JOURNEY SONGS THAT SHOULD BE IN THE SET...

[ohsherrie]

It is a same it has to be a competition thought, both guys are good-ERIC

I'll agree with you on that. Augeri would do very well if he didn't have to live up to Steve's legacy.

[Big J]

I've yet to hear Augeri duck the high notes the way Perry occasionally (and on some notes usually) did.

SO NOW I COME TO YOU WITH OPEN ARMS

But occasionally, Perry would go:


SO NOW I COME TO YOU WITH OPEN ARMS

But Joe, the point is whether the overall quality of Augeri singing the songs is as good as Steve singing the songs, not just the timing and length of the high notes. Hell, there are lots of singers who can hit and sustain high notes, but they're not necessarily good overall singers. IMO Augeri is good, but not Perry good. If you really like Augeri better I guess that's your opinion and you have a right to it.

It's John, actually. That's okay though.

I like both to be honest. But in reference to OA this always always always bugged me, and Augeri, I think, stays truer to the recorded song than Perry ever did, for this and other reasons.

And as stated by others, not even SP is as good as SP nowadays.

[Red13JoePa]

Exactly BigJ. Right on the noise.
Augeri has consistently, confidently stayed close to the true vocal arrangement of OA as laid out on Escape. Now Perry authored that arrangement, so it's his prerogative to tweak it live when he sings it. That said, I've never heard him nail it (in the original style) the way Augeri does every time. During the chorus Perry always seems to go lowhighlowhighlowhigh. It makes the song sound nothing like the record does.

[The_Noble_Cause]

That said, I've never heard him nail it (in the original style) the way Augeri does every time.

Bullshit.
Augeri does consistently try to sing the song more closesly to the way it was originally recorded, but he has not nailed it *every* time. In fact, I think the reason why he doesn't change it up is because it's hard enough just to sing as it was written - without adding or improvising even more challenging vocal flourishes to it (like Perry sometimes would).

Augeri has even admitted to not nailing the song every time. In his interview with Singer magazine he stated that although he sang it great when auditioning for Neal and Jonathan he's "since had bad days with that song."

(source http://www.singermagazine.com/assets/Is ... ne_PDF.pdf )

I recall there was even stories circulating on BT around the Main Event tour about Augeri's voice cracking during "Open Arms" and one belligerent concertgoer standing up and shouting "you're not Steve Perry!."
Many BTers felt bad for Steve.

[Red13JoePa]

Not bullshit. Though I meant to type "every time I've heard him sing it" like I did with Perry.
I also don't think the vocal flourishes Perry added were particularly challenging for a pro singer such as these. I think he didn;t want to tackle it the way he recorded it. No shame in that, the recorded vocal was stunning.

[NoMoreTails]

Now Perry authored that arrangement, so it's his prerogative to tweak it live when he sings it.

I'd say dodge rather than tweak.

[NoMoreTails]

[quote="The_Noble_Cause]. In fact, I think the reason why he doesn't change it up is because it's hard enough just to sing as it was written - without adding or improvising even more challenging vocal flourishes to it (like Perry sometimes would).[/quote]

I think the reason he doesn't change it is because people would bitch about him making it easier to sing some parts whereas they accepted that from Perry.

[Red13JoePa]

Now Perry authored that arrangement, so it's his prerogative to tweak it live when he sings it.

I'd say dodge rather than tweak.

That's what I think it was, too.
It just does not sound right to go down with the "pen" in "open" to the build up and hit the high "arms." that whole song's built around the way perry sang the chorus (at Fantasy studios I think it was across the bay in Berkely) with a high, loud, even "OPEN" followed by a knockout blow of high and then HIGHER 3 sylable "AAAHHHHMMMSSSS."

Hunsicker has gone through this chorus debate before, I'd welcome his input on the nuances of that chorus studio/live. To my mind Steve A does it consistently better.

[The_Noble_Cause]

I'd say dodge rather than tweak.

I'd say bull.

Perry rarely, rarely dodged.
During the FTLOSM tour he let the crowd carry a few of the higher songs for him, but Augeri is also very guilty of that.
Perry altered Open Arms on the SM tour, but he didn't dodge any part of it.
He's always changed the song around to make it easier, but he's never outright dodged.
Now I've seen Augeri dodge and it ain't pretty.
I remember in '02 right before the high cresecendo tail end of Faithfully, Augeri just stops singing and decides to introduce one of the band members, saying "hey, have you guys met my friend Ross?"
The whole audience would kinda exhale a big sigh of dissapointement.
We wanna hear those high notes damnit!!!!
We pay good money to hear those friggin high notes!!!

I will say this - I don't like the way Perry would sing Open Arms but he could carry the high notes through and remain solid and secure in delivering them. Just stellar control. Augeri does sing OA more like the album, but when it comes to the high parts I sometimes feel Augeri just haphazardly gives it his best shot and hopes whatever comes out of his voice sounds halfway resemblant to a high note.
Perry could really control his high range.
I don't hear that mastery in Augeri - he tries though.

[*Laura]

Speaking of "Open Arms"...I was wondering if anyone can tell me this:did Steve Perry sang the tune during the ROR tour? I told you I never saw any of the ROR shows so I could get the answer from those of you who were there.
Just curious.

[NoMoreTails]

He's always changed the song around to make it easier, but he's never outright dodged.
.

Changing to make easier sounds like dodging to me, referring to the example BigJ pointed out earlier.

[The_Noble_Cause]

He's always changed the song around to make it easier, but he's never outright dodged.
.

Changing to make easier sounds like dodging to me, referring to the example BigJ pointed out earlier.

No, dodging is what Steve Augeri frequently does when he just plain stops singing to avoid a challenging part.

[Rockindeano]

Speaking of "Open Arms"...I was wondering if anyone can tell me this:did Steve Perry sang the tune during the ROR tour? I told you I never saw any of the ROR shows so I could get the answer from those of you who were there.
Just curious.

Nope. I have three boots and zero on all of them.

[The_Noble_Cause]

Speaking of "Open Arms"...I was wondering if anyone can tell me this:did Steve Perry sang the tune during the ROR tour? I told you I never saw any of the ROR shows so I could get the answer from those of you who were there.
Just curious.

Nope. I have three boots and zero on all of them.

I had a ROR boot on my old computer (might very well still be on there.)
And he did indeed sing it.

Here is a concert set list from an ROR bootleg.
I think this is the same one I used to have.
You will find "Open Arms" listed on there.

http://www.ravaz.net/cd%20trade%20page/cdr_pages/journey__philly_pa_101486_.htm

[NoMoreTails]

He's always changed the song around to make it easier, but he's never outright dodged.
.

Changing to make easier sounds like dodging to me, referring to the example BigJ pointed out earlier.

No, dodging is what Steve Augeri frequently does when he just plain stops singing to avoid a challenging part.

I agree that the Augeri instance you referred to was dodging, guess he ran out of gas on that occasion and tried to use a bit of humor, understandable that this could happen at some point, particularly early on.
But Perry obviously changed the song live on a regular basis because he could not pull off live what he did in the studio well or consistantly enough to suit him.

[Red13JoePa]

That, NMT, plus the fact that I thought we were talking strictly about Open Arms, clearly one of the most important songs for Augeri to do right.

[Jeremey]

Well, I don't think I have a whole lot to add here, as it sounds like it's just a matter of personal preference re whether people like a little improvisation in a live rendition or if they prefer to hear it closer to the recorded version.

My preference is the way Perry sang it on the Houston DVD, but I like the version from F&B (JFK stadium, thank you very much deano hoo-ah) even better. My take on Perry is that there was 3 different reasons for him to change a melody live:

• Changes the melody when he's had a chance to "live in" a song for a while, and it flows out of him a little differently, or he personally uses artistic license to improve or expand on what he did in the studio. A good example of this is the Open Arms versions where he went down on the "Aa-arms" syllable. Wasn't a dodge, it was how he was feeling it at the time. Rest assured, in 1981 he could hit that note all night long. You can hear this throughout Captured and various boots through the Escape time frame. I do this a lot because if you couldn't express the song differently emotionally at different performances, it would become pretty monotonous and robotic to sing the same melodies the same way all the time.

• Changes in the melody when he was "saving up" for something more. A lot of times Perry would hold off on a more difficult but less "showcasey" part in order to pull something off later on in the song, or later on down the road. A good example is during "Mother Father" in Houston, second verse, "oh, in broken glass," he held off for the big ending in the last verse. I don't think he hit the high note in the bridge of "After The Fall" very often for that same reason (I think the GHL version was the rare exception).

• Changes in melody when Perry was winded & out of breath or suffering from vocal fatigue. Perry did a pretty good job of covering that up from what I've heard, by substituting control and vocal acrobatics for the higher notes. I've always thought this was acceptable....But there are a lot of instances from Frontiers on, I'll bet, where Perry would speak-sing a lot of melodies due to breath control and vocal fatigue.

That being said, all 3 times I've seen Augeri (1998, 2002, 2005) he had ducked high notes, not artistically but very awkwardly. Many times he would just go down an octave, other times he'd peter out, it's been very disappointing. I think Augeri did a much better job in 2005, but by that time the band had gotten very practiced at trading off to Dean or giving Augeri the rest he needed (sometimes 2-3 song breaks) to keep singing.

Well, I guess that's a book, sorry about that. But bottom line is, like I said earlier, it's a matter of personal preference what people want to hear. Thanks for asking!

[Rockindeano]

Great post Jeremey! Thanks again!

[Jeremey]

Great post Jeremey! Thanks again!

Dude, wtf is with the pretty flower for your avatar?

[Rockindeano]

Great post Jeremey! Thanks again!

Dude, wtf is with the pretty flower for your avatar?

Jeremey, no real need to have to use that insulting phrase...

It is a tuberose. I have explained the existence. If you would like more information on the tuberose, feel free to contact me, and I can send you any and all information you might need.


Butterfly

[Red13JoePa]

Yea, get rid of it. I'll bet HOTSIE would like to deflower Deano.


J, the After The Fall on GHL: Fucking LOVE it.

[Rockindeano]

Yea, get rid of it

.

I think a forum rule is in effect that states that a person has free will to use images of his or her own choice. I would appreciate it if you would grant me this right. Thank you.

J, the After The Fall on GHL: Fucking LOVE it.

This is unecessary. Let's ease up up on the language folks.

Red13, on the JFK boot I sent to you, After the Fall is done with an extended drum entry. Listen to it. I feel you will undoubtedly enjoy it

[Red13JoePa]

I sent YOU that boot.

YAY!

[NoMoreTails]

Well, I don't think I have a whole lot to add here, as it sounds like it's just a matter of personal preference re whether people like a little improvisation in a live rendition or if they prefer to hear it closer to the recorded version.

Jeremey, good to hear a singer's perspective, you make some excellent points. At any rate, Perrry's live altering of the slow songs hasn't been a problem for me, but the galloping through the faster songs like on GHL ruins them.

[Big J]

Well, I don't think I have a whole lot to add here, as it sounds like it's just a matter of personal preference re whether people like a little improvisation in a live rendition or if they prefer to hear it closer to the recorded version.

Jeremey, good to hear a singer's perspective, you make some excellent points. At any rate, Perrry's live altering of the slow songs hasn't been a problem for me, but the galloping through the faster songs like on GHL ruins them.

By galloping do you mean how he kind of just talks through Any Way You Want It rather than actually singing it?

Because that bugs me too.

Schon was right when he said they could have dug up better renditions of some of the songs on GHL.

[NealIsGod]

Yeah, I can't think of one live version of AWYWI that I like. I feel the same way about LTS. It is always too long and drawn out.

[Red13JoePa]

I hate extended jamouts by any band period. L,T,S has become that. Except Houst, where they keep it pretty short. That's an enjoyable version.
I like the current intro to it, too where Augeri sings blues lyrics tailored to the city, "Oooooo Las Vegas, nevada Road."

[Rockindeano]

I hate extended jamouts

Hate is such a strong word, Red13.

[NoMoreTails]

By galloping do you mean how he kind of just talks through Any Way You Want It rather than actually singing it?

Because that bugs me too.

Schon was right when he said they could have dug up better renditions of some of the songs on GHL.

Yes, played too fast too I believe.

[ohsherrie]

It's John, actually. That's okay though.

Sorry, I have no idea why I called you Joe.

I like both to be honest. But in reference to OA this always always always bugged me, and Augeri, I think, stays truer to the recorded song than Perry ever did, for this and other reasons.

I've only heard Augeri sing OA twice. Once on the Free Per View that they did for Arrival, and once on a bootleg concert. IMO, regardless of who sings it closer to the original recording, Augeri just doesn't sing it with the vocal prowess or depth of feeling that Steve does. He sounds like he's doing what he is in fact doing, he's imitating a recording.

I think it was Jeremy that said Steve wasn't so much avoiding anything as expressing a different feeling when he changed the way he was singing. That's a lot like what Steve said he felt about that song when he was working on the the Houston DVD.

And as stated by others, not even SP is as good as SP nowadays.

Neither is anyone else.