I know I'm going to get crucified for this...but I voted that I just want him to stay where he is...retired.
A few reasons...
#1, I think, quite possibly, his voice is lost. Proof positive of that is what he sounded like at the White Sox parade. Simply awful! Could he get it back? sure...but it requires work, like bringing back any muscle. The guy is nearing 60 years old...and one look at some of those beach pictures of Gov. Arnold will show that the older you get, the harder it is to keep the muscles up. So here's a guy that's been happily out of the game for over 10 years...approaching 60...is anyone going to tell me with a straight face that he's going to put in the required work to just get his voice back to something respectable that can hold up over the course of an album (and he's no sammy hagar, he takes his time in the studio)...or tour or both!? I doubt it.
#2 The more I think about it now, the less I actually *liked* what SP did with Journey in the later years. You can't deny there were magical moments, but TBF was jam packed with ballads (and some really sappy, make-me-want-to-take-a-groaning-shit ballads)...Even the direction that ROR wasn't exactly what I would like to hear from the band now...now...I loved FTLOSM...but I think what was missing on TBF, is the tension of Neal's playing aggression with the silkiness of Perry's voice.
#2.5 In combination with the above, I *like* the tension that JSS brings back to the table. Sure there'll be sappy songs, hey, it's Journey!! But at least there's the promise of some ass-kicking with JSS leading the pack. If Perry came back, the resulting album would contain 1-2 rock tracks and 8-9 ballads...Not a way to go out in my opinion.
#3 This is where I'm going to get crucified....if anyone suggests that Loon population is bad now...just wait until Perry records something or books a tour and goes "Hey, guys!!! I'm Baaaaack!!" It'll be so unbearable online, that the majority of loon hunters will want to slit their wrists in desperation!
