Classic Rock Magazine and tape-gate!

[Matthew]

Here he is - on tour with two legendary bands - singing to 15,000/20,000 people a night. Why go back to playing club gigs in Germany and Greece?

After this gig with Journey, he probably won't have to. He would have been stupid to turn this gig down, but that doesn't mean that he wants to do it permanently. Playing with Journey night after night has certainly put him in the spotlight and he'll be able to take that with him wherever he goes.

Yes - that's a good point. Journey could well be the platform he needs....but I reckon he'd probably need to record an album with Journey to really make his mark.

From what I read Journey aren't the high-profile act on this tour - so it's possible that his celebrity or reputation might not increase significantly this summer.

[heardonthestreet]

Here he is - on tour with two legendary bands - singing to 15,000/20,000 people a night. Why go back to playing club gigs in Germany and Greece?

After this gig with Journey, he probably won't have to. He would have been stupid to turn this gig down, but that doesn't mean that he wants to do it permanently. Playing with Journey night after night has certainly put him in the spotlight and he'll be able to take that with him wherever he goes.

...............................

He's in a better position than Augeri ever was. He is a guest vocalist at this stage and all he has to do is do whatever it takes to not damage his voice.

[Matthew]

Except Journey are in worse shape than they were in 1998....

[RossValoryRocks]

which suggests that fronting Journey is a dream come true...or at the very least it's the best opportunity he's had in many years.

Having talked with Jeff on Tuesday in Cincy for awhile I would say that you are DEAD on. Jeff is a HUGE Journey fan. Steve Perry was one of his early vocal influences and Journey itself has been a very big musical influence.

If Steve Augeri doesn't come back I think Jeff will bring a whole new dimension to Journey and he should be given the opportunity to fronjt this band full time. It would be different, yes, but I think it would be a VERY good different.

Between he and Deen C, they have the Dirty Dozen + covered and covered WELL and Jeffs vocal tone lends itself to moving into new areas soundwise.

Jeff is an incredible vocalist, and the bootlegs don't do him justice, he is an ANIMAL live, and that energy translates to the overall tone of the shows.

[Matthew]

which suggests that fronting Journey is a dream come true...or at the very least it's the best opportunity he's had in many years.

I think Jeff will bring a whole new dimension to Journey and he should be given the opportunity to fronjt this band full time. It would be different, yes, but I think it would be a VERY good different.

.

Absolutely - and if "Believe In Me" was a new Journey single I'd feel excited about this band all over again.

[RossValoryRocks]

which suggests that fronting Journey is a dream come true...or at the very least it's the best opportunity he's had in many years.

I think Jeff will bring a whole new dimension to Journey and he should be given the opportunity to fronjt this band full time. It would be different, yes, but I think it would be a VERY good different.

.

Absolutely - and if "Believe In Me" was a new Journey single I'd feel excited about this band all over again.

That's the wonderful thing about speculation: You never know what the future holds!

[fred_journeyman]

If Steve Augeri doesn't come back I think Jeff will bring a whole new dimension to Journey and he should be given the opportunity to fronjt this band full time. It would be different, yes, but I think it would be a VERY good different.

Between he and Deen C, they have the Dirty Dozen + covered and covered WELL and Jeffs vocal tone lends itself to moving into new areas soundwise.

Jeff is an incredible vocalist, and the bootlegs don't do him justice, he is an ANIMAL live, and that energy translates to the overall tone of the shows.

If Augeri doesn't return and Jeff can handle it and WANTS to continue, then the band will likely go for it. If they do continue with Jeff, this would be another reason NOT to hook up with Perry.

[RossValoryRocks]

I can give you a 100% money back assurance that Perry will NEVER sing with Journey again as a full time member.

I can also tell you if Steve A doesn't come back Jeff IS the new lead vocalist for Journey, and that he wouldn't turn it down if offered.

Given he is doing in now, if Steve A. doesn't come back it is a NO BRAINER, Jeff is THE man for the job.

[fred_journeyman]

I can give you a 100% money back assurance that Perry will NEVER sing with Journey again as a full time member.

I can also tell you if Steve A doesn't come back Jeff IS the new lead vocalist for Journey, and that he wouldn't turn it down if offered.

Given he is doing in now, if Steve A. doesn't come back it is a NO BRAINER, Jeff is THE man for the job.

If it had been three or four years since I'd seen Journey last, I'd probably be tempted to go to another concert. I just saw them last year and the year before that. I'm not interested now, but maybe if they produce another CD that rocks and has JOURNEY written all over it and they're willing to actual PLAY/SING some of those songs live in concert, that would be a different story. I just don't need to hear the classics over and over and over and over...irrespective of who is singing them. That's why I have CDs and a CD player...

[RossValoryRocks]

I can give you a 100% money back assurance that Perry will NEVER sing with Journey again as a full time member.

I can also tell you if Steve A doesn't come back Jeff IS the new lead vocalist for Journey, and that he wouldn't turn it down if offered.

Given he is doing in now, if Steve A. doesn't come back it is a NO BRAINER, Jeff is THE man for the job.

If it had been three or four years since I'd seen Journey last, I'd probably be tempted to go to another concert. I just saw them last year and the year before that. I'm not interested now, but maybe if they produce another CD that rocks and has JOURNEY written all over it and they're willing to actual PLAY/SING some of those songs live in concert, that would be a different story. I just don't need to hear the classics over and over and over and over...irrespective of who is singing them. That's why I have CDs and a CD player...

Yeah but live is a different animal than CD. The dynamic of a live performance can't be beat.

[lights1961]

I can give you a 100% money back assurance that Perry will NEVER sing with Journey again as a full time member.

I can also tell you if Steve A doesn't come back Jeff IS the new lead vocalist for Journey, and that he wouldn't turn it down if offered.

Given he is doing in now, if Steve A. doesn't come back it is a NO BRAINER, Jeff is THE man for the job.

If it had been three or four years since I'd seen Journey last, I'd probably be tempted to go to another concert. I just saw them last year and the year before that. I'm not interested now, but maybe if they produce another CD that rocks and has JOURNEY written all over it and they're willing to actual PLAY/SING some of those songs live in concert, that would be a different story. I just don't need to hear the classics over and over and over and over...irrespective of who is singing them. That's why I have CDs and a CD player...

Yeah but live is a different animal than CD. The dynamic of a live performance can't be beat.

EXACTLY!!!!

[whocares]

Yeah but live is a different animal than CD. The dynamic of a live performance can't be beat.

Unfortunately, there are people here on this site even who proudly state that they want to hear the music the way it is on the CD. I don't get that thinking, but that's because I want to hear something different at a concert than the record/cd. I don't want note for note reproduction, I want just to be able to recognize the song, even if it's played differently. That's what is exciting (to me) about concerts.

[fred_journeyman]

Yeah but live is a different animal than CD. The dynamic of a live performance can't be beat.

Certainly, but when you watch a band and they continue to play the same songs year after year, with one or two from the old catalogue thrown in for good measure, it tends not to mean a lot.

I'm not interested in exact CD reproduction. I'm interested in a good concert. The last one I went to had the wife and I seated in front of two very overweight women who "hooted" and "hollered" throughout the concert. Because they were right behind me, they were in some instances, louder than the band. When they got tired of "hooting" and "hollering," they would just start gabbing while the band played. Then, they'd take a break (thank GOD!) for a bit, go get more beer, return and were louder than ever. You're right, a live performance can't be beat...I'd prefer one without the farkles who came only to get drunk and become obnoxious pigs right before my very ears.

Interestingly enough, when we pulled up the amphitheater, you could clearly hear Journey for quite a ways away. When we got INTO the amphitheater, for some reason the sound was a different animal. It was quieter, almost like it was slightly muted from being inside the amphitheater (there were walls surrounding it, but it was open on top). Outside, there was nothing for it to bounce off of, so it sounded great! I should have stood out by the car. I would have seen the band on the screens and heard them better as well, without the "benefit" of the bloated, giggly piglets behind me. Oink! Have some more beer, ladies!

[A Fire Inside]

Well, I personally (selfishly?) hope that they'll just call it quits if Augeri is out. Not because I don't like JSS, but because Neal once said this was the final lineup, and I don't want to see them keep dragging themselves along, chucking singers every 8 years who don't work anymore.

[bionic]

which suggests that fronting Journey is a dream come true...or at the very least it's the best opportunity he's had in many years.

Having talked with Jeff on Tuesday in Cincy for awhile I would say that you are DEAD on. Jeff is a HUGE Journey fan. Steve Perry was one of his early vocal influences and Journey itself has been a very big musical influence.

If Steve Augeri doesn't come back I think Jeff will bring a whole new dimension to Journey and he should be given the opportunity to fronjt this band full time. It would be different, yes, but I think it would be a VERY good different.

Between he and Deen C, they have the Dirty Dozen + covered and covered WELL and Jeffs vocal tone lends itself to moving into new areas soundwise.

Jeff is an incredible vocalist, and the bootlegs don't do him justice, he is an ANIMAL live, and that energy translates to the overall tone of the shows.

I agree this line up has big potential as Jeff is also a good songwriter as well,the only problems lie with the fact he is not so pleasing on the eye for the ladies and the sound could get a lot heavier..closer to SoulSircus.A lot of people did not take to this cd as good as it was.Also he is a very diffrent frontman to Steve A,couldn't see him accepting flowers at the front and holding hands as he sings to someone. Still the band has a lot of potential if they can ride the wave's of tape-gate's discontent.

[RossValoryRocks]

the only problems lie with the fact he is not so pleasing on the eye for the ladies

Oh I think you are VERY wrong about being pleasing to the ladies, I know MANY that have seen the shows with Jeff so far think he is hot hot hot, including my wife, of course she IS married to me...so maybe she has bad eyesight? But the other ladies think he is hot and they are not married to me, and somehow I doubt they are ALL blind.

[MartyMoffatt]

Yeah but live is a different animal than CD. The dynamic of a live performance can't be beat.

I agree. Live performances, especially when they are not just a faithful reproduction of the original music, can take the music to another level.

We have ample recorded evidence of this. Think about UFO's 'Strangers in the Night', AC/DC's 'If You Want Blood...', Deep Purple's 'Live at the Budokan', Whitesnake's 'Live in the Heart of the City' etc etc. All great live albums, where the music only loosely plays homage to the original album versions but where the live versions are now better known and loved.

Much as I like Steve Augeri, his style generally is to stay relatively faithful to the original music (the so called 'legacy'). That's not his fault. I suspect he had instructions to do just that. Jeff Scott Soto is much more of an improviser (he can't help himself LOL), as is Neal, so there is potential to take the existing music into new directions. I'm quite excited by that prospect on this tour.

Marty

[FormerJrnyFan]

... the only problems lie with the fact he is not so pleasing on the eye for the ladies...

[FormerJrnyFan]

But the other ladies think he is hot and they are not married to me, and somehow I doubt they are ALL blind.

20/20 here

[junky]

I agree this line up has big potential as Jeff is also a good songwriter as well,the only problems lie with the fact he is not so pleasing on the eye for the ladies...

WHAT???!! JSS, Not so pleasing on the eyes???

I know lot's of ladies who find him very pleasing on the ol eyes.

Anyway, not the most important issue. I will wait until see Journey live with JSS to form an opinion as to what he can do for this group, but if Neal and the guys want to persue this relationship with JSS, it will most likely put the tapegate issue behind them.

Also, with JSS, they maybe able to branch out with some new material.

Why not do a tour along the lines of Sammy, a two-parter, one part Journey, one part Soul Sirkus, JSS material, new stuff, dare I say some of Jeff's amazing covers.

Could be very interesting.

[MartyMoffatt]

I agree this line up has big potential as Jeff is also a good songwriter as well,the only problems lie with the fact he is not so pleasing on the eye for the ladies and the sound could get a lot heavier..closer to SoulSircus.A lot of people did not take to this cd as good as it was.Also he is a very diffrent frontman to Steve A,couldn't see him accepting flowers at the front and holding hands as he sings to someone. Still the band has a lot of potential if they can ride the wave's of tape-gate's discontent.

JSS is affectionately known among his female fans as THP - Tall Hot Person. And I've personally seen him at the front of a stage accepting flowers and holding hands with young female fans as he sings to them.

His looks don't do much for me I'm afraid (just as well) but his energy on stage makes him a magnetic frontman.

Marty

[cudaclan]

...You're right, a live performance can't be beat...I'd prefer one without the farkles who came only to get drunk and become obnoxious pigs right before my very ear....Have some more beer, ladies!

The same can be said regarding movie theaters. Patrons think they are at home. Ticket sales are slow at theaters. With the advent of home theaters and Pay per Views, some opt to wait to view at home. The highest gross is in the summer from school vacationers and people seeking air conditioning. A well-known musician broadcasts his performance (via web) for fan club members. We’ve been escorted (out) from a Journey venue due to us not wanting to sit down. We asked for an out-of-the- way location to stand, the usher’s response was to escort us out of the venue. Raise the ticket prices with no co-headings should remove (most) the “undesirables”. It is a double edge sword.

[Liam]

Yeah but live is a different animal than CD. The dynamic of a live performance can't be beat.

Unfortunately, there are people here on this site even who proudly state that they want to hear the music the way it is on the CD. I don't get that thinking, but that's because I want to hear something different at a concert than the record/cd. I don't want note for note reproduction, I want just to be able to recognize the song, even if it's played differently. That's what is exciting (to me) about concerts.

I'm with ya on this. I don't like things EXACTLY like the cd. I like diversity, extended solos, etc. For instance..Chain Reaction....I'd NEVER wanna hear this song again if it sounded exactly like the cd. That extended solo at the end is one of the reasons I'm not sick of the song. AMAZING work by Neal, Deen, and Jon on this one live. Love the way JSS is introducing the song on the boots. That deep, gutteral voice shouting "Chain Reaction". Too cool

[Blueskies]

JSS does nothing for me at all. Across the eye area it looks like he was hit by a 2x4 when he was a kid! That's IMO in the looks department. I also did not feel the stage presence that so many say he has. Some will continue to rationalize anybody singing in the band at this point so that their" Journey " can continue. Just one persons big O.

[NYer]

JSS does nothing for me at all. Across the eye area it looks like he was hit by a 2x4 when he was a kid! That's IMO in the looks department. I also did not feel the stage presence that so many say he has. Some will continue to rationalize anybody singing in the band at this point so that their" Journey " can continue. Just one persons big O.

I like JSS because he does NOT sound like Perry; while Perry's one of my fave singers.

Forget imitators.

[whocares]

I like JSS because he does NOT sound like Perry; while Perry's one of my fave singers.

Forget imitators.

indeed. for the record looks wise, JSS does nothing for me either, and rightfully so. Dude's far better looking than me.

[Rockindeano]

I can give you a 100% money back assurance that Perry will NEVER sing with Journey again as a full time member.

Really? I think you are wrong.

I can also tell you if Steve A doesn't come back Jeff IS the new lead vocalist for Journey, and that he wouldn't turn it down if offered.

You are 100% assuring us of no Perry, yet are still on the fence about Augeri? Come on? Augeri will never walk on a stage again, any stage. He is done.

Given he is doing in now, if Steve A. doesn't come back it is a NO BRAINER, Jeff is THE man for the job.

Another bad decision. Jeff can't do this job...Here comes Andrew and Lori to flame me....

[FormerJrnyFan]

... Jeff can't do this job...Here comes Andrew and Lori to flame me....

Here I am!!! And, as usual, I disagree with you on this.

[NYer]

Augeri will never walk on a stage again, any stage. He is done.
.

Word.

[RossValoryRocks]

I can give you a 100% money back assurance that Perry will NEVER sing with Journey again as a full time member.

Really? I think you are wrong.

I can also tell you if Steve A doesn't come back Jeff IS the new lead vocalist for Journey, and that he wouldn't turn it down if offered.

You are 100% assuring us of no Perry, yet are still on the fence about Augeri? Come on? Augeri will never walk on a stage again, any stage. He is done.

Given he is doing in now, if Steve A. doesn't come back it is a NO BRAINER, Jeff is THE man for the job.

Another bad decision. Jeff can't do this job...Here comes Andrew and Lori to flame me....

First I could care less if you think I am right OR wrong. Time will bear out what I say. Perry will NEVER do a full tour with Journey, maybe...and that is a BIG maybe, a single show or two. Take it to the bank.

Second, I am not on the fence about anything, until the announcement by Journey that Steve Augeri is no longer the lead singer then Jeff is fill in...and he is doing it VERY VERY Well.

So you found out about them using tapes...and that makes you music expert now? Hardly. So your calling a bad decision like a fact is asinine. Jeff can do it, easily and along with Deen will be able to do justic to the classics as well any new material that Journey would put out with Jeff would put Journey back on the map.

My opinion is that you are so bitter about everything with tape-gate that now you just want Journey to stop, to destroy them utterly.