New Neal Interview on MR.com homepage

by **The_Noble_Cause** » Fri Dec 02, 2005 1:18 am

No luck getting Sirkus on a US label (though at one point he said there were numerous offers). He also says, Sirkus has left him in the hole financially. Good read. Here's a hightlight which (I think) epitomizes Neal's fiery nonpareil candor.

Interviewer: Let's talk Journey. You've been doing this for 30 years and not many bands survive a vocalist change. Why do you think the fans keep coming back? What is it about Journey?

Neal: “I don't know. I don't know, man. We refuse to go away, so I guess they keep on coming. They definitely like what they are seeing. Augeri is singing now and he conveys the songs in a positive way to which the audience is responding. As a band, we're kicking a lot of *** right now (musically) and we don't sound as old as we are (laughs). So, the spark is still there. You know guys like Jeff Beck sound like he's still 16, but then you got (Eric) Clapton that sound like he's taking a snooze. I used to love him when he had the fire inside, but now it's like 'man, c'mon play that Goddamn thing.”

by **Red13JoePa** » Fri Dec 02, 2005 1:23 am

Yep, great interview and Schon's just ......I don't think guy can lie. He has no bullshit/pc/truth filter on his mouth and it's a joy to read him.

RIPS Clapton, God almightly. Gonna be weird for me to think of him not living in the Bay area.

by **The_Noble_Cause** » Fri Dec 02, 2005 1:25 am

Other highlights..

Interviewer: Are you proud of the album? Is it a good Journey album?
Neal: “I think it's a great Journey record. I really do. I think it's different, but I think it's better than the one we did before. “Arrival” was a good record, but it was an expensive record to make. It cost us so much money to make that record, some songs were good, but I didn't like the way every thing turned out in the end sound wise. I'm not crazy about my guitar sound on “Arrival” at all. Sounds like a buzz saw.”

Also.........

Interviewer: You just released the Journey: Live in Houston 1981, The Escape Tour DVD and put former vocalist Steve Perry back to work for you. How was that and why would you do that?
Neal:“It wasn't me that did it. I okayed it, but only as long as I could hear the end result and have my vote on it. I don't have the time to do something like that. I've been out on tour with these guys and I've never really left touring since last summer. When I got done with the Journey tour. I went in and did the new Journey record Generations, then I went straight into rehearsals with Soul Sirkus did that tour and then straight back into rehearsals for this Journey tour. I've been out for almost two years now."

by **The_Noble_Cause** » Fri Dec 02, 2005 1:33 am

Red13JoePa wrote: Gonna be weird for me to think of him not living in the Bay area.

Wonder how this move will effect Neal and Jon's working relationship. Didn't they do most stuff in Jon's home studio (Red 13, Soul Sirkus etc)?
It's bad enough that Augeri lives over in NY. When do these guys find time to write together and y'know, be a band off the stage?
Am I pessimistic, or is this yet another nail in the coffin.

by **Red13JoePa** » Fri Dec 02, 2005 1:37 am

Hope you're pessimistic. But he freely admits the new albums are basically for the fans and not $-making ventures anyhow. He's 300 k (Holy CRAP!) in the hole for World Play, Journey touring must help keep him in the black.

He also mentioned being pleasantly surprised at the amount of coin they've made on Gens by "giving away" 100s of 1000s of copies. Maybe that bodes well for new JRNY albums. Hoepfully just not another Schon half-baked idea.

Love his positive feedback on Generations.

by **NealIsGod** » Fri Dec 02, 2005 2:05 am

Please, God, let this happen:

BW&BK: You mean Planet Us. With Van Halen in limbo is Planet Us going to come back?
NS: “I think pretty much Sammy is retired. I saw him in Vegas a couple of weeks ago and we jammed and had some fun. We talked a little bit about doing this and that, but he's hanging out in Cabo and he nets a lot of money off of his tequila every year. He's got a beautiful house down there and he digs hanging out with his kids. I'm not saying he's done playing, but I think he's slowed down a lot his touring and that kind of stuff.”
BW&BK: So, it's nothing you're going to revive soon.
NS: “It's nothing that I know about. If he calls me up and says 'Schon – let's go'. I'm gone and it'll be fun.”

by **Red13JoePa** » Fri Dec 02, 2005 2:31 am

Why do you want him sidetracked from JRNY, NIG?

by **NealIsGod** » Fri Dec 02, 2005 2:33 am

Red13JoePa wrote:Why do you want him sidetracked from JRNY, NIG?

I don't. If I have to choose Neal playing Shit Sirkus or with Sammy, of course I would choose Sammy.

by **Red13JoePa** » Fri Dec 02, 2005 2:37 am

Shit SirkUs.

I hafta to tell ya, World Play has big-time grown on me. It's more of an aquired-taste than JRNY per se, but the songs are suddenly accessible to me. I have the defunct Deen C. version....

by **NoMoreTails** » Fri Dec 02, 2005 3:22 am

Red13JoePa wrote: Gonna be weird for me to think of him not living in the Bay area.

Three or so years ago, my wife and I stayed at the same hotel Journey did and ran into Jon going in, he spoke to us a few minutes and asked where we were from. When we answered TN, he said that he planned to move to Nashville in a few years for the songwriting possiblities. We assumed he meant after they retired Journey.
If they want to do more Journey music bad enough, they can find a way to make it work even if Jon, Neal, and Steve are each in different regions of the country.
Sounds like to end of SS, as I figured was the case after speaking to Neal at the Myrtle Beach show.

by **Rockindeano** » Fri Dec 02, 2005 4:41 am

Do you all see what's happening here?

Think......play Oliver Stone for a minute or 10....

Something is about to happen...

Right Andrew?

by **NealIsGod** » Fri Dec 02, 2005 4:46 am

Rock'ndeano wrote:Do you all see what's happening here?

Think......play Oliver Stone for a minute or 10....

Something is about to happen...

Right Andrew?

Neal is joining Prince's band?

by **Rockindeano** » Fri Dec 02, 2005 4:50 am

Wait til he can't just "go for a ride on one of Harley's." He will probably keep his home in San Rafael anyway....

NIGGY, don't be a smartass..

by **Eric** » Fri Dec 02, 2005 5:04 am

Glad SS is over......that has been overrated for quite some time....

Loved the Clapton thing.........

Looking forward to the Blues album!

by **Rockindeano** » Fri Dec 02, 2005 5:25 am

The more I read Neal's interviews, the more upset I am at him trying to copy my speaking styles.... :wink:

by **The_Noble_Cause** » Fri Dec 02, 2005 5:52 am

Red13JoePa wrote::lol: Shit SirkUs.

lol

I honestly haven't heard the album yet. I know NIG says it sucks and I trust his opinion, but how could Neal flub up so bad? There's gotta be some valid stuff on there.

by **jrnyman28** » Fri Dec 02, 2005 5:52 am

Neal Schon wrote:“I'm going to go do a blues record with a lot of different female & male singers. I might redo a few Journey tracks in a different way like Walks Like A Lady, Living To Do, I'm Crying and redo some Ray Charles tunes. We also have a ton of old Journey stuff in the can that'll just keep on coming

Love the idea of a blues album.

And a ton of old Journey stuff in the can? Is he talking about Perry-era Journey? If so, then it sounds like Journey will not be recording anytime soon....

by **The_Noble_Cause** » Fri Dec 02, 2005 5:53 am

NoMoreTails wrote:Sounds like to end of SS, as I figured was the case after speaking to Neal at the Myrtle Beach show.

What did he say? If u posted it already, I apologise.

by **jrnyman28** » Fri Dec 02, 2005 5:54 am

The_Noble_Cause wrote:
Red13JoePa wrote::lol: Shit SirkUs.

lol

I honestly haven't heard the album yet. I know NIG says it sucks and I trust his opinion, but how could Neal flub up so bad? There's gotta be some valid stuff on there.

I enjoy the album, but I have the Deen copy. I want the Virgil copy as well, but the clips I heard sounded "too full" by his drums. The new songs sound ok to me, so maybe it was just because I was used to Deen's version...

by **Rockindeano** » Fri Dec 02, 2005 6:00 am

I honestly haven't heard the album yet. I know NIG says it sucks and I trust his opinion,

I don't..not on this one. SS kicks ass....GREAT record.

but how could Neal flub up so bad? There's gotta be some valid stuff on there.

There is, and he didn't.

I can send you a copy next week, Cause.

by **Red13JoePa** » Fri Dec 02, 2005 6:29 am

I thought I read he said it was old JRNY stuff in the can, Dave, that would be staggering out. The Dallas, '05 is next Mar., or Jun, Dean? He had awesome stuff to say about that....

by **Rockindeano** » Fri Dec 02, 2005 6:40 am

My sources say April.....But as we know, the Journey train is always late.

by **jrnyman28** » Fri Dec 02, 2005 6:49 am

Rock'ndeano wrote:My sources say April.....But as we know, the Journey train is always late.

Supposedly, Jon Cain has said a "year from now"...

by **NoMoreTails** » Fri Dec 02, 2005 6:49 am

The_Noble_Cause wrote:
NoMoreTails wrote:Sounds like to end of SS, as I figured was the case after speaking to Neal at the Myrtle Beach show.

What did he say? If u posted it already, I apologise.

It wasn't that he said anything, but just that he side stepped the issue of more SS and said that he was just ready for some time off after being on the road most of the year. Neal usually is enthused about anything he has real plans for, it just gave me the feeling that he may have given up on it.

I think Neal is awesome on WP, SS at times seems to me like an extention of his playing on HSAS, I was surprised that NIG didn't care for it. Its up there with Gens for me, different obviously but I like it as well.

by **NealIsGod** » Fri Dec 02, 2005 7:03 am

NoMoreTails wrote:I think Neal is awesome on WP, SS at times seems to me like an extention of his playing on HSAS, I was surprised that NIG didn't care for it. Its up there with Gens for me, different obviously but I like it as well.

I really don't like JSS' voice. And the songs do nothing for me. I was pumped to hear Peephole, and was soooo disappointed. I guess I had really high expectations that just weren't met.

by **Abitaman** » Fri Dec 02, 2005 11:50 pm

Red13JoePa wrote::lol: Shit SirkUs.

I hafta to tell ya, World Play has big-time grown on me. It's more of an aquired-taste than JRNY per se, but the songs are suddenly accessible to me. I have the defunct Deen C. version....

Just the oppiste for me, I LIKED IT STARTING OUT, BUT HAVE GROWN VERY BORED WITHIT,
Unlike the new Journey cd-ERIC

by **Abitaman** » Fri Dec 02, 2005 11:53 pm

jrnyman28 wrote:
The_Noble_Cause wrote:
Red13JoePa wrote::lol: Shit SirkUs.

lol

I honestly haven't heard the album yet. I know NIG says it sucks and I trust his opinion, but how could Neal flub up so bad? There's gotta be some valid stuff on there.

I enjoy the album, but I have the Deen copy. I want the Virgil copy as well, but the clips I heard sounded "too full" by his drums. The new songs sound ok to me, so maybe it was just because I was used to Deen's version...

Deens is better-ERIC

by **yandtguy** » Thu Dec 08, 2005 3:18 am

One of the things that keeps Neal Schon in the black financially is his stake in Nocture Productions:

http://www.nocturneproductions.com/

Greg

by **Red13JoePa** » Thu Dec 08, 2005 3:41 am

You're the man, Yand.
The Anastacia link made my Christmas season.... forgot how gorgeous she really is.

by **mrsp** » Tue Dec 20, 2005 3:13 am

Could someone provide the link to this interview? I can't find it. Thanks.

MR

New Neal Interview on MR.com homepage

New Neal Interview on MR.com homepage

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