StevePerryHair wrote:Saint John wrote:I'll chime in here with a few opinions and observations. Jeff did bring a lot of energy to the shows. He also received some good reviews. I think he would have brought more new fans to Journey than Augeri did. HOWEVER, I also think this. With him on board as the frontman, there was a radical deviation from the pre-ROR Perry sound. I heard quite a few comments at shows that Jeff was good and put on a great "show" but that it didn't really sound as good as "the other guy" (Augeri). Also, to a man, EVERY single one of my friends (about 10) had the same two conclusions. 1) They saw/heard Jeff and Augeri and all thought Augeri sounded more like the original version. 2) When 2 of my friends heard Jeremey sing live and the others heard what I had recorded or viewed on youtube clips, they too concluded that Jeremey was much closer to the original sound. The two friends I brought to Virginia both concluded that Jeremey was "way better." My friends are VERY much caual Journey fans, just like 90% of Journey's audience when they tour. Ultimately, I think Journey decided that the influx of potential new fans would be less or much less than influx of potential departing fans and that was a chance they simply couldn't take, so the let Jeff go. HOW they did it is another story.
Yeah, I know what your saying Dan. And many fans feel that way I'm sure. They want to hear Perry, or someone who sounds exactly like him. Some bands don't do that though. Paul Rodgers and Queen may be an example here. And they still have a fan following. When Journey played House of Blues Orlando, alone, the crowd could not have been more energized by what they were seeing on stage. It was also I believe Jeff's BEST performance ever with Journey by far. His sound was perfection. He was working with a vocal coach to do what you are saying. And that Orlando concert proved he could do it. I feel bad for all those that could not see his Florida performances. You really missed out. And maybe that's another reason I feel so strongly the way I do about it. I was amazed that night.
But we are also just saying here that some of us don't want to hear a Perry clone, and that is our opinion. Of course majority rules here, and they made their decision. But I have made mine too as far as how I will follow as a fan now too. Cd's it is!!
Good post, Lynn. Gotta disagree with one thing though. Queen bringing Paul Rodgers on board cannot be equated with Journey bringing Jeff on board. Take a look at a Queen setlist. They're playing Bad Company songs as well as Free songs too. They've basically brought parts of three fan bases into one show, which is brilliant. I've long been an ardent opponent of Journey having never brought in someone with what I refer to as a "built-in fan base." That is, a big "name."
But, we will never know what JSS and his influence on Journey and their new music would have been like. Because plain and simple, they ended it before it started and that's what has turned me off here. And JSS did maximize his appeal, and he did have everyone of the 7 audiences I saw him with excited and energized. Especially by the end of the tour. I don't know where all this "oh the majority of fans want a Perry sound" comes from. The audiences I saw did not reflect this attitude. I think what most people really want is Perry himself when they make statements like that. That's really what I want too, which is why I say I have my cd's.
