Dan Clavadetscher's Review

[youkeepmewaiting]

I just want to thank everyone for their honest and passionate feedback regarding my review. I truly respect everyone's opinions and hope that you can respect mine.

As a reviewer of the Las Vegas show, I did my best to express what I saw that night, bring in some band history to the uniniated and express my opinons and point of view. That said, I believe that no one, including me, is above being criticized. If you dish something out, you should have a thick enough skin to take it.

I am not a disgruntled JSS fan, nor someone with an axe to grind against Journey. For those who know me, I am a lifelong fan of the band and have written positive reviews in the past about Journey, Night Ranger, Def Leppard, Shaw/Blades, etc. for Andrew at Melodicrock.com.

I have supported all versions of Journey and do not intend to write Arnel and the band off. I posed some tough questions at the end of the review and look forward to seeing how everything plays out.

Hopefully, we can all agree to disagree. If not, I reall y do appreciate your passion for the music that we all love.



Take care,

Dan Clavadetscher

Say it like it is, some people cant accept other opinions. That is close minded and ignorant. I thought your reveiw was dead on.

How in THE Hell can you say his review is "dead on" when you weren't there? You're a trip.

He was there wasnt he? And I saw the same concert that he saw on youtube {which is where Neal found Arnel} There are no edits or enhancements there like when you stated how much they edited Augeri s vocals on the 2001 DVD. It was raw,and he called it like he saw it. If I was drunk and in Vegas I would have loved it also just like I did during the 2005 and2006 tour{shortly ] with Steve A. I still thought his reveiw was dead on

Oh pllllease you inbred. Dont start the "Neal decided that Arnel was Journeys new singer on youtube therefore youtube rules all" band wagon. Neal saw Arnel on youtube, and then took him for an audition, he (probably) did not make a final decision before he had even heard the guy sing in front of him

I am not a inbred,you must be ,you spell even worse then me

Yes, because its scientifically proven that inbreds are bad spellers...(by the way, i'm not a bad speller i'm just very lazy)

[ProgRocker53]

I almost went to the Ohio state spelling bee in my younger days. No, stevew2, that wasn't last year....

But I screwed up the word "crustacean." Even now I doubt I spelled that right.

How am I supposed to know how to spell what dwells within HOTS' knickerbockers?

[stevew2]

Think of it this way, if Neal could hear something he LIKED
on a Youtube clip, enuff to fly the guy around the world for an audition,
then some people can just as easily hear something they DON'T LIKE
from Youtube clips, right???

Steve is no Neal.

Thank god, and I only have one exwife

[stevew2]

Stevew2 is smart, Has a huge set of nuts, really hung, and good looking.

[youkeepmewaiting]

actually im about to have two cuz im a big gay loser with no balls
im a complete idiot
im a dick

Pardon? Whats happend?

[stevew2]

I did not type this wtf??????

[ohsherrie]

I think this guy seems as though he was also hoping for more than just another stab at replicating their glory days.

[donnaplease]

And certainly you can watch the youtube clips and think "I like that" or "I dont like that" - but not enough to have a complete 100percent opinion. I cannot go around saying that all the reviews that say the Vegas concert was great was "spot on", as i wasnt there.

As opposed to a 50 percent opinion...?

It always cracks me up that there are folks here that claim to have all the answers, and state things as fact, when clearly each and every one of us here has simply an 'opinion' based on our own personal preferences and opinions. There are NO experts here, despite what some may say, and anyone who comes here stating their viewpoint as FACT is clearly the biggest bullshitter of all. In other words, ALL opinions are 100 percent opinion, that's why they're called "opinions". How's that for confusing?

Having said that, a review in and of itself is the 'opinion' of the reviewer. Take it or leave it, folks. Sour grapes or dead on, it's all subjective. In the end, none of the reviews really matter to the die-hard fan. You will go see a show (or not) depending on your personal interest. Agree or disagree, but make the decision based on what's important to YOU. After all, you gotta Be Good to Yourself...

[ohsherrie]

As opposed to a 50 percent opinion...?

It always cracks me up that there are folks here that claim to have all the answers, and state things as fact, when clearly each and every one of us here has simply an 'opinion' based on our own personal preferences and opinions. There are NO experts here, despite what some may say, and anyone who comes here stating their viewpoint as FACT is clearly the biggest bullshitter of all. In other words, ALL opinions are 100 percent opinion, that's why they're called "opinions". How's that for confusing?

Having said that, a review in and of itself is the 'opinion' of the reviewer. Take it or leave it, folks. Sour grapes or dead on, it's all subjective. In the end, none of the reviews really matter to the die-hard fan. You will go see a show (or not) depending on your personal interest. Agree or disagree, but make the decision based on what's important to YOU. After all, you gotta Be Good to Yourself...

[Rick]

And certainly you can watch the youtube clips and think "I like that" or "I dont like that" - but not enough to have a complete 100percent opinion. I cannot go around saying that all the reviews that say the Vegas concert was great was "spot on", as i wasnt there.

As opposed to a 50 percent opinion...?

It always cracks me up that there are folks here that claim to have all the answers, and state things as fact, when clearly each and every one of us here has simply an 'opinion' based on our own personal preferences and opinions. There are NO experts here, despite what some may say, and anyone who comes here stating their viewpoint as FACT is clearly the biggest bullshitter of all. In other words, ALL opinions are 100 percent opinion, that's why they're called "opinions". How's that for confusing?

Having said that, a review in and of itself is the 'opinion' of the reviewer. Take it or leave it, folks. Sour grapes or dead on, it's all subjective. In the end, none of the reviews really matter to the die-hard fan. You will go see a show (or not) depending on your personal interest. Agree or disagree, but make the decision based on what's important to YOU. After all, you gotta Be Good to Yourself...

Very well said.

[Vladan]

I did not type this wtf??????

I have a speculation there is "somebody" here, a "regular" poster who has admin rights around here... Andrew please say it isn't so.

[Rick]

I did not type this wtf??????

I have a speculation there is "somebody" here, a "regular" poster who has admin rights around here... Andrew please say it isn't so.

I would be more inclined to think that someone has Steve's password. Try changing your password Stevew.

[Andrew]

I did not type this wtf??????

I have a speculation there is "somebody" here, a "regular" poster who has admin rights around here... Andrew please say it isn't so.

It is NOT so.

Only person on this ENTIRE board who has ANY other rights (other than myself) is T-Bone. That is it. Period.

[Andrew]

I did not type this wtf??????

Well, all your recent posts come from the same IP address. Including the one you claim not to have written and the follow up post.

Have you been drinking?

[Vladan]

I did not type this wtf??????

I have a speculation there is "somebody" here, a "regular" poster who has admin rights around here... Andrew please say it isn't so.

It is NOT so.

Only person on this ENTIRE board who has ANY other rights (other than myself) is T-Bone. That is it. Period.

Alright. Not a problem Andrew. I thought it would be odd, and totally unlike your standards. Crazy things happen though, but thanks for clearing that up!.

[Saint John]

Only person on this ENTIRE board who has ANY other rights (other than myself) is T-Bone.

So we don't have any rights, huh? I'm calling Jesse Jackson!!! This place will be called melodicrockandginandjuice.com in no time!!!

[stevew2]

I did not type this wtf??????

Well, all your recent posts come from the same IP address. Including the one you claim not to have written and the follow up post.

Have you been drinking?

Yes but not when this happened, If it came from this Ip address, I must not have logged out and the wife came home from work and was pokin around. Thanks

[stevew2]

Stevew2 is smart, Has a huge set of nuts, really hung, and good looking.

She typed it wrong, this is what she really typed

[ohsherrie]

I actually felt this so called 'review' reflected badly on the site as well and thats a first in all the years I have been visiting. It just didn't sit well with EVERY other available report - not just those here. It was also in direct counterpoint to what my (sober SteveW2) eyes and ears told me when looking at the clips or listening to the audio. In fact I believe this stain on the frontpage wil appear even more bitter once the live DVD is released and shows in close up exactly what it was that this trusted reviewer seemed to have missed.

Oh and the songs were slowed down... right... That one statement alone casts a huge shadow of the suspicious prose.

Its not often I get rilled up but wrong is wrong. I know everyone has there own opinion but I was disappointed to see an opinion so wildly askew of everything else that I have seen of this show on the frontpage of one of the most respected and trusted music sources in the business. It just reeked of inaccuracy and I believe it will cause more harm than good.

The whole thing was made even more apparant by the review that followed it by a wildly enthsiastic friend of Deen's. Nice story but not really subjective.

How in the hell can these reviews reflect badly on Drew?
Drew couldn't be at the show himself so he relies on reviews from folks here.
You know as well as I do that EVERY review of the show will be skewed in one way or the other.
Either it's gonna be someone that loves Arnel, someone that is still hanging onto JSS or Augeri
or someone that hasn't really cared much since Perry left.
You can find flaws/biased views in EVERY review.

This doesn't bode badly for Drew at all. He posted 2 sides; one good, one bad.

It only reeked of inaccurracy to you because YOU didn't see/hear the performances in the same way.

I hope this line-up pans out and works but, you need to grow some
thick skin quick cause Arnel is gonna take more beatings in the
press for awhile, I can guarantee it. He is gonna be held to that
very high standard (Perry, of course) for as long as he fronts this band,
will ALWAYS be compared to Perry and will take a few lumps along the way.
Augeri took 'em and, hell, even Soto took 'em.

Great post Carl! Right on the money!

Exactly! I don't think Drew intends to pander to Journey by allowing nothing but the positive reviews. Who could respect him as a music journalist or critic if he did? Journey has their own website for the asskissing, this site is for critiquing and discussing all melodic rock music and performances from all points of view.

[Calbear94]

...I sat a couple of seats over from Dan during the show and he was passing along many of the comments he included in his review to me during the show. I tended to agree with many of the comments at the time, others I didn't see or hear quite as well. I think he gave his personal perspective and that is all we can ask from anyone reviewing something. In speaking with him, I detected no agenda.

If this is true, then the reviewer is guilty, not of bias, but rather poor journalism/writing skills. Journalists, when writing about something that is subjective in nature, usually take extra care so as not to appear to be overly invested emotionally. Andrew understands this very well. He has not let his friendship with JSS cloud his judgement about the band's recent performances and decisions.

I think Andrew could have avoided the fallout here though by linking to the two reviews off of the main page...the main page being the place where cold, objective news is expected. He could have had another page titled something like "Journey in Vegas 2008: You Decide" and posted the two extreme views. Then, the reader would have taken both reviews for what they really were, and intended to be, just two opposite-end views.

[Saint John]

I sat a couple of seats over from Dan during the show and he was passing along many of the comments he included in his review to me during the show.

So he lamented about how he misses JSS during the show too?

[ohsherrie]

Well there goes another messenger.

You guys keep shootin' 'em down and you might just succeed in turning this place into another BT style drooling lovefest over Arnel.

[Calbear94]

Well there goes another messenger.

You guys keep shootin' 'em down and you might just succeed in turning this place into another BT style drooling lovefest over Arnel.

That's a cop-out and you know it. There are some (admittedly few), well-reasoned, well-written opinions that criticize Arnel's performances with Journey to-date. Review writers that aren't open to criticism themselves shouldn't be review writers in the first place.

[ohsherrie]

Well there goes another messenger.

You guys keep shootin' 'em down and you might just succeed in turning this place into another BT style drooling lovefest over Arnel.

That's a cop-out and you know it. There are some (admittedly few), well-reasoned, well-written opinions that criticize Arnel's performances with Journey to-date. Review writers that aren't open to criticism themselves shouldn't be review writers in the first place.

There's nothing wrong with disagreeing with the man's opinion. My problem is that I read too much of this sort of thing in what several of you were saying:

He didn't think Arnel did well, so therefore it must be because he's not a credible reviewer.

or:

He didn't pay justice to Arnel because he doesn't have the integrity to leave his feelings for JSS out of it.


I disagree with the good reviews of Arnel, but I haven't attacked the reviewer's integrity and credibility. That's what I saw in this thread that was wrong.

I've said that I think a lot of people in the Journey fanbase are fan's of the name, Neal, what or whoever, and just can't let go regardless of the quality of the performances of the classics or the quality of any new music. I say that just so none of my previous statements will be dug up, quoted and thrown back at me. None of those statements were made about anybody's review of a show.

I don't even read those I totally discount.

[nutz4Neal]

Well Dan, if I had not have met you at the Vegas show via some mutual friends, I would have sworn we were not at the same show.

I found the band to be tight, Arnel interacting with all his band mates and everyone having a great time and the entire show full of energy.

However, I certainly do appreciate your right to voice your opinion..and that's what a review is really, just an opinion.

[ClassicRock]

JSS looks like a friggin Caveman! But he rocks!

[ohsherrie]

JSS looks like a friggin Caveman! But he rocks!

If JSS was a caveman he'd have to be a cro-magnon in comparison to the neanderthal in your avatar. It's all in the eye of the beholder and I see Jeff as hot as hell but much more pleasant.

[Andrew]

Stevew2 is smart, Has a huge set of nuts, really hung, and good looking.

She typed it wrong, this is what she really typed

LOL...glad we could clear that up.

[Rick]

Stevew2 is smart, Has a huge set of nuts, really hung, and good looking.

She typed it wrong, this is what she really typed

LOL...glad we could clear that up.

What the hell was it?

[mistiejourney]

JSS looks like a friggin Caveman! But he rocks!

So what's your point? He's hotter than a freakin' broiler - no wait, he makes ME hotter than a freakin' broiler which is more than I can say about Steve Tyler who looks like a cross between Steve Perry and Mick Jagger (no disrespect intended to Steve Perry).

That's what Journey couldn't take - it was all that TESTOSTERONE on stage!