When The Voice Went Croaky

[youkeepmewaiting]

What was your reaction to Perrys voice the first time you heard the Froniters album in 1983?

I wasnt around at that time so obvisuly i cant comment. No doubt most will agree that his voice was still amazing but it must of been a bit of a shock to hear the massive change in his voice, which appeared to just come out of nowhere.

[NealIsGod]

What was your reaction to Perrys voice the first time you heard the Froniters album in 1983?

I wasnt around at that time so obvisuly i cant comment. No doubt most will agree that his voice was still amazing but it must of been a bit of a shock to hear the massive change in his voice, which appeared to just come out of nowhere.

Yeah, I remember wondering WTF happened to his voice. Of course, it's a great album, but his voice is so different. In interviews they say it was by design, since the album was darker. He sounds pretty good on the Frontiers tour, tho.

[conversationpc]

I doubt that most people here even noticed at the time but I didn't become a Journey fan until the mid 90s, so what do I know?

[Deb]

I loved it. But then I didn't think it was croaky though. I love his voice and much preferred the more husky, earthy tone than some of the real early squealy stuff. Sooooo not about the range for me, much more about the delivery and vocal tone/timbre. My other favorite singers have a more smoky, soulful, rock tone too.

[Enigma869]

"Croaky"???? Are you nuts???? "Faithfully" is probably the all time best power ballad EVER recorded, and NOBODY, other than Perry could have pulled that song off! We should all be so lucky to be this "Croaky". Listen to Perry on the notes at the end of "Separate Ways", and then listen to EVERY other Journey front man who has tried to pull those same notes off! The premise that Perry all of a sudden couldn't sing any longer, after 1983 is FUCKING RIDICULOUS! If you're really looking for "Croaky", I'd suggest listening to Cain on vocals, singing "Faithfully" on one of his solo CD's!

John from Boston

[Rockindeano]

I'd suggest listening to Cain on vocals, singing "Faithfully" on one of his solo CD's!

John from Boston

What kind of asshole are you?

[youkeepmewaiting]

"Croaky"???? Are you nuts???? "Faithfully" is probably the all time best power ballad EVER recorded, and NOBODY, other than Perry could have pulled that song off! We should all be so lucky to be this "Croaky". Listen to Perry on the notes at the end of "Separate Ways", and then listen to EVERY other Journey front man who has tried to pull those same notes off! The premise that Perry all of a sudden couldn't sing any longer, after 1983 is FUCKING RIDICULOUS! If you're really looking for "Croaky", I'd suggest listening to Cain on vocals, singing "Faithfully" on one of his solo CD's!

John from Boston

Thats true..although has nothing to do with the thread.
Im not slagging Perry off, i know that he can still hit the notes (Anyway - Love of Strange Medicine), but its silly of you to say that Perrys voice wasnt croakier on that album

[STORY_TELLER]

There's certainly a steady progression of deterioration starting with Frontiers, but croaky is an extreme description. Change? Yes. Croaky? No way.

I don't think Perry's voice went truly croaky until somewhere between FTLOSM and TBF.

[Deb]

"Croaky"???? Are you nuts???? "Faithfully" is probably the all time best power ballad EVER recorded, and NOBODY, other than Perry could have pulled that song off! We should all be so lucky to be this "Croaky". Listen to Perry on the notes at the end of "Separate Ways", and then listen to EVERY other Journey front man who has tried to pull those same notes off! The premise that Perry all of a sudden couldn't sing any longer, after 1983 is FUCKING RIDICULOUS! If you're really looking for "Croaky", I'd suggest listening to Cain on vocals, singing "Faithfully" on one of his solo CD's!

John from Boston

Thats true..although has nothing to do with the thread.
Im not slagging Perry off, i know that he can still hit the notes (Anyway - Love of Strange Medicine), but its silly of you to say that Perrys voice wasnt croakier on that album

Maybe it is your choice of words. I don't hear "croaky", I hear "more soulful".

[Rockindeano]

It was in no way a "deterioration." As Perry himself stated, Frontiers was a more "angular album. Not dark or angry, but angular. The Escape voice probably would not have worked as well as his natural Frontiers voice.

I definitely heard the difference on first listen, it was that noticeable.

[NealIsGod]

It was in no way a "deterioration." As Perry himself stated, Frontiers was a more "angular album. Not dark or angry, but angular. The Escape voice probably would not have worked as well as his natural Frontiers voice.

I definitely heard the difference on first listen, it was that noticeable.

Is "raspy" less offensive to you Loons? His voice still sounded good, just not as pure as previous albums.

[Johnny Mohawk]

Even though he changed his delivery for much of the Frontiers album, during the tour, when he sang songs like "Open Arms" or "Still They Ride", etc., he was still able to go back to the "Escape style" delivery when he wanted to.

[Rick]

I think his voice started going during the Escape tour. I saw footage of him in Japan, not being able to hit some notes. Herbie Herbert stated that SP told him that he wasn't going to tour any more after '81. He knew his voice was in trouble then. I blame it on the ridiculous touring schedules.

[Rockindeano]

It was in no way a "deterioration." As Perry himself stated, Frontiers was a more "angular album. Not dark or angry, but angular. The Escape voice probably would not have worked as well as his natural Frontiers voice.

I definitely heard the difference on first listen, it was that noticeable.

Is "raspy" less offensive to you Loons? His voice still sounded good, just not as pure as previous albums.

Haha, bulldog is back I see. Who is "your" singer? Augeri? That's a barrel of laughs.

[NealIsGod]

It was in no way a "deterioration." As Perry himself stated, Frontiers was a more "angular album. Not dark or angry, but angular. The Escape voice probably would not have worked as well as his natural Frontiers voice.

I definitely heard the difference on first listen, it was that noticeable.

Is "raspy" less offensive to you Loons? His voice still sounded good, just not as pure as previous albums.

Haha, bulldog is back I see. Who is "your" singer? Augeri? That's a barrel of laughs.

WTF? You even said it was noticeable on Frontiers. I am on record saying nobody is in Perry's league.

[Red13JoePa]

By ESC4P3 he had lost the adolescnent sqealy quality to the vox, picked up some SLIGHT maturation with a microscopic touch of rasp and that was probzably the zenith of his singing. The perfect vocal storm on that album I guess.

By Frontiers he had picked up ever so slightly more rasp (and it sounds absolutely terrific. His voice had the most resonance, most depth to me on Frontiers), and ROR a tiny bit more still (again, not a negative at ALL).

All of this, of course is relatively speaking because these differences in his vocals are so microscopic as to only be perceptible by us huge fans.

[Rockindeano]

It was in no way a "deterioration." As Perry himself stated, Frontiers was a more "angular album. Not dark or angry, but angular. The Escape voice probably would not have worked as well as his natural Frontiers voice.

I definitely heard the difference on first listen, it was that noticeable.

Is "raspy" less offensive to you Loons? His voice still sounded good, just not as pure as previous albums.

Haha, bulldog is back I see. Who is "your" singer? Augeri? That's a barrel of laughs.

WTF? You even said it was noticeable on Frontiers. I am on record saying nobody is in Perry's league.

I said what? I said it was different, not raspy. It didn't get raspy until Trial by Fire. Even on ROR, he sounded amazing.

[NealIsGod]

It was in no way a "deterioration." As Perry himself stated, Frontiers was a more "angular album. Not dark or angry, but angular. The Escape voice probably would not have worked as well as his natural Frontiers voice.

I definitely heard the difference on first listen, it was that noticeable.

Is "raspy" less offensive to you Loons? His voice still sounded good, just not as pure as previous albums.

Haha, bulldog is back I see. Who is "your" singer? Augeri? That's a barrel of laughs.

WTF? You even said it was noticeable on Frontiers. I am on record saying nobody is in Perry's league.

I said what? I said it was different, not raspy.

So what word would you use to describe it?

[mistiejourney]

There's certainly a steady progression of deterioration starting with Frontiers, but croaky is an extreme description. Change? Yes. Croaky? No way.

I don't think Perry's voice went truly croaky until somewhere between FTLOSM and TBF.

I would not have called it a "deterioration" - I thought it was just a change in the style of music. He's hits some doozies in FTLOSM! And in "What Was.."

It was more soulful, more Sam-Cooke-ish, but not deterioration.

I don't listen to Perry for awhile and then I do and it's like "Damn!" because no one else sings like that - and I'm talking later works.

[Red13JoePa]

Double H did say that the voice went through that change at age 35-36 for Perry right around or after Frontiers.

I LOVE that sound, although Herbie was intimating that perry himself struggled coming to grips with it, and if you look, that's when he started to become more enigmatic.

[NealIsGod]

Double H did say that the voice went through that change at age 35-36 for Perry right around or after Frontiers.

I LOVE that sound, although Herbie was intimating that perry himself struggled coming to grips with it, and if you look, that's when he started to become more enigmatic.

Yeah, he should have asked Peter Brady how to handle it.

[mistiejourney]

Double H did say that the voice went through that change at age 35-36 for Perry right around or after Frontiers.

I LOVE that sound, although Herbie was intimating that perry himself struggled coming to grips with it, and if you look, that's when he started to become more enigmatic.

Yeah, he should have asked Peter Brady how to handle it.

[annie89509]

Haha, love threads like this, everyone's got such a way with words. I'm a late comer to the Journey fan-wagon for sure. Missed them completely during my (and theirs) formulative years. Accumulated and listened to their entire back-catalog and all the boots I could beg/borrow/trade in just the past 2 years. It IS amazing listening to the evolution of Steve's singing voice from Infinity all the way to TBF -- in one sitting, now. At the time the albums were released, however, I don't think too many fans noticed much difference. Well ... except NIG.

I'm with Deb. I don't think the later voice is croaky at all. It is just more mature, soulful. The earlier voice made him sound like a girl.

[Deb]

It was in no way a "deterioration." As Perry himself stated, Frontiers was a more "angular album. Not dark or angry, but angular. The Escape voice probably would not have worked as well as his natural Frontiers voice.

I definitely heard the difference on first listen, it was that noticeable.

Is "raspy" less offensive to you Loons? His voice still sounded good, just not as pure as previous albums.

Raspy, soulful, husky, earthy, smoky, sexy................any of those will do Niggy.

ROR is definitely my favorite vocal tone. Seemed to have more raw emotion in his voice. Not my all-time favorite Journey song, but is my favorite vocal tone. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiUcRTqrLJM

[Rockindeano]

It was in no way a "deterioration." As Perry himself stated, Frontiers was a more "angular album. Not dark or angry, but angular. The Escape voice probably would not have worked as well as his natural Frontiers voice.

I definitely heard the difference on first listen, it was that noticeable.

Is "raspy" less offensive to you Loons? His voice still sounded good, just not as pure as previous albums.

Haha, bulldog is back I see. Who is "your" singer? Augeri? That's a barrel of laughs.

WTF? You even said it was noticeable on Frontiers. I am on record saying nobody is in Perry's league.

I said what? I said it was different, not raspy.

So what word would you use to describe it?

I think Perry is the greatest singer ever, aside from Elvis. You then call me a Loon. You have a better option than SP? Please don't say SA.

[bluejeangirl76]

There's certainly a steady progression of deterioration starting with Frontiers, but croaky is an extreme description. Change? Yes. Croaky? No way.

I don't think Perry's voice went truly croaky until somewhere between FTLOSM and TBF.

I would not have called it a "deterioration" -

I wouldn't either... Don't Fight It came between Escape and Frontiers and that sound like Frontiers, so is that to say his voice "deteriorated" in less than a year? Whatever he did differently on Frontiers, he meant to do.

[NealIsGod]

I think Perry is the greatest singer ever, aside from Elvis. You then call me a Loon. You have a better option than SP? Please don't say SA.

I didn't call you a Loon.

I think Arnel is the best singer in the world. Much better then Perry.

There, happy now?

[Rockindeano]

I think Perry is the greatest singer ever, aside from Elvis. You then call me a Loon. You have a better option than SP? Please don't say SA.

I didn't call you a Loon.

I think Arnel is the best singer in the world. Much better then Perry.

There, happy now?

Ok I get it.

Hahaha. whatever.

[brywool]

I totally noticed it when I first heard "Separate Ways" as a the "New Journey Single". I didn't know much about the voice then, but I remember thinking Bryan Adams. The more I heard that rasp, the more I knew that the guy wouldn't be singing much longer. It appeared to get worse and worse through each album and I noticed on the Frontiers, and definitely ROR tours that the range was starting to change.

Here's this guy who had a seemingly limitless range and the smoothest voice, and all the sudden (what appeared to be overnight) his voice turned to Rod Stewart. The last time I'd seen Journey was when they ran the Houston show on Mtv. I recorded that and listened to it... jesus, must've been every day for two years, so when I heard Separate Ways, I was astonished at the change.

[brywool]

Double H did say that the voice went through that change at age 35-36 for Perry right around or after Frontiers.

I LOVE that sound, although Herbie was intimating that perry himself struggled coming to grips with it, and if you look, that's when he started to become more enigmatic.

You can bet that he did struggle with it. To have limitless range at one point, and then to not... damn. That must've messed with his psyche in a big way. I remember reading interviews when Street Talk came out. He was saying that he intentionally sang that way to give those songs a differen feel than Journey. I didn't believe it then, I don't believe it now. While it's 'smokey', 'husky' or 'sexy' to some, it's actually "damaged".