MR

tragchk wrote:"Yeah, he WAS...."

"But, in 1983...."

Rhetorical question for you:

Do you think ANY of the above phrases would give Steve the initiative to get himself back into a Recording Studio?

We all KNOW what a perfectionist he is, and he knows that he cannot deliver the Strat-High Notes like before.

I know I've included the above in some of my posts....but seriously....

If this is what people continually focus on, no WONDER he keeps re-visiting the past (I.E. - re-masters of older albums).

AR wrote:Part of it is the unrealistic expectations put on him by the fans. A lot of you have put him on a pedastal WAY too high. No wonder he would be hesitant recording again. "The voice" "incomperable" "No one can touch him"...

All bullshit by the way. There are so many amazing singers out there. He is just your favorite. Using those terms is insulting to many great singers who still continue to perform in their late 50's and early 60's. (Dio, Robin Zander, etc)

Those guys may have even lost a slight bit, although I am hard pressed to notice.

The point is, I would completely accept Steve Perry recording again, with whatever limitations he may or may not have in 2007. The loons though have raised the bar so high in expectations though that I don't blame him really for staying retired. Of course if he sounded like shit in his return, the loons would defend it and say it was the greatest new CD ever anyway. And of course those of us tired of all the flowery praise, would remind you all that it wasn't (just like Trial By Fire and FTLOSM)

Anyway, I'd love to hear new material from Steve Perry. I respect artists that continue to be creative as they age and add to their body of work. I can deal with the limitations that time brings to all of us. The challenge is to utilize what talent you still have and make it work.

saint John wrote:

AR wrote:Part of it is the unrealistic expectations put on him by the fans. A lot of you have put him on a pedastal WAY too high. No wonder he would be hesitant recording again. "The voice" "incomperable" "No one can touch him"...

All bullshit by the way. There are so many amazing singers out there. He is just your favorite. Using those terms is insulting to many great singers who still continue to perform in their late 50's and early 60's. (Dio, Robin Zander, etc)

Those guys may have even lost a slight bit, although I am hard pressed to notice.

The point is, I would completely accept Steve Perry recording again, with whatever limitations he may or may not have in 2007. The loons though have raised the bar so high in expectations though that I don't blame him really for staying retired. Of course if he sounded like shit in his return, the loons would defend it and say it was the greatest new CD ever anyway. And of course those of us tired of all the flowery praise, would remind you all that it wasn't (just like Trial By Fire and FTLOSM)

Anyway, I'd love to hear new material from Steve Perry. I respect artists that continue to be creative as they age and add to their body of work. I can deal with the limitations that time brings to all of us. The challenge is to utilize what talent you still have and make it work.

What put Steve Perry on a "pedastal" were Steve Perry's abilities and performances, not his fans. Journey's body of work when he was with the band simply speaks for itself. GH is at 14 million and rolling along. Think about it, the guy was there from 78-86 basically (and 96 I guess) and their GH has sold 14 million copies. That is almost unparalleled. It's hard to speculate, but I'd bet that had they stayed together a little longer, GH might be a Top 3 album all-time in the U.S. THAT is pedastal material. As for the "other" artists you mentioned....their catalogs allow them to continue to perform those songs. I'm not bashing their abilities in the least, but Perry toured so relentlessly that his voice changed from album to album, making replicating those songs years later something he chose not to do. And I disagree with your "challenge" statement. The "challenge" is to be financially responsible enough so that in your later years you have the financial freedom to do what it is that YOU want. How many people would have walked away from the BOATLOAD of cash the TBF tour was going to bring in? Maybe 3 on the planet. Perry is simply a perfectionist SOB, who will NEVER step on a stage or agree to a tour that he knows he can't flat out perform at the level he has predetermined. THAT, coupled with his past work, is why he is on a pedastal. I love that motherfucker as an artist.

AR wrote:Part of it is the unrealistic expectations put on him by the fans. A lot of you have put him on a pedastal WAY too high. No wonder he would be hesitant recording again. "The voice" "incomperable" "No one can touch him"...

All bullshit by the way. There are so many amazing singers out there. He is just your favorite. Using those terms is insulting to many great singers who still continue to perform in their late 50's and early 60's. (Dio, Robin Zander, etc)

Those guys may have even lost a slight bit, although I am hard pressed to notice.

The point is, I would completely accept Steve Perry recording again, with whatever limitations he may or may not have in 2007. The loons though have raised the bar so high in expectations though that I don't blame him really for staying retired. Of course if he sounded like shit in his return, the loons would defend it and say it was the greatest new CD ever anyway. And of course those of us tired of all the flowery praise, would remind you all that it wasn't (just like Trial By Fire and FTLOSM)

Anyway, I'd love to hear new material from Steve Perry. I respect artists that continue to be creative as they age and add to their body of work. I can deal with the limitations that time brings to all of us. The challenge is to utilize what talent you still have and make it work.

silverblue wrote:I agree with SJ, it was Steve Perry's talent that put him on the pedestal. MOST people (not just Journey fans) have heard of Steve Perry - if you go up to someone on the street & ask them they will probably know who you are talking about...whereas the other singers mentioned by AR would draw a blank face...I don't know who they are either.

Who knows why SP stopped singing altogether - he always alludes to the fact that "he can't go into it" in interviews. Anyone who expects him to sing like he did 30 yrs ago is cracked. I would love to hear/see him again because even if it was originally his voice that made me love him, I've grown to love him PERIOD. But, it isn't about me (the fans) it is about him - he needs to be true to himself no matter what.

AR wrote:

saint John wrote:

AR wrote:Part of it is the unrealistic expectations put on him by the fans. A lot of you have put him on a pedastal WAY too high. No wonder he would be hesitant recording again. "The voice" "incomperable" "No one can touch him"...

All bullshit by the way. There are so many amazing singers out there. He is just your favorite. Using those terms is insulting to many great singers who still continue to perform in their late 50's and early 60's. (Dio, Robin Zander, etc)

Those guys may have even lost a slight bit, although I am hard pressed to notice.

The point is, I would completely accept Steve Perry recording again, with whatever limitations he may or may not have in 2007. The loons though have raised the bar so high in expectations though that I don't blame him really for staying retired. Of course if he sounded like shit in his return, the loons would defend it and say it was the greatest new CD ever anyway. And of course those of us tired of all the flowery praise, would remind you all that it wasn't (just like Trial By Fire and FTLOSM)

Anyway, I'd love to hear new material from Steve Perry. I respect artists that continue to be creative as they age and add to their body of work. I can deal with the limitations that time brings to all of us. The challenge is to utilize what talent you still have and make it work.

What put Steve Perry on a "pedastal" were Steve Perry's abilities and performances, not his fans. Journey's body of work when he was with the band simply speaks for itself. GH is at 14 million and rolling along. Think about it, the guy was there from 78-86 basically (and 96 I guess) and their GH has sold 14 million copies. That is almost unparalleled. It's hard to speculate, but I'd bet that had they stayed together a little longer, GH might be a Top 3 album all-time in the U.S. THAT is pedastal material. As for the "other" artists you mentioned....their catalogs allow them to continue to perform those songs. I'm not bashing their abilities in the least, but Perry toured so relentlessly that his voice changed from album to album, making replicating those songs years later something he chose not to do. And I disagree with your "challenge" statement. The "challenge" is to be financially responsible enough so that in your later years you have the financial freedom to do what it is that YOU want. How many people would have walked away from the BOATLOAD of cash the TBF tour was going to bring in? Maybe 3 on the planet. Perry is simply a perfectionist SOB, who will NEVER step on a stage or agree to a tour that he knows he can't flat out perform at the level he has predetermined. THAT, coupled with his past work, is why he is on a pedastal. I love that motherfucker as an artist.

I love him as an artist as well, but he is a fucking weirdo and so are so many of his fans.

Singers sing. He must not have enjoyed doing it much. There are plenty of vocalists who do not need to perform anymore and are financially set for life - yet they still perform.

You would think Perry would record FOR his fans. Instead of being a scared little puss. Fuck him.

I wish the fanbase would forget him or abuse him into doing something.

I will start. Fuck you Steve Perry, keep playing with your pussycat - we all know you can't fucking sing a note - you suck pelican boy.

Now go prove me wrong beeatch!!!!!!!

AR wrote:

silverblue wrote:I agree with SJ, it was Steve Perry's talent that put him on the pedestal. MOST people (not just Journey fans) have heard of Steve Perry - if you go up to someone on the street & ask them they will probably know who you are talking about...whereas the other singers mentioned by AR would draw a blank face...I don't know who they are either.

Who knows why SP stopped singing altogether - he always alludes to the fact that "he can't go into it" in interviews. Anyone who expects him to sing like he did 30 yrs ago is cracked. I would love to hear/see him again because even if it was originally his voice that made me love him, I've grown to love him PERIOD. But, it isn't about me (the fans) it is about him - he needs to be true to himself no matter what.

Well the one singer I mentioned (Dio) is touring with a band called Heaven and Hell (really Black Sabbath) and are drawing very well for themselves. That man is approaching his mid 60's and is still an incredible singer. Robin Zander is the lead singer for Cheap Trick. If you haven't heard of them you are living under a rock.

Properry's post isn't lost on me. I want Steve Perry to just DO something.

saint John wrote:
Steve is a very mysterious person. I think if he did attempt a comeback he would make sure he was close enough to his old self that he wouldn't have to deal with those parody questions. I suspect that if he couldn't, in his mind, reach those notes or come close, he would simply stay retired or sing something more suited to his current voice. He was in a studio recently, but what came of those sessions remains unknown to the general public. I suspect his voice is at or near the ROR days. The amount of rest he's had should have healed all that time could. I think the road is simply something that scres the hell out of him and makes him ponder whether or not old vices might surface, should he choose to tour again. I'm quite certain we'll hear from him again, but with the exception of a "one-off" Journey gig, doubt we'll see him tour again. As I said before, I'll be anywhere, at anytime, for any cost, should he choose to perform again.

silverblue wrote:Right, ProPerry - he has the emotion & soul behind the song which is probably the most important component. If I think of other singers that I like I am drawn to the "soul" in their voice more than anything. Van Morrison is a favorite of mine & if you think about it, he is kinda craggy in voice, but oh, he can really pull the soul out. He's even kinda craggy looking.
There are some singers who have the perfect technical thing down, but something is missing...they don't have that truthful soul part. You can tell who has it & who doesn't. Steve Perry has truth in his singing - he believes in what he sings & you believe him. That is why so many people miss him.

saint John wrote: Sadly, that scab-ass show might be the only way to re-introduce him into mainstream pop culture as a solo artist.

....his sudden disappearance tells me he AT LEAST burrowed himself in a studio and honestly found out "what he had left."

JeremyP wrote:

saint John wrote: Sadly, that scab-ass show might be the only way to re-introduce him into mainstream pop culture as a solo artist.

I wouldn't know whether to laugh or cry if he turned up on AI to sing. I think that'd be really cheesy.

....his sudden disappearance tells me he AT LEAST burrowed himself in a studio and honestly found out "what he had left."

Maybe he was disappointed with what he found out.

I don't see why, if he puts out an album, it has to be labeled as a comeback. Why can't he just say, "I'm ready put out an album. Here it is, no strings attached."?

saint John wrote:
Dude, I didn't mean as a contestant on AI.

JeremyP wrote:I don't see why, if he puts out an album, it has to be labeled as a comeback. Why can't he just say, "I'm ready put out an album. Here it is, no strings attached."?

AR wrote:Part of it is the unrealistic expectations put on him by the fans. A lot of you have put him on a pedastal WAY too high. No wonder he would be hesitant recording again. "The voice" "incomperable" "No one can touch him"...

All bullshit by the way. There are so many amazing singers out there. He is just your favorite. Using those terms is insulting to many great singers who still continue to perform in their late 50's and early 60's. (Dio, Robin Zander, etc)

Those guys may have even lost a slight bit, although I am hard pressed to notice.

The point is, I would completely accept Steve Perry recording again, with whatever limitations he may or may not have in 2007. The loons though have raised the bar so high in expectations though that I don't blame him really for staying retired. Of course if he sounded like shit in his return, the loons would defend it and say it was the greatest new CD ever anyway. And of course those of us tired of all the flowery praise, would remind you all that it wasn't (just like Trial By Fire and FTLOSM)

Anyway, I'd love to hear new material from Steve Perry. I respect artists that continue to be creative as they age and add to their body of work. I can deal with the limitations that time brings to all of us. The challenge is to utilize what talent you still have and make it work.

donnaplease wrote:"Fuck you Pelican boy" and "go play with your kitty" are not ways to encourage Mr. Perry to sing...

donnaplease wrote:

AR wrote:Part of it is the unrealistic expectations put on him by the fans. A lot of you have put him on a pedastal WAY too high. No wonder he would be hesitant recording again. "The voice" "incomperable" "No one can touch him"...

All bullshit by the way. There are so many amazing singers out there. He is just your favorite. Using those terms is insulting to many great singers who still continue to perform in their late 50's and early 60's. (Dio, Robin Zander, etc)

Those guys may have even lost a slight bit, although I am hard pressed to notice.

The point is, I would completely accept Steve Perry recording again, with whatever limitations he may or may not have in 2007. The loons though have raised the bar so high in expectations though that I don't blame him really for staying retired. Of course if he sounded like shit in his return, the loons would defend it and say it was the greatest new CD ever anyway. And of course those of us tired of all the flowery praise, would remind you all that it wasn't (just like Trial By Fire and FTLOSM)

Anyway, I'd love to hear new material from Steve Perry. I respect artists that continue to be creative as they age and add to their body of work. I can deal with the limitations that time brings to all of us. The challenge is to utilize what talent you still have and make it work.

Ed, you know I luv ya, but you're really full of shit here!!

The "Loons" aren't to blame for SP's absence. The "Loons" would give anything to get a new CD from him, because they appreciate the entire package that is Steve Perry. Not only the voice, but also the heart and soul that he puts into everything he sings.

If SP's confidence is shaken, it's by people who criticize his work, especially ROR and TBF, and say FTLOSM is a disaster. These people blame Steve Perry for all that has possibly gone wrong in the Journey camp during his tenure. These people say they want to hear new music, but I'm sure that when or if we get it, they will be the first to pick it apart in order to affirm that they were right, he has 'lost' it.

You often talk about how there are other 60 year olds out there who are still singing and doing an okay job. That's wonderful for them. They have made the choice to do so, either because they need to, or simply because they want to. We all know SP doesn't need to perform, but most of us are hoping that he will want to again very soon.

I can assure you of this: saying things like "Fuck you Pelican boy" and "go play with your kitty" are not ways to encourage Mr. Perry to sing...

ohsherrie wrote:
Donna, you are my hero.

saint John wrote:Steve is a very mysterious person. I think if he did attempt a comeback he would make sure he was close enough to his old self that he wouldn't have to deal with those parody questions. I suspect that if he couldn't, in his mind, reach those notes or come close, he would simply stay retired or sing something more suited to his current voice.

He was in a studio recently, but what came of those sessions remains unknown to the general public.

I suspect his voice is at or near the ROR days. The amount of rest he's had should have healed all that time could.

I think the road is simply something that scares the hell out of him and makes him ponder whether or not old vices might surface, should he choose to tour again. I'm quite certain we'll hear from him again, but with the exception of a "one-off" Journey gig, doubt we'll see him tour again. As I said before, I'll be anywhere, at anytime, for any cost, should he choose to perform again.

I don't see why, if he puts out an album, it has to be labeled as a comeback. Why can't he just say, "I'm ready put out an album. Here it is, no strings attached."?

donnaplease wrote:

ohsherrie wrote:
Donna, you are my hero.

Awww, that's so sweet!!!

Playitloudforme wrote:I thought what Steve did with Guff was absolutely brilliant. I play that sucker daily full blast on the Pasadena Freeway, windows down. Oh yeah. I agree with Nora, the quality is far better than ROR or TBF for clarity.

Things are going to go on Steve's schedule or not at all. We just have a hard time with it cause it doesn't match our schedule of wants/needs. I doubt it's fearbased - but quality based. I've no problem waiting, because when it does come out (a when, not if in my book), it'll kick ass. It's going to have to be at a level that he's going to be happy with tho, we all know he likes it at a certain level of of quality. It'll happen. As far as a tour... I still think he will do 'something', but he won't do the full out cover the entire country thing like he did when he was with Journey. A few selected cities.

What I think would prompt him to get back in the studio is what's happened already... the revival of interest in the music that he spent his lifetime doing. The popularity of DSB on the OC - surrrrrpriiiiisssssee! There'd have to be a market for it, and the trend is finally leaning away from Rap/Hiphop back to rock. His name still pops up in the news. Time is right. I just hope he sees that too.

And don't I wish I was psychic...