument. Steve Perry is gone, and some of us were Journey fans mainly because of his voice and the emotion behind it. Sure, Neal's soulful and bluesy guitar licks helped Journey become successful... sure, Jon Cain's brilliant keyboard playing and lyric writing helped create the Journey sound - but the Voice is missing, and cannot be duplicated.

We can re-argue this same topic for 10,000 pages... but at the end of the day you still have Elvis' band without Elvis. That will never change.

Again, this is old news. Journey's last great album with Perry was in 1983. Between ROR, Against The Wall, FTLOSM and TBF you have about 3.5 million in album sales. His fire went out in 1984. Elvis' voice left before Elvis did.

Speaking of voices going out,,,,one thing I'm surprised no one has brought up yet is Arnel's voice and it's future ,,,singing like that, every night for 18 months, the guy will be FRIED,,,, he will have NO voice left,,,, doesn't matter how strong it is now! He is singing in full voice & hitting ridiculous notes that will take it's toll soon enough.


Thoughts ?!

He sounded terrific last night; not ducking anything but not oversinging either; good energy too, more confident and less cartoonish.

If they do 22 songs every night, it's going to be tough to sustain through October, even with Deen singing two and several instrumental segues. The new tracks are LONG.

[Behshad]

I'm talking about all the new songs and their length ,,,He didn't hit perfect notes in Vegas back in 2008. The new material combined with dirty dozen WILL totally affect his voice. Plus who could ever forget PreSB fiasco

[StevePerryHair]

I'm talking about all the new songs and their length ,,,He didn't hit perfect notes in Vegas back in 2008. The new material combined with dirty dozen WILL totally affect his voice. Plus who could ever forget PreSB fiasco

Well, maybe this will be their farewell tour? I really don't know. I'm guessing they will do bigger and smaller tours, like they have been. Guess we can't see the future though!

[Saint John]

Plus who could ever forget PreSB fiasco

There was no fiasco. The guy was sick and had a terrible head cold. Unfortunate timing, more than anything.

[Rip Rokken]

I've been thinking for a lone word that would describe why I don't care for 4 out of the 5 songs....and I came up with: plodding. The songs literally plod along with no discernable direction, or purpose....it is more than just a ambient, full-sounding, sonic realization. Plodding and boring. More plodding though. Listless maybe...no energy other than Deen pounding skins, and Neal wanking off on his axe....I'm being serious, not trying to be funny.

I can't believe I'm saying this....but I know what you mean And maybe live, it's different. And on the cd more so. Which is why I won't be too critical of YouTube clips. I just wish his face had more emotion? There is something lacking in what I'm seeing and hearing...but I don't know what it is, but maybe it's like what youre saying. It's like the lack of "hooks" thing maybe.

Live, "Resonate" struck me as a great, intense make-out song. Somewhere, somebody's going to get lucky while playing it.