First Power Ballad

[Granny]

Jeremey, that was awesome...if I had known that u sang that song, I would have requested it last week!
What an amazing voice you have.....Jeff look-out..

[Perrylover]

2) What about "Unchained Melody" as the first power ballad? And that song was Top 5 over 30 years apart. BTW, it blows away BOTH Open Arms and Everything I Do.

AMEN!!! And if you think Jeremey channels Perry well, you should hear him sing this one! Makes me cry every time.

Deb

Hey Deb! I owe you a phone call!! Miss you guys, hope all is well....Here's this one for you all:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BnEDr_mmE9U

Don't laugh at the threads!

Hey Sweetie! It has been entirely too long, I will talk to you soon. We are still planning on being there next month. Thanks for putting this up, I have this one too, but I was listening to the x-factor one when I replied. LOL Both are great, even if I do have a tendency to be a little bit biased where you are concerned. Talk to you soon.

Deb

[Rockindeano]

3 Fuckin' Debs on MR?

I could write a killer song with that title.

Let me know if I should.

[StyxCollector]

Journey pioneered it, then Dennis DeYoung heard it, pulled down his pants and started to feed the geese....and fed em until he wrote Babe....Then Kevin Cronin, also heard and he already had his cock in his femenine hands and he shot a ballads load worth all over the music sheet and you had Can't Fight this Feeling. Then of course BA got into the act and wrote the biggest song ever, Everything I Do, I do it for You.

Journey not only pioneered it, but perfected it. It haunts them to this day.

Hate to say it Deano, Babe predated Open Arms by a year or two. Cornerstone is 1979/1980, while Escape is 1981. The Best of Times is 1981.

[Rockindeano]

Journey pioneered it, then Dennis DeYoung heard it, pulled down his pants and started to feed the geese....and fed em until he wrote Babe....Then Kevin Cronin, also heard and he already had his cock in his femenine hands and he shot a ballads load worth all over the music sheet and you had Can't Fight this Feeling. Then of course BA got into the act and wrote the biggest song ever, Everything I Do, I do it for You.

Journey not only pioneered it, but perfected it. It haunts them to this day.

Hate to say it Deano, Babe predated Open Arms by a year or two. Cornerstone is 1979/1980, while Escape is 1981. The Best of Times is 1981.

Yes, it did predate Open Arms, but Babe isn't really a power ballad. Dennis stroking himself while playing a little electric piano in the garage is not a power ballad.

[StyxCollector]

Yes, it did predate Open Arms, but Babe isn't really a power ballad. Dennis stroking himself while playing a little electric piano in the garage is not a power ballad.

I would never say it is, but you mentioned DDY heard OA and wrote it which couldn't have happened. TBOT is considered by many to be a power ballad, tho.

[Rockindeano]

Yes, it did predate Open Arms, but Babe isn't really a power ballad. Dennis stroking himself while playing a little electric piano in the garage is not a power ballad.

I would never say it is, but you mentioned DDY heard OA and wrote it which couldn't have happened. TBOT is considered by many to be a power ballad, tho.

Oh man, I was being sarcastic, and attempting comedy. Sorry, what I said is entirely bullshit. Of course DDY didn't hear OA and decide to write his own....my bad.

[Liam]

Read an article in Rock Magazine yesterday, the journalist said to the Night Ranger members that Sister Christian was the start of the Power Ballad but to their credit both Keagy and Blades stated Journey were the first to introduce this...discuss

I think Journey's first "power ballad" was Faithfully. Open Arms didn't have "power" it was just a ballad. You need more drums and guitar....hence the "power" part.

Wrong.

If you listen to Open Arms, it does have some chops, and a omni guitar chord. OA live sounded really powerful when Perry sang it, and then again with Deen.

Journey pioneered it, then Dennis DeYoung heard it, pulled down his pants and started to feed the geese....and fed em until he wrote Babe....Then Kevin Cronin, also heard and he already had his cock in his femenine hands and he shot a ballads load worth all over the music sheet and you had Can't Fight this Feeling. Then of course BA got into the act and wrote the biggest song ever, Everything I Do, I do it for You.

Journey not only pioneered it, but perfected it. It haunts them to this day.

Sorry dude...Babe came out in '79. Gotta say Styx started the whole Power Ballad thing.

[Rockindeano]

Sorry dude...Babe came out in '79. Gotta say Styx started the whole Power Ballad thing.

They are never mentioned in the critique of the power ballad.

Babe sucked by the way. It is NOT a power ballad.

[ohsherrie]

Here's a thought on this subject. Maybe whether or not a song qualifies as a power ballad depends on the power of the voice delivering it. Dennis DeYoung and Kevin Cronin both have very good voices, but not really powerful voices like Bobby Hatfield and Steve Perry.

[Liam]

Sorry dude...Babe came out in '79. Gotta say Styx started the whole Power Ballad thing.

They are never mentioned in the critique of the power ballad.

Babe sucked by the way. It is NOT a power ballad.

To be honest...I find it funny on how different opinions are on what is considered to be a power ballad.

[StyxCollector]

Here's a thought on this subject. Maybe whether or not a song qualifies as a power ballad depends on the power of the voice delivering it. Dennis DeYoung and Kevin Cronin both have very good voices, but not really powerful voices like Bobby Hatfield and Steve Perry.

Thanks for the chuckle - DDY does not have a powerful voice?!?!? I love Journey, but you have no clue here if you think DDY doesn't have a powerful voice. The "power ballad" has been associated with bands like Journey and Styx. I would 100% agree "Babe" isn't, but "The Best of Times" is.

Have you ever seen him live and do songs like "Suite Madame Blue"? And have you seen DDY now? He has lost very little over the years in terms of range. It's lost a little, but the man is pushing 60. How's Perry's voice held up over the years? Oh yeah ... they had to detune for TBF and the man can't be bothered to sing live anymore. In this horse race, DDY is the clear winner. At his prime, Perry was one of the best. Perry had in the late 70s/early 80s a very powerful voice, but not more than anyone else.

[ohsherrie]

Here's a thought on this subject. Maybe whether or not a song qualifies as a power ballad depends on the power of the voice delivering it. Dennis DeYoung and Kevin Cronin both have very good voices, but not really powerful voices like Bobby Hatfield and Steve Perry.

Thanks for the chuckle - DDY does not have a powerful voice?!?!? I love Journey, but you have no clue here if you think DDY doesn't have a powerful voice. The "power ballad" has been associated with bands like Journey and Styx. I would 100% agree "Babe" isn't, but "The Best of Times" is.

Have you ever seen him live and do songs like "Suite Madame Blue"? And have you seen DDY now? He has lost very little over the years in terms of range. It's lost a little, but the man is pushing 60. How's Perry's voice held up over the years? Oh yeah ... they had to detune for TBF and the man can't be bothered to sing live anymore. In this horse race, DDY is the clear winner. At his prime, Perry was one of the best. Perry had in the late 70s/early 80s a very powerful voice, but not more than anyone else.

Sorry for the nerve ping. No one says we all have to agree. It'd be a boring world if we did.

[StyxCollector]

Sorry for the nerve ping. No one says we all have to agree. It'd be a boring world if we did.

Well, you also had me chuckle at saying Cronin had a good voice. Ugh. He has no meat to it - it's very thin and nasal. Even worse now. Not even in the same league as a DDY or Perry.

[ohsherrie]

Sorry for the nerve ping. No one says we all have to agree. It'd be a boring world if we did.

Well, you also had me chuckle at saying Cronin had a good voice. Ugh. He has no meat to it - it's very thin and nasal. Even worse now. Not even in the same league as a DDY or Perry.

How do you suppose DDY would handle Separate Ways, Chain Reaction, Edge of the Blade, Oh Sherrie, or for that matter, Message of Love, One More, Castles Burning? Dennis has a strong, beautiful voice, but not a powerful rock voice. If he'd ever sung songs like those with the power that Steve did, his voice would be a little lower and raspier too.

I'd say Kevin's and DDY's are closer in caliber than Dennis and Steve.

[StyxCollector]

How do you suppose DDY would handle Separate Ways, Chain Reaction, Edge of the Blade, Oh Sherrie, or for that matter, Message of Love, One More, Castles Burning? Dennis has a strong, beautiful voice, but not a powerful rock voice. If he'd ever sung songs like those with the power that Steve did, his voice would be a little lower and raspier too.

I'd say Kevin's and DDY's are closer in caliber than Dennis and Steve.

They're different singers. I can't imagine Perry singing "The Best of Times" or "Rockin' the Paradise", nor can I imagine DDY singing "Separate Ways" et al. In fact, I'd argue either singer doing the other's songs wouldn't be very good.

The songs that they sung were vehicles for their voices and their bands - which are different. DDY even through Kilroy did hit some high notes, but to be fair, there were two other singers in Styx to lessen the load, too. Granted TS and DDY split most of the lead duties, but it certainly has to have contributed to his longevity.

[Liam]

I still say that my dream duet would be DDY and Perry. That would be SMOKIN'.

[yulog]

I dont know how the power ballad could not include or maybe begin with Karen Carpenters-goodbye to love.The songs she sang were 90% ballad ,and then this song came out of blue with a smokin guitar solo for 1972 as well as being unheard of in her music. It's just a perfect power ballad, the buildup toward the end of the song as the guitar solo fades is just great.

[AR]

April Wine - Just Between You and Me - January 1981 predates Open Arms as well. Boston - A Man I'll Never Be - 1978. Both completely fit the power ballad description to the "T"

[Matthew]

Well say it then! You're being as coy as some girl on her first date....

You have a picture of that tiger Jon Cain, and you are calling me a girl?

You're dodging the question again, Deano....

[Matthew]

April Wine - Just Between You and Me - January 1981 predates Open Arms as well. Boston - A Man I'll Never Be - 1978. Both completely fit the power ballad description to the "T"

AR - I don't know the April Wine track but I totally agree with you about A Man I'll Never Be. Definitely a power ballad...no doubt about it....

[styxman]

How the hell did Babe get in to this topic...it is not a power ballad, it's the song that I'd bet Shaw and Co loath. They don't play it and wouldn't want to, so what does that tell you about it, even if DDY begged them to play it, they wouldn't
Imagine in the recent co headlining gigs with Deep Purple and Thin Lizzy, if for some reason they played it (They wouldn't but just imagine) The auditorium would empty for a beer refill..you know, that's all Styx are remembered for over here...Babe and it really pisses me off, big time.

As for Wiketyfuckinpedia, yep the Carpenters produced some great tunes but how can they be termed power ballads. Power Ballad has to be an 80's term I don't care what any online info site states, it's early 80's and OA still gets my vote.

It's a pity DDY didn't stay on the train right the way through to Siberia, one things for sure he wouldn't get away with wearing that striped sailors top over there

[styxman]

Would Starships Sara and Mr Misters Kyrie be classed as power ballads? It's open to a lot of different intrepretations this PB phrase I must admit

[Matthew]

How the hell did Babe get in to this topic...it is not a power ballad, it's the song that I'd bet Shaw and Co loath. They don't play it and wouldn't want to, so what does that tell you about it, even if DDY begged them to play it, they wouldn't
Imagine in the recent co headlining gigs with Deep Purple and Thin Lizzy, if for some reason they played it (They wouldn't but just imagine) The auditorium would empty for a beer refill..you know, that's all Styx are remembered for over here...Babe and it really pisses me off, big time.

Babe is actually my favourite Styx song.

As for Wiketyfuckinpedia, yep the Carpenters produced some great tunes but how can they be termed power ballads. Power Ballad has to be an 80's term I don't care what any online info site states, it's early 80's and OA still gets my vote.

It's not just Wikipedia which makes the case that power ballads began in the 1970s. It's numerous Power Ballad compilation CDS too. And failing that...all you have to do is listen to the various tracks from that decade which follow EXACTLY the same formula as Open Arms.

Such as Try Me by UFO off the Lights Out album...which was released in 1977.

It opens with piano and vocal line...sentimental, romantic lyrics...then in come the big drums...ending with a crescendo featuring a hard rock guitar solo.

Much as I'd love to give Journey the credit for inventing the power ballad...it just didn't happen that way.

[NealIsGod]

Babe is actually my favourite Styx song.

Matt, you're not helping your manliness rating with that statement.

[Saint John]

Babe is actually my favourite Styx song.

Matt, you're not helping your manliness rating with that statement.

His avatar isn't helping much other.

[Matthew]

Babe is actually my favourite Styx song.

Matt, you're not helping your manliness rating with that statement.

No - but let's face it - the entire Styx back catalogue is fairly wussy isn't it?

[Matthew]

Babe is actually my favourite Styx song.

Matt, you're not helping your manliness rating with that statement.

His avatar isn't helping much other.

When I look at that avatar I see a towering musical genius striking a righteous and formidible pose! It's old school masculinity from a time when men were men!

(Okay...maybe the jacket and the perm are a little gay though...)

Anyway...I'm thinking this avatar has run its course now...and that my campaign to generate positive vibes for Cain has cruelly back-fired.

So I think it might be time to unleash the Neal Schon in the pink jacket avatar. It'll be interesting to see how many of the Neal Schon butt-kissers on this site will give me a hard time then.

[styxman]

Well they ain't wussy no more and as for their back cat. First Time was an absoloutely amazing hard rock track

Any record company can produce a compilation album and call it Power Ballads, no time line on this one Matt

[Matthew]

Well they ain't wussy no more and as for their back cat. First Time was an absoloutely amazing hard rock track

Any record company can produce a compilation album and call it Power Ballads, no time line on this one Matt

Well...buy the UFO album from 1977 then and watch your argument crumble into dust, Styxman.