MR

I just got through listening to Trial By Fire on my way to work this morning. Maybe it is NOT Journeys best work, but its pretty damn good!!

Message Of Love, The Title Track, Its Just The Rain, Easy To Fall, Still She Cries......

All I know is that on Steve Perry's WORST day, Steve Augeri(KennyG.), Jeff Scott Soto(Michael Bolton),Boz Scaggs, Whitney Houston,Toto, Bobby Brown, Janet Jackson, Hugo,Pablo Cruise, Jerry Rafferty, Helen Reddy, Barry Manilow, Morris Day,K.C., The Memorix Singers, Milli, or anyone else they( Neal, Ross, Jonathan) may march in to front this once great band cant hold a candle to Mr. Perry.

Generations best doesnt come close to Trial By Fires worst!

yogi wrote:I just got through listening to Trial By Fire on my way to work this morning. Maybe it is NOT Journeys best work, but its pretty damn good!!

Message Of Love, The Title Track, Its Just The Rain, Still She Cries......

All I know is that on Steve Perry's WORST day, Steve Augeri(KennyG.), Jeff Scott Soto(Michael Bolton),Boz Scaggs, Whitney Houston,Toto, Bobby Brown, Janet Jackson, Hugo,Pablo Cruise, Jerry Rafferty, Helen Reddy, Barry Manilow, Morris Day,K.C. or anyone else they( Neal, Ross, Jonathan) may march in to front this once great band cant hold a candle to Mr. Perry.

Generations best doesnt come close to Trial By Fires worst!

....................................

VERY WORTHWHILE REPEATING!

yogi, I think Higher Place (on Arrival and sung by Augeri) as a song is better than any of the TBF songs (with the exception of Easy to Fall, one of my all time fav Journey ballads).

I too listened to it this morning, believe it or not.
Perry sounds really frail to me.
Much more so than I remember.
His pronounciation of certain words has always been very unique and Cooke-esque, but at time it almost sounds like he skips finishing words 'cuz his voice can't bear it.

I was also struck by the range of song content on the album.
Neal and Jon always said they left Sony in part to move away from writing cookie-cutter boy/girl ballads.
But this album did it sooner.
"Easy to Fall" "Colors of the Spirit" "One More" "Trial by Fire" - these are not your stereotypical Journey songs.

"Colors of the Spirit" is actually a bit insane.
I think it gives you a peak into Perry's reclusive diseased mind after his ROR-breakdown.

The_Noble_Cause wrote: "Easy to Fall" "Colors of the Spirit" "One More" "Trial by Fire" - these are not your stereotypical Journey songs.

"Colors of the Spirit" is actually a bit insane.
I think it gives you a peak into Perry's reclusive diseased mind after his ROR-breakdown.

To each their own, but those four plus Message of Love are great songs. Most of the rest of the songs, not so much. I think Perry sounds great on TBF. Not like Escape, for sure. But still great. But I like the deeper, rougher style I wish they would have done the whole album in the vein of One More. It kicks some serious ass, IMHO. And it wouldn't have been as good with out the rougher style.

The_Noble_Cause wrote:I too listened to it this morning, believe it or not.
Perry sounds really frail to me.
Much more so than I remember.
His pronounciation of certain words has always been very unique and Cooke-esque, but at time it almost sounds like he skips finishing words 'cuz his voice can't bear it.

My same exact feelings on that. You summed it up great.

itsjustme wrote:To each their own, but those four plus Message of Love are great songs.

I didn't criticize the songs. I happen to like all the ones mentioned.
Musically, "Colors of the Spirit" is a bit wild, and lyrically, it's overtly spiritual.
I think it reveals a snapshot of Perry's inner turmoil since leaving the band to twist in the wind after ROR.

Tell me you honestly can't imagine Perry in a pow-wow circle at some Betty Ford woodland retreat holding hands with fellow cokeheads chanting in unison "we are all the many colors of the spirit!"

The_Noble_Cause wrote:

itsjustme wrote:To each their own, but those four plus Message of Love are great songs.

I didn't criticize the songs. I happen to like all the ones mentioned.
Musically, "Colors of the Spirit" is a bit wild, and lyrically, it's overtly spiritual.
I think it reveals a snapshot of Perry's inner turmoil since leaving the band to twist in the wind after ROR.

Tell me you honestly can't imagine Perry in a pow-wow circle at some Betty Ford woodland retreat holding hands with fellow cokeheads all chanting "we are all the many colors of the spirit!"

LOL! thanks for THAT image! lmao

I don't agree. TBF has some way boring stuff on it. The only songs I don't dig on Generations is Ross's song and the extra Cain song on the Japanese release. On TBF- there are some great ones (Easy to Fall, I Can See it In your Eyes, WYLAW, Can't Tame the Lion) but there's some crap (TBF- Most boring journey song every, Just the Rain- boring, the reggae tune, Message of Love sounds like Separate Ways rehashed, Castles Burning goes on and on and on, When I Think of You-barry manilow territory). I don't think it's Journey's finest hour at all. Perry is REALLY rough on that, though (of course) his feel is awesome.

Also, TBF has THE crappiest cover.

The_Noble_Cause wrote:Tell me you honestly can't imagine Perry in a pow-wow circle at some Betty Ford woodland retreat holding hands with fellow cokeheads chanting in unison "we are all the many colors of the spirit!"

LMAO, now there is a visual.......but have to admit Colors of the Spirit was a little too much for me too.

But, When you love a woman and Easy to fall are IMO a couple of their best ballads. Really like MOL and yes even the poppy songs.....If he should break your heart and Forever in Blue. While I can enjoy the extremely high vocals of years ago, I like the raw, passionate, mature vocals just as much if not more. I guess it is all in the ear of the beholder....some hear passion, some hear rough.

strungout wrote:

The_Noble_Cause wrote:Tell me you honestly can't imagine Perry in a pow-wow circle at some Betty Ford woodland retreat holding hands with fellow cokeheads chanting in unison "we are all the many colors of the spirit!"

LMAO, now there is a visual.......but have to admit Colors of the Spirit was a little too much for me too.

But, When you love a woman and Easy to fall are IMO a couple of their best ballads. Really like MOL and yes even the poppy songs.....If he should break your heart and Forever in Blue. While I can enjoy the extremely high vocals of years ago, I like the raw, passionate, mature vocals just as much if not more.

Agreed.

A greatest hits compilation of 1996 on would include nothing from this album, except Trial by Fire for me......

Eric wrote:A greatest hits compilation of 1996 on would include nothing from this album, except Trial by Fire for me......

The "Essential" collection has "WYLAW", "Message of Love" and "Baby I'm'a Leavin' you".

"WYLAW" belongs on there due to it's Grammy nom, but the rest are questionable.
"Trial by Fire" certainly would not be on my list.

yogi wrote:Generations best doesnt come close to Trial By Fires worst!

You're a very ill man.
"Faith in the Heartland" has more spunk and feels more alive than anything found on the rather staid TBF.

The_Noble_Cause wrote:
The "Essential" collection has "WYLAW", "Message of Love" and "Baby I'm'a Leavin' you".

BABY I'M A LEAVIN YOU IS ESSENTIAL???
Blech!

The_Noble_Cause wrote:

yogi wrote:Generations best doesnt come close to Trial By Fires worst!

You're a very ill man.
"Faith in the Heartland" has more spunk and feels more alive than anything found on the rather staid TBF.

While I agree with Faith in the Heartland having a lot of spunk, I also think "A better Life" could have easily come off of TBF.

brywool wrote:BABY I'M A LEAVIN YOU IS ESSENTIAL???
Blech!

Yeah, I've never quite understood how it got on there, either.
Especially when there were much stronger Arrival tracks to choose from.

strungout wrote:While I agree with Faith in the Heartland having a lot of spunk, I also think "A better Life" could have easily come off of TBF.

Yeah, Deen sounds like an aged SP.
Even has that gasping-for-dear-life thing down which is so prominent on FTLOSM and TBF.
It's odd, cuz in 2004 i thought Deen sounded like a young SP.

The_Noble_Cause wrote:

strungout wrote:While I agree with Faith in the Heartland having a lot of spunk, I also think "A better Life" could have easily come off of TBF.

Yeah, Deen sounds like an aged SP.
Even has that gasping-for-dear-life thing down which is so prominent on FTLOSM and TBF.
It's odd, cuz in 2004 i thought Deen sounded like a young SP.

He still does when he wants to, just listen to the concert boots on youtube and such....he really has a very versatile voice...

The_Noble_Cause wrote:

strungout wrote:While I agree with Faith in the Heartland having a lot of spunk, I also think "A better Life" could have easily come off of TBF.

Yeah, Deen sounds like an aged SP.
Even has that gasping-for-dear-life thing down which is so prominent on FTLOSM and TBF.
It's odd, cuz in 2004 i thought Deen sounded like a young SP.

gasping-for-dear-life thing = passion :lol:


Have to agree with Chevy, I think Deen is pretty versatile too......i have seen Something to Hide and Where were you from June or July 2005 and he did sound like a young Perry.

Message Of Love is one of Journey's best songs, period IMO.

This song should be their opening tune every show.

Wally_Hatchet wrote:Message Of Love is one of Journey's best songs, period IMO.

Agreed.

This song should be their opening tune every show.

Don't agree.

yogi wrote:Generations best doesnt come close to Trial By Fires worst!

This may be one of the most boneheaded things I've seen posted on this board. "Faith in the Heartland" and "Never Too Late" are both miles ahead of most of the tracks on "Trial By Fire".

conversationpc wrote:

yogi wrote:Generations best doesnt come close to Trial By Fires worst!

This may be one of the most boneheaded things I've seen posted on this board. "Faith in the Heartland" and "Never Too Late" are both miles ahead of most of the tracks on "Trial By Fire".

I'll say this much, the misfires of TBF do not compare to Generations' two sonic abortions, Believe and Butterfly.

The_Noble_Cause wrote:

brywool wrote:BABY I'M A LEAVIN YOU IS ESSENTIAL???
Blech!

Yeah, I've never quite understood how it got on there, either.
Especially when there were much stronger Arrival tracks to choose from.

.......................
Sony would never have allowed it. If it wasn't Perry, it just wasn't essential.

heardonthestreet wrote:Sony would never have allowed it. If it wasn't Perry, it just wasn't essential.

Sony would only stand to gain by promoting "Arrival".
Your titanium-hipped egomaniacal idol on the other hand.....

The_Noble_Cause wrote:

yogi wrote:Generations best doesnt come close to Trial By Fires worst!

You're a very ill man.
"Faith in the Heartland" has more spunk and feels more alive than anything found on the rather staid TBF.

Wow, just goes to show different strokes... but for me, while there are some real stinkers on TBF, nothing on Generations comes close to Message of Love, or Easy To Fall, or even One More.


I loved some of Arrival, and The Time from Red13 is one of my favorite Journey songs, but nothing on Generations stands out for me. There are some good songs and some stinkers. but nothing special imho.

In my opinion Journey was once again evolving.They were going to the Jazz and blues and it was performed magnificently.We had the wonderful guitar of Neal's and a great back-up orchestra.The songs were taking to you to hurt and heartache.It was taking us literally on another Journey and I love giong there with all the guys.They were all in tuned with each other on this collaberation.

At first listen, my reaction was huh? I couldn't listen to it because I had been spoiled by SP's soaring vocals of years past. However, upon second and third listen, I developed a new appreciation for it. While I agree there are some songs that are just wrong, "Colors of the Spirit" and "Castle's Burning." Is it just me or does anyone else conjure up images of OJ and Nicole while listening to that song? Others, like "Forever In Blue" and "If He Should Break Your Heart" are classic Journey through and through. The album, though at times spotty is still great in my book. My only wish is that they could have toured behind it.

heardonthestreet wrote:
.......................
Sony would never have allowed it. If it wasn't Perry, it just wasn't essential.

that was it.....