Kevin Chalfant - Open Arms - 03/21

[kgdjpubs]

The first hour barely had SA singing - it was songs like Mystery Mountain or Daydream - then the band took an intermission before resuming with other songs - including lead vocals by Ross, Neal, Cain etc.

Nobody is denying it's a hard gig. But if they really wanted to chew him up and spit him out, why not make him sing the whole show?

Truthfully, warming up, then sitting idle for an hour while they do old instrumental stuff, and then being expected to come out at 100% at the end of that first set and into the second one when your voice has cooled off probably did more damage than the previous tours.

From what I remember, he played guitar, contributed bg vocals, even did 1 or 2 leads.... I really wouldn't call that "sitting idle" for an hour.

without pulling up the setlist, you have Augeri warming up backstage. Journey opens with the instrumental stuff. Then a few of the Rolie songs with vocals by Cain. Then, I remember Winds of March with Deen. Then, finally, Augeri goes lead on a few hits to end the first set. Break. Come back with the "regular concert".

Once you have gone to the trouble of warming your voice up to sing in that range, the absolute worst thing you can do is basically do nothing for a while and then expect it to be at peak level. A few backing vocals isn't going to keep it up there at peak. It will "cool off", and then you have to kinda do the process again to warm it up. Bet not to do that on stage where people are expecting you to be at peak level. That ends with strain (mental and physical), and nothing good can come of that.

At best, Augeri never really had the range for Perry (could he do it? yes. was it in his natural range, especially at his age? no). Strike one. Lots of touring, and having to perform at that upper end when you have 85-90% of your range due to interterminable amount of variables that you get while touring. Strike two--it does affect things over time. Having to sing Journey material on a cooled off voice from extended tour with that kind of set, which is already strained since it probably should be tuned down anyways to help you? Strike three.

Augeri's voice was already showing wear by the end of the 2004 tour. The 2005 tour is what did him in. By 2006, there was just nothing left.

[The_Noble_Cause]

without pulling up the setlist, you have Augeri warming up backstage. Journey opens with the instrumental stuff. Then a few of the Rolie songs with vocals by Cain. Then, I remember Winds of March with Deen. Then, finally, Augeri goes lead on a few hits to end the first set. Break. Come back with the "regular concert".

Once you have gone to the trouble of warming your voice up to sing in that range, the absolute worst thing you can do is basically do nothing for a while and then expect it to be at peak level. A few backing vocals isn't going to keep it up there at peak. It will "cool off", and then you have to kinda do the process again to warm it up. Bet not to do that on stage where people are expecting you to be at peak level. That ends with strain (mental and physical), and nothing good can come of that.

At best, Augeri never really had the range for Perry (could he do it? yes. was it in his natural range, especially at his age? no). Strike one. Lots of touring, and having to perform at that upper end when you have 85-90% of your range due to interterminable amount of variables that you get while touring. Strike two--it does affect things over time. Having to sing Journey material on a cooled off voice from extended tour with that kind of set, which is already strained since it probably should be tuned down anyways to help you? Strike three.

Augeri's voice was already showing wear by the end of the 2004 tour. The 2005 tour is what did him in. By 2006, there was just nothing left.

My point remains, if the band really wanted to chew him up, (as some allege), they easily could have had him SING everything. The instrumental stuff actually gave SA the opportunity of not one but TWO warm-ups (one before the show and a quick one during the intermission). I'm just hearing alot of excuses here. By Augeri's own admission he got sick on the 2005 tour and the medicine is what actually did him in.

[Monker]

This is really simple.

Journey knew Augeri's voice was having issues.
So, they go on tour.
Then they go on tour again, with barely any break.

Augeri needed a year off. If you strain the muscles in your leg, you don't go thinking "Gee, if I do two warm ups and take it easy for the first mile and give 100% on the second, I can do that and be fine." No, you DON'T RUN UNTIL IT'S HEALED.

Augeri gave and gave and gave to this band. When it came time for the band to give back, they publicly humiliated him and forced him out. Go back to that time and read some of the absolute horrible and hate filled things this forum was posting about him. They forced him to take the fall for the entire band. That was wrong, very wrong. Then the raped JSS while he saved the tour and was fired without any real explanation. This band is nothing but a bunch of greedy assholes, and it has been that way for a very long time.

[The_Noble_Cause]

This is really simple.

Journey knew Augeri's voice was having issues.
So, they go on tour.
Then they go on tour again, with barely any break.

He was having issues early on. Hence, the need for the Vegas 2001 DVD vocals to be re-done in the studio.

Augeri needed a year off. If you strain the muscles in your leg, you don't go thinking "Gee, if I do two warm ups and take it easy for the first mile and give 100% on the second, I can do that and be fine." No, you DON'T RUN UNTIL IT'S HEALED.

Suppose they did that, and upon returning, Augeri was in the raw real quick again? You're not a doctor. You don't know anything.

...gave and gave and gave to this band. When it came time for the band to give back, they publicly humiliated him and forced him out.

The band literally altered their DNA - becoming a multi-vocalist band with Generations in 2005 - to help Augeri.

One could argue that the band should have helped SA more or helped earlier, but to claim they didn't try to help him out is a lie.

Go back to that time and read some of the absolute horrible and hate filled things this forum was posting about him. They forced him to take the fall for the entire band.

To date, Journey has never publicly owned up to the Tapegate scandal. So what, exactly, was there to take a fall for? From a PR standpoint, Augeri got sick and took a leave of absence. Pretty mundane stuff.

That was wrong, very wrong. Then the raped JSS while he saved the tour and was fired without any real explanation. This band is nothing but a bunch of greedy assholes, and it has been that way for a very long time.

JSS definitely deserved a meeting or a phone call. That said, firing him and starting over AGAIN was actually a fairly ballsy move.

[Monker]

One could argue that the band should have helped SA more or helped earlier, but to claim they didn't try to help him out is a lie.

Nobody has made that argument. I have not accused or implied ANY intent by Journey...just that they tour, tour, tour and didn't give Augeri a break.

The bottom line is Augeri needed time off. YOU are the one who was on here saying Augeri was miming for entire tours. Yet, you are arguing against the fact that he needed time off? Come on.

Go back to that time and read some of the absolute horrible and hate filled things this forum was posting about him. They forced him to take the fall for the entire band.

To date, Journey has never publicly owned up to the Tapegate scandal. So what, exactly, was there to take a fall for? From a PR standpoint, Augeri got sick and took a leave of absence. Pretty mundane stuff.

Exactly, the band allowed him to be publicly humiliated and forced him to sing to where he sounded worse than Arnel did at CNN, having him ask Deen to take over.

That was wrong, very wrong. Then the raped JSS while he saved the tour and was fired without any real explanation. This band is nothing but a bunch of greedy assholes, and it has been that way for a very long time.

JSS definitely deserved a meeting or a phone call. That said, firing him and starting over AGAIN was actually a fairly ballsy move.

Not if Wal-mart was saying they wanted to rerecord the GH and the band didn't like what JSS was doing to those songs in the studio. If there is a decision that involves money, Journey ALWAYS takes the money. They took it for Chalfant vs. Perry reunion. They took it for touring relentlessly and destroying Augeri's voice. And, they took it when they fired JSS for a YouTube Perry sound-a-like so they could get the Wal-mart deal.

[The_Noble_Cause]

YOU are the one who was on here saying Augeri was miming for entire tours.

No, not really. Even the 2005 Generations tour had a few live shows at the outset. And even when the miming was in full effect, LTS was still live nightly as the closing song.

Yet, you are arguing against the fact that he needed time off? Come on.

Given that SA had issues early on, I'm not sure how much of a difference it would have made. The band may have felt the same. The band has clearly been more accommodating for Arnel (lowering keys, cancelling shows). Is this because Arnel refuses to perform if he's not 100% - while Augeri was more of a go-along-to-get-along kinda guy? Possible.

Exactly, the band allowed him to be publicly humiliated and forced him to sing to where he sounded worse than Arnel did at CNN, having him ask Deen to take over.

Augeri ALREADY sounded worse than Arnel's recent CNN performance. I was on this forum when fans were making excuses for his performance on the CBS morning show. I remember a Morning Zoo radio show taking calls mocking the band's performance on the reality TV show, Blind Date (featuring footage from their performance at the Greek theater). Soon after, the band stopped pretty much all TV appearances. You are living in an alternate reality.

Not if Wal-mart was saying they wanted to rerecord the GH and the band didn't like what JSS was doing to those songs in the studio. If there is a decision that involves money, Journey ALWAYS takes the money. They took it for Chalfant vs. Perry reunion. They took it for touring relentlessly and destroying Augeri's voice. And, they took it when they fired JSS for a YouTube Perry sound-a-like so they could get the Wal-mart deal.

This is no different than Perryheads who speculated that the band didn't wait for SP's "hip surgery" over greed.
You are just ascribing rapacious motives because you hate the current lineup.

[Eric]

TNC makes a good point. The Vegas 2000 DVD needed the vocals to be re-done/fixed. That's 1999. He was struggling off and on right from the start. As much as we loved his grace and effort - maybe his voice just wasn't right for a heavily touring Journey, and that's what the band needed to be. So they battled through.

Monker - you can say Journey does it for the money and you might be right, but that's why Augeri did it, too. And it gave him financial freedom that the rest of us only dream of.

[jrnyman28]

The band literally altered their DNA - becoming a multi-vocalist band with Generations in 2005 - to help Augeri.

One could argue that the band should have helped SA more or helped earlier, but to claim they didn't try to help him out is a lie.

I don't think that was to help Augeri, I think that was to cover for Augeri. Journey maintained a relatively grueling touring schedule that trashed Augeri's voice. There were many times we fans were saying they needed to give him a rest.....and then here came another tour. (Don't forget Journey got Steve a vocal coach early on to teach him to sing differently [maybe a little more Perry-esque] but fair to say it was less natural for Steve. Even that may have contributed in the long run. Or was it early evidence Steve couldn't quite do it? I sure hope not....)

JSS definitely deserved a meeting or a phone call. That said, firing him and starting over AGAIN was actually a fairly ballsy move.

Might've been ballsy if JSS had been in the band for any substantial time or if he had recorded with them. Really, it was just chickenshit....

[The_Noble_Cause]

I don't think that was to help Augeri, I think that was to cover for Augeri.

Again, if they wanted to screw the guy they could have made him sing EVERYTHING.

Journey maintained a relatively grueling touring schedule that trashed Augeri's voice.

Maybe. But then again, there were issues early on.

(Don't forget Journey got Steve a vocal coach early on to teach him to sing differently [maybe a little more Perry-esque] but fair to say it was less natural for Steve.

I really doubt Neal and Jon wanted SA to sound more like Perry. Sounds like BS.

Might've been ballsy if JSS had been in the band for any substantial time or if he had recorded with them. Really, it was just chickenshit....

JSS's performances got good press, the tour was a success, and they had already announced him as a permanent member. Given all this, it was still a tough choice to make from a strategic pov.

[Monker]

TNC makes a good point. The Vegas 2000 DVD needed the vocals to be re-done/fixed. That's 1999. He was struggling off and on right from the start. As much as we loved his grace and effort - maybe his voice just wasn't right for a heavily touring Journey, and that's what the band needed to be. So they battled through.

IMO, it doesn't. To me, it is just more evidence that the band knew he was having vocal issues.

The Vegas DVD was recorded 12/2000 and released in 2001, not 1999/2000.

[quote]Monker - you can say Journey does it for the money and you might be right[quote]

That is not what I am saying. I am saying Journey seems to make decisions based on money, and not how that decision would affect the longer term.

[jrnyman28]

I don't think that was to help Augeri, I think that was to cover for Augeri.

Again, if they wanted to screw the guy they could have made him sing EVERYTHING.

Studio singing is WAY easier on the voice than live singing. It wouldn't have mattered if he had to sing everything on record. But it would have mattered on the tour to support the album...

(Don't forget Journey got Steve a vocal coach early on to teach him to sing differently [maybe a little more Perry-esque] but fair to say it was less natural for Steve.

I really doubt Neal and Jon wanted SA to sound more like Perry. Sounds like BS.

How can you doubt it when you can hear it? Compare Steve's natural singing with Tall Stories and Tyketto to his voice on Journey records. The texture or timbre of his voice changed. And he stopped singing like a "rockier" Journey as Neal originally put it to sound more "crooner". An odd choice for Neal, but he is full of contradictions with Journey....

[The_Noble_Cause]

Studio singing is WAY easier on the voice than live singing. It wouldn't have mattered if he had to sing everything on record.

Andrew has already addressed this several times. According to him:

"I recall Neal telling me they really had to work hard to get any usable quality vocal out of Steve at that point."

If true, the multi-vocalist change was to help both with on the road and also in the studio.

How can you doubt it when you can hear it? Compare Steve's natural singing with Tall Stories and Tyketto to his voice on Journey records. The texture or timbre of his voice changed. And he stopped singing like a "rockier" Journey as Neal originally put it to sound more "crooner". An odd choice for Neal, but he is full of contradictions with Journey....

Disagree. Go listen to Tall Stories "Somewhere She Waits." Augeri could already croon a ballad with full Perry-esque conviction. If they wanted someone to emulate Perry, they could have hired Hugo. I have no doubt SA saw a vocal coach (so did JSS).

[Archetype]

Cool seeing Todd Sucherman play a Journey track. I’d like to hear him play Separate Ways

[Aaron]

Great post.

Way back when (Skylord, Backtalk, et al.), I used to say "Get Chalfant. Bring back Rolie. Make Journey a six-piece."

No idea if Chalfant could handle even 50 shows a year at today's age, but back then I think it was a no-brainer.

Loved Augeri. Pineda was a good choice. But I still wonder what could have been.

Today, so far, the band is an awkward seven piece. It's just weird, and to me not really what Journey should be.


later~