Back On Track

[stevew2]

Have Deen do one or two. One should be a ballad. No SS, and dont let Friga anywhere near a mic unless its for backups. Stick to melodic rock,a little edgy is fine on some songs. that is my wish list

[chf34jmac]

If they want people to again regard them in the light they once had, then there should be NO Deen on lead. This is the album that is going to debut a new lead singer. Jeff should be singing lead on all of them. And there should be no ballads. 10 or 12 solid rockers (either hard rock or mid tempo) Just solid in your face songs.

There's my opinion for what it's worth.

[conversationpc]

If they want people to again regard them in the light they once had, then there should be NO Deen on lead. This is the album that is going to debut a new lead singer. Jeff should be singing lead on all of them. And there should be no ballads. 10 or 12 solid rockers (either hard rock or mid tempo) Just solid in your face songs.

No one's going to regard them in the same light as they once did anyway besides us diehards. In my opinion, they need to retain the classic Journey sound but also think out of the box a bit. Having Deen sing lead on one song isn't going to shake things up too much.

[styxman]

If they want people to again regard them in the light they once had, then there should be NO Deen on lead. This is the album that is going to debut a new lead singer. Jeff should be singing lead on all of them. And there should be no ballads. 10 or 12 solid rockers (either hard rock or mid tempo) Just solid in your face songs.

There's my opinion for what it's worth.

I agree with you on the ballads but it won't happen...ballads are part and parcel of Journeys make up...they're expected. As for Deen, why go to battle with one spitfire when you can have two

[*Laura]

Funny...I was reading Bob Lefsetz's Letter of today regarding the situation in which the music is nowadays and the last paragraph made me thing about the debate in this thread..

This guy,Bob,is way too smart to be ignored.

"Melody never goes out of style.

Beats might be selling, but there is ALWAYS room for a well-sung song
with a melody and hooky changes, which people can sing along with.
Those who realize this will end up with all the money."


No matter how much they want to rock,Journey should throw in a couple of those melodic slow songs that made them famous.
I think it would be a mistake not to do so.

[EightyRock]

Friga needs to ease up on the wedding tunes. Arrival was rife with that tripe. Ballads should be POWER ballads, not softly sung, wimpy crap that makes me want to fling the CD out the car window! I do understand that their singer of the moment couldn't do much else, but now maybe Jeff can wail and do them justice.

[Andrew]

Friga needs to ease up on the wedding tunes. Arrival was rife with that tripe. Ballads should be POWER ballads, not softly sung, wimpy crap that makes me want to fling the CD out the car window! I do understand that their singer of the moment couldn't do much else, but now maybe Jeff can wail and do them justice.

Agreed on this!

[Monker]

Friga needs to ease up on the wedding tunes. Arrival was rife with that tripe. Ballads should be POWER ballads, not softly sung, wimpy crap that makes me want to fling the CD out the car window! I do understand that their singer of the moment couldn't do much else, but now maybe Jeff can wail and do them justice.

Agreed on this!

Except for the fact that some of those came from NEAL.

[ohsherrie]

Friga needs to ease up on the wedding tunes. Arrival was rife with that tripe. Ballads should be POWER ballads, not softly sung, wimpy crap that makes me want to fling the CD out the car window! I do understand that their singer of the moment couldn't do much else, but now maybe Jeff can wail and do them justice.

Agreed on this!

Except for the fact that some of those came from NEAL.

Well then he should be ashamed of himself. Arrival was even too sappy for me and you know that's got to be pure syrup. Not to say that I didn't like some of the sap(Loved By You), but the cd overall was pretty bland.

[Andrew]

Friga needs to ease up on the wedding tunes. Arrival was rife with that tripe. Ballads should be POWER ballads, not softly sung, wimpy crap that makes me want to fling the CD out the car window! I do understand that their singer of the moment couldn't do much else, but now maybe Jeff can wail and do them justice.

Agreed on this!

Except for the fact that some of those came from NEAL.

Agreed on the point that the ballads must again soar....no meandering wishy washy tunes (Butterfly included, sorry Steve)...soaring powerful ballds.

[Monker]

Friga needs to ease up on the wedding tunes. Arrival was rife with that tripe. Ballads should be POWER ballads, not softly sung, wimpy crap that makes me want to fling the CD out the car window! I do understand that their singer of the moment couldn't do much else, but now maybe Jeff can wail and do them justice.

Agreed on this!

Except for the fact that some of those came from NEAL.

Well then he should be ashamed of himself. Arrival was even too sappy for me and you know that's got to be pure syrup. Not to say that I didn't like some of the sap(Loved By You), but the cd overall was pretty bland.

Point is that it was not just Jonathan that brought ballads to the table...and it is not just he who needs to ease up on them.

Neal says he wants to rock and this and that but HE brought to the table EXACTLY what he said he wanted to get rid of. So, now we hear EXACTLY the same thing...who is to say that EXACTLY the same thing won't happen again?

[ohsherrie]

Friga needs to ease up on the wedding tunes. Arrival was rife with that tripe. Ballads should be POWER ballads, not softly sung, wimpy crap that makes me want to fling the CD out the car window! I do understand that their singer of the moment couldn't do much else, but now maybe Jeff can wail and do them justice.

Agreed on this!

Except for the fact that some of those came from NEAL.

Well then he should be ashamed of himself. Arrival was even too sappy for me and you know that's got to be pure syrup. Not to say that I didn't like some of the sap(Loved By You), but the cd overall was pretty bland.

Point is that it was not just Jonathan that brought ballads to the table...and it is not just he who needs to ease up on them.

Neal says he wants to rock and this and that but HE brought to the table EXACTLY what he said he wanted to get rid of. So, now we hear EXACTLY the same thing...who is to say that EXACTLY the same thing won't happen again?

I think Jeff will say. I know you liked Augeri but he just didn't have the chops for Journey. Jeff does and I think they'll show us something with him up front. JMO

[7 Wishes]

If Neal had hired Hunsicker, Hugo, or Chalfant to start with, none of those awful songs would have ever reached our ears. Thank the lord for Jeff.

[Monker]

I think Jeff will say. I know you liked Augeri but he just didn't have the chops for Journey. Jeff does and I think they'll show us something with him up front. JMO

So, in other words, you just believe Jeff will refuse to sing songs that Neal wrote for his own wedding, and with and for his father who was dying of cancer. Or, that he will refuse to sings songs that JDK wants him to so the band can release an album on Sony.

Sorry, but I find that hard to believe. He'll bring 'something' to the mix...but he won't be able to overrule Neal or an icon like JDK.

[Monker]

If Neal had hired Hunsicker, Hugo, or Chalfant to start with, none of those awful songs would have ever reached our ears. Thank the lord for Jeff.

How can you possibly say that? The writing for Arrival was started before they hired ANYBODY. Also, JDK picked the songs - not the band. When you say "aweful songs" you are calling Neal and Jonathan (and Jack Blades, etc) are aweful...even moreso then Augeri.

[Rick]

I think Jeff will say. I know you liked Augeri but he just didn't have the chops for Journey. Jeff does and I think they'll show us something with him up front. JMO

So, in other words, you just believe Jeff will refuse to sing songs that Neal wrote for his own wedding, and with and for his father who was dying of cancer. Or, that he will refuse to sings songs that JDK wants him to so the band can release an album on Sony.

Sorry, but I find that hard to believe. He'll bring 'something' to the mix...but he won't be able to overrule Neal or an icon like JDK.

With all due respect Monker, I seriously doubt that Neal writes wedding songs. I think that's more in Jon's ballpark. I think Neal is more of the rocker. He contributes to the writing of most of the songs, but I'll bet none of the ballads are his idea.

[ohsherrie]

I think Jeff will say. I know you liked Augeri but he just didn't have the chops for Journey. Jeff does and I think they'll show us something with him up front. JMO

So, in other words, you just believe Jeff will refuse to sing songs that Neal wrote for his own wedding, and with and for his father who was dying of cancer. Or, that he will refuse to sings songs that JDK wants him to so the band can release an album on Sony.

Sorry, but I find that hard to believe. He'll bring 'something' to the mix...but he won't be able to overrule Neal or an icon like JDK.

I don't know anything about the wedding or his experience with his father. He has my sympathy about his father. I do think that he now has, with Jeff, a writing partner who can create something with him that was missing with Augeri.

And yes, I do think Jeff would refuse to sing something he didn't think was right for him. He had a music career before Journey.

[Monker]

I think Jeff will say. I know you liked Augeri but he just didn't have the chops for Journey. Jeff does and I think they'll show us something with him up front. JMO

So, in other words, you just believe Jeff will refuse to sing songs that Neal wrote for his own wedding, and with and for his father who was dying of cancer. Or, that he will refuse to sings songs that JDK wants him to so the band can release an album on Sony.

Sorry, but I find that hard to believe. He'll bring 'something' to the mix...but he won't be able to overrule Neal or an icon like JDK.

With all due respect Monker, I seriously doubt that Neal writes wedding songs. I think that's more in Jon's ballpark. I think Neal is more of the rocker. He contributes to the writing of most of the songs, but I'll bet none of the ballads are his idea.

Well, then that shows how little you know about this band and Neal.

[Rick]

I think Jeff will say. I know you liked Augeri but he just didn't have the chops for Journey. Jeff does and I think they'll show us something with him up front. JMO

So, in other words, you just believe Jeff will refuse to sing songs that Neal wrote for his own wedding, and with and for his father who was dying of cancer. Or, that he will refuse to sings songs that JDK wants him to so the band can release an album on Sony.

Sorry, but I find that hard to believe. He'll bring 'something' to the mix...but he won't be able to overrule Neal or an icon like JDK.

With all due respect Monker, I seriously doubt that Neal writes wedding songs. I think that's more in Jon's ballpark. I think Neal is more of the rocker. He contributes to the writing of most of the songs, but I'll bet none of the ballads are his idea.

Well, then that shows how little you know about this band and Neal.

Maybe. I just remember his strong resistance to Open Arms. I guess I just want him to be against the ballads because Journey can rock so well if they choose to do so.

[ohsosoto]

Why does everyone want Deen to sing? I think he has a decent/good voice, but nothing special. He has very little power in his delivery. Jeff is the lead singer.....period. I would expect that, at MOST, Deen will get some background work. Nothing more.

because he has....talent and a good voice.

[ohsherrie]

I think Jeff will say. I know you liked Augeri but he just didn't have the chops for Journey. Jeff does and I think they'll show us something with him up front. JMO

So, in other words, you just believe Jeff will refuse to sing songs that Neal wrote for his own wedding, and with and for his father who was dying of cancer. Or, that he will refuse to sings songs that JDK wants him to so the band can release an album on Sony.
Sorry, but I find that hard to believe. He'll bring 'something' to the mix...but he won't be able to overrule Neal or an icon like JDK.

With all due respect Monker, I seriously doubt that Neal writes wedding songs. I think that's more in Jon's ballpark. I think Neal is more of the rocker. He contributes to the writing of most of the songs, but I'll bet none of the ballads are his idea.

Well, then that shows how little you know about this band and Neal.

OK, so are you saying that Steve Perry wasn't the only one to blame for the ballads?

[7 Wishes]

Monker, I was referring ONLY to the four of five crappy Butterfly-esque ballads on Generations and Arrival.

[Monker]

I think Jeff will say. I know you liked Augeri but he just didn't have the chops for Journey. Jeff does and I think they'll show us something with him up front. JMO

So, in other words, you just believe Jeff will refuse to sing songs that Neal wrote for his own wedding, and with and for his father who was dying of cancer. Or, that he will refuse to sings songs that JDK wants him to so the band can release an album on Sony.
Sorry, but I find that hard to believe. He'll bring 'something' to the mix...but he won't be able to overrule Neal or an icon like JDK.

With all due respect Monker, I seriously doubt that Neal writes wedding songs. I think that's more in Jon's ballpark. I think Neal is more of the rocker. He contributes to the writing of most of the songs, but I'll bet none of the ballads are his idea.

Well, then that shows how little you know about this band and Neal.

OK, so are you saying that Steve Perry wasn't the only one to blame for the ballads?

I never said that he was, or that it was a problem. I WILL say that Perry was/is to blame for the destructive turn they took during ROR.

I'm not the one arguing "against" ballads. I think some of the other people in this thread should answer that question.

[Monker]

Monker, I was referring ONLY to the four of five crappy Butterfly-esque ballads on Generations and Arrival.

And, even out of those four or five songs - I think you should check the writing credits cuz they may not even be Augeri songs.

[ohsherrie]

I think Jeff will say. I know you liked Augeri but he just didn't have the chops for Journey. Jeff does and I think they'll show us something with him up front. JMO

So, in other words, you just believe Jeff will refuse to sing songs that Neal wrote for his own wedding, and with and for his father who was dying of cancer. Or, that he will refuse to sings songs that JDK wants him to so the band can release an album on Sony.
Sorry, but I find that hard to believe. He'll bring 'something' to the mix...but he won't be able to overrule Neal or an icon like JDK.

With all due respect Monker, I seriously doubt that Neal writes wedding songs. I think that's more in Jon's ballpark. I think Neal is more of the rocker. He contributes to the writing of most of the songs, but I'll bet none of the ballads are his idea.

Well, then that shows how little you know about this band and Neal.

OK, so are you saying that Steve Perry wasn't the only one to blame for the ballads?

I never said that he was, or that it was a problem. I WILL say that Perry was/is to blame for the destructive turn they took during ROR.
I'm not the one arguing "against" ballads. I think some of the other people in this thread should answer that question.

OK. I don't agree that ROR was destructive, but I really thought that most guys thought Perry was to blame for all the ballads. I'm surprised myself that Neal was responsible for some of the ballads on Arrival.

[Monker]

OK. I don't agree that ROR was destructive

Firing of band member, a ten year hiatus, Herbie taking a backseat to it all...It was destructive by any definition of the word...and it all revolved around Steve Perry.

but I really thought that most guys thought Perry was to blame for all the ballads.

There needs to be a balance in the sound...and ballads are a part of that. Arrival had more 'balance' then TBF, which had so many songs that all souneded the same...Or, ROR, which had so many mediocre pop songs. At least Arrival had something for everybody. If you didn't like the syrupy ballads...which are basicaly all stuck together in the middle of the CD, you could skip those and get to something else you DID like.

[Rick]

I think some of the other people in this thread should answer that question.

If that's me, then I'll argue against them. I think Journey was a much better band when the balance was shifted more towards rock songs. I'm not sure why the tide changed, but maybe it was that the guys in the band likes seeing pretty ladies in the audience more than the guys. That's a possibility. I know SP loves the ladies, so that may have been where it all went a little down hill. And by saying that, I mean they recorded more ballads than I cared for. It might be up other peoples alley, but not mine. I still love the band mind you, but I'd love to see them rock it out again for sure.

[ohsherrie]

OK. I don't agree that ROR was destructive

Firing of band member, a ten year hiatus, Herbie taking a backseat to it all...It was destructive by any definition of the word...and it all revolved around Steve Perry.

It's one of my two favorite albums. I don't like what happened with Ross and Smitty but I love the music on the album.

There needs to be a balance in the sound...and ballads are a part of that. Arrival had more 'balance' then TBF, which had so many songs that all souneded the same...Or, ROR, which had so many mediocre pop songs. At least Arrival had something for everybody. If you didn't like the syrupy ballads...which are basicaly all stuck together in the middle of the CD, you could skip those and get to something else you DID like.

I never said I didn't like the ballads. I do like them, but I like them sung with some depth and soul. Augeri had no depth or soul that I could hear. He had a nice voice, but a lot of people have nice voices. It takes more than a nice voice to sing for Journey.

[7 Wishes]

Monker, I wasn't referring to the songwriters, either. I just didn't like them. Butterfly? Pansy-assed, Neal Sedaka-meets-Air Supply shit, that was.

[styxman]

As a power balladish kinda song, Asia's 'Feels Like Love' has it all, slow intro into an anthemic burst, then cools down and builds up into some great guitar thrashing and then cools down again into a mellow finish...nothin' cringing about this track.....adult power play at its best. Now that's the kinda track I'd like to see Journey include on the new album, it their own style, that goes without saying