New Neal Interview

[NealIsGod]

Frontiers sounds more like Journey than Journey does. If you want to hear live Perry-era Journey, Frontiers is as close to the real thing as there will ever be again.

LOl...you can't be serious. On the vocal end Jeremey might have a slight edge in sounding more like Perry voice-wise, but he can't sustain the notes like Arnel, his range is inferior and most importantly, the music in Frontiers is lightyears behind Journey's. Your statement is simply that of a malcontent. Like others, you only now say stupid shit like this when just a year ago you were ecstatic that Soto didn't sound like Perry...but that great!!! And even as recently as a few months ago you were in the "Arnel's a Perry puppet" crowd. Dude, get your fucking story straight.

Nothing to say here Drew?

SJ, since you are too fucking stupid to comprehend this the last 10 times I said it, I will say it again. I thought a new direction with JSS was the way to go, but since Neal and Jon want the "legacy" sound, I think Jeremey would have been perfect, as Neal pretty much said in his interview.

And show me where I have EVER said Arnel sounds ANYTHING like Perry you fucking liar. I have said he sounds like Jimi Jamison on the samples.

[Andrew]

Can't you two just get over it?

My 2 comments - Jeremey is an incredible singer and very versatile.

Arnel likewise - he does do a killer Jimi Jamison.

[Saint John]

Frontiers sounds more like Journey than Journey does. If you want to hear live Perry-era Journey, Frontiers is as close to the real thing as there will ever be again.

LOl...you can't be serious. On the vocal end Jeremey might have a slight edge in sounding more like Perry voice-wise, but he can't sustain the notes like Arnel, his range is inferior and most importantly, the music in Frontiers is lightyears behind Journey's. Your statement is simply that of a malcontent. Like others, you only now say stupid shit like this when just a year ago you were ecstatic that Soto didn't sound like Perry...but that great!!! And even as recently as a few months ago you were in the "Arnel's a Perry puppet" crowd. Dude, get your fucking story straight.

Nothing to say here Drew?

SJ, since you are too fucking stupid to comprehend this the last 10 times I said it, I will say it again. I thought a new direction with JSS was the way to go, but since Neal and Jon want the "legacy" sound, I think Jeremey would have been perfect, as Neal pretty much said in his interview.

And show me where I have EVER said Arnel sounds ANYTHING like Perry you fucking liar. I have said he sounds like Jimi Jamison on the samples.

Easy with your words there, tough guy. You have implied the whole "karaoke" thing many times in the past. And the "legacy sound" isn't about sounding exactly like Perry. That's what you don't get...it's about finding a soaring tenor that can do the old songs justice as well as create new music with said sound. Jeremey might be a tenor, and a pretty darn good Perry impersonator, but he's no soaring tenor. And to be honest, when Arnel tries to mimic Perry, he's just about as good as JH. The problem with JH is that he's not able to come out of that mini-Perry voice like Pineda can. Arnel is simply a better fit in every possible facet.

PS You also said that they haired Arnel to "sing the Greatest Hits to Asian crowds...and goobye new music." Wrong on both counts.

[NealIsGod]

Can't you two just get over it?

My 2 comments - Jeremey is an incredible singer and very versatile.

We were getting along fine until that bullshit post of his, Drew. Don't know where that came from.

Arnel likewise - he does do a killer Jimi Jamison.

Yeah, too bad Survivor didn't use youtube.

[NealIsGod]

PS You also said that they haired Arnel to "sing the Greatest Hits to Asian crowds...and goobye new music." Wrong on both counts.

Jeremey was there a week and co-wrote the first single on the new album. How many writing credit does Arnel have on the new album?

[Saint John]

PS You also said that they haired Arnel to "sing the Greatest Hits to Asian crowds...and goobye new music." Wrong on both counts.

Jeremey was there a week and co-wrote the first single on the new album. How many writing credit does Arnel have on the new album?

The same amount that Jeremey sings.

[The Sushi Hunter]

I did like reading the interview. What stuck in my mind the most and brought back serious memories was when "Neil is his name?" was talking about getting Arnel in the studio for the first time and how fast Arnel picked up on the new material, also how Arnel is able to morph his voice to sound like the artist he is covering.

I just recall how "lean and mean" that entire scene was with the AMO Band back then, had to be in order to maintain their position in the music scene in the Philippines. Cal Jams was every band's "crown jewel" gig there. The rehersals and practices were intense at times. Think about learning three new songs in a matter of a few days, and maintain that rate. The first six to nine, your like cool, but then after about twelve, it seemed crashing was a very serious possibility. During one rehersal session in Cal Jams after hours, I was teaching one of Arnel's little brothers how to work my video camera because I he was going to be filming for me that night while I was singing with AMO. So I'm teaching him how to zoom in and out and focus, change tape & battery, etc. and we use the practice session as his filming practice. He's all over the club in the very beginning but eventually when he's getting the hang of the camera, he then turns it to Arnel and the rest of the band. At that time I'm up on stage sitting there waiting for my turn to reherse a new song I was going to do. The video provides a very detailed glimps into how Arnel and AMO Band used to reherse during these intense sessions. It's all in Tagalog except for the songs themselves. I had thought I had destroyed it, but going through the 300 plus home videos that I had shot back then, I ran across it. I was pretty happy that I had it. Back then it was just a practice run for the video technician "in training." After reading the article and seeing the part discussing Arnel's first time in the studio with the new material, I can't help but completely relive the old times in my mind when I there to see and hear Arnel doing that with covers back 20 years ago. So I get a complete sense of where "Neil" is coming from as he discusses it in this interview.

So reading this interview, reminded me of this experience that I had with Arnel and AMO Band, brought back some long lost feelings of excitement for a few moments for me.

[NealIsGod]

PS You also said that they haired Arnel to "sing the Greatest Hits to Asian crowds...and goobye new music." Wrong on both counts.

Jeremey was there a week and co-wrote the first single on the new album. How many writing credit does Arnel have on the new album?

The same amount that Jeremey sings.

Which is the same amount of class you have.

[Andrew]

Can't you two just get over it?

My 2 comments - Jeremey is an incredible singer and very versatile.

We were getting along fine until that bullshit post of his, Drew. Don't know where that came from.

Sigh. Yeah, I know... Life is short folks... this whole factional divsions in the fan base is so old...

[Andrew]

PS You also said that they haired Arnel to "sing the Greatest Hits to Asian crowds...and goobye new music." Wrong on both counts.

Jeremey was there a week and co-wrote the first single on the new album. How many writing credit does Arnel have on the new album?

The same amount that Jeremey sings.

Seriously. ENOUGH.

[NealIsGod]

Can't you two just get over it?

My 2 comments - Jeremey is an incredible singer and very versatile.

We were getting along fine until that bullshit post of his, Drew. Don't know where that came from.

Sigh. Yeah, I know... Life is short folks... this whole factional divsions in the fan base is so old...

Yet some like to stir it up with no respect to your rules, don't they?

[Red13JoePa]

Arnel likewise - he does do a killer Jimi Jamison.

Still, STILL not hearing this.

Pineda sounds just like perry to me, Jamison never sounded ANYthing like perry.
Pineda's closer to the Bickler sound of '79-'83 which was perry with balls.

[Saint John]

PS You also said that they haired Arnel to "sing the Greatest Hits to Asian crowds...and goobye new music." Wrong on both counts.

Jeremey was there a week and co-wrote the first single on the new album. How many writing credit does Arnel have on the new album?

The same amount that Jeremey sings.

Which is the same amount of class you have.

That merely means that my class and your height are identical.

[NealIsGod]

Arnel likewise - he does do a killer Jimi Jamison.

Still, STILL not hearing this.

Pineda sounds just like perry to me, Jamison never sounded ANYthing like perry.
Pineda's closer to the Bickler sound of '79-'83 which was perry with balls.

Man, you've got a tin ear.

[Saint John]

Nothing to say here Drew?

Your avatar should be holding a fucking rattle not a guitar.

[NealIsGod]

PS You also said that they haired Arnel to "sing the Greatest Hits to Asian crowds...and goobye new music." Wrong on both counts.

Jeremey was there a week and co-wrote the first single on the new album. How many writing credit does Arnel have on the new album?

The same amount that Jeremey sings.

Which is the same amount of class you have.

That merely means that my class and your height are identical.

But I live above ground, not in a basement.

[Andrew]

Right - you two have had your say - now that will do. Seriously.

[Saint John]

PS You also said that they haired Arnel to "sing the Greatest Hits to Asian crowds...and goobye new music." Wrong on both counts.

Jeremey was there a week and co-wrote the first single on the new album. How many writing credit does Arnel have on the new album?

The same amount that Jeremey sings.

Which is the same amount of class you have.

That merely means that my class and your height are identical.

But I live above ground, not in a basement.

I live in a house that has my name, and my name only, on the title. Not to mention I also own another property. Nice try, though.

PS You started the name calling. I'm not sure I ever called you a name or insulted you until the "height" comment which was in return for your "class" comment. This is over.

[fightingilliniJRNY]

find it comforting to know that they are already planning on doing more original music.

Indeed!

Agreed. And to think that when Arnel was hired the immediate thought from a lot of people here was that there would never be any new Journey music.

[Jeremey]

Frontiers sounds more like Journey than Journey does. If you want to hear live Perry-era Journey, Frontiers is as close to the real thing as there will ever be again.

LOl...you can't be serious. On the vocal end Jeremey might have a slight edge in sounding more like Perry voice-wise, but he can't sustain the notes like Arnel, his range is inferior and most importantly, the music in Frontiers is lightyears behind Journey's. Your statement is simply that of a malcontent. Like others, you only now say stupid shit like this when just a year ago you were ecstatic that Soto didn't sound like Perry...but that great!!! And even as recently as a few months ago you were in the "Arnel's a Perry puppet" crowd. Dude, get your fucking story straight.

Nothing to say here Drew?

SJ, since you are too fucking stupid to comprehend this the last 10 times I said it, I will say it again. I thought a new direction with JSS was the way to go, but since Neal and Jon want the "legacy" sound, I think Jeremey would have been perfect, as Neal pretty much said in his interview.

And show me where I have EVER said Arnel sounds ANYTHING like Perry you fucking liar. I have said he sounds like Jimi Jamison on the samples.

Easy with your words there, tough guy. You have implied the whole "karaoke" thing many times in the past. And the "legacy sound" isn't about sounding exactly like Perry. That's what you don't get...it's about finding a soaring tenor that can do the old songs justice as well as create new music with said sound. Jeremey might be a tenor, and a pretty darn good Perry impersonator, but he's no soaring tenor. And to be honest, when Arnel tries to mimic Perry, he's just about as good as JH. The problem with JH is that he's not able to come out of that mini-Perry voice like Pineda can. Arnel is simply a better fit in every possible facet.

PS You also said that they haired Arnel to "sing the Greatest Hits to Asian crowds...and goobye new music." Wrong on both counts.

Dan, if you truly think that sounding "too much like Perry" would have been a detriment in this incarnation of Journey, I've got some oceanfront property in KS we need to talk about!

[NealIsGod]

Dan, if you truly think that sounding "too much like Perry" would have been a detriment in this incarnation of Journey, I've got some oceanfront property in KS we need to talk about!

That's where his house is.

[Saint John]

Frontiers sounds more like Journey than Journey does. If you want to hear live Perry-era Journey, Frontiers is as close to the real thing as there will ever be again.

LOl...you can't be serious. On the vocal end Jeremey might have a slight edge in sounding more like Perry voice-wise, but he can't sustain the notes like Arnel, his range is inferior and most importantly, the music in Frontiers is lightyears behind Journey's. Your statement is simply that of a malcontent. Like others, you only now say stupid shit like this when just a year ago you were ecstatic that Soto didn't sound like Perry...but that great!!! And even as recently as a few months ago you were in the "Arnel's a Perry puppet" crowd. Dude, get your fucking story straight.

Nothing to say here Drew?

SJ, since you are too fucking stupid to comprehend this the last 10 times I said it, I will say it again. I thought a new direction with JSS was the way to go, but since Neal and Jon want the "legacy" sound, I think Jeremey would have been perfect, as Neal pretty much said in his interview.

And show me where I have EVER said Arnel sounds ANYTHING like Perry you fucking liar. I have said he sounds like Jimi Jamison on the samples.

Easy with your words there, tough guy. You have implied the whole "karaoke" thing many times in the past. And the "legacy sound" isn't about sounding exactly like Perry. That's what you don't get...it's about finding a soaring tenor that can do the old songs justice as well as create new music with said sound. Jeremey might be a tenor, and a pretty darn good Perry impersonator, but he's no soaring tenor. And to be honest, when Arnel tries to mimic Perry, he's just about as good as JH. The problem with JH is that he's not able to come out of that mini-Perry voice like Pineda can. Arnel is simply a better fit in every possible facet.

PS You also said that they haired Arnel to "sing the Greatest Hits to Asian crowds...and goobye new music." Wrong on both counts.

Dan, if you truly think that sounding "too much like Perry" would have been a detriment in this incarnation of Journey, I've got some oceanfront property in KS we need to talk about!

LOL...I'll buy it!!! I agree with you to an extent. I think they ultimately wanted the flexibility of someone that could do the old songs justice (you and AP can certainly do that) but also someone that could stay within "the legacy sound" while not sounding exactly like Perry....or even worse, being perceived as someone trying to sound exactly like Perry. I know that's your natural voice when you sing, and at times you're eerily close to the original songs, but I think they wouldn't want the perception that you were trying to sound like that. If that makes any sense. Arnel kinda gives them the best of both worlds. He stays within the context of the "legacy sound" without being too exact and can mimic Perry well enough on the old material.

[Scarab Pilot]

The only thing I could think was "Oh my god! Hes got a girlfriend already?" "Run Lisa! RUN!!"

Neal is a man-whore. I thought women who always needed a man around was bad but Neal, dude...let the girls rest. Isn't the alimony fund getting hit hard enough as it is??

[Red13JoePa]

The only thing I could think was "Oh my god! Hes got a girlfriend already?" "Run Lisa! RUN!!"

Neal is a man-whore. I thought women who always needed a man around was bad but Neal, dude...let the girls rest. Isn't the alimony fund getting hit hard enough as it is??

Yea, praps Neal would be better off getting involved in a "committment ceremony" like some guys have had to do.

[WykkedSensation]

I'm still trying to hear Arnel sound like Jimi Jamison, and JH sound exactly like Perry. Somebody throw me a bone here please, cause i just don't hear ANY of it.

Cool interview though.

[mistiejourney]

Mistiejourney- Think,think ! The next singer obviously is working for Wal-Mart at this time.

Doh! What was I thinking?

[Arkansas]

... Arnel likewise - he does do a killer Jimi Jamison.

Exactly my impression so far - he's closer to Jamison than Perry.
But honestly, I'd rather forget comparisons and just wait for the NEW product.


later~

[Saint John]

I'm still trying to hear Arnel sound like Jimi Jamison, and JH sound exactly like Perry. Somebody throw me a bone here please, cause i just don't hear ANY of it.

Cool interview though.

Listen to Where Did I Los Your Love to hear Arnel sound like Jamison...not exactly, and though I can't provide any specific clips, I heard Jeremey channel Perry here and there while performing live. Jeremey's performance with Frontiers last year was pretty darn solid. Fuck, even the neighbors thought it was a Journey concert. Bastards called the police. I was just glad to find out they weren't there for me...that night.

[Tito]

Neal being classy doesn't surprise me a bit. I had this dude all wrong for a long time. Friga too. I will apologize to them personally this summer.

These guys have done nothing wrong. Their only mistake was back in '87, or perhaps in '84, not moving on back then. The last ten years have been managed well with only minor bumps in the road.

[Tito]

Frontiers sounds more like Journey than Journey does. If you want to hear live Perry-era Journey, Frontiers is as close to the real thing as there will ever be again.

I totally disagree. The singer is very good, but no one can replace Neal Schon and the others don't do justice to Ross, Deen, and Mr. Cain.