UK Classic Rock Interview - Neal & Ross interview.

[Eric]

they also plan to re-record some classic songs from their catalogue....
"We'll be cutting all our hits live and also revising some album tracks," Neal Schon explains.
"The band is playing better than ever, and Jeff gives the songs an edgy treatment. It still sounds like Journey, just updated."

And ya think Steve Perry will allow this??

I hope not. Not because I'm a loon, but because I just think it's a really bad idea. They should be looking to the future, not the past.

They need to re-record the classic songs for various reasons...no? Promotion, backing vocals, etc?

While I don't care for Greatest Hits being re-done, there are some gems that could use a second chance, especially ones that Soto has really brought to life and the band has updated (ex. Chain Reaction, Edge of the Blade, Keep on Running, etc.) I mean, if Perry can let a punk band ruin a Journey hidden gem, why can't Journey themselves give a sonh another shot at a hit?

[larryfromnextdoor]

Well i'm not interested anymore about the lippy stuff. .

Damn I wish I'd known that before I typed the bloody thing out!!!!

i love this "type" of sarcasim!! .. Suz , would you please change your name to SusieQ??? i sing that song when i see your post.. .. and dont call me Suz,, i know..

[ohsherrie]

they also plan to re-record some classic songs from their catalogue....
"We'll be cutting all our hits live and also revising some album tracks," Neal Schon explains.
"The band is playing better than ever, and Jeff gives the songs an edgy treatment. It still sounds like Journey, just updated."

And ya think Steve Perry will allow this??

I hope not. Not because I'm a loon, but because I just think it's a really bad idea. They should be looking to the future, not the past.

They need to re-record the classic songs for various reasons...no? Promotion, backing vocals, etc?

While I don't care for Greatest Hits being re-done, there are some gems that could use a second chance, especially ones that Soto has really brought to life and the band has updated (ex. Chain Reaction, Edge of the Blade, Keep on Running, etc.) I mean, if Perry can let a punk band ruin a Journey hidden gem, why can't Journey themselves give a sonh another shot at a hit?

I wouldn't have much of a problem with them doing what you're talking about Eric, especially if it's live versions. I doubt that I'd buy it though. I don't think it's in their best interest to try and redo the Greatest Hits though, and I wouldn't like it much personally either. I like the way Jeff sings them, but they've already been recorded, IMO to perfection. Redoing them would smack too much of another "Who needs Perry?" type of jab and a lot of Perry fans will be put off completely by it.

My biggest objection though is that they need to spend that time on new stuff.

[Matthew]

Exactly, Matthew, that's what I don't get with Ross, and this was mild compared to the "obsessive fan with too much time on his hands" he talked about in the other recent interview. How on earth can he socialise and be friendly with the "obsessive fan" and then put him down in that way? It stinks. Ross Vallory is a two-faced bastard as far as I'm concerned.

Maybe Ross is counting on the "obsessive fan" still having the best interest of Journey in mind and understanding the situation they're in on this subject.

Well said. Ross is just towing the company line.

Let's face it, we ALL have too much time on our hands.

Sure NIG - it's true - but Ross could easily have towed the company line without making out that the group of fans who he chose to hang out with are losers and wastrels. After all, this wasn't some meet-and-greet, humouring the fans at the show type affair. It was a private party for MR.com regulars.

[joybringer1]

Sure NIG - it's true - we are obsessive and need to get a life and so on. But Ross could easily tow the company line without ridiculing the very fans who he chose to hang out with. After all, this wasn't some meet and greet, humouring the fans at the show type affair. It was a private party for MR.com regulars.

Once again, EXACTLY. In all seriousness I'm wondering if this is a cultural difference. To me his comments were an unforgiveable betrayal but the majority here seem to think it was quite acceptable to shit on the person who, at the end of the day, saved the band.

[Matthew]

Sure NIG - it's true - we are obsessive and need to get a life and so on. But Ross could easily tow the company line without ridiculing the very fans who he chose to hang out with. After all, this wasn't some meet and greet, humouring the fans at the show type affair. It was a private party for MR.com regulars.

Once again, EXACTLY. In all seriousness I'm wondering if this is a cultural difference. To me his comments were an unforgiveable betrayal but the majority here seem to think it was quite acceptable to shit on the person who, at the end of the day, saved the band.

I know, Joybringer. It's bizarre, isn't it? All this 'falling on my sword for the greater good' chat is all very noble but Ross is blatantly taking the piss out of them.

[ArnelRox]

Susie, ur a sweetheart to type this out. I'm just totally sick reading it. Why are they discussing TG now? & why are they discussing it w/strangers when they could have discussed it w/Andrew, who would have presented things in a good light? Why talk about it at all now? They wouldn't disccuss it last yr maybe b/c of legal ranglings w/SA. But why now? Why deny it now & trash the "fan" who brought it to light? Why piss all over those of us who spent days listening to boots to see if it was true? Now they're gonna re-record classics? Give me a break. I am losing faith in this band just when Jeff restored it for me. Neal & Ross ought to let Jeff do all their talking.

Again Susie thanks.

[joybringer1]

Susie, ur a sweetheart to type this out. I'm just totally sick reading it. Why are they discussing TG now? & why are they discussing it w/strangers when they could have discussed it w/Andrew, who would have presented things in a good light? Why talk about it at all now? They wouldn't disccuss it last yr maybe b/c of legal ranglings w/SA. But why now? Why deny it now & trash the "fan" who brought it to light? Why piss all over those of us who spent days listening to boots to see if it was true? Now they're gonna re-record classics? Give me a break. I am losing faith in this band just when Jeff restored it for me. Neal & Ross ought to let Jeff do all their talking.

Again Susie thanks.

Finally, a voice of outrage from across the pond I'm still on a high from seeing them last week so I want the Journey to continue as much as anyone else here but that's no reason to roll over like a passive hound when one of the "masters" kicks you. I'm glad to see someone else other than us stinking, yellow-toothed Euros (sorry Matthew!) speaking out and I'm glad it was you JR - still full of piss and vinegar (and I mean that in the nicest possible way)

[SusieP]

Well i'm not interested anymore about the lippy stuff. .

Damn I wish I'd known that before I typed the bloody thing out!!!!

i love this "type" of sarcasim!! .. Suz , would you please change your name to SusieQ??? i sing that song when i see your post.. .. and dont call me Suz,, i know..

Well, it really is SusieQ but I made a typo when I registered.

[SusieP]

Susie, ur a sweetheart to type this out. I'm just totally sick reading it. Why are they discussing TG now? & why are they discussing it w/strangers when they could have discussed it w/Andrew, who would have presented things in a good light? Why talk about it at all now? They wouldn't disccuss it last yr maybe b/c of legal ranglings w/SA. But why now? Why deny it now & trash the "fan" who brought it to light? Why piss all over those of us who spent days listening to boots to see if it was true? Now they're gonna re-record classics? Give me a break. I am losing faith in this band just when Jeff restored it for me. Neal & Ross ought to let Jeff do all their talking.

Again Susie thanks.

I was only joking, if my stupid scanner had scanned the thing I wouldn't have had to get typers cramp doing it. But I didn't mind doing it, anyway. You fans who aren't in the UK have a right to know what went to press.
FF's sake, you guys share enough info with me. It was the least I could do.

And, I know, these words have come SO late in the day - but, as sick as you are of reading it, there are many who wanted to know what the guys said.
And the guys said it. UK Classic Rock printed it.
We all have our opinions about what was said.
I think Ross has a tendency to speak first and think about consequences later. He's only human.
I'm still stewing over it.
xxx

[knox]

My Take:

1. Deano knows/knew Ross and Neal were going to talk like this. He said "Cool, no prob. All for the good of the band".

2. They are lying through their teeth. They knew he was lipping (or singing to a dead mic).

3. See No. 2

4. I wish they would have just kept silent rather than just come out and lie about it. With what I know of Deano, which is very little, he must be REALLY tight with the band to just sit and take being called a liar. Everyone at BT was just vindicated by their months and months of calling us (Deano, mainly) liars who didn't know what the heck we were talking about.

5. If they AREN'T lying, then Deano doctored the boots and made us look like fools. If so, he did it with the authority of the band.

In the end, it all worked out. But you hate to be lied to, either by the band or by doctored boots. It can't be both ways.

[Matthew]

Everyone at BT was just vindicated by their months and months of calling us (Deano, mainly) liars who didn't know what the heck we were talking about.

Exactly. At least Neal's comments didn't undermine the integrity of those fans who confronted the problem.

[knox]

I am also with a previous post... The excitement I felt for Journey with Soto - Their HONESTy and sincerity for the music was dealt a blow.

I know we are a small minority of the fan base here, but I just became a little more disinterested.

I still want a boot of the UK concerts, though.

[ArnelRox]

5. If they AREN'T lying, then Deano doctored the boots and made us look like fools. If so, he did it with the authority of the band.

How in the name of God could Dean have gone & doctored every boot out there uploaded by numerous different people? I didn't just go by the boots Dean put up here when I did my investigating. I went & downloaded a ton of boots & listened to many different songs. There were a LOT of boots from 05 floating around. If Dean was able to get every single boot from every single person that made them or impersonate all those people & doctor them before those people uploaded them, & he was able to convince all those different people to let him do that, then he deserves the Nobel friggin' prize. Dean is one heckuva guy but I doubt even he could manage that much chicanery! Sure, if u only went by the boots that were just here or on the blog, u could probably say maybe Dean doctored them. But I know a lot of people who didn't do that & went & got boots from the different boot sites & I was one of them. Going by that, I can say w/100% certainty Dean didn't doctor a damn thing.

Also, why were there rumors floating around in certain circles in June 2004 about Augeri's vocal problems & augmentation? I told Dean what I heard back then & he had no clue who the people were I was talking about. I don't believe even Dean was aware of this stuff back then. But I only heard it b/c I knew someone who was in the biz. Others have said the same thing.

No the conclusion is Ross & Neal avoided the truth. Sickening.

[ProgRocker53]

I really don't want re-recorded classics, if anything include them as bonus tracks or a bonus CD with the all-original release.

I want 10 fiery rockers, a ballad, and a duet on this next album. And I want them all to kick ass.

[knox]

Rox, I am totally with you. I put that in there sarcastically.

[ArnelRox]

Rox, I am totally with you. I put that in there sarcastically.

I figured u didn't mean it literally. But u know some fool will take it that way & say "yep, that's what happened. told u so!"

[knox]

Rox, I am totally with you. I put that in there sarcastically.

I figured u didn't mean it literally. But u know some fool will take it that way & say "yep, that's what happened. told u so!"

You are 100% correct.

[jrnyman28]

Dean is one heckuva guy but I doubt even he could manage that much chicanery!

Nice use of the word "chicanery"!!

[ArnelRox]

Dean is one heckuva guy but I doubt even he could manage that much chicanery!

Nice use of the word "chicanery"!!

And they said I was just a pretty face....

[SusieP]

So if they are going to record some of the old hits with JSS, I guess Steve Perry will be entitled to royalties from the sales?

Be interesting to see how many sales of them there are.

[ohsherrie]

So if they are going to record some of the old hits with JSS, I guess Steve Perry will be entitled to royalties from the sales?

Be interesting to see how many sales of them there are.

Good point Susie.

I still can't for the life of me imagine why they want to redo the classics. Nothing about it makes good business or PR sense to me. What's the point?

[SusieP]

So if they are going to record some of the old hits with JSS, I guess Steve Perry will be entitled to royalties from the sales?

Be interesting to see how many sales of them there are.

Good point Susie.

I still can't for the life of me imagine why they want to redo the classics. Nothing about it makes good business or PR sense to me. What's the point?

Spite?
Hoping fans will buy this CD rather than stuff from the back catalogue?
But I doubt that very much. I believe it's just getting every last ounce out of their old stuff.
To please the fans who want a CD of Jeff's version of the classics.

I won't buy old stuff.
For me, Jeff is what Journey need to be able to move forward. With new stuff.
But I can see that there will be fans who will want to own a CD of him singing the old stuff. I'm just not one of them.

And as long as Steve Perry gets a cut from the songs he helped create, I think that's fair.

[ArnelRox]

I still can't for the life of me imagine why they want to redo the classics. Nothing about it makes good business or PR sense to me. What's the point?

Do they think they can improve upon absolute perfection?

Why would Jeff even want to do this? Surely he wants to create his own identity w/Journey & get away from SP comparisons for the rest of his life.

[SteveForever]

I still can't for the life of me imagine why they want to redo the classics. Nothing about it makes good business or PR sense to me. What's the point?

Do they think they can improve upon absolute perfection?

Why would Jeff even want to do this? Surely he wants to create his own identity w/Journey & get away from SP comparisons for the rest of his life.

Huge mistake if they do that, Perry fans will not be happy.

[Rockindeano]

You two are so opinionated but in this case clueless....

[ArnelRox]

I still can't for the life of me imagine why they want to redo the classics. Nothing about it makes good business or PR sense to me. What's the point?

Do they think they can improve upon absolute perfection?

Why would Jeff even want to do this? Surely he wants to create his own identity w/Journey & get away from SP comparisons for the rest of his life.

Huge mistake if they do that, Perry fans will not be happy.

I don't think Augeri fans will be either since it was not done during his tenure.

Now, a live DVD w/Jeff would be cool. But not a remake studio album.

[ArnelRox]

You two are so opinionated but in this case clueless....

Well then clue us in oh thou almighty all-knowing one.

[Deb]

Now, a live DVD w/Jeff would be cool. But not a remake studio album.

Totally agree!

[ohsherrie]

You two are so opinionated but in this case clueless....

Well then clue us in oh thou almighty all-knowing one.

You beat me to that one Sis. That's exactly word for word what I was going to say.