Track By Track - From Someone with an EXTREMELY Critical Ear

[SteveForever]

#8 is the best song.

[Scarab Pilot]

Friga needs to stick to writing music and be kept as far away from the production board as possible. The remakes are horrid sounding. Here Perry went to the painstaking trouble of remastering all the originals only to have the knob-squad come in and remake them and make them sound bad. Talk about trashing your legacy.

Disc 1...there are a few good tunes but I am at a point where everything post Trial By Fire is starting to sound exactly the same. The same guitar sounds ...the same lyrical content...the same vocals, etc. I had a freind who is not a huge Journey fan sitting in the car with me listening to Disc 1. Her comment....the songs all sound the same.

Arnel sounded like Augeri in most places. He punches the end of notes and goes sharp which needs to be corrected.

I dunno....I like Arnel, I like his vocals and he seems like a real sweetheart but I am starting to suffer lead singer / band restart burn out. I find myself sticking with the Perry era music and being satisfied that things are complete.

Just my intial impressions.

[SteveForever]

Friga needs to stick to writing music and be kept as far away from the production board as possible. The remakes are horrid sounding. Here Perry went to the painstaking trouble of remastering all the originals only to have the knob-squad come in and remake them and make them sound bad. Talk about trashing your legacy.

Disc 1...there are a few good tunes but I am at a point where everything post Trial By Fire is starting to sound exactly the same. The same guitar sounds ...the same lyrical content...the same vocals, etc. I had a freind who is not a huge Journey fan sitting in the car with me listening to Disc 1. Her comment....the songs all sound the same.

Arnel sounded like Augeri in most places. He punches the end of notes and goes sharp which needs to be corrected.

I dunno....I like Arnel, I like his vocals and he seems like a real sweetheart but I am starting to suffer lead singer / band restart burn out. I find myself sticking with the Perry era music and being satisfied that things are complete.

Just my intial impressions.

you're smart.

[brywool]

Some of the production on it makes me think they got in too much of a hurry.

Regarding the remakes-

I also hear most of this stuff in the re-records including what sounds like a VW horn beep in Wheel at about 4:06. I think Arnel did the songs fine. I really couldn't find any problems with him at all (yeah, of course). Tough to follow Perry's original recordings, but the guy did a pretty decent job. The production though... man, there are some definite gaffs there. The most annoying has to be the Any Way You Want it SHHH stuff. The click stuff is sure weird. Not sure why that didn't get yanked.

The griping about Lights and where Arnel's from- the guy does fine. I prefer Rollie's piano parts, not to mention organ rather than Windam Hill strings that Cain uses. Blech.

Faith in the Heartland- Maybe because I heard it first, I prefer the Generations version. The track seemed to 'fit together' better the first time. Some of the sections in the new version have been changed and I just think it flowed better before. Arnel sings it well as a new tune, but I prefer Augeri's version. I think SA did a great job on it the first time. Maybe it's 'too soon'.

If you look at the remakes as a "full fledged Journey album", it's below par. The performances are good, but the production and some of the sounds are lacking. If you look at it as a band just going in and quickly recording them as a bonus for fans, it's pretty good. I don't see myself listening to this disc much because I've already worn out the old songs. Don't need to hear them much these days, but if I do, I'll reach for the originals- BUT I will WEAR OUT the new stuff. It's really good.

[Big J]

The audible click track (or whatever that is) throughout Faithfully drove me to the point of yanking the CD out of my car. I probably wont put it back in.

[Scarab Pilot]

Friga needs to stick to writing music and be kept as far away from the production board as possible. The remakes are horrid sounding. Here Perry went to the painstaking trouble of remastering all the originals only to have the knob-squad come in and remake them and make them sound bad. Talk about trashing your legacy.

Disc 1...there are a few good tunes but I am at a point where everything post Trial By Fire is starting to sound exactly the same. The same guitar sounds ...the same lyrical content...the same vocals, etc. I had a freind who is not a huge Journey fan sitting in the car with me listening to Disc 1. Her comment....the songs all sound the same.

Arnel sounded like Augeri in most places. He punches the end of notes and goes sharp which needs to be corrected.

I dunno....I like Arnel, I like his vocals and he seems like a real sweetheart but I am starting to suffer lead singer / band restart burn out. I find myself sticking with the Perry era music and being satisfied that things are complete.

Just my intial impressions.

you're smart.

I hope you mean that as a compliment.

[SteveForever]

Friga needs to stick to writing music and be kept as far away from the production board as possible. The remakes are horrid sounding. Here Perry went to the painstaking trouble of remastering all the originals only to have the knob-squad come in and remake them and make them sound bad. Talk about trashing your legacy.

Disc 1...there are a few good tunes but I am at a point where everything post Trial By Fire is starting to sound exactly the same. The same guitar sounds ...the same lyrical content...the same vocals, etc. I had a freind who is not a huge Journey fan sitting in the car with me listening to Disc 1. Her comment....the songs all sound the same.

Arnel sounded like Augeri in most places. He punches the end of notes and goes sharp which needs to be corrected.

I dunno....I like Arnel, I like his vocals and he seems like a real sweetheart but I am starting to suffer lead singer / band restart burn out. I find myself sticking with the Perry era music and being satisfied that things are complete.

Just my intial impressions.

you're smart.

I hope you mean that as a compliment.

I'm the most sincere person on this board, sincerely.

[jrnyman28]

My problem with the remakes: now all their songs sound like they are from the same era. They all sound similar somehow...no longer "early 70's, late 70's/early 80's, late 80's" sound...just "the same".

Arnel does fine. I actually enjoy hearing some of the changes. I catch myself singing along anyway...even though I am tired of most of the songs.

[ttango1]

My problem with the remakes: now all their songs sound like they are from the same era. They all sound similar somehow...no longer "early 70's, late 70's/early 80's, late 80's" sound...just "the same".

Arnel does fine. I actually enjoy hearing some of the changes. I catch myself singing along anyway...even though I am tired of most of the songs.

Say the Voice came back and wanted to re-do the classics because he wanted to take advantage of new technologies, wouldn't it just be as timeless? I remember the 80's very well and to me, well Journey is just feel-good rock. 80's to me was New Wave stuff like that UK Invasion stuff with the flowing synthesizers and such. Rap Music like RUN DMC, to me, is just as much fun now as it is then. Timeless to me means good enough to fit in any area.

[jrnyman28]

My problem with the remakes: now all their songs sound like they are from the same era. They all sound similar somehow...no longer "early 70's, late 70's/early 80's, late 80's" sound...just "the same".

Arnel does fine. I actually enjoy hearing some of the changes. I catch myself singing along anyway...even though I am tired of most of the songs.

Say the Voice came back and wanted to re-do the classics because he wanted to take advantage of new technologies, wouldn't it just be as timeless? I remember the 80's very well and to me, well Journey is just feel-good rock. 80's to me was New Wave stuff like that UK Invasion stuff with the flowing synthesizers and such. Rap Music like RUN DMC, to me, is just as much fun now as it is then. Timeless to me means good enough to fit in any area.

That may be, but to me it actually all sounds like their 80's style with some modern touches. The rerecords don't sound timeless, they sound generic...the same. I preferred they fit into an era. They were never gaudy with the excesses of each era but they exemplified what we heard at the time. I miss that on the rerecords. I used to complain about the idea of "erasing memories" because everyone was talking about it as intentional. But the rerecords no longer trigger the same memories due to their sound, like they did before. Now, it is only the melody and lyrics that trigger memories.

[Ehwmatt]

Can someone please get to the bottom of this click track garbage? It wouldn't even take ONE attentive listen-through of the CD by SOMEONE to get that shit out of there. And unfortunately, I'm pretty sure I hear it on the beginning of After All These Years on the main disc too, but I'll have to go back and check that...

[jrnyman28]

Sometimes there is a high-hat being played by Deen. But the click-tracks suck! Very distracting...

[jestor92]

Picked the cd up today out of curriosity. Haven't listened to the new matierial yet, but popped in the re-recorded material out of curriosity. Arnel IMO isn't a very good singer. To me he can nail Perry's voice when he sings the lower notes, but the higher notes he struggles and in some spots its more noticable then others. In I believe it was DSB he tried hitting a higher note and it sounded painful. Some of the songs are better then others with the highlight for me being WCN, SIL, and BGTY. The rest of the re-recordings are crappy compared to the original versions.

I find it funny though, Neal talks about the "New Journey", yet on their new cd they record 10 new songs and 12 re-recordings

[Since 78]

Picked the cd up today out of curriosity. Haven't listened to the new matierial yet, but popped in the re-recorded material out of curriosity. Arnel IMO isn't a very good singer. To me he can nail Perry's voice when he sings the lower notes, but the higher notes he struggles and in some spots its more noticable then others. In I believe it was DSB he tried hitting a higher note and it sounded painful. Some of the songs are better then others with the highlight for me being WCN, SIL, and BGTY. The rest of the re-recordings are crappy compared to the original versions.

I find it funny though, Neal talks about the "New Journey", yet on their new cd they record 10 new songs and 12 re-recordings

I don't think the re-records are all that either and they weren't meant to be. They were rushed according to Neal and were only done to satisfy Wal-Mart.
However, to say that Arnel "isn't a very good singer" is about the most ridiculous statement I have seen on this forum in a long time.

[jestor92]

Picked the cd up today out of curriosity. Haven't listened to the new matierial yet, but popped in the re-recorded material out of curriosity. Arnel IMO isn't a very good singer. To me he can nail Perry's voice when he sings the lower notes, but the higher notes he struggles and in some spots its more noticable then others. In I believe it was DSB he tried hitting a higher note and it sounded painful. Some of the songs are better then others with the highlight for me being WCN, SIL, and BGTY. The rest of the re-recordings are crappy compared to the original versions.

I find it funny though, Neal talks about the "New Journey", yet on their new cd they record 10 new songs and 12 re-recordings

I don't think the re-records are all that either and they weren't meant to be. They were rushed according to Neal and were only done to satisfy Wal-Mart.
However, to say that Arnel "isn't a very good singer" is about the most ridiculous statement I have seen on this forum in a long time.

I really don't think an impersonator should be considered a good vocalist. He can impersonate a lot of vocalists; however, he doesn't any of them very good, I haven't listened to the new matierial yet. From what I've heard off Youtube, and the re-recordings he sounds like he struggles a lot on the higher notes. Unless the new songs are amazing this band has officially turned into Steve Perry Journey tribute band with a vocalist that can't touch Perry.

[SteveForever]

ya know I really thought he was an impersonator only too until I heard the NEW material and he honestly sounds nothing like Perry....

[ProgRocker53]

Picked the cd up today out of curriosity. Haven't listened to the new matierial yet, but popped in the re-recorded material out of curriosity. Arnel IMO isn't a very good singer. To me he can nail Perry's voice when he sings the lower notes, but the higher notes he struggles and in some spots its more noticable then others. In I believe it was DSB he tried hitting a higher note and it sounded painful. Some of the songs are better then others with the highlight for me being WCN, SIL, and BGTY. The rest of the re-recordings are crappy compared to the original versions.

I find it funny though, Neal talks about the "New Journey", yet on their new cd they record 10 new songs and 12 re-recordings

I don't think the re-records are all that either and they weren't meant to be. They were rushed according to Neal and were only done to satisfy Wal-Mart.
However, to say that Arnel "isn't a very good singer" is about the most ridiculous statement I have seen on this forum in a long time.

I really don't think an impersonator should be considered a good vocalist. He can impersonate a lot of vocalists; however, he doesn't any of them very good, I haven't listened to the new matierial yet. From what I've heard off Youtube, and the re-recordings he sounds like he struggles a lot on the higher notes. Unless the new songs are amazing this band has officially turned into Steve Perry Journey tribute band with a vocalist that can't touch Perry.

Dude, don't judge unless you listen to the new material, in a quality format.

I honestly wasn't expecting much but Arnel blew me away. Clear singing, great tone, different styles and very emotive on a few songs.

I'm fully satisfied.

[Since 78]

Picked the cd up today out of curriosity. Haven't listened to the new matierial yet, but popped in the re-recorded material out of curriosity. Arnel IMO isn't a very good singer. To me he can nail Perry's voice when he sings the lower notes, but the higher notes he struggles and in some spots its more noticable then others. In I believe it was DSB he tried hitting a higher note and it sounded painful. Some of the songs are better then others with the highlight for me being WCN, SIL, and BGTY. The rest of the re-recordings are crappy compared to the original versions.

I find it funny though, Neal talks about the "New Journey", yet on their new cd they record 10 new songs and 12 re-recordings

I don't think the re-records are all that either and they weren't meant to be. They were rushed according to Neal and were only done to satisfy Wal-Mart.
However, to say that Arnel "isn't a very good singer" is about the most ridiculous statement I have seen on this forum in a long time.

I really don't think an impersonator should be considered a good vocalist. He can impersonate a lot of vocalists; however, he doesn't any of them very good, I haven't listened to the new matierial yet. From what I've heard off Youtube, and the re-recordings he sounds like he struggles a lot on the higher notes. Unless the new songs are amazing this band has officially turned into Steve Perry Journey tribute band with a vocalist that can't touch Perry.

Then you should wait and base your opinion on the new material because he doesn't sound like Perry on them. Except for some Perryisms which you have to expect from Journey, Arnel has his own voice.