Not too Shabby

[Jana]

My comment on the whole thing?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcCtpXKWwwI

Arnel has definitely sung, and looked, better than that.
Rust? Overcompensating for nerves? Dunno...

I nearly forgot the silly qualifiers:
1. "As much as I like Arnel..."
2. "I'm Filipino."

wech

Probably a combination of factors.

[Don]

My comment on the whole thing?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcCtpXKWwwI

Arnel has definitely sung, and looked, better than that.
Rust? Overcompensating for nerves? Dunno...

I nearly forgot the silly qualifiers:
1. "As much as I like Arnel..."
2. "I'm Filipino."

wech

Probably a combination of factors.

Well, it's over. He can go back to his gigs with Lani. That seemed to be where his focus has been this last month.
Keith Olbermann didn't help matters with his commentary though.

[DrFU]

I think StoneCold's post was in response to what NIG said that "Pineda hasn't experienced 1% of what Augeri had to endure". As I said in another thread, I think Arnel had been treated the worst by some Journey fans.

It was pretty rough and largely unfair. A lot of it was simply fan frustration at the band though. Steve A also copped a huge bucket of shit and I spoke to him at length about that when in the UK last October. And I'll do so again tomorrow when I interview him for the site.

Awesome, Andrew! Please tell him he has many devoted fans here.

[StoneCold]

Whatever, the fact remains that the usual reliable Pineda gave a subpar performance on a big day. He can do so much better and that's what grates.

If he keeps giving performances like this it will detract from the band as a whole and all of a sudden we are back to 2006 with longtime fans wishing for what once was. One step forward and two back.

I agree with that. Blame goes to whoever is leading the party. Pineda has the ability but seems they're just relying on him as a hired hand. They were tight in the concert I saw in LA at the Greek so its obvious this was a rushed deal for them.

Whoever mentioned a rush flight over and little warmup time is probably correct. And that's a shame.

National appearance at the Super Bowl! I doubt they'll be asked back.

[Blueskies]

I think he did fine accent wise and the performance was fine but vocally it was rough and it sounded like it was lowered so I don't understand why anyone else couldn't sing it lowered ..Augeri, JSS....even Perry....maybe damage is already being done to Arnel so the rest of the band are finally letting go of trying to recreate the exact same sound that they had with Perry years ago and giving some consideration to their singer so he can try to last longer...and not have to resort to taped vocals again.....it's about time the realization comes to them that Perry was unique in what he did and it can never be recreated exactly or even close for any length of time with anyone else...so they just have to do it a bit different to keep playing the songs live.

From what I saw, it wasn't lowered.

I just listened to it again...still sounds like it's a little lower to me.

[EightyRock]

I just don't like that song sung with an accent......ANY KIND of accent. Journey is an all-American band. If they wanted to have a couple Asians, Nigerians or Aussies playing instruments in the band, it's all good. It wouldn't make any difference. Having a Filipino singer w/ an accent is just damn odd to me, though. To say it is both an audio and visual distraction is an understatement.

Arnel didn't do a terrible job, he just held too many notes too long and can't help the residual accent that he has. It's not as if he is a Filipino-American that spends his days hearing people speaking English. He's from another country and they have their own language that he speaks when he is at home or talking to his family/friends. Yes? I don't think Neal took anything else into consideration other than "can this dude hit any of Perry's notes long enough to do a few more tours".

[StoneCold]

I just don't like that song sung with an accent......ANY KIND of accent. Journey is an all-American band. If they wanted to have a couple Asians, Nigerians or Aussies playing instruments in the band, it's all good. It wouldn't make any difference. Having a Filipino singer w/ an accent is just damn odd to me, though. To say it is both an audio and visual distraction is an understatement.

Arnel didn't do a terrible job, he just held too many notes too long and can't help the residual accent that he has. It's not as if he is a Filipino-American that spends his days hearing people speaking English. He's from another country and they have their own language that he speaks when he is at home or talking to his family/friends. Yes? I don't think Neal took anything else into consideration other than "can this dude hit any of Perry's notes long enough to do a few more tours".

He could've lost that accent by now. As I mentined above, TPTB aren't making a serious effort to help him with it. Diction and voice coaches.

He sang DSB how many hundreds of time by now? Him doing Pinoy shows isn't helping.

Band's resting on their laurels again.

[chynablue]

What bugged me the most was the new way they do the chorus in this song. I never heard it with that 50's-style guitar riff after "streetlight people", etc. You usually hear synths - which were just gone this time in the mix. It drove me nuts.

My wife of course hated the vocal. I'll say it too. I don't hate Arnel. I don't hate Phillipinino's. I don't hate anybody. But this was as true-blue an audience as you were gonna get today, and Journey is such a classically AMERICAN rock and roll band. It should have been a perfect fit. It just wasn't.

At first I thought it was just a matter of needing more rehearsal - but Arnel's vocal sounded a lot like it did on the last tour. Somhow it just didn't seem like enough for a day like today. And he seems....tired.

[MrsPerry]

tried and true loon i am, i try to stay out of the arnel speach thing, but it sounded to me like he was running words into one long word at the begining and was VERY hard to understand. Neal smoked ass as usual, (i wonder if his hands move like he is playing the guitar when he sleeps? ) My 002 : I think this is the swan song for Journey, unless they really get agressive with things. I would rather see em hang it up, then to continue as is. (you can throw rocks now, Just an opinion)

[brywool]

I think he did fine accent wise and the performance was fine but vocally it was rough and it sounded like it was lowered so I don't understand why anyone else couldn't sing it lowered ..Augeri, JSS....even Perry....maybe damage is already being done to Arnel so the rest of the band are finally letting go of trying to recreate the exact same sound that they had with Perry years ago and giving some consideration to their singer so he can try to last longer...and not have to resort to taped vocals again.....it's about time the realization comes to them that Perry was unique in what he did and it can never be recreated exactly or even close for any length of time with anyone else...so they just have to do it a bit different to keep playing the songs live.

From what I saw, it wasn't lowered.

I just listened to it again...still sounds like it's a little lower to me.

Nope

[Michigan Girl]

Wow = haven't seen Arnel on TV before, he's doing a decent job here for the most part. A bit pitchy. I still hear a bit of accent (I expect that). And he has a stage presence.

Looks like the crowd is pretty happy!

I didn't see them in concert this year and I missed any reviews - how did it go?

Hey MJ!!! Where have you been?!?!?!?

[KDOUBLEU]

tried and true loon i am, i try to stay out of the arnel speach thing, but it sounded to me like he was running words into one long word at the begining and was VERY hard to understand. Neal smoked ass as usual, (i wonder if his hands move like he is playing the guitar when he sleeps? ) My 002 : I think this is the swan song for Journey, unless they really get agressive with things. I would rather see em hang it up, then to continue as is. (you can throw rocks now, Just an opinion)

I think its a great opinion.

[Don]

What bugged me the most was the new way they do the chorus in this song. I never heard it with that 50's-style guitar riff after "streetlight people", etc. You usually hear synths - which were just gone this time in the mix. It drove me nuts.

My wife of course hated the vocal. I'll say it too. I don't hate Arnel. I don't hate Phillipinino's. I don't hate anybody. But this was as true-blue an audience as you were gonna get today, and Journey is such a classically AMERICAN rock and roll band. It should have been a perfect fit. It just wasn't.

At first I thought it was just a matter of needing more rehearsal - but Arnel's vocal sounded a lot like it did on the last tour. Somhow it just didn't seem like enough for a day like today. And he seems....tired.

That's the sad part isn't it. He was supposed to be resting for 3 months. His fans said he sounded fine Friday night at his charity concert. Too bad he couldn't have saved that Performance for the big game.

[mdaemon]

What bugged me the most was the new way they do the chorus in this song. I never heard it with that 50's-style guitar riff after "streetlight people", etc. You usually hear synths - which were just gone this time in the mix. It drove me nuts.

My wife of course hated the vocal. I'll say it too. I don't hate Arnel. I don't hate Phillipinino's. I don't hate anybody. But this was as true-blue an audience as you were gonna get today, and Journey is such a classically AMERICAN rock and roll band. It should have been a perfect fit. It just wasn't.

At first I thought it was just a matter of needing more rehearsal - but Arnel's vocal sounded a lot like it did on the last tour. Somhow it just didn't seem like enough for a day like today. And he seems....tired.

That's the sad part isn't it. He was supposed to be resting for 3 months. His fans said he sounded fine Friday night at his charity concert. Too bad he couldn't have saved that Performance for the big game.

I've always thought that it's a bit selfish for you guys to deny the Pinoys in the PI the opportunity to get to know Arnel. However, assuming that what happened yesterday was a result of his gigs in the Philippines, then it may be wise to minimise those as it looks like he could use all the rest he could get.

[KDOUBLEU]

What bugged me the most was the new way they do the chorus in this song. I never heard it with that 50's-style guitar riff after "streetlight people", etc. You usually hear synths - which were just gone this time in the mix. It drove me nuts.

My wife of course hated the vocal. I'll say it too. I don't hate Arnel. I don't hate Phillipinino's. I don't hate anybody. But this was as true-blue an audience as you were gonna get today, and Journey is such a classically AMERICAN rock and roll band. It should have been a perfect fit. It just wasn't.

At first I thought it was just a matter of needing more rehearsal - but Arnel's vocal sounded a lot like it did on the last tour. Somhow it just didn't seem like enough for a day like today. And he seems....tired.

That's the sad part isn't it. He was supposed to be resting for 3 months. His fans said he sounded fine Friday night at his charity concert. Too bad he couldn't have saved that Performance for the big game.

I've always thought that it's a bit selfish for you guys to deny the Pinoys in the PI the opportunity to get to know Arnel. However, assuming that what happened yesterday was a result of his gigs in the Philippines, then it may be wise to minimise those as it looks like he could use all the rest he could get.

You would think that being in the greatest rock band ever he would want to be ready to give 100%.

[Deb]

tried and true loon i am, i try to stay out of the arnel speach thing, but it sounded to me like he was running words into one long word at the begining and was VERY hard to understand. Neal smoked ass as usual, (i wonder if his hands move like he is playing the guitar when he sleeps? ) My 002 : I think this is the swan song for Journey, unless they really get agressive with things. I would rather see em hang it up, then to continue as is. (you can throw rocks now, Just an opinion)

I noticed that too......and that's usually something I absolutely love in vocals (when they soulfully drag word(s) out). Like Perry with Still They Ride or JSS with Back 2 The Feeling......but for some reason Arnel seems to drag them out just a tad too long and it doesn't come off as soulful/passionate IMO. And I think the energy/aggression/passion you mention above, left again when they let JSS go. Saying that, I don't think they should hang it up, so what if it wasn't Arnel's best performance, there will always still be people that want to see/hear Journey in any form. But when vocals/delivery are 80% of my musical enjoyment, I'm just too picky, to be intrigued by the curent Journey anymore.......and not from lack of trying. Arnel's got a great voice, but there is something in his delivery that is just missing for me.

[Lula]

I've always thought that it's a bit selfish for you guys to deny the Pinoys in the PI the opportunity to get to know Arnel. However, assuming that what happened yesterday was a result of his gigs in the Philippines, then it may be wise to minimise those as it looks like he could use all the rest he could get.

i don't get this. deny the pinoys the opportunity to get to know arnel?

[Don]

What bugged me the most was the new way they do the chorus in this song. I never heard it with that 50's-style guitar riff after "streetlight people", etc. You usually hear synths - which were just gone this time in the mix. It drove me nuts.

My wife of course hated the vocal. I'll say it too. I don't hate Arnel. I don't hate Phillipinino's. I don't hate anybody. But this was as true-blue an audience as you were gonna get today, and Journey is such a classically AMERICAN rock and roll band. It should have been a perfect fit. It just wasn't.

At first I thought it was just a matter of needing more rehearsal - but Arnel's vocal sounded a lot like it did on the last tour. Somhow it just didn't seem like enough for a day like today. And he seems....tired.

That's the sad part isn't it. He was supposed to be resting for 3 months. His fans said he sounded fine Friday night at his charity concert. Too bad he couldn't have saved that Performance for the big game.

I've always thought that it's a bit selfish for you guys to deny the Pinoys in the PI the opportunity to get to know Arnel. However, assuming that what happened yesterday was a result of his gigs in the Philippines, then it may be wise to minimise those as it looks like he could use all the rest he could get.

They pimped Arnel to death in the Philippines the last month. I still didn't expect what I saw yesterday. I think getting such a late start in life with the heavy travel and touring is taking a toll on him. Of course as a club singer, he sang every night but he wasn't doing 5 hour bus trips every day going from snow to rain to 100 degree heat and all these different aspects of life on the road. I think he is feeling exactly what Perry felt after the FTLOSM tour. When you're in your 40's the body doesn't recover as quickly as it used to. The hardest part is figuring out what you need as far as rest is concerned. It seems he was busy with kids whenever he was in the Shoutbox and sick a lot of times also.
Well he got plenty of exposure at home, I would hope he would perform more than one concert in the RP after all the rest time he gave up trying to promote himself there.

[stevew2]

I think he did fine accent wise and the performance was fine but vocally it was rough and it sounded like it was lowered so I don't understand why anyone else couldn't sing it lowered ..Augeri, JSS....even Perry....maybe damage is already being done to Arnel so the rest of the band are finally letting go of trying to recreate the exact same sound that they had with Perry years ago and giving some consideration to their singer so he can try to last longer...and not have to resort to taped vocals again.....it's about time the realization comes to them that Perry was unique in what he did and it can never be recreated exactly or even close for any length of time with anyone else...so they just have to do it a bit different to keep playing the songs live.

From what I saw, it wasn't lowered.

I just listened to it again...still sounds like it's a little lower to me.

Hearing is the first to go, no key change dear

[mdaemon]

What bugged me the most was the new way they do the chorus in this song. I never heard it with that 50's-style guitar riff after "streetlight people", etc. You usually hear synths - which were just gone this time in the mix. It drove me nuts.

My wife of course hated the vocal. I'll say it too. I don't hate Arnel. I don't hate Phillipinino's. I don't hate anybody. But this was as true-blue an audience as you were gonna get today, and Journey is such a classically AMERICAN rock and roll band. It should have been a perfect fit. It just wasn't.

At first I thought it was just a matter of needing more rehearsal - but Arnel's vocal sounded a lot like it did on the last tour. Somhow it just didn't seem like enough for a day like today. And he seems....tired.

That's the sad part isn't it. He was supposed to be resting for 3 months. His fans said he sounded fine Friday night at his charity concert. Too bad he couldn't have saved that Performance for the big game.

I've always thought that it's a bit selfish for you guys to deny the Pinoys in the PI the opportunity to get to know Arnel. However, assuming that what happened yesterday was a result of his gigs in the Philippines, then it may be wise to minimise those as it looks like he could use all the rest he could get.

You would think that being in the greatest rock band ever he would want to be ready to give 100%.

He may not be consistent but not giving his 100% is an accusation that I wouldn't give to Arnel.

[StoneCold]

Deen was a monster on this clip, check 4:34.

Too much crowd and not enough of The Hulk. I don't need closeups of Friga's fringers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NyLaczGpJSQ

[RocknRoll]

He may not be consistent but not giving his 100% is an accusation that I wouldn't give to Arnel.

I agree with you here. Arnel gives it his all and then some. He just needs to make sure it's enough for the really big shows since it's not just him up there on stage.

[mdaemon]

Deen was a monster on this clip, check 4:34.

Too much crowd and not enough of The Hulk. I don't need closeups of Friga's fringers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NyLaczGpJSQ

...and who said that's for you? it's for stevew2!

[Rick]

Deen was a monster on this clip, check 4:34.

Too much crowd and not enough of The Hulk. I don't need closeups of Friga's fringers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NyLaczGpJSQ

...and who said that's for you? it's for stevew2!

[SherriBerry]

I think StoneCold's post was in response to what NIG said that "Pineda hasn't experienced 1% of what Augeri had to endure". As I said in another thread, I think Arnel had been treated the worst by some Journey fans.

It was pretty rough and largely unfair. A lot of it was simply fan frustration at the band though. Steve A also copped a huge bucket of shit and I spoke to him at length about that when in the UK last October. And I'll do so again tomorrow when I interview him for the site.

When will this interview be posted on the site? I'm really looking forward to it!