FTLOSM Journey style

[Abitaman]

Was listening to this cd today, and realized, how boring it was. Perry still sounds good, even at a lower key, but something is missing. I didn't know what it was until my wife said, "Perry is doing his part, but rest of the Journey guys aren't doing theirs". It hit me, that is what is wrong on this cd, it is missing the Journey part of it.
Perry managed to capture the Journey spirit on Street Talk, but not on FTLOSM.
So I ask (and this is not s slam against Perry) if this had been a Journey cd, with Neal, Jon, Ross, Steve, and Steve, could it have been better? Or would it still have been the same old boring cd, that it is.
So I have broken it down into the following categories-

SINGING-As is Perry singing on this cd is good, not the Perry of Infinity to Frontiers, but goo as ROR or Street Talk, so by having Journey on this cd, the only thing that it might have helped on was back ground vocals.

MUSICANSHIP-With out a question, Journey would have helped on this. One of the reasons FTLOSM is boring, is because it is by the numbers. They all seem like hired hands. Even Perry at times seems bored on the cd. BUT, if Neal had been there, Perry would have pushed Neal to push his self, which in turn Perry would have had to step up to the next level. Cain would have put more life into the Keys. Cain, like Perry and Neal, has is own distinct style, and it is that combination of style that made Journey stand out. So I do not think the cd would have been boring.

WRITING- Perry's writing on this outing has some good songs on it, 2 or 3. Don't know if Cain or Neal could have improved the writing on those 2 or 3, but on the rest, it would have been a blessing. It maybe that is just the playing that make thses songs seems worse than they are, but I re listened to the a second time today, just the lyrics, how the songs were set up, etc... And I think that a lot of the songs could have been improved on with the help of Cain and Schon.

PRODUCTION-FTLOSM suffers from flat production, nothing reaches out of the song to sock your ears. Same thing as ROR. But at least ROR had moments of magic here and there in Production. Perry has a big voice, and needs big production. His voice never really outshines the music. And as I have stated above, the music is really lackluster.

So over all FTLOSM, would really be a poor Journey cd as is. And even compared to Street Talk, it suffers. Street Talk is an excellent cd. FTLOSM is at best an average cd, from the greatest singer ever in rock.

I am not trying to down Perry, I just want what you think could have helped what should have been a great cd. You like this cd, I'm not trying to start trouble with you, just want to know if I'm the only one who feels this way about this cd-ERIC

[Kaj]

Boring?!
Have we listened to the same record?
FTLOSM rock,it´s just the way I want a Perry solo album to sound like but I also love Street Talk just as much.
Shouldn´t this be in the Perry forum?

[Abitaman]

Boring?!
Have we listened to the same record?
FTLOSM rock,it´s just the way I want a Perry solo album to sound like but I also love Street Talk just as much.
Shouldn´t this be in the Perry forum?

Maybe not boring, lacking then?
As far as the Perry forum, could have gone in either, talking about both, so..........-ERIC

[NealIsGod]

Thanks for getting a good thread going, Eric.

I have no doubt Neal and Jon's involvement could have made FTLOSM better, but if so, then why does TBF suck so bad? I prefer FTLOSM over TBF, but that isn't saying much. FTLOSM actually sounds more like Journey to me than TBF does.

[Abitaman]

I like TBF over FTLOSM. TBF has more Journeyism to it. WHEN YOU LOVE A WOMAN, MESSAGE OF LOVE, just to name two are classic Journey songs. FTLOSM has 2 or 3 good songs, but none on the classic Journey sound.
Why is TBF so bad? Because it is JOURNEY cd that really isn't that good. Where FTLOSM is a Perry cd, so it his not on the same level.-ERIC

[brandonx76]

I like TBF over FTLOSM. TBF has more Journeyism to it. WHEN YOU LOVE A WOMAN, MESSAGE OF LOVE, just to name two are classic Journey songs. FTLOSM has 2 or 3 good songs, but none on the classic Journey sound.
Why is TBF so bad? Because it is JOURNEY cd that really isn't that good. Where FTLOSM is a Perry cd, so it his not on the same level.-ERIC

I think this is in part why I enjoyed Trial by Fire so much...the return of the Journey sound, at least on a couple of tracks. (MOL and I can See it in your Eyes 4-sure) And FTLOSM has way too much blandness on it...Some songs simply go no where, and how loud are the vocals on this one? (Trial by Fire suffered from the same problem). I thought Young Hearts Forever was a cool tune, but it sounds like ROR (psuedo Journey) Street Talk doesn't sound like Journey to me either, but I think it was Perry's most rounded and solid solo performance.

[jrnyjetster]

Lincoln Brewster's guitar work is impressive on FTLOSM. In my opinion, there are 5 really good songs on that record that jump out at you, the rest is just throw away.....Donna, please?

[jrnyman28]

When I listen to FTLOSM i can hear 'what Perry was trying to accomplish' but he just didn't pull it off. It is the first CD I ever heard where I actually 'why didn't he do this or that?'

I enjoy the CD for Perry. But it is definately lacking throughout. If you had the rest of Journey on it, it would have been a completely different CD so I don't know if I could say it would be FTLOSM 'better'.

I personally think Perry wanted it to sound 'by the numbers'....he was directing it to be what he wanted. That does not leave a lot of room for the other band members "creativity". And IMO that is what makes the biggest difference. When everyone is feeling it, and has the room to give input, then you have the opportunity for magic.

[NealIsGod]

I am not a fan of the "chorus of Perrys" style of BG vox.

[jrnyman28]

I am not a fan of the "chorus of Perrys" style of BG vox.

I agree. I love his voice but I don't need to hear 100 of him singing....
That started at Evolution didn't it?

[NealIsGod]

I am not a fan of the "chorus of Perrys" style of BG vox.

I agree. I love his voice but I don't need to hear 100 of him singing....
That started at Evolution didn't it?

It may have been used sparingly, but ROR knocks you over the head with it.

[yak]

Great question, Eric. Journey would definitely have added a lot. They would rock out on anything they touch. But Perry likes his ballads. So, he would have put too many ballads on it anyway. I can't ever listen to FTLOSM completely through. The album has too many depressing songs. A couple of them work, but the album as a whole doesn't.

Your wife is very observant.

And, dude, why do you always apologize for your views? It's a message board! You're supposed to have.....views....and opinions.

[Abitaman]

Great question, Eric. Journey would definitely have added a lot. They would rock out on anything they touch. But Perry likes his ballads. So, he would have put too many ballads on it anyway. I can't ever listen to FTLOSM completely through. The album has too many depressing songs. A couple of them work, but the album as a whole doesn't.

Your wife is very observant.

And, dude, why do you always apologize for your views? It's a message board! You're supposed to have.....views....and opinions.

I apologize to let the people who like to think everyone who is a current Journey fan is not a Perry fan, so it is to let them know this isn't about dogging Perry. It is a what if, and I want the discussion to be civil, if that makes any sense. But I didn't know I always did it .

True Perry likes his ballads, but his ballads without Journey is just that ballads. A lot of ballads can get boring. At least Journey made them POWER ballads.

The whole FTLOSM cd is either slow or a low mid paced cd for the most part. Never really takes off-ERIC

[Fernando Ramirez]

I've always felt that FTLOSM was missing something, as well. It never grabbed me like other releases. I've owned it three times... sold it the first two times, and held onto it the last time. Like Van Halen's VHIII, it's one of those albums that I hope someday I'll grow into liking. But it hasn't happened yet.

Recording it with the rest of JOURNEY would have been a great idea. They would have brought something good to it... it would have been better. Sometimes, you need that editor. Neal and Steve, for all of their differences (and probably because of them), worked well together. Sometimes you need that tension, as someone else said above.

To be sure, FTLOSM has a few good spots. The song MISSING YOU is great. I also love the first track... don't recall the name of it, but I love the harmony vocals, and it's a good rockin' track. That's all I can remember off the top of my head.

Overall, the production is pretty lush... it was okay. Not great. I say that because the production totally favors the singer, and not the band. What I mean is that the vox are often too loud, drowning out the background music. And it really gets on my nerves that you can hear every little nuance of Perry's singing... all his breaths, sighs, every little syllable. Or maybe, it's overly sibilant.

So there are ways in which this album could have been great. If it had been co-produced with someone that had tighter rein. If some of the songs could have been worked on more with the guys from JOURNEY. If the production was more equalized, and not singer-focused.

[Abitaman]

Good point-ERIC

[Moon Beam]

I would have to disagree here Sir.
Although I liked Steet Talk,Trial By Fire
and Raised On Radio a lot,I would have to
Say that FTLOSM had it's own backbone.
I think his singnature sytle is found in both
Street Talk and FTLOSM.
If Journey would have been added to either
of these it would not been the same sound
or feel.
I like FTLOSM and I am am never bored with
it,although I don't care for "Donna Please".
That song is a snoozer

[Fernando Ramirez]

I would have to disagree here Sir.
Although I liked Steet Talk,Trial By Fire
and Raised On Radio a lot,I would have to
Say that FTLOSM had it's own backbone.
I think his singnature sytle is found in both
Street Talk and FTLOSM.
If Journey would have been added to either
of these it would not been the same sound
or feel.
I like FTLOSM and I am am never bored with
it,although I don't care for "Donna Please".
That song is a snoozer

I know lots of people here rag on ROR. I have good memories of this album. I bought it when it came out, and I thought it was great. I liked the album cover, even though it wasn't anything like the others. I didn't think it was too pop, or that it was too polished or anything. I just really liked it. I thought the production on it was good. On second thought, I remember liking it BECAUSE of the production. I think it has some great songs on it. Of all his solo albums, I think that ROR best represents what he was trying to do. FTLOSM is not it. I think he had lost direction by then. It is missing something. It is too self-absorbed in terms of the songwriting and the production. I mean, I like a few songs on it.. 3-4. But that's it.