$$$$$ Journey recording old hits with Arnel

[Greg]

Quite frankly...the whole "re-recording the classics" thing is a JOKE and entirely UNNECESSARY".

What alot of older fans don't get is, this is the first time in a llloonnnggg time Journey has the chance to reach a much younger fan base. Like him or not, Arnel's face and actions would be right at home on American Idol, this means alot of younger fans are taking interest in Journey, some for the first time. Recording the classics with modern day recording technology, media, etc, etc, it's a logical decision if you ask me and makes perfect sense. For all practical purposes, this is the Arnel band and company. They are obviously going to ride Arnel for everything they can get from him. Hey, I frickin think SteveP is the greatest melodic rock vocalist of all time, but Arnel with his powerful voice, young look, chaotic energy on stage, etc, has a real chance of bringing Journey back to the limelight. Perhaps for only a brief moment, but still a chance. Re-recording some hits with Arnel's voice is a great idea, this way when the fan goes to see them in concert, they will SEE the voice behind the music.

Don't fool yourself. The re-record of the classics isn't an attempt to bring in new, young fans to Journey. It just isn't. It's nothing more than a flashy (and hopefully profitable) way of selling the new disc. Most casual fans won't be purchasing it for the new album. They'll purchase it for the greatest hits disc and be disappointed when they see it's a re-recorded disc with a different lead singer. They might listen to the new disc once or twice, but unless it's Escape II, the casual fan won't give it a second spin.

If you're wanting to market Journey to a younger crowd, you have to get them on something like TRL (I just threw up in my mouth a little bit,) or feature their music on shows geared toward teens and twenty-somethings. Making a video would help, but honestly, VH1 and MTV aren't into the video thing anymore, so it's probably a waste of time for that. Certainly still, radio airplay is the best way to promote new Journey material (even in the day of XM and Sirus,) but I wouldn't hold my breath for that.

Even with Steve Perry, I'm not sure anything new from them would sell. Most young people just aren't into 60 year old bands anymore.

[Michigan Girl]

WOW...it sounds WAAAY complicated!!! He made it seem so easy, didn't he?

[brywool]

WOW...it sounds WAAAY complicated!!! He made it seem so easy, didn't he?

If you're speaking of the voice thing, yeah, it is. Opera singers study for YEARS. Rock singers usually just get thrown into the deep end of the pool and sink or swim. There's lessons out there for them, but teaching methods are as varied as can be. After 30 years of singing, I've taken bits of everything that I've learned and found what works and what doesn't for me, and I'm still not as good as I want to be. It's just a constant process. Someone posted earlier that Perry's voice is his own worst enemy. IMAGINE being THE friggin' vocal GOD of rock with a limitless voice - and then ending up with a lower, rougher, and harder to use voice. Now imagine that many of the songs that you used to make your mark on the world are very difficult for you to perform and that's what everyone wants to hear. I can think of NOTHING more frustrating. Though it pisses me off that I don't hear the guy anymore, I completely understand why I do not.

Ladies and Genitals of the congregation, Please turn to the Book of RUSH: Signals and "Losing It". Look up the lyrics. It totally explains what the guy must be dealing with. (my opinion)

[Rick]

Most casual fans won't be purchasing it for the new album. They'll purchase it for the greatest hits disc and be disappointed when they see it's a re-recorded disc with a different lead singer. They might listen to the new disc once or twice, but unless it's Escape II, the casual fan won't give it a second spin.

And they might just love it. You really don't know how the casual fan will receive the rerecorded GH. All any of us can do is speculate. There's no reason to run something down that hasn't even been heard yet.

[jrnyman28]

Actually the crowd was pretty much all on their feet for the new stuff. I remember more sitters for other cuts that weren't in the "dirty dozen" category.

Well maybe that will convince the band to STAND BEHIND THE NEW MATERIAL!!

Thank you for the answer Melissa.

[Greg]

Most casual fans won't be purchasing it for the new album. They'll purchase it for the greatest hits disc and be disappointed when they see it's a re-recorded disc with a different lead singer. They might listen to the new disc once or twice, but unless it's Escape II, the casual fan won't give it a second spin.

And they might just love it. You really don't know how the casual fan will receive the rerecorded GH. All any of us can do is speculate. There's no reason to run something down that hasn't even been heard yet.

Realistically, they'll be buying the package to get the greatest hits, because it's a better deal to buy a two disc package with a DVD to get the hits, rather than just one single CD for basically the same price. The casual fan doesn't even know Journey is coming out with a new album and probably doesn't really care. It's highly unlikely they would prefer a re-record of classic Journey to the original. Even if they re-recorded the hits with Steve Perry, it wouldn't sound like 1982.

[youkeepmewaiting]

double

[youkeepmewaiting]

Indeed. Journey dont have a chance connecting with younger fans. Journey are a "Dads band" - which teenager wants to go around listening to their parents music

.. well, apart from me

[Greg]

Indeed. Journey dont have a chance connecting with younger fans. Journey are a "Dads band" - which teenager wants to go around listening to their parents music

.. well, apart from me

It's just the nasty fact that the majority of teens don't have good taste in music!
Of course, I'm sure our parents probably said the same thing about us.

[TerryB]

[quote="Carlitto H@kk
For the most part, all the guys do the same: they all sing
in a style that is currently popular.
[/quote]

I think you are on to something there. I heard a really good male vocalist a few months back and was told he won a national vocalist competition. I asked someone who for a lot of years worked with that competition if this was typical of the level of ability they would see there. He said that this guy was cream of the crop, but yes every year there would be someone who was really good. BUT, he said that today's vocalists were more modern in their approach and they do not see the multi-octave male vocalists like they used to.

Let's face it. Bands back in the 70's and 80's were mostly looking for Delps, Perry's and Gramms. People who could sing like that found jobs. Today, that's not what bands or labels are looking for. Chances are people with those kinds of chops are not working in the business or they end up singing in a field (broadway, opera) that requires that ability.

I always thought that Journey had a fair amount of control over their catalog just like Styx did over most of theirs. This I assumed was the reason that you rarely see Journey songs on those various 80's collections...many of which were put out by Sony. I thought I recall Dennis Deyoung mentioning something similar years ago about Styx's music.

TerryB

[lparn]

I do not see any reason to rerecord these songs at this point in time.
If the band had been serious about new music and reaching new fans they would have spent alot more time cultivating and
working on their songs instead of hurrying through a cd. They would have spent more time on promoting the music
and getting it out there rather than doing marathon tours of shows filled with 3 hours sets of fusion music, covers and
the dirty dozen for the past eight years.
The push and packaging and energy they are putting into it now should have been done with arrival and generations.
They are still living in the past and I am willing to bet that the dvd will contain mostly the dirty dozen.
The only reason I can see for rerecording the classics has to do with money.

[DrFU]

Teenagers won't suddenly go "OOOOH.... JOOOOUR-NEEEEEEEEEY?! Coooooool!" when they hear the re-recorded hits, or see Arnel singing them on stage. If they're into music, they'll think "Hey, that's that Journey band with that Steve Perry guy that made good (or bad, whatever they may think) music back in the day. A lot of my musically charged friends think the re-recording idea is VERY lame and are giving me a hell of a lot of grief for it, even though I agree with them.

I'd say any teenager that is at least somewhat into music, and is knowledgeable about "classic rock," knows that Steve Perry hasn't been with the band for awhile. It's not like some kind of top secret knowledge only us internet nerds are privvy to.

You think teenagers are that much into classic melodic rock? I disagree. Line up 100 teenagers in any mall and ask them who Steve Perry is and I would guess 5% would know, if that. Market the hell out of a "After All These Years" video, and sit back and watch Journey reach their widest demographic ever. I realize Arnel is 40+, but he just looks and acts alot younger on stage. I think he's going to connect with a very young audience over here in the states.

I disagree with you here...

Last fall I taught a History of Rock and Roll course as a volunteer at a local high school; did an interest inventory the first day of class asking about favorite music, singers etc. Out of 30 14-year olds, at least half listed their favorite group as a classic rock one...Zeppelin, The Who, Nirvana, Def Leppard, Bryan Adams, AC/DC, Black Sabbath. The other half listed current groups I'd never heard of. We all learned a lot!

[texafana]

"Last fall I taught a History of Rock and Roll course as a volunteer at a local high school...."

Ok, now go ask a class being taught geography the same questions.

[Rick]

"Last fall I taught a History of Rock and Roll course as a volunteer at a local high school...."

Ok, now go ask a class being taught geography the same questions.

True. People that enroll for a classic rock class are probably going to have more interest and general knowledge to begin with.

[brywool]

Personally, I could give a rat's a$$ if it connects with ANYONE. If it connects with me, I'll take it. There are a ton of albums out there that did absolutely NOTHING saleswise, but are some of my favorite. To name a few:

Crystal Ball- Styx
Cyclorama- Styx
Arrival- Journey
Rockford- Cheap Trick
Cheap Trick 97- Chreap Trick
Loverboy's New one
Brian Adams- 18 Till I die
Tall Stories
Mr. Reality (great jersey group)

I could care less if the album sells or dies. It WILL die folks. Make no mistake. Has NOTHING to do with Perry not being there.... well, okay, it does have something to do with that, but more importantly, it's the state of "music" and the music business today. They can't find their way out of a mini mart let alone the hole they've dug for themselves. They have ZERO idea of how to sell music from older artists. Radio won't touch classic rock band's new material. It blows. Music today is ALL about image and not substance. There are some great bands out there today, but the ones selling huge numbers (other than U2 and Green Day) are for the most part just image and not great music.

Personally, I wish that Mtv would just GO AWAY. What started out as a good thing has killed the music business. Even speaking of LOCAL players in my area, I think that mtv has kind of, demystified live music and so people just aren't that interested anymore. That's another post...

Seriously, it would be great for the band to sell a bazillion copies of anything. But as long as I have it and appreciate it, who cares?

[DrFU]

"Last fall I taught a History of Rock and Roll course as a volunteer at a local high school...."

Ok, now go ask a class being taught geography the same questions.

True. People that enroll for a classic rock class are probably going to have more interest and general knowledge to begin with.

Obviously, the kids who picked this enrichment class over other choices (like Yoga, Chinese, Drama) had an interest in rock music. My point was that I was suprised that that many 14 year olds were willing to say in front of their peers that their favorite bands were from the Classic Rock era, as opposed to current rockers like Avenged Sevenfold or something.

The geography class in this particular high school would have likely come out something like 1/4 rap or hip hop, 1/4 Tejano, 1/4 country, and 1/4 rock of some sort.