Neal Schon and Steve Smith together again !

[Centaure]

Here is a brand new photo of Neal and Steve in the studio for Neal's new album !

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid= ... 2075936973

[wednesday's child]

[Journey/Survivor]

Anyone on here know approx when Neal's album is due out?

[Memorex]

The person who posted the picture should probably have spelled Neal's name right in the caption.

[Archetype]

I wonder how Castronovo feels about that. And is it just me, or is Neal giving Steve a death glare?

[Saint John]

I wonder how Castronovo feels about that. And is it just me, or is Neal giving Steve a death glare?

Castronovo probably couldn't care less. Wait, change that. I bet he's ecstatic for Neal and can't wait to hear the new material with Smith. Besides, Neal is doing a double solo album. Smith is on one and Deen is on the other.

[Archetype]

I wonder how Castronovo feels about that. And is it just me, or is Neal giving Steve a death glare?

Castronovo probably couldn't care less. Wait, change that. I bet he's ecstatic for Neal and can't wait to hear the new material with Smith. Besides, Neal is doing a double solo album. Smith is on one and Deen is on the other.

That's cool that he has Deen on one and Steve on the other. It'll offer a good comparison of the two.

[Saint John]

I wonder how Castronovo feels about that. And is it just me, or is Neal giving Steve a death glare?

Castronovo probably couldn't care less. Wait, change that. I bet he's ecstatic for Neal and can't wait to hear the new material with Smith. Besides, Neal is doing a double solo album. Smith is on one and Deen is on the other.

That's cool that he has Deen on one and Steve on the other. It'll offer a good comparison of the two.

Probably not something Deen's looking forward to!

[Archetype]

I wonder how Castronovo feels about that. And is it just me, or is Neal giving Steve a death glare?

Castronovo probably couldn't care less. Wait, change that. I bet he's ecstatic for Neal and can't wait to hear the new material with Smith. Besides, Neal is doing a double solo album. Smith is on one and Deen is on the other.

That's cool that he has Deen on one and Steve on the other. It'll offer a good comparison of the two.

Probably not something Deen's looking forward to!

Deen can probably hold his own quite well. I think he's severely underrated, but I suppose we'll see soon enough.

[Journey/Survivor]

I wonder how Castronovo feels about that. And is it just me, or is Neal giving Steve a death glare?

Castronovo probably couldn't care less. Wait, change that. I bet he's ecstatic for Neal and can't wait to hear the new material with Smith. Besides, Neal is doing a double solo album. Smith is on one and Deen is on the other.

That's cool that he has Deen on one and Steve on the other. It'll offer a good comparison of the two.

Probably not something Deen's looking forward to!

Deen can probably hold his own quite well. I think he's severely underrated, but I suppose we'll see soon enough.

I consider Steve Smith to be the greatest all around drummer in the world, but Deen is phenomenal too. I consider Deen to be in the top 5 greatest Rock drummers list in the world at this time.

If I were recording a very heavy album I would want Deen to be the drummer on it. Any other type of album, and I'd probably prefer to have Steve as the drummer.

[Don]

I think Deen is a good drummer but not great. His greatest worth for Journey is as a guy who can cover the high harmonies and spell the singer for a few songs every night. That ability would really be tough for Journey to replicate if he was gone, at least if they wanted to keep it live.

[Archetype]

Not to totally dismiss Steve, but what are you guys listening to that makes you declare him the greatest drummer ever? I mean his stuff with Journey is alright, but it isn't out of this world or anything. Going by just Journey recordings, I'd have to say that Aynsley Dunbar is their best drummer (His work on the first album is fantastic, and better than everything on other Journey albums)

Where is Steve's golden material?

[Saint John]

Where is Steve's golden material?

Go see one of his live jazz shows. He's simply out of this world. You could take every one of Deen's strengths, add that to Dunbar's strengths and you still wouldn't get a drummer with the technical expertise and incredible ability to combine power and finesse like Steve Smith does. Deen's a power drummer. Where he lacks is in the ability to delicately carry a song with subtle grooves, but also add well-timed, explosive solos. Here's a good summation of him over the last decade or so:

In 1998, Smith began producing and playing on a series of driving electric jazz albums for the Tone Center label with a revolving cast of talented players such as Dave Liebman, Frank Gambale, Stu Hamm, Tom Coster, Larry Coryell, Jerry Goodman, Howard Levy, Steve Marcus, Scott Henderson and Victor Wooten.

Smith’s explosive solos and intricate timekeeping served to gain him much acclaim from sources such as Modern Drummer Magazine, whose readers voted him the #1 All-Around Drummer five years in a row. In 2001 Modern Drummer Magazine named Steve as one of the Top 25 Drummer of All Time, in 2002 he as voted into the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame and finally in 2003 his Hudson Music DVD "Steve Smith Drumset Technique - History of the U.S. Beat" was voted #1 Educational DVD of 2003.

[SF-Dano]

Where is Steve's golden material?

Go see one of his live jazz shows. He's simply out of this world. You could take every one of Deen's strengths, add that to Dunbar's strengths and you still wouldn't get a drummer with the technical expertise and incredible ability to combine power and finesse like Steve Smith does. Deen's a power drummer. Where he lacks is in the ability to delicately carry a song with subtle grooves, but also add well-timed, explosive solos. Here's a good summation of him over the last decade or so:

In 1998, Smith began producing and playing on a series of driving electric jazz albums for the Tone Center label with a revolving cast of talented players such as Dave Liebman, Frank Gambale, Stu Hamm, Tom Coster, Larry Coryell, Jerry Goodman, Howard Levy, Steve Marcus, Scott Henderson and Victor Wooten.

Smith’s explosive solos and intricate timekeeping served to gain him much acclaim from sources such as Modern Drummer Magazine, whose readers voted him the #1 All-Around Drummer five years in a row. In 2001 Modern Drummer Magazine named Steve as one of the Top 25 Drummer of All Time, in 2002 he as voted into the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame and finally in 2003 his Hudson Music DVD "Steve Smith Drumset Technique - History of the U.S. Beat" was voted #1 Educational DVD of 2003.

Yes, but is Journey a Rock band or a jazz band. I think Steve Smith is beyond tremendously talented - one of the best. However, I believe most of that talent was held back in Journey's music by design - especially on the studio recordings. It would have been really interesting to hear Steve's takes on Journey's early (pre-Perry) music. Steve's talent is really shown on his jazz recording where he has the freedom to stretch out and play.

I feel for straight ahead "Rock" music that Deen's playing is great. I think he brings alot of energy to the band also. Very talented in his own right.

There is no discounting Dunbar's playing also. Especially his work with Zappa and Journey's early albums, through his time with Jefferson Starship and Whitesnake, etc. The guy is a great drummer.

Smith is elite now. Dunbar and Castronovo are upper-eschelon. I would say Journey as a band has been made better by having all three.

[Journey/Survivor]

Not to totally dismiss Steve, but what are you guys listening to that makes you declare him the greatest drummer ever? I mean his stuff with Journey is alright, but it isn't out of this world or anything. Going by just Journey recordings, I'd have to say that Aynsley Dunbar is their best drummer (His work on the first album is fantastic, and better than everything on other Journey albums)

Where is Steve's golden material?

If I was judging Journey's drummers strictly based on their playing on Journey albums, then I would say that Aynsley Dunbar was their best drummer.

But in Steve Smith's case, you have to listen to his "Vital Information" and "Vital-Tech-Tones" CD's to fully appreciate his skill level.

I do totally love Dunbar's drumming on those first 3 Journey albums, though!

[Journey/Survivor]

I feel for straight ahead "Rock" music that Deen's playing is great. I think he brings alot of energy to the band also. Very talented in his own right.

Like I mentioned, if I was forming a metal band or even an all-out hard rock band, Deen Castronovo would be my first choice as drummer.

But IMO, Steve smith is the greatest all-around drummer in the world.