Hindsight

[Don]

Maybe, St. John was right.
Journey should have done at least a two week tour last summer. DSB had brought them the type of exposure and promotion that money can't buy and the band hadn't seen since 1983.
I will go a step further and say they should have a released City Of Hope then also. Jon had already written it and it would have definitely gotten more traction if played with DSB on TV at that time. Unfortunately, the DSB wave went away, carrying James Durbin's Idol dreams with it.

Does anyone else think a mini tour last summer might have helped the Eclipse launch this year or was the time gap still too great for one action to benefit the other?

Monday morning quarterbacking, I know but some one has to ask these things.

[steveo777]

I agree. They could have played a few intimate venues and maybe even played with some new and old...cough..ROR, acoustic, etc.
Fucking band has the talent in place now, but what are they gonna do with it? Maybe a genre change is in order....and a name change,
ala Bad English.

If I were a Herbie Herbert, I'd bet I could bust this band into a market with new name. Cain, Neal, Arnel, Deen are still marketable.
Ross needs to put black shoe polish on his face and we're good to go!

[annie89509]

You guys are crazy...Journey is 80s, nostalgia rock band...not even SP being there is going to make them any more relevant than they are now. If hell freezes over and a reunion happens, there will be instant excitement.... but only as one-off event.

[steveo777]

You guys are crazy...Journey is 80s, nostalgia rock band...not even SP being there is going to make them any more relevant than they are now. If hell freezes over and a reunion happens, there will be instant excitement.... but only as one-off event.

#winner!

[Don]

I'm listening to Adele, she makes me want to bang big black sounding British women.

[Gideon]

I'm somewhat apathetic to Journey's lack of sales. Their management fumbled the ball big-time, and there's no reason why Neal and Jon aren't making noise about it.
I don't care what it sells as long as they continue to put our more new material.

[Don]

I'm somewhat apathetic to Journey's lack of sales. Their management fumbled the ball big-time, and there's no reason why Neal and Jon aren't making noise about it.
I don't care what it sells as long as they continue to put our more new material.

Does one have to happen to ensure the other?
Of course, the way Jon and Neal have poured money into non-selling solo projects, self financing the next Journey release (should the need arise) should not be a problem.

[steveo777]

I'm somewhat apathetic to Journey's lack of sales. Their management fumbled the ball big-time, and there's no reason why Neal and Jon aren't making noise about it.
I don't care what it sells as long as they continue to put our more new material.

Maybe we were wrong to expect much from sales. Neal might have just wanted to have fun and make this album for the real fans.

Good job guys! I'm looking forward to the tour. I absolutely love the record, but I can also understand why some people don't.

This thing is getting closer to my heart with every listen and I don't need to justify why to anyone.

[Maui Tom]

I listened to Black Ice from AC/DC like twice....80's bands are cooked UNLESS they have a yes...dirty dozen....

[Gideon]

I don't believe anyone in the band is "okay" with a release that financially flops.
I'm not sure what they're playing at; Journey's management is either some sort of mastermind on par with Emperor Palpatine, with some sort of brilliant scheme in place to ensure success or they're morons on par with Jar Jar Binks, well intended but fucking everything up.[/i]

[Don]

I'm somewhat apathetic to Journey's lack of sales. Their management fumbled the ball big-time, and there's no reason why Neal and Jon aren't making noise about it.
I don't care what it sells as long as they continue to put our more new material.

Maybe we were wrong to expect much from sales. Neal might have just wanted to have fun and make this album for the real fans.

Good job guys! I'm looking forward to the tour. I absolutely love the record, but I can also understand why some people don't.

This thing is getting closer to my heart with every listen and I don't need to justify why to anyone.

There is no way in the world they did not want this to sell boatloads. Didn't you hear how excited Neal was that City Of Hope was #3 on the Rock Radio Chart (I still don't know what that is)?
They wanted this record to sell and at the same time make a statement that Journey was back and not as a revitalized older band but as a fresh new band, Journey 2.0.

[Don]

I'm still thinking 40k when the weekend's over. They got the downloads going under Wal-Mart now and after a few days behind NKOTBSB, they seem to have caught them, at least on the Wal-Mart chart anyway.

[steveo777]

I'm somewhat apathetic to Journey's lack of sales. Their management fumbled the ball big-time, and there's no reason why Neal and Jon aren't making noise about it.
I don't care what it sells as long as they continue to put our more new material.

Maybe we were wrong to expect much from sales. Neal might have just wanted to have fun and make this album for the real fans.

Good job guys! I'm looking forward to the tour. I absolutely love the record, but I can also understand why some people don't.

This thing is getting closer to my heart with every listen and I don't need to justify why to anyone.

There is no way in the world they did not want this to sell boatloads. Didn't you hear how excited Neal was that City Of Hope was #3 on the Rock Radio Chart (I still don't know what that is)?
They wanted this record to sell and at the same time make a statement that Journey was back and not as a revitalized older band but as a fresh new band, Journey 2.0.

They have the budget. so why? There a a zillion questions. Don, I get a vibe that you really believed in this album and I still do. What are we missing?

[Gideon]

They have the budget. so why? There a a zillion questions. Don, I get a vibe that you really believed in this album and I still do. What are we missing?

Sounds like management's stopped believin'.

[steveo777]

They have the budget. so why? There a a zillion questions. Don, I get a vibe that you really believed in this album and I still do. What are we missing?

Sounds like management's stopped believin'.

But why now? Did Azoff go on a bender?

It might be a plot....let it fall off a cliff, then announce that Steve Perry is back! Then.....the rest of the tour continues.

[Don]

Maybe management put too much faith in two things.
1.The popularity of DSB carrying over to purchases of the new material.
2. The power of the plokkers. I'm not kidding with this one. They have two professional looking websites, petitions going left and right, the ability to make people like Oprah take notice of the band and a lot of other intangibles. Maybe management just assumed that that core of fans would carry the day again as far as promotion goes for Eclipse.
In the end though, it's not and never was the fan's job to promote the band. So they can't be blamed here at all. I'm just makiing suppositions to what management 'MIGHT' have been thinking.

[steveo777]

Maybe management put too much faith in two things.
1.The popularity of DSB carrying over to purchases of the new material.
2. The power of the plokkers. I'm not kidding with this one. They have two professional looking websites, petitions going left and right, the abilty to make people like Oprah take notice of the band and a lot of other intangibles. Maybe management just assumed that that core of fans would carry the day again as far as promotion goes for Eclipse.

Well, their compass was wrong. Lee Iacocca needs to step in now!

[pf1965]

I totally agree! When they had the attention it definitely would have been more successful. Bands like journey cannot expect to take a year or so off then release an album and expect it to sell. Especially this day and age. The music buying public will just forget about them and have no clue about Eclipse.In fact to the masses the only time journey will become relevant again is when they see Journey goes on tour and they say hey I love DSB ! Yes once again they cut their nose to spite their face!

[Majestic]

Maybe, St. John was right.
Journey should have done at least a two week tour last summer. DSB had brought them the type of exposure and promotion that money can't buy and the band hadn't seen since 1983.
I will go a step further and say they should have a released City Of Hope then also. Jon had already written it and it would have definitely gotten more traction if played with DSB on TV at that time. Unfortunately, the DSB wave went away, carrying James Durbin's Idol dreams with it.

Does anyone else think a mini tour last summer might have helped the Eclipse launch this year or was the time gap still too great for one action to benefit the other?

Monday morning quarterbacking, I know but some one has to ask these things.

I agree with you. Not City of Hope, though. It's a decent tune, but not the strongest. Definitely they should have picked a mid tempo, just not that one.

[YoungJRNY]

I'm somewhat apathetic to Journey's lack of sales. Their management fumbled the ball big-time, and there's no reason why Neal and Jon aren't making noise about it.
I don't care what it sells as long as they continue to put our more new material.

Maybe we were wrong to expect much from sales. Neal might have just wanted to have fun and make this album for the real fans.

Good job guys! I'm looking forward to the tour. I absolutely love the record, but I can also understand why some people don't.

This thing is getting closer to my heart with every listen and I don't need to justify why to anyone.

Dude, who cares about sells, honestly? It seems like you're getting all down on yourself from the sales & it's corrupting your mood & your thinking about the band and the album. If YOU enjoy the album and every person who caught it DIDN'T, then YOU WIN. Don't let the negative Nancie's get inside your head. The Hangover 2 is probably going to smash all kinds of records in the box office but the movie totally SUCKED. Does sells make for a good movie? No.

[Don]

If the album doesn't sell, don't expect another one unless the band finances it themselves. It's easy to put out what you want when it's on someone elses dime. When you have to pay for it yourself, everything changes. There's a reason why Revelation went back to the generic Journey sound after Generations and Red 13. It's all about the Benjamins.

[Rick]

I'm somewhat apathetic to Journey's lack of sales. Their management fumbled the ball big-time, and there's no reason why Neal and Jon aren't making noise about it.
I don't care what it sells as long as they continue to put our more new material.

Maybe we were wrong to expect much from sales. Neal might have just wanted to have fun and make this album for the real fans.

Good job guys! I'm looking forward to the tour. I absolutely love the record, but I can also understand why some people don't.

This thing is getting closer to my heart with every listen and I don't need to justify why to anyone.

Dude, who cares about sells, honestly? It seems like you're getting all down on yourself from the sales & it's corrupting your mood & your thinking about the band and the album. If YOU enjoy the album and every person who caught it DIDN'T, then YOU WIN. Don't let the negative Nancie's get inside your head. The Hangover 2 is probably going to smash all kinds of records in the box office but the movie totally SUCKED. Does sells make for a good movie? No.

We have a tv at work with a built in dvd player, and I've seen these things play audio cd's, so I thought I'd give it a try. And bingo! I got about 3 songs in before I was told to turn that shit off.

[Ehwmatt]

It's all about traction in the music biz. Young or old, if you don't keep your names and faces on the front lines, you get left in the dust pretty quickly. Journey, an old band, found lightning in the bottle with Arnel's hackneyed international rags-to-riches story and got their names and faces on the front lines where 99% of the bands their age cannot do so. They blew it with the stunning silence leading to Eclipse.

[Rick]

It's all about traction in the music biz. Young or old, if you don't keep your names and faces on the front lines, you get left in the dust pretty quickly. Journey, an old band, found lightning in the bottle with Arnel's hackneyed international rags-to-riches story and got their names and faces on the front lines where 99% of the bands their age cannot do so. They blew it with the stunning silence leading to Eclipse.

The only thing that makes any sense to me at all was the original direction of the CD. They said this one is for the band. I don't know why Walmart would sign on to a deal like that anyway, unless there was an option for a second release down the road that was contracted in from the first one.

Beats the hell out of me though. They make a CD that to me blows about 75% of what they've made in the past out of the water.

[VirgilTheart]

I really was surprised by the lack of media behind the album. An album, no matter how great, won't sell well without being properly advertised to the public (unless the rare circumstance of word of mouth boosts sales in the long run). In fact, I had to tell just about anyone I came across that mentioned Journey that the band was coming out with a new album.

I seriously wonder if it's time for the band to get a new manager, or perhaps get Herbie back on board.

[S2M]

I really was surprised by the lack of media behind the album. An album, no matter how great, won't sell well without being properly advertised to the public (unless the rare circumstance of word of mouth boosts sales in the long run). In fact, I had to tell just about anyone I came across that mentioned Journey that the band was coming out with a new album.

I seriously wonder if it's time for the band to get a new manager, or perhaps get Herbie back on board.

What they need is to beg SP to do a reunion/farewell tour, while simultaneously releasing all Tours on DVD, as well as emptying the vault.

[Don]

I really was surprised by the lack of media behind the album. An album, no matter how great, won't sell well without being properly advertised to the public (unless the rare circumstance of word of mouth boosts sales in the long run). In fact, I had to tell just about anyone I came across that mentioned Journey that the band was coming out with a new album.

I seriously wonder if it's time for the band to get a new manager, or perhaps get Herbie back on board.

What they need is to beg SP to do a reunion/farewell tour, while simultaneously releasing all Tours on DVD, as well as emptying the vault.

They're not emptying any vaults unless Sony is their label. I also don't see Perry doing anything under Nomota.

[VirgilTheart]

I really was surprised by the lack of media behind the album. An album, no matter how great, won't sell well without being properly advertised to the public (unless the rare circumstance of word of mouth boosts sales in the long run). In fact, I had to tell just about anyone I came across that mentioned Journey that the band was coming out with a new album.

I seriously wonder if it's time for the band to get a new manager, or perhaps get Herbie back on board.

What they need is to beg SP to do a reunion/farewell tour, while simultaneously releasing all Tours on DVD, as well as emptying the vault.

Hardly. While I'm fine with SP returning to the music business as a solo artist, I just don't see him rejoining Journey again. But I don't deny that if it did happen, the sales would almost certainly be HUGE. But I doubt that Steve would be able to sing well as consistently as Arnel can, much less an entire tour.

Personally, if SP were to return to Journey, I'd want it to be the band's farewell concert, Live DVD/Blu-Ray or whatever and televised live. But here's the twist: the entire concert with Arnel, Perry and Augeri all singing lead vocals on particular numbers and perhaps splitting vocals on certain songs. Perhaps even get Rollie to join Cain on keyboards for a few older tunes and have him and either Augeri or Perry do 'Anytime'. In fact, bring in Steve Smith to do drums on 'Mother, Father' and let Deen get out of the drum set and stand on stage to sing the tune. And, since I know he'd rave on and on about it, get Randy Jackson to do an opening speech or something. -Maybe- join on stage, but IDK.

THAT would be how I'd want to see Perry return to Journey: just one night, with other veteran band members in one big finale that blows everyone away. That way, it's not just about Perry, but celebrating the band as a whole.

[S2M]

I really was surprised by the lack of media behind the album. An album, no matter how great, won't sell well without being properly advertised to the public (unless the rare circumstance of word of mouth boosts sales in the long run). In fact, I had to tell just about anyone I came across that mentioned Journey that the band was coming out with a new album.

I seriously wonder if it's time for the band to get a new manager, or perhaps get Herbie back on board.

What they need is to beg SP to do a reunion/farewell tour, while simultaneously releasing all Tours on DVD, as well as emptying the vault.

They're not emptying any vaults unless Sony is their label. I also don't see Perry doing anything under Nomota.

Well that's just arsed. People would buy those DVDs...an ROR show? a Frontiers? Infinity-Departure? They'd sell millions. Doesn't make sense.

[Monker]

I really was surprised by the lack of media behind the album. An album, no matter how great, won't sell well without being properly advertised to the public (unless the rare circumstance of word of mouth boosts sales in the long run). In fact, I had to tell just about anyone I came across that mentioned Journey that the band was coming out with a new album.

I seriously wonder if it's time for the band to get a new manager, or perhaps get Herbie back on board.

What they need is to beg SP to do a reunion/farewell tour, while simultaneously releasing all Tours on DVD, as well as emptying the vault.

They're not emptying any vaults unless Sony is their label. I also don't see Perry doing anything under Nomota.

And, if Eclipse is what Neal really wants then he should either change the band name or start a new one. Because what difference does it REALLY matter any longer? This album could have been released as Planet US and it probably wouldn't hurt sales that much.

The past five years of BS decisions have really fucked up this band.