Gunbot wrote:Because I can relate to the loons, with the memories of watching new videos and going to stadium shows.
I don't understand that and perhaps it
was because I didn't get to see Perry with Journey back in the '80s. There is certainly a difference between watching the DVDs or the clips on Youtube and experiencing it all firsthand. But the bottom line is that Perry and his fans should not be held to a different set of standards than those we hold Arnel and his fans to. The fact that he was the Voice and one of the greatest singers of all time does not change the fact that he acted like a total ass during some of the most critical moments in the band's history nor does it change the fact that there were four other members who worked and played right along with him, each contributing their own prodigious talent to the concept of the band. Arnel and Perry have a great deal in common: they're both fantastic singers who have wowed countless people with their voices and, though both of them have contributed much to the band (Perry moreso, of course), both of them owe the same institution the entirety of their career.
Personally, I see no reason to condemn or mock a section of the fanbase when the same actions are exhibited -- and have been exhibited for decades! -- by an even larger and older group. I see problems in both sides and criticise both. No reason any side should get a free pass, even if you can relate to them.
That's all I'm saying.

The re-records are my biggest problem though. Something about that just gets under my skin.
The re-records were a necessary evil to get the deal with Wal-Mart. Furthermore, I see it as the band proving that they have a singer who can honor the Voice's legacy by hitting those awesome notes and singing those great lyrics.
Besides, we all prefer the originals anyway. No harm done. (Except Open Arms, which I like a lot better than the Perry-led one).
'Nothing was bigger for Journey than 1981’s “Escape” album. “I have to attribute that to Jonathan coming in and joining the writing team,” Steve Perry (Feb 2012).'