New Lineup

[Saint John]

I really think Soto is gonna bring some edge to the band. Augeri was way too feminine for me. Soto is a very talented singer. Much more so than Augeri. As far as the last 8 years go for me, this is the most exciting thing that has happened. Augeri should thank Deano on his hands and knees. He put a stop to them further destroying the man's voice, which is his livlihood. For his sake, I hope it wasn't too late. Soto will bring a larger fan base than Augeri did and will win over more fans. He's just that much better. Can't wait til they get to Chicago.

[piecesofeight]

I really think Soto is gonna bring some edge to the band. Augeri was way too feminine for me. Soto is a very talented singer. Much more so than Augeri. As far as the last 8 years go for me, this is the most exciting thing that has happened. Augeri should thank Deano on his hands and knees. He put a stop to them further destroying the man's voice, which is his livlihood. For his sake, I hope it wasn't too late. Soto will bring a larger fan base than Augeri did and will win over more fans. He's just that much better. Can't wait til they get to Chicago.

Interesting, yes, I too was thinking about this today. I have dvd shows from JSS and he will be edgier than either Steve.
This will be very, very interesting. It will be very different.
Then again, JSS is also very versatile.
I hope all the gals over at BT realize that it won't be as 'majestic' if you will, but in it's own way, will be good.

[whocares]

I can hardly wait for the threads about his fashion.

[Rockindeano]

I can hardly wait for the threads about his fashion.

No shit. All those four legged sows oogling over Augeri....like he ever checks them out?

How long til the first avatar of Jeff is up.

Better yet, how long til the first, "All behind jeff Scott Soto" thread? Or "Jeff needs our prayers"...haha. That last prayer for Augeri didn't go over too well, did it? God must have been out of town or just fuckin lazy, because he didn't do a Goddamned thing did he?

[NealIsGod]

I can hardly wait for the threads about his fashion.

No shit. All those four legged sows oogling over Augeri....like he ever checks them out?

How long til the first avatar of Jeff is up.

Better yet, how long til the first, "All behind jeff Scott Soto" thread? Or "Jeff needs our prayers"...haha. That last prayer for Augeri didn't go over too well, did it? God must have been out of town or just fuckin lazy, because he didn't do a Goddamned thing did he?

So now comes the gloating and kicking a man while he's down? You don't have an ounce of class.

[Abitaman]

I can hardly wait for the threads about his fashion.

No shit. All those four legged sows oogling over Augeri....like he ever checks them out?

How long til the first avatar of Jeff is up.

Better yet, how long til the first, "All behind jeff Scott Soto" thread? Or "Jeff needs our prayers"...haha. That last prayer for Augeri didn't go over too well, did it? God must have been out of town or just fuckin lazy, because he didn't do a Goddamned thing did he?

Well lets just pray God doesn't give up on you

[Marabelle]

i think JSS is going to be fun and bring a lot life and excitment into the band. He is going to generate some heat and some sexy persuasion. I'm looking forward to his voice and his attitude.

[Frankfurter]

You don't have an ounce of class.

Why do u throw about the word "class" as if it still means something.
You're defending a band that has cheated it's fans for nearly two years by faking its lead vocals!
Journey has some of the most dedicated fans in the world.
Neal should count his lucky stars that many fans rallied behind their decision to carry on (post TBF).
To do this to them is a disgrace and shows that all they care about is bling bling.
For every fan Neal rapes in the butt, he buys new gold-plated rims for his Harley.

[JrnySuxBalls]

If the band is going up against DL (so to speak), I can't think of a better choice than JSS.
The man sings his butt off, respects the fans, the ladies like him and he's no milktoast.

[A Fire Inside]

You don't have an ounce of class.

Why do u throw about the word "class" as if it still means something.
You're defending a band that has cheated it's fans for nearly two years by faking its lead vocals!
Journey has some of the most dedicated fans in the world.
Neal should count his lucky stars that many fans rallied behind their decision to carry on (post TBF).
To do this to them is a disgrace and shows that all they care about is bling bling.
For every fan Neal rapes in the butt, he buys new gold-plated rims for his Harley.

Journey's 'class' has nothing to do with NIG commenting on Deano's lack thereof.

But while we're on the subject, I have never really been sure where everyone saw that Journey had such "integrity" or "class" since maybe 1980. They have always been shady with lineup changes, people taking over, tours fading away, shitty PR etc. Yes, integrity indeed. This is why I am not overly shocked by the tape allegations or the new lineup change. Saddened yes, but still not overly shocked.

[johnroxx]

You're defending a band that has cheated it's fans for nearly two years by faking its lead vocals!

Bullshit...absolute, complete, and total bullshit.

I'm a trained musician (vocals, piano, and percussion) and spent twenty years reporting on rock and jazz for the two largest-circulation dailies in San Diego County.

I saw Journey from the second row in Chula Vista, CA last June, and there was NO lip-synching going on. Not a chance in hell that would have gotten past me.

For every fan Neal rapes in the butt, he buys new gold-plated rims for his Harley.

Nice...and clever too. Yet another scum stain on this toilet of a forum.

But you'll fit right in with the likes of the strident, delusional Deano and others of his ilk, unless Andrew decides to throw the trash out some day. Ain't gonna bet on that one.

Enjoy your new home, lol...

;^)

[Saint John]

I can hardly wait for the threads about his fashion.

No shit. All those four legged sows oogling over Augeri....like he ever checks them out?

How long til the first avatar of Jeff is up.

Better yet, how long til the first, "All behind jeff Scott Soto" thread? Or "Jeff needs our prayers"...haha. That last prayer for Augeri didn't go over too well, did it? God must have been out of town or just fuckin lazy, because he didn't do a Goddamned thing did he?

So now comes the gloating and kicking a man while he's down? You don't have an ounce of class.

You're damned right. Fuck him and his sore throat. He took the stage and ripped people off. He kicked every fan in the face in Europe when he faked concerts. Then he fucked fans at the ouset of the U.S. leg. And I'm supposed to worry about this phony piece of shit. Fuck him.

[JrnySuxBalls]

I saw Journey from the second row in Chula Vista, CA last June, and there was NO lip-synching going on. Not a chance in hell that would have gotten past me.

Unless it was a handful of 1st shows that were live, it got past you.

It's a moot point anyway, they're live now.

[A Fire Inside]

You're damned right. Fuck him and his sore throat. He took the stage and ripped people off. He kicked every fan in the face in Europe when he faked concerts. Then he fucked fans at the ouset of the U.S. leg. And I'm supposed to worry about this phony piece of shit. Fuck him.

Not all of us feel fucked. Some of us just didn't and still don't care. As I have said times before... there are bigger things to worry about than Steve Augeri getting live vocal help. LIKE SEEING JSS WHEN WE PAID TO SEE AUGERI!

Just kidding, I'm over that by now. Sort of...

But I still do not really feel very angry at anyone in the band regarding the tapes. If I did my anger wouldn't be directed at Augeri, because I firmly believe he is not the one who decided it was a good idea to tour with a bad voice. Someone else had to have put him up to it.

[johnroxx]

I saw Journey from the second row in Chula Vista, CA last June, and there was NO lip-synching going on. Not a chance in hell that would have gotten past me.

Unless it was a handful of 1st shows that were live, it got past you.

Nope...wrong. Not a chance. The publications I wrote for weren't paying me because I'm a nice guy, and they certainly weren't paying me because of my looks, lol.

They were paying me because of my expertise. And that inlcudes being able to recognize canned vocals being used as a crutch by someone singing fifteen feet awayfrom my face.

Didn't happen, and that was a year ago. The poster I quoted claimed fake vocals for the past two years.

Like I already said: complete and utter bullshit.

;^)

[JrnySuxBalls]

I saw Journey from the second row in Chula Vista, CA last June, and there was NO lip-synching going on. Not a chance in hell that would have gotten past me.

Unless it was a handful of 1st shows that were live, it got past you.

Nope...wrong. Not a chance. The publications I wrote for weren't paying me because I'm a nice guy, and they certainly weren't paying me because of my looks, lol.

They were paying me because of my expertise. And that inlcudes being able to recognize canned vocals being used as a crutch by someone singing fifteen feet awayfrom my face.

Didn't happen, and that was a year ago. The poster I quoted claimed fake vocals for the past two years.

Like I already said: complete and utter bullshit.

;^)

Well, as much as I admire your confidence, the tapes were indeed rolling. I don't know which show
you saw, there's a chance Augeri was live if it was the very beginning of the tour or in 2004. Your
music training credentials i respect, but to be a journalist really doesn't mean much as far as
having a critical ear. Some folks I know can write about it, but can't really hear things. Same
goes with DJs too. How many albums do they mix?

I saw the band a Pechanga in 2005, and although I really wasn't looking for anything fishy, I
found it curious that SA improved so radically all of a sudden.

The tapes have been rolling for about a year. Maybe a poster got the timeline wrong. Take 2
live recordings of the same song, play them simultanously, and there's your vocal tape right
down the middle. If you are a serious musician, it'll take you about 8 bars and you'll know.

Like I said, they're live now, the lip sync debate is over. The band went live, didn't work, in
comes a new singer. And I'm looking forward to the show!

[Lilla_Forever]

Wow, Jeff Scott Soto? Interesting choice I must say. A lot grittier and edgier then the usual Journey vocal sound. I know him mainly from his stint with Yngwie Malmsteen, but his talent is irrefutable.

It's going to be very interesting to hear him take on some of the Journey ballads:)

And who knows, if he becomes a permanent member and they start to write and record new material, he may be able to set off a little sound experimentation, something which is always a good thing...

[johnroxx]

I saw Journey from the second row in Chula Vista, CA last June, and there was NO lip-synching going on. Not a chance in hell that would have gotten past me.

Unless it was a handful of 1st shows that were live, it got past you.

Nope...wrong. Not a chance. The publications I wrote for weren't paying me because I'm a nice guy, and they certainly weren't paying me because of my looks, lol.

They were paying me because of my expertise. And that inlcudes being able to recognize canned vocals being used as a crutch by someone singing fifteen feet awayfrom my face.

Didn't happen, and that was a year ago. The poster I quoted claimed fake vocals for the past two years.

Like I already said: complete and utter bullshit.

;^)

Well, as much as I admire your confidence, the tapes were indeed rolling. I don't know which show
you saw, there's a chance Augeri was live if it was the very beginning of the tour or in 2004. Your
music training credentials i respect, but to be a journalist really doesn't mean much as far as
having a critical ear. Some folks I know can write about it, but can't really hear things. Same
goes with DJs too. How many albums do they mix?

I saw the band a Pechanga in 2005, and although I really wasn't looking for anything fishy, I
found it curious that SA improved so radically all of a sudden.

The tapes have been rolling for about a year. Maybe a poster got the timeline wrong. Take 2
live recordings of the same song, play them simultanously, and there's your vocal tape right
down the middle. If you are a serious musician, it'll take you about 8 bars and you'll know.

Like I said, they're live now, the lip sync debate is over. The band went live, didn't work, in
comes a new singer. And I'm looking forward to the show!

Well, JDoug, while your statement about having admiration for my "confidence" is kinda curious to me, I appreciate your acknowledgment of my credentials...they're legit. Nice not to be accused of making that up, as often happens, lol.

The Chula Vista show was on June 29th of last year, the second show of the tour if I remember correctly. Plenty was said about Augeri having a pretty bad night in Irvine at the opener two nights before (or was it three?), but Steve sounded just fine in Chula Vista.

As far as having a critical ear, I do. Like I said, I'm an experienced musician. Studied from the time I was five (forced piano lessons that I thank my parents for to this day) untill I completed music studies at my local JC. Didn't take it any farther, education wise, because I was in a huge hurry to get out of the folks' house and party at the age of 19...wise I wasn't.

Ended up in the production end of the newspaper business, and fell, through chance, into my writing career in 1986, and pretty much retired last year, although I haven't completely shut the door on a return at some point.

I understand what you're saying, though...the main reason I wanted to start writing about music was having to read lame reviews of bands I knew to be talented musicians, by hacks who couldn't even bother to get the song titles and/or band members' names right half the time. I was confident I could do a better job, and went for it. In the twenty years I was active, I reviewed hundreds of shows, probably about a thousand CDS, and interviewed everyone from Joe Perry and Steven Tyler to Peter Criss, Brian Wilson, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Alice Cooper, Paul Rodgers, Gregg Allman, Simon LeBon, Jon Anderson, Steve Hackett, Dave Mason, Greg Lake, Ian Anderson, Lou Gramm, and various members of the Doobie Brothers, Cheap Trick, BTO, Chicago, and about a dozen dozen other bands that would take far too long for me to even remember, much less type out, lol.

One thing I'm lucky to have is perfect pitch, which unfortunately does mean a ton of "fingernails-on-the-chalkboard" moments for me over the 32 years I've been going to concerts. So yes, I am one of those with a critical ear, sometimes almost painfully so.

And my vision, while corrected by glasses, is just fine. Augeri wasn't faking it at Chula Vista. There's no question at all.

Like you, I was also at Pechanga last October (Thursday), but I wasn't anywhere near the stage. I was a guest of the band that evening, and the geniuses at the venue decided that the best place for the band's guests was at the very back of the showroom. That's the bad thing about casino shows; the resident high-rollers get the best seats every time.

Sorry I've rambled on, but let me just say in finishing that, while I wasn't close enough to see Augeri's dental work that night, like I was in Chula Vista, it certainly sounded legit to this guy's ear. And that's good enough for me.

Cheers!

;^)

[JrnySuxBalls]

I'm an experienced musician for over 20 years myself, I've seen many friends work their
butts off to sound as good as possible (vocalists included) so it of course hit home to
discover the "tape" thing with the band. In listening to recordings, and comparing the
phrasing, pitch etc, it was obvious to me what was going on. But I did it MYSELF, I
was not jumping into someone's "conspiracy theory" or anything like that.

Would I have an opinion if all I experienced was that Pechanga show? Probably not.
I too wasn't close enough to really tell. I could see later that the band was really good
at it, SA keeping the mic extremely close to his mouth, not pulling it away for louder
notes etc. But it wasn't until I compared audio from different shows that it hit me
over the head. Exactly the same timing, phrasing, pitch, licks from these different takes.
Guitar was different, drum fills varied a bit, but lead vocals PERFECTLY the same.
If you've seen SA at all before, you know his timing is, well a bit "interpretive".

I can't speak for Chula Vista or Irvine, maybe those were live. But later shows defintely
were not, or more accurately, not 100%. But I wasn't about to call "Bullshit" until I
checked it out myself. And I did, independant of Deano or anyone else posting here.
I read Svante's post, and I did my homework. Then I knew.

Many folks have opinions, on whether they "think" the band used tapes or not. I didn't
comment at all until I heard it for myself. And credentials or not, some people can't hear
it, or don't know what they're listening for. Some people can, and don't want to hear it.
Whatever. It's not rocket science, but I can tell an identical take when I hear it.

I'm just suggesting check it out for yourself, then decide.

[cetera]

So now comes the gloating and kicking a man while he's down? You don't have an ounce of class.

Deano never did....

[Red13JoePa]

I saw Journey from the second row in Chula Vista, CA last June, and there was NO lip-synching going on. Not a chance in hell that would have gotten past me.

Unless it was a handful of 1st shows that were live, it got past you.

Nope...wrong. Not a chance. The publications I wrote for weren't paying me because I'm a nice guy, and they certainly weren't paying me because of my looks, lol.

They were paying me because of my expertise. And that inlcudes being able to recognize canned vocals being used as a crutch by someone singing fifteen feet awayfrom my face.

Didn't happen, and that was a year ago. The poster I quoted claimed fake vocals for the past two years.

Like I already said: complete and utter bullshit.

;^)

Yep. HUGE difference between what went down and what was accused.

[Abitaman]

HUGE difference between what went down and what was accused.

Got that right