What a Difference three years makes

by **Don** » Wed Mar 02, 2011 5:48 am

Thinking back to Journey's 2008 show at Planet Hollywood, everyone just knew After All These Years would be an A/C hit. This time around, everyone has gotten different take on the songs; a lot of people liking Resonate, some preferring Chain Of Love and a few digging City Of Hope.
With no clear consensus, I think Neal achieved what he wanted. There is just not one song out of the bunch that sounds like an A/C hit or anything really that sounds like it was tailored for radio.
This really does sound like an album for the more hardcore fans and NOT for the radio heads this time around. I mean a real album, not just seven or eight songs filling around two potential hit songs like is the norm.

Kudos (so far) to Neal for taking his band back (again).

by **Saint John** » Wed Mar 02, 2011 5:55 am

Don, would you please humor me and remind everyone whose band it is? :lol:

by **slucero** » Wed Mar 02, 2011 6:00 am

I thought Journey music was "for the fans"?

:lol:

by **Don** » Wed Mar 02, 2011 6:13 am

This is Neal's Band..Neal's Band.

by **Saint John** » Wed Mar 02, 2011 6:19 am

Don wrote:This is Neal's Band..Neal's Band.

I'm not sure why, but that cracks me up every fucking time you write that! :lol:

by **Ritchie** » Wed Mar 02, 2011 6:43 am

Neal not only got his band back he also gets his fro back.
I already heard someone refer to it as a "Nouveau Fro"

by **StElmoQn** » Wed Mar 02, 2011 6:57 am

Yeah, yet another reason they should rename the band into the Neal Schon Project...

by **Saint John** » Wed Mar 02, 2011 7:01 am

StElmoQn wrote:Yeah, yet another reason they should rename the band into the Neal Schon Project...

If the name of the band didn't change when it was hijacked and intentionally run into the ground from 1986-1998, it never will.

by **StElmoQn** » Wed Mar 02, 2011 7:10 am

Saint John wrote:If the name of the band didn't change when it was hijacked and intentionally run into the ground from 1986-1998, it never will.

Not that it really matters anymore anyway, Journey is a caricature of its former self anyway. Perry was the voice of the band, in the same way that Bono is U2, Sting is The Police, Phil Collins is Genesis...take any of those lead singers away and the result is identical.

Everybody likes certain incarnations of the band - some prefer the Rolie era, some the Perry, some the Augeri, and some the Arnel. That's why they make chocolate and vanilla...

Peace Out..

by **RedWingFan** » Wed Mar 02, 2011 7:11 am

Saint John wrote:
StElmoQn wrote:Yeah, yet another reason they should rename the band into the Neal Schon Project...

If the name of the band didn't change when it was hijacked and intentionally run into the ground from 1986-1998, it never will.

Yeah, right. At least back then Perry could throw in Oh Sherrie, Strung Out, and Foolish Heart and hold the audience's attention. Neil's band is going to see a steady stream of folks making beer runs, piss breaks and general "what the hell is this shit" moments with this new crap.

Not everyone is so invested in Niel's band that they're willing to put on a blindfold and headphones and have the new crap on a loop for 48 hours to let it grow on them.

by **SF-Dano** » Wed Mar 02, 2011 7:27 am

Borrowed from Don in another thread:

Great quote from Neal;

http://www.kshe95.com/musicnews/story.aspx?ID=1368928

We asked Neal Schon if Journey ever thinks about recapturing their early-'80s success with new material:

"I'm not even thinking about that. What we need to bring to the table is what we all have. I'm just bringing what I have, and that's good enough for me.....so if it's not good enough for everyone else, then I'll just cater to that audience out there that likes what I do. Whoever digs it, great."

I think this tells exactly where Neal was coming from with this album. I for one have no problem with it. I know others do.

by **Jana** » Wed Mar 02, 2011 7:40 am

StElmoQn wrote:Yeah, yet another reason they should rename the band into the Neal Schon Project...

Why? Because the album takes a different creative bent? Many bands change their sound a lot more than this. Tears for Fears went from Songs From the Big Chair, massive hit, to Seeds of Love. It was a shocker. You would have thought it was two different bands. Tears for Fears reunited a decade later and put out an album completely different yet again and many fans at first excited to hear they reunited said where is your 80s sound? Roland said you make music where you are at in your life and not to be redundant.

U2, their Pop album. Wow. Talk about different. Fans said they went techno. Many fans were up in arms.

I had friends very excited about Journey reuniting and disappointed in the adult contemporary sound of Trial by Fire.

Any band/artist around long enough, many don't want the same, exact sound. They want to branch out, experiment, update their sound.

by **FamilyMan** » Wed Mar 02, 2011 7:42 am

SF-Dano wrote:Borrowed from Don in another thread:

Great quote from Neal;

http://www.kshe95.com/musicnews/story.aspx?ID=1368928

We asked Neal Schon if Journey ever thinks about recapturing their early-'80s success with new material:

"I'm not even thinking about that. What we need to bring to the table is what we all have. I'm just bringing what I have, and that's good enough for me.....so if it's not good enough for everyone else, then I'll just cater to that audience out there that likes what I do. Whoever digs it, great."

I think this tells exactly where Neal was coming from with this album. I for one have no problem with it. I know others do.

Amen, Neal.

by **slucero** » Wed Mar 02, 2011 8:00 am

So what's "new" is "old" again... "coming full circle"... "what goes around comes around".... sorta like 1977... I kinda wish Neal had gone back to 1973... I'd love another Kohoutek... or Of A Lifetime...

Website · by **steveo777** » Wed Mar 02, 2011 8:02 am

slucero wrote:So what's "new" is "old" again... "coming full circle"... "what goes around comes around".... sorta like 1977... I kinda wish Neal had gone back to 1973...

Without Rolie, that might be tough. There was a completely different sound, pre Cain, but I like Cain.

by **Monker** » Wed Mar 02, 2011 11:20 am

Don wrote:Thinking back to Journey's 2008 show at Planet Hollywood, everyone just knew After All These Years would be an A/C hit. This time around, everyone has gotten different take on the songs; a lot of people liking Resonate, some preferring Chain Of Love and a few digging City Of Hope.
With no clear consensus, I think Neal achieved what he wanted. There is just not one song out of the bunch that sounds like an A/C hit or anything really that sounds like it was tailored for radio.
This really does sound like an album for the more hardcore fans and NOT for the radio heads this time around. I mean a real album, not just seven or eight songs filling around two potential hit songs like is the norm.

Kudos (so far) to Neal for taking his band back (again).

I don't think you can really say anything until you hear the studio version of these songs...THAT is what will be played on radio, or not played at all.

The only thing you said that I agree with is that Neal has control...which I don't believe is a good thing.

by **Arkansas** » Wed Mar 02, 2011 3:54 pm

StElmoQn wrote:Yeah, yet another reason they should rename the band into the Neal Schon Project...

Interesting.
Just like most didn't care for ROR because it turned-out to be a Perry project, this album appears to be a Schon project.

And I guess that's okay because most of us are Schon fans. However, I don't like to hear all the pre-emptive excuses about why this record may not get airplay, why it may not be commercially successful, or why it's all about the 'true fans'.

Again, if this album is too guitar-centric, then it's just an ego-Schon thing...it's the Neal Schon Band with the Journey title. And I guess that's okay because it's always been his band, per se.

But I'll also add, that just as much as some think that 'Journey is Perry', many of us think that Journey is also Jon Cain. I think he's added so much to the creatvie sound that made it as successful as it's ever been. If this record is lacking Cain's 100% percent, then it's unbalanced. (And it wouldn't surprise me one bit, if this is JC's last tour.)

On another note...I just hope the drums sound clean, and don't get lost in the mix. That happened to Aynsley Dunbar, but Steve Smith made the drums an integral instrument. I hope we hear DC as a valued musician, and not just a drummer.

later~

by **StElmoQn** » Thu Mar 03, 2011 1:15 am

But I'll also add, that just as much as some think that 'Journey is Perry', many of us think that Journey is also Jon Cain. I think he's added so much to the creatvie sound that made it as successful as it's ever been. If this record is lacking Cain's 100% percent, then it's unbalanced. (And it wouldn't surprise me one bit, if this is JC's last tour.)

I'm with you on Cain - I think most of the really successful "radio" J-tunes were co-penned primarily between JC and SP, with NS as a distant third on the writing. I'm not dizzing NS here, but I have to say in my book his strongest contribution to Journey has always been his phenomenonal guitar work, not songwriting.

However, I think Cain's interests are really moving to the production side of the business, and to the promotion of his daughter's career in country music. I think short of a a full blown Journey reunion tour with SP, this will be his swan song.

And that my friends, will give NS the freedom to do whatever the heck he wants...

P.S. Wouldn't it be interesting to see if they trot out "WCTNGOF" on this tour...that would say a LOT!

by **SF-Dano** » Thu Mar 03, 2011 2:32 am

I agree with the sentiment that this may very well be Friga's final ride with the band. It may very well be the final tour for the band Journey itself. I really don't think this latest album was made to garner radio airplay. It is a style that Neal has wanted to put out on a Journey record for a long time. With the very real possibility of this being Journey's last ride, I think Neal wanted/needed to get this album done the way he had been planning for quite a while.

Of course, this is all speculation and may very well be completed BS. :lol:

by **Don** » Thu Mar 03, 2011 3:35 am

SF-Dano wrote:I agree with the sentiment that this may very well be Friga's final ride with the band. It may very well be the final tour for the band Journey itself. I really don't think this latest album was made to garner radio airplay. It is a style that Neal has wanted to put out on a Journey record for a long time. With the very real possibility of this being Journey's last ride, I think Neal wanted/needed to get this album done the way he had been planning for quite a while.

Of course, this is all speculation and may very well be completed BS.

Looking at Jon's solo work (10 albums), I've never seen anything harder than Journey's ROR album. He's been a team player in Journey and Bad English but how long do you go with the flow? 30 years, 40 years?

by **The_Noble_Cause** » Thu Mar 03, 2011 6:27 am

I think some fans are reading way too much into Cain's move to Nashville. At one point, Neal was going to move to Minnesota to be closer with his then wife (forget her name). It didn't spell the end of Journey. Aside from rehearsal, I don't think these guys hang that much together. With modern technology, there's no need to live in the same state. I will admit, Cain has looked pretty bored on-stage lately.

by **StElmoQn** » Thu Mar 03, 2011 6:32 am

The_Noble_Cause wrote:I think some fans are reading way too much into Cain's move to Nashville. At one point, Neal was going to move to Minnesota to be closer with his then wife (forget her name). It didn't spell the end of Journey. Aside from rehearsal, I don't think these guys hang that much together. With modern technology, there's no need to live in the same state. I will admit, Cain has looked pretty bored on-stage lately.

Read the update from him on the main page of the JonathanCain.com website. He is INTO Nashville (and country music) from reading the post. If he ain't happy with the direction NS is taking the band, dollars to doughnuts, he's doing his last tour. Musically, whether he wants to admit it or not, I think he and SP were far more on the same page, and if Journey is shifting back into a harder rock direction, country music is a good fit. Today's country is really just a pop crossover, and he's a good fit for that genre.

by **brandonx76** » Thu Mar 03, 2011 6:38 am

The_Noble_Cause wrote:I think some fans are reading way too much into Cain's move to Nashville. At one point, Neal was going to move to Minnesota to be closer with his then wife (forget her name). It didn't spell the end of Journey. Aside from rehearsal, I don't think these guys hang that much together. With modern technology, there's no need to live in the same state. I will admit, Cain has looked pretty bored on-stage lately.

It's like the fire's just not there - compare any recent show in the last 5 years to him on the Live in Houston...as long as he is playing his parts and continues to write with Neal, I could care less to be honest..

by **The_Noble_Cause** » Thu Mar 03, 2011 7:02 am

StElmoQn wrote:Read the update from him on the main page of the JonathanCain.com website. He is INTO Nashville (and country music) from reading the post. If he ain't happy with the direction NS is taking the band, dollars to doughnuts, he's doing his last tour.

I did read it. Means little. Neal's heart hasn't been into sappy Journey ballads for years now, and still he's soldiered on. It's the biggest claim to fame they've both got. You really think Jon is going to launch his daughter's career as "Journey's ex-keyboardist." Ain't happening. Jon and Neal need Journey. When the party's over, they will make a mutual decision to end the band for good.

by **StElmoQn** » Thu Mar 03, 2011 7:23 am

The_Noble_Cause wrote:I did read it. Means little. Neal's heart hasn't been into sappy Journey ballads for years now, and still he's soldiered on. It's the biggest claim to fame they've both got. You really think Jon is going to launch his daughter's career as "Journey's ex-keyboardist." Ain't happening. Jon and Neal need Journey. When the party's over, they will make a mutual decision to end the band for good.

Nah, Neal has about 12 ex-wives and kids to support...he'll tour til he drops. Cain, on the other hand, has what appears to be a happy/stable family life, and if he can do his thing to help his daughter while still keeping his hand in the music business doing the kind of music that his heart is really in, think that is what he will do.

Not saying it will be the end of Journey - just of this current incarnation. It has been long speculated that Arnel was brought in with a three year deal and this is year 3.

by **Don** » Thu Mar 03, 2011 7:35 am

Arnel's not going anywhere. They held onto Augeri forever even when he was falling apart. Not having to pay AP full price for Revelation by paying him up front, the band saved money and made money at the same time, basically only having to do a four way split (after Azoff). Things have probably changed now but their won't be another honey pot deal like that anyway so considering the way things went down, the hiring of Arnel was a GREAT bargain for the value they got.
They're not getting rid of Pineda until the band is finished.

by **koberry** » Thu Mar 03, 2011 8:44 am

slucero wrote:So what's "new" is "old" again... "coming full circle"... "what goes around comes around".... sorta like 1977... I kinda wish Neal had gone back to 1973... I'd love another Kohoutek... or Of A Lifetime...

Or Topaz... or Cookie Duster... or In My Lonely Feelings/Conversations... or :-)

by **koberry** » Thu Mar 03, 2011 9:28 am

StElmoQn wrote:
But I'll also add, that just as much as some think that 'Journey is Perry', many of us think that Journey is also Jon Cain. I think he's added so much to the creatvie sound that made it as successful as it's ever been. If this record is lacking Cain's 100% percent, then it's unbalanced. (And it wouldn't surprise me one bit, if this is JC's last tour.)

I'm with you on Cain - I think most of the really successful "radio" J-tunes were co-penned primarily between JC and SP, with NS as a distant third on the writing. I'm not dizzing NS here, but I have to say in my book his strongest contribution to Journey has always been his phenomenonal guitar work, not songwriting.

However, I think Cain's interests are really moving to the production side of the business, and to the promotion of his daughter's career in country music. I think short of a a full blown Journey reunion tour with SP, this will be his swan song.

And that my friends, will give NS the freedom to do whatever the heck he wants...

P.S. Wouldn't it be interesting to see if they trot out "WCTNGOF" on this tour...that would say a LOT!

I think Schon's strongest contribution to Journey has been his sense of melody. And the melody is so much of Journey's songs...

by **Archetype** » Thu Mar 03, 2011 10:23 am

I really don't think Cain is going anywhere. He got his way from 1981-2008. Maybe they made a deal that Revelation would be mostly Cain (AATY, WIN, TDTWT, softer rock songs (Sunshower) and now they're doing an album that's more Neal oriented. It isn't the apocalypse.

by **Jana** » Thu Mar 03, 2011 10:34 am

Archetype wrote:I really don't think Cain is going anywhere. He got his way from 1981-2008. Maybe they made a deal that Revelation would be mostly Cain (AATY, WIN, TDTWT, softer rock songs (Sunshower) and now they're doing an album that's more Neal oriented. It isn't the apocalypse.

Cain isn't going anywhere any time soon. He stated a year ago or so he saw Journey being together for another ten years. Maybe they won't tour every year after this, but we'll still be seeing the Neal/Jon combo imo.

MR

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