Neal talks new album (courtesy of the main page)
Posted: Wed Apr 06, 2005 11:00 pmFrom the homepage (does this album sound phenomenal or what)?
"Kevin Elson and Mike Frasier – we did it right and went into the record plant – went into the Metallica room and Mike has to be the best damn engineer ever! And Elson had great producing…ideas….he had a lot of ideas; I think he really came to the party and he really went at it. I think it totally stomps on Arrival....I can honesty say that - I think that it's a much stronger record. The rock and roll is much stronger. Much more 'in time' with what's going on, still sounding like us, but with a few curves. You know, the ballads aren't Kleenex syrupy ballads, they're more soulful and power ballads and there's not a lot of them - there's only two."
So it's a rock and roll record Neal? "Yeah it is. What I love about it is there is very little guitar overdubs on it. Something I didn't care for on Arrival were all the guitar overdubs they had me do on it. I think that when you play a solid track, that's it. There's a few tracks actually – were I played live on it and when I go to the solo, the rhythm drops out and I didn't go back and add that rhythm.
Then there are some that are more produced because the song called for it. But sparingly and not overdone…"
I'm curious about statements made surrounding who's singing on it. Neal continues: "Everyone is singing on it. I have a blazing track on it…Deen is most likely going to end up on at least one or two tracks. Ross is singing - he actually sounds cool on this song I wrote, a shuffle boogie that sounds a little bit like ZZ Top and Van Halen. Jon is singing a lot on this record…some duets and also one by himself.
Deen plays amazing on this record – the drums and bass sound astounding on this record!"
And one last question for Neal. The track Self Defense? That sounds familiar! "I re-worked that from the Schon & Hammer record – it was supposed to be on the Frontiers record and never made it on there, so I re-worked it – sped it up a bit, a little more punked out, a little more energetic and up to date and I think it sounds great and I'm signing it…"
"Kevin Elson and Mike Frasier – we did it right and went into the record plant – went into the Metallica room and Mike has to be the best damn engineer ever! And Elson had great producing…ideas….he had a lot of ideas; I think he really came to the party and he really went at it. I think it totally stomps on Arrival....I can honesty say that - I think that it's a much stronger record. The rock and roll is much stronger. Much more 'in time' with what's going on, still sounding like us, but with a few curves. You know, the ballads aren't Kleenex syrupy ballads, they're more soulful and power ballads and there's not a lot of them - there's only two."
So it's a rock and roll record Neal? "Yeah it is. What I love about it is there is very little guitar overdubs on it. Something I didn't care for on Arrival were all the guitar overdubs they had me do on it. I think that when you play a solid track, that's it. There's a few tracks actually – were I played live on it and when I go to the solo, the rhythm drops out and I didn't go back and add that rhythm.
Then there are some that are more produced because the song called for it. But sparingly and not overdone…"
I'm curious about statements made surrounding who's singing on it. Neal continues: "Everyone is singing on it. I have a blazing track on it…Deen is most likely going to end up on at least one or two tracks. Ross is singing - he actually sounds cool on this song I wrote, a shuffle boogie that sounds a little bit like ZZ Top and Van Halen. Jon is singing a lot on this record…some duets and also one by himself.
Deen plays amazing on this record – the drums and bass sound astounding on this record!"
And one last question for Neal. The track Self Defense? That sounds familiar! "I re-worked that from the Schon & Hammer record – it was supposed to be on the Frontiers record and never made it on there, so I re-worked it – sped it up a bit, a little more punked out, a little more energetic and up to date and I think it sounds great and I'm signing it…"
I am positively stoked about this new Journey CD, can't wait! 
