Carlitto H@kk wrote:Since I got "Lost In The Translation" from iTunes last year,
I had taken in the majority of listens while driving in my car or
while doing things at work. Because of that, I never really "listened"
to this album... until recently.
Lately I have been truly listening and absorbing this album thru my
Bose Triports while doing lawn work or at the gym and have discovered
a few things that I just thought I'd share. I'm curious as to what others might think.
First off, this album is more amazing than I originally thought. And it's not just
the songs or the production (all killer, no filler). It's even more amazing now
because I can almost hear where Journey has the potential to go.
I could hear songs like Find Our Way, If This Is The End and, of course, Believe In Me
on a future Journey release without losing any of their freshness and edge. Hell, anyone else
notice that you can pratically sing AWYWI to the chorus of High Time?
Anyone worried that Jeff can't write Journey-Style tunes take notice.
Secondly, the musicianship on this album is incredible. Now, since I got this album from iTunes,
I don't have the liner-notes to know who's playing guitar on each song. I know Neal is on BIM.
But how are the guitar duties/parts split up between Gary and Howie? There are some really amazing
riffs/solos throughout this album. And I guess I had no idea that Jeff was as talented on the Bass as he is.
You can hear many influences throughout this album as well; Journey, Queen... But one influence or
'comparison" I heard was actually a real treat. Some may not like this or agree with what I
think I heard but...
My third discovery was that alot of songs, melodies and guitar playing on this album
reminded me of one of my own favorite albums of the early 90's:
Extreme's "III-Sided Story". Some of you may take that as a diss to Jeff if you hated this band but
I mean it in the sincerest form of compliment. There is some riff-age and solo work on this
album that harkens back to some of Nuno's greatest playing. Anyone thinking that comparing some of
Howie and Garys' playing to Nuno's as a diss is out of their minds.
And the big vocal harmonies and lead vocal work; I could hear Cherone singing some of these tracks.
Again, I mean this in the sincerest for of a compliment.
I just wonder if Jeff, Gary and Howie were ever big fans of Extreme or this album?
Heck, Sacred Eyes is very remeniscent of Hole-Hearted.
Anyway, those are some of the things I've re-discovered about this
amazing album and just wanted to share with you all.
Much obliged dude, I was very happy with the album especially since I did a rush job on it as I was writing/recording the Soul SirkUS album simultaneously...it even got to the point where I had to turn in my album mixed & completed before I was leaving on another solo tour, literally had 11 days to sing all 11 songs before my departure date but hadn't written ONE lyric or melody line! I did them one at a time, wrote the lyric/melody in the afternoon & blasted out the vocal that night, backgrounds & all. I couldn't believe the pressure I was in & thought there was no way I'd get it done or that it would suck but all worked out great in the end, seems the added pressure made for a decent result
As posted earlier, Howie Simon did all solos & most rhythm guitars (bass on the songs he co-wrote), Neal did the one, Gary played guitar on his 2 musical contributions, I played bass, keys, some guitar on the rest. And yes, I was VERY aware High Time could have AWYWI hummed along to the chorus, joked about it actually. I remember having to come up with something so different from that song to take the listener away from thinking that but couldn't pull the wool over your eyes!
I absolutely LOVE Extreme, maybe not the last album they did so much but III Sides was in my CD magazine for years, brilliant album in many ways. I have done many an interview stating working with Nuno would be a dream, he thinks & writes rhythmically like no other, we could have made some serious jams. Gary is a huge fan too but I don't think Howie is so much, Howie is more into the European guys like the Yngwie's, Schenker, kind of players not the American style guys.
I don't know that I would personally inject Journey with the influences of my solo records, it's more like Journey forced me to inject those flavors into my music here & there, I would put more of those inflections I 'fought' on my albums as now there is a natural home for them. Time will tell where we go with the new album but the new song we have is 100% Journey...the vocal inflections naturally come out of me as if I were singing one of the older songs, in the same way Coming Home from the SS album did.
