MR

As been discussed on this forum on another topic thread, planet Journey is very quiet these days. And I sense fatigue if/not disinterest on the part of the fan base (at least those that visit here). I'd really like to see them make a full court press to get Steve Smith to take a sabbatical from Vital Information and do one full tour with the band. I think it would reinvigorate the members and would be the closest thing to the real lineup we've had since TBF. And I just wonder if that idea - the original lineup - entices Perry to walk on ... just once.

It would be nice to see Steve on the drums again. But as for that enticing SP to make an appearance.... That will never happen, IMHO. If he ever sings in public again, it won't be with Journey.

If I recall the last time Smitty was asked to re-join Journey he said.. "only if Perry is"...

It sure isn't 2008 anymore. That was prime time to be a Journey fan.

slucero wrote:If I recall the last time Smitty was asked to re-join Journey he said.. "only if Perry is"...

He wasn't interested in rebuilding the brand. It's been rebuilt now. If his schedule allowed he'd do a tour I think.

Would be great to have Steve Smith guest drum on for Journey, but he has made it known that he wont be part of a tour w/o Perry. He loves was he does, and does not need the money. If you get a chance see him live.

scarab wrote:Would be great to have Steve Smith guest drum on for Journey, but he has made it known that he wont be part of a tour w/o Perry. He loves was he does, and does not need the money. If you get a chance see him live.

Find that interview and post a link to it.

What I understand is what he said was he joined Journey for a reunion. He took time away from his Jazz career to dedicate to it. He waited for Steve Perry to tour and when it didn't happen he went back to being solo. He looked at Journey as a reunion situation only...not a permanent band to be a drummer in...and without Perry, it wasn't a reunion so there was no reason to be in the band. From that POV, the same would have happened if it were Neal or Jonathan who was out of the band after the release of TBF.

In the interviews back then, he was saying he is really not interested in pop/rock music any longer. Remember, he dropped out of the Storm when it came time to tour as well. In fact, he said if he had not joined Journey, he would have never been a rock drummer.

But, all of this is very, very old opinion from Steve Smith. If somebody asked him today about joining Journey for a tour, he may have a different answer - whether Perry is there, or not.

Monker wrote:

scarab wrote:Would be great to have Steve Smith guest drum on for Journey, but he has made it known that he wont be part of a tour w/o Perry. He loves was he does, and does not need the money. If you get a chance see him live.

Find that interview and post a link to it.

What I understand is what he said was he joined Journey for a reunion. He took time away from his Jazz career to dedicate to it. He waited for Steve Perry to tour and when it didn't happen he went back to being solo. He looked at Journey as a reunion situation only...not a permanent band to be a drummer in...and without Perry, it wasn't a reunion so there was no reason to be in the band. From that POV, the same would have happened if it were Neal or Jonathan who was out of the band after the release of TBF.

In the interviews back then, he was saying he is really not interested in pop/rock music any longer. Remember, he dropped out of the Storm when it came time to tour as well. In fact, he said if he had not joined Journey, he would have never been a rock drummer.

But, all of this is very, very old opinion from Steve Smith. If somebody asked him today about joining Journey for a tour, he may have a different answer - whether Perry is there, or not.

If you check out his touring schedule, the places he's playing and the musicians that he's getting the opportunity to play with...it's a safe bet that his answer hasn't changed.

Archetype wrote:It sure isn't 2008 anymore. That was prime time to be a Journey fan.

That was a great time to be a fan. After the debacle with Augeri/JSS, Journey had one last Big Bang with Arnel that lasted a few good years before the hype dying down, but damn were those a fun few years. They were putting on high energetic shows in packed house's so I'm glad I got to witness that. The last time I saw them live was in 2011 I believe (whatever year they toured with sound and equipment issue's) and you could just tell that high octane fever was starting to dissipate and Journey became more of the usual nostalgic act fans respected seeing. It's been quiet for some time, hell, I know they're still going but there's no more juice as far as reviews or reports go. That said, damn was that 2008-2010 run a fun ride. That Revelation release was exciting.

YoungJRNYfan wrote:

Archetype wrote:It sure isn't 2008 anymore. That was prime time to be a Journey fan.

That was a great time to be a fan. After the debacle with Augeri/JSS, Journey had one last Big Bang with Arnel that lasted a few good years before the hype dying down, but damn were those a fun few years.

This ebb and flow happens with all bands in-between albums. The best thing bout 2008 was Revelation, which was actually a solid effort after the half-assed Generations.

The_Noble_Cause wrote:

YoungJRNYfan wrote:

Archetype wrote:It sure isn't 2008 anymore. That was prime time to be a Journey fan.

That was a great time to be a fan. After the debacle with Augeri/JSS, Journey had one last Big Bang with Arnel that lasted a few good years before the hype dying down, but damn were those a fun few years.

This ebb and flow happens with all bands in-between albums. The best thing bout 2008 was Revelation, which was actually a solid effort after the half-assed Generations.

Definitely. I wore that damn disc out! I initially listened to Eclipse a lot when it was first released but that album never came close to the spins I gave Revelation. I still appreciated Journey's efforts of giving us a different; harder sounding album with Arnel while they could. There are some underrated gems on that disc (Eclipse) as well. Journey still got it. I know Jonathan is against making another album, but I hope they can atleast bust out one more while Arnel can still belt.

I really enjoy Arrival, Revelation, and Eclipse. I feel all three albums live up to the band's legacy.

Agreed. Arrival, for me, nudges Revelation by a few hairs and is still one of, if not, my favorite Journey album. I still pump my fist to Higher Place. That song gets me goin. The tempo is kickin and Augeri keeps up nicely with his vocals. Castronovo ' s drums is the icing on top. Tunes like To Be Alive Again, Nothin Comes Close and Signs of Life are classic sounding Journey songs and With Your Love is a very nice ballad. Such a great album. Going to have to bring Arrival back out for a listen.

Arrival is still my favorite post-Perry offering from Journey. I liked Revelation; I thought it suited Arnel's voice nicely. But Eclipse did not. I think one of the reasons it didn't work is because that sound doesn't match Arnel's operatic tenor. Eclipse with JSS on vocals would have been a trip.

scarab wrote:Would be great to have Steve Smith guest drum on for Journey, but he has made it known that he wont be part of a tour w/o Perry. He loves was he does, and does not need the money. If you get a chance see him live.

Hey, Don't Stop Believin' ... as long as all the members are still standing, there's always hope for a classic lineup reunion (another one).

annie89509 wrote:

scarab wrote:Would be great to have Steve Smith guest drum on for Journey, but he has made it known that he wont be part of a tour w/o Perry. He loves was he does, and does not need the money. If you get a chance see him live.

Hey, Don't Stop Believin' ... as long as all the members are still standing, there's always hope for a classic lineup reunion (another one).

But using Jimi Jamison as an example, they need to realize that anyone can die at anytime. They are running out of time if any of them have hopes for a reunion. Not to mention that even if they are still alive, that the older they get the less likely they will be able to perform at a high level.

Journey/Survivor wrote:But using Jimi Jamison as an example, they need to realize that anyone can die at anytime.

Bad example. Jimi had a stroke from doing meth.

FamilyMan wrote:Arrival is still my favorite post-Perry offering from Journey. I liked Revelation; I thought it suited Arnel's voice nicely. But Eclipse did not. I think one of the reasons it didn't work is because that sound doesn't match Arnel's operatic tenor. Eclipse with JSS on vocals would have been a trip.

Statements like these confound the shit out of me. Eclipse is NOT German death metal. And even if you don't like the few heavier tracks, like Chain of Love, you have plenty of poppy, radio-friendly material. Songs like Someone or Anything is Possible could easily have been on Revelation. If you're not into Neal's indulgent wankery and vocal acrobatics are more your thing, well, then there are even slow-to-mid tempo ballads like Tantra or To Whom It May Concern, which showcase Arnel emoting and singing his ass off.

Personally, I always wanted Journey to rock MORE. I gotta ask Family Man, did u not enjoy Perry's "operatic tenor" on Frontiers rockers like Edge of the Blade or Separate Ways?

The_Noble_Cause wrote:

Journey/Survivor wrote:But using Jimi Jamison as an example, they need to realize that anyone can die at anytime.

Bad example. Jimi had a stroke from doing meth.

Nevertheless, anyone can go at anytime. And how do we know that none of the classic Journey line-up are not doing drugs at this time?

Journey/Survivor wrote:Nevertheless, anyone can go at anytime.

This is true. But when you do drugs, you increase your odds of going.

The_Noble_Cause wrote:

FamilyMan wrote:Arrival is still my favorite post-Perry offering from Journey. I liked Revelation; I thought it suited Arnel's voice nicely. But Eclipse did not. I think one of the reasons it didn't work is because that sound doesn't match Arnel's operatic tenor. Eclipse with JSS on vocals would have been a trip.

Statements like these confound the shit out of me. Eclipse is NOT German death metal. And even if you don't like the few heavier tracks, like Chain of Love, you have plenty of poppy, radio-friendly material. Songs like Someone or Anything is Possible could easily have been on Revelation. If you're not into Neal's indulgent wankery and vocal acrobatics are more your thing, well, then there are even slow-to-mid tempo ballads like Tantra or To Whom It May Concern, which showcase Arnel emoting and singing his ass off.

Personally, I always wanted Journey to rock MORE. I gotta ask Family Man, did u not enjoy Perry's "operatic tenor" on Frontiers rockers like Edge of the Blade or Separate Ways?

For the record, I liked Eclipse... particularly the heavier songs. I fell off my chair listening to the back end of She's a Mystery. But I don't think Arnel's voice is comparable to Perry's on Frontiers. Steve's voice had a depth and bass to it that Arnel's doesn't have. Tenor was perhaps wrong word. It's Arnel's falsetto that I don't think complimented the music on that record.

When does the Santana/Journey tour start? I am amazed Neal is going to do 3+ hour sets a night.

The_Noble_Cause wrote:

FamilyMan wrote:Arrival is still my favorite post-Perry offering from Journey. I liked Revelation; I thought it suited Arnel's voice nicely. But Eclipse did not. I think one of the reasons it didn't work is because that sound doesn't match Arnel's operatic tenor. Eclipse with JSS on vocals would have been a trip.

Statements like these confound the shit out of me. Eclipse is NOT German death metal. And even if you don't like the few heavier tracks, like Chain of Love, you have plenty of poppy, radio-friendly material. Songs like Someone or Anything is Possible could easily have been on Revelation. If you're not into Neal's indulgent wankery and vocal acrobatics are more your thing, well, then there are even slow-to-mid tempo ballads like Tantra or To Whom It May Concern, which showcase Arnel emoting and singing his ass off.

Personally, I always wanted Journey to rock MORE. I gotta ask Family Man, did u not enjoy Perry's "operatic tenor" on Frontiers rockers like Edge of the Blade or Separate Ways?

Not everybody's cup of tea for a Journey song, but I thought Tantra was the best song on the record. It does have an operatic sound to it, kind of like a Broadway show tune, and Arnel sang beautifully. Didn't understand why so many posters disliked the song. It reminded me of Mother, Father.

The_Noble_Cause wrote:

Journey/Survivor wrote:Nevertheless, anyone can go at anytime.

This is true. But when you do drugs, you increase your odds of going.

Obviously.

Journey/Survivor wrote:

The_Noble_Cause wrote:

Journey/Survivor wrote:Nevertheless, anyone can go at anytime.

This is true. But when you do drugs, you increase your odds of going.

Obviously.

Fuck off with your attitude. Jimi is not a good example of a sudden unexpected death. You make it sound like he was sipping tea on the porch and got struck by lightning.

The_Noble_Cause wrote:This is true. But when you do drugs, you increase your odds of going.

Obviously.[/quote]
Fuck off with your attitude. Jimi is not a good example of a sudden unexpected death. You make it sound like he was sipping tea on the porch and got struck by lightning.[/quote]

Are you being serious?

There's no attitude on my part at all. No hostility intended in anyway.

I was just saying that yes, it's obvious that drug use increases the likely hood of dying. Chill out.