Neal Schon vs Hugo & Evolution tribute Band

[StoneCold]

I will not renounce "my fan-ship" nor you cannot make me buy Infinity or TBF. I have my preference and that is Arnel with Journey.

You're missing out on a lot of good music by denying yourself those albums. Hell you should pick up the first 3 so you can see the progression.

There's one reason Arnel got the job. Perry.

Like Perry, despite humble beginnings, Arnel was blessed with a set of pipes few people in the world have. Not taking anything away from Pineda but without Perry setting the standard, Arnel wouldn't have anyone to "sound exactly like".

[Ligzig]

I really hope this next record changes things drastically. They have a singer who can do whatever they could want...please don't sing cheese ball ballads and use too many whoa oo ohs.

(yeah right)

P.S Hugo is a creepy bastard.

You too!!!

I love you too

[Ligzig]

I will not renounce "my fan-ship" nor you cannot make me buy Infinity or TBF. I have my preference and that is Arnel with Journey.

You're missing out on a lot of good music by denying yourself those albums. Hell you should pick up the first 3 so you can see the progression.

There's one reason Arnel got the job. Perry.

Like Perry, despite humble beginnings, Arnel was blessed with a set of pipes few people in the world have. Not taking anything away from Pineda but without Perry setting the standard, Arnel wouldn't have anyone to "sound exactly like".

It's no different than playing an instrument. There are people who could play anything under the sun...but could they come up with the solo from Who's Crying Now on their own?

I think that's the difference between Arnel and Perry...but then again, Arnel hasn't had many chances....but now is his big chance, let's hope they let him spread his wings a little. Maybe he will fly...maybe he'll fall flat on his face.

[Enigma869]

I don't get the animosity towards Neal and Journey. He used tapes with an ailing singer. He was in a bind and had dates that he committed to. So what?

Sorry...you're a dope if you truly believe that what Neal did was okay. There is NO defending it, period. Singers and bands cancel performances ALL THE TIME (and yes, even for committed performances, and even for big tour dates), due to ailments that come up, and bands a whole lot bigger than Journey is are forced to do it. They make the decision not to completely defraud the paying public and don't destroy the integrity of their "art"!

He's brought the band back to where it should be and it's kicking ass

I guess your interpretation of "kicking ass" is probably a bit different than some others. Also, let's make something VERY clear while you're tearing your rotator cuff patting Neal on the back...Neal didn't bring anyone "back". He's been there the entire time. He simply found someone who sounded enough like Perry to make people want to give them a listen. It had absolutely nothing to do with Neal's musicianship (which I agree is immense)!

Why the anti-Neal sentiment?

It's not that complicated, actually. Neal has shown little respect for the "legacy sound" that he so often refers to and has always been a complete douche every time he's been given the opportunity to answer a question about Perry. He should thank Perry every day of his life that he's able to support his 17 ex-wives, or he'd still be Santana's caddy

Augeri couldn't do it, so they moved on.

Augeri wasn't any more of a fit for this catalog than Jeff was! Augeri was the nicest guy on the planet but he had zero business even attempting to sing this catalog and anyone who ever heard Augeri sing shouldn't be remotely surprised that the guy's voice completely imploded trying to sing a catalog that he didn't have the voice to sing! Another idiotic Neal decision. It comes back to him having zero respect for the name he claims to care so much about. I'm telling you that if Arnel's voice breaks down over the next year or two, I wouldn't be shocked to see Schon roll a fucking muppet out there on stage. His objective is to keep playing until his fingers fall off. While I don't begrudge his desire to express himself through music or display his immense talents, I have a real problem with him just throwing anyone and everyone into this band and calling it "Journey". I'm sorry, but by the time you get onto about your 5th lead singer, you've cheapened the entire experience, IMMENSELY!

Why are people so anti Neal?

Because he's a DOUCHE

[Monker]

But at the end of the day, good or bad, Neal owns Journey; he can do whatever he wants to protect it.

Oh, would you listen to yourself!!! Holy shit....do you take mud baths in bullshit as well or is shoveling it just a day hobby?


Neal isn't protecting Journey...he's fucking exploiting it.

Anybody who owns a business will do everything to make his venture profitable. It maybe exploitation to you but he's just being business savvy.

Neal is not doing anything different from your employer, granting you have one.

You're an idiot. There are plenty of business owners/stakeholders that have exploited their businesses. Perhaps you've heard of Enron? Tyco? Worldcom? All cases where business stakeholders exploited the businesses they either owned or were responsible for managing for personal gain. You wouldn't know anything about that, however. You probably couldn't provide a clear explanation of the vehicles that Enron's management used to exploit the corporation.....hell, you don't fucking know what "Just The Same Way" was...how should I expect you to know and understand something that *really* matters, like actual business concepts.

My employer doesn't gut its business, repackage it to idiots like yourself and blindly attack comparable businesses without researching them. In fact, my employer's business exists to prevent such a very thing from happening....

You might want to try another blind stab in the dark...this one didn't work out too well for you. Granted, it might be better off if you renounce your fan-ship of this band, go home, buy infinity through TBF....do your homework...and come back when you're actually able to recollect the titles of the songs by the band you profess to be a fan of.

Wow, not knowing the the title of a Journey song and Enron/Worldcom in the same sentence, isn't that a stretch?

What's the difference between employment and exploitation? Nothing really if you think about it. First they hire you then exploit you to their benefit. In the corporate world, what it comes down to is P & L....everything else is mute.

Yes, your company might be in the business of trying to prevent stuff from happening but boy, oh boy, one huge mistake and you are out the door. It would not even matter if you were the most valuable employee they have for several years.


I professed the love for this band only after they hired Arnel. I was very honest from the start how I got to know and love this band. And you should know it by now.

I will not renounce "my fan-ship" nor you cannot make me buy Infinity or TBF. I have my preference and that is Arnel with Journey. And I really like Neal, as a matter of fact, I am a proud facebook friend of Neal.

Damn, Enron and Just The Same Way.......who knew....

Then Journey to you is the Revelation package and the tours with Arnel.

God, that is pitiful. That is even worse then when I would argue with Perryheads.

Whatever. Journey to you is the last few steps into the valley of retirement, or death...whichever. I'm glad I was there during their time at the top of the mountain.

[Michigan Girl]

Very nice, John...I hope Lugnut, ligzidiot or whatever is paying attention!!!

[Monker]

Neal isn't protecting Journey...he's fucking exploiting it.

Ding, ding, ding...we have a winner! That douche Schon has been milking every fucking cent out of exploiting the name "Journey" as long as I can remember.

IT'S NEAL'S BAND. That's what he's supposed to do. I don't get the animosity towards Neal and Journey. He used tapes with an ailing singer. He was in a bind and had dates that he committed to. So what? I'm sure Neal regrets that. It's in the past. He's brought the band back to where it should be and it's kicking ass- yet peeps are still pissing and moaning about it, EVEN THOUGH THIS BAND KICKS ASS. Why the anti-Neal sentiment? Perry wouldn't perform, so he moved on. Augeri couldn't do it, so they moved on. JSS was never the right fit so they moved on. I totally get that. That's what you do with bands. If the chemistry ain't right, you tweak it till it is and now, it is.

Why are people so anti Neal?

Maybe because he decided to move on without Perry.

Nlo. It's because after that so many of his decisions suck and he makes himself out to be half-brained idiot.

[Michigan Girl]

I will not renounce "my fan-ship" nor you cannot make me buy Infinity or TBF. I have my preference and that is Arnel with Journey.

You're missing out on a lot of good music by denying yourself those albums. Hell you should pick up the first 3 so you can see the progression.

There's one reason Arnel got the job. Perry.

Like Perry, despite humble beginnings, Arnel was blessed with a set of pipes few people in the world have. Not taking anything away from Pineda but without Perry setting the standard, Arnel wouldn't have anyone to "sound exactly like".

It's no different than playing an instrument. There are people who could play anything under the sun...but could they come up with the solo from Who's Crying Now on their own?

I think that's the difference between Arnel and Perry...but then again, Arnel hasn't had many chances....but now is his big chance, let's hope they let him spread his wings a little. Maybe he will fly...maybe he'll fall flat on his face.

There is more than one difference between SP and AP, but you are correct...let's see if Arnel can do something here with his
big chance, it would/will make a difference...BUT, don't soil your panties yet, lugnut!!!

[Lula]

i don't like seeing arnel get lumped in with his band mates. he really seems genuine and it's so great that he can take care of his family now. i hope he stays pure and i hope the others can think beyond themselves as they sink their feet into their golden years.

[Michigan Girl]

i don't like seeing arnel get lumped in with his band mates. he really seems genuine and it's so great that he can take care of his family now. i hope he stays pure and i hope the others can think beyond themselves as they sink their feet into their golden years.

+1...he catches so much, unfairly!!!

[steveo777]

This is a funny thread. All characters are out.

[Chubby321]

But at the end of the day, good or bad, Neal owns Journey; he can do whatever he wants to protect it.

Oh, would you listen to yourself!!! Holy shit....do you take mud baths in bullshit as well or is shoveling it just a day hobby?


Neal isn't protecting Journey...he's fucking exploiting it.

Anybody who owns a business will do everything to make his venture profitable. It maybe exploitation to you but he's just being business savvy.

Neal is not doing anything different from your employer, granting you have one.

You're an idiot. There are plenty of business owners/stakeholders that have exploited their businesses. Perhaps you've heard of Enron? Tyco? Worldcom? All cases where business stakeholders exploited the businesses they either owned or were responsible for managing for personal gain. You wouldn't know anything about that, however. You probably couldn't provide a clear explanation of the vehicles that Enron's management used to exploit the corporation.....hell, you don't fucking know what "Just The Same Way" was...how should I expect you to know and understand something that *really* matters, like actual business concepts.

My employer doesn't gut its business, repackage it to idiots like yourself and blindly attack comparable businesses without researching them. In fact, my employer's business exists to prevent such a very thing from happening....

You might want to try another blind stab in the dark...this one didn't work out too well for you. Granted, it might be better off if you renounce your fan-ship of this band, go home, buy infinity through TBF....do your homework...and come back when you're actually able to recollect the titles of the songs by the band you profess to be a fan of.

Wow, not knowing the the title of a Journey song and Enron/Worldcom in the same sentence, isn't that a stretch?

What's the difference between employment and exploitation? Nothing really if you think about it. First they hire you then exploit you to their benefit. In the corporate world, what it comes down to is P & L....everything else is mute.

Yes, your company might be in the business of trying to prevent stuff from happening but boy, oh boy, one huge mistake and you are out the door. It would not even matter if you were the most valuable employee they have for several years.


I professed the love for this band only after they hired Arnel. I was very honest from the start how I got to know and love this band. And you should know it by now.

I will not renounce "my fan-ship" nor you cannot make me buy Infinity or TBF. I have my preference and that is Arnel with Journey. And I really like Neal, as a matter of fact, I am a proud facebook friend of Neal.

Damn, Enron and Just The Same Way.......who knew....

Then Journey to you is the Revelation package and the tours with Arnel.

God, that is pitiful. That is even worse then when I would argue with Perryheads.

Whatever. Journey to you is the last few steps into the valley of retirement, or death...whichever. I'm glad I was there during their time at the top of the mountain.

Yes, but it's not pitiful. Some people find true love at the age of 16 some at age 40.

Last steps in the valley of retirement?

Maybe......and this is the reason why we just want to enjoy what's NOW.

[kgdjpubs]

He's brought the band back to where it should be and it's kicking ass

I guess your interpretation of "kicking ass" is probably a bit different than some others. Also, let's make something VERY clear while you're tearing your rotator cuff patting Neal on the back...Neal didn't bring anyone "back". He's been there the entire time. He simply found someone who sounded enough like Perry to make people want to give them a listen. It had absolutely nothing to do with Neal's musicianship (which I agree is immense)!

Debatedly, I'd say they are doing the best of ANY band who has ever tried to replace the most prominent member 10+ years after they were big. Now, you can make the argument that the popularity of the band has much more to do with outside factors (Sopranos, etc) than anything the band has done, but they are certainly getting more publicity with Arnel than they were with Augeri for whatever reason.

I can't see them taking a year off and losing the momentum. Bash a new cd out, capitalize on the publicity and get on the road by late summer/early fall 2010.

Augeri couldn't do it, so they moved on.

Augeri wasn't any more of a fit for this catalog than Jeff was! Augeri was the nicest guy on the planet but he had zero business even attempting to sing this catalog and anyone who ever heard Augeri sing shouldn't be remotely surprised that the guy's voice completely imploded trying to sing a catalog that he didn't have the voice to sing! Another idiotic Neal decision. It comes back to him having zero respect for the name he claims to care so much about. I'm telling you that if Arnel's voice breaks down over the next year or two, I wouldn't be shocked to see Schon roll a fucking muppet out there on stage. His objective is to keep playing until his fingers fall off. While I don't begrudge his desire to express himself through music or display his immense talents, I have a real problem with him just throwing anyone and everyone into this band and calling it "Journey". I'm sorry, but by the time you get onto about your 5th lead singer, you've cheapened the entire experience, IMMENSELY!

I still think they would have been better off never announcing JSS as a replacement than the way it went down. Obviously something major changed. They are lucky that the JSS experiment didn't get much national press--especially since half the tour was mentioning that Augeri was sick and would return at some point. Average Joe Public America never even knew JSS was the lead singer.

As far as Augeri voice and/or suitability, I saw shows where his voice was VERY strong and he wasn't struggling at all. They were in the minority, but they did happen. His downfall had a lot to do with singing higher than his natural range, age, and a limitation of Journey to move beyond the GH set.

If Journey had gotten anything resembling promotion/success with Arrival, it's possible Augeri might still be singing with them. Good singer, very nice person, but by all accounts, he wasn't the obvious choice to sing the catalogue. Chalfant was obviously closer. I don't think they were going for a Perry clone at the time though. They just wanted someone who could sing the hits they would never be able to get out of the setlist, but also the new material that one had to assume would take it's rightful place upon airplay--which was never received. Under that situation, Augeri's voice may well have held, especially since they wouldn't have had to tour every year. Either way though, once Arrival failed and the band was stuck with the GH setlist on an endless tour, it was only a matter of time before Augeri's voice failed.

[Chubby321]

I will not renounce "my fan-ship" nor you cannot make me buy Infinity or TBF. I have my preference and that is Arnel with Journey.

You're missing out on a lot of good music by denying yourself those albums. Hell you should pick up the first 3 so you can see the progression.

There's one reason Arnel got the job. Perry.

Like Perry, despite humble beginnings, Arnel was blessed with a set of pipes few people in the world have. Not taking anything away from Pineda but without Perry setting the standard, Arnel wouldn't have anyone to "sound exactly like".

I am not taking anything away from SP either, but if "to sound alike" is the standard, then SA should have been huge. He was with the band for 8 years (?), he has the built, the hair, the looks but nothing really big happened to the band then. How do you explain this versus the almost 2 years with Arnel.

[Lula]

chubby, augeri did not look like, sound like, move like, dress like, etc. steve perry.

[kgdjpubs]

I will not renounce "my fan-ship" nor you cannot make me buy Infinity or TBF. I have my preference and that is Arnel with Journey.

You're missing out on a lot of good music by denying yourself those albums. Hell you should pick up the first 3 so you can see the progression.

There's one reason Arnel got the job. Perry.

Like Perry, despite humble beginnings, Arnel was blessed with a set of pipes few people in the world have. Not taking anything away from Pineda but without Perry setting the standard, Arnel wouldn't have anyone to "sound exactly like".

I am not taking anything away from SP either, but if "to sound alike" is the standard, then SA should have been huge. He was with the band for 8 years (?), he has the built, the hair, the looks but nothing really big happened to the band then. How do you explain this versus the almost 2 years with Arnel.

couple of reasons worked in Arnel's favor....not taking over directly from Perry, being in a musical climate where Journey was better received (90s not good for melodic rock in the US), being on a record label that actually promoted the band (note: Sony knew that Perry + Journey = $$$$$$$$$$$$$, Augeri + Journey = $), and the "Arnel found on youtube story". Any one thing isn't much by itself, but they all add together.

Also, not that it changes much, but Arnel sounds a LOT more like Perry than Augeri does. Other than having a similar range, Augeri's voice is quite different from Perry both in tonality, delivery, phrasing, etc.

[Chubby321]

chubby, augeri did not look like, sound like, move like, dress like, etc. steve perry.

Sorry, when I said "looks" i meant good looking. But I think he sounds like SP.

[Lula]

chubby, augeri did not look like, sound like, move like, dress like, etc. steve perry.

Sorry, when I said "looks" i meant good looking. But I think he sounds like SP.

mercy mercy woman! augeri sounded nothing like perry. pineda is much closer as a sound alike.

[Michigan Girl]

This is a funny thread. All characters are out.

NOOOOO Kidding!! Neal throws a fit and everyone goes to their respective corners
and comes out punching!!!

[Chubby321]

I think this where the problem lies....I don't think that Arnel sounds so much like SP. Arnel has more grit in his voice.

Let say he does, I still contend that Arnel's story, charisma and of course voice are the factors. Not the sound alike argument only. Arnel has the ability to capture people's attention and converting them to fans...except of course here...but that's a different story.

[Lula]

don't mean to offend in any way..... if you think arnel was plucked for anything other than his ability to sound like steve perry you're pretty much delusional. think of what the term "legacy sound" means.

[kgdjpubs]

I think this where the problem lies....I don't think really that that Arnel sounds so much like SP. Arnel has more grit in his voice.

Let say he does, I still contend that Arnel's story, charisma and of course voice are the factors. Not the sound alike argument only. Arnel has the ability to capture people's attention and converting them to fans...except of course here...but that's a different story.

I don't think Arnel naturally sounds like Perry. As you said, there's that grit in there. However, that said, he can come MUCH closer than Augeri when he WANTS to. Find a recording of one of Augeri's early shows with Journey (there's a couple from Japan 1998 that are soundboard) and compare that to one of the early Arnel shows (ie Revelation dvd). Even at that stage, Arnel's voice is a lot closer to Perry's compared to Augeri. Augeri got a lot better at covering Perry by the time the live dvd that was released.

and yes, the voice and that boundless joy that Arnel has while performing does come across to many people. It makes him very difficult to dislike as it's very obvious he's having the time of his life up there on stage.

[kgdjpubs]

don't mean to offend in any way..... if you think arnel was plucked for anything other than his ability to sound like steve perry you're pretty much delusional. think of what the term "legacy sound" means.

I'll be the voice against the grain on this one. There are people out there closer to Perry than Arnel. Jeremey is probably one of them. There are probably others. Covering Perry was high on the list, but it wasn't the ONLY thing on the list.

[Lula]

don't mean to offend in any way..... if you think arnel was plucked for anything other than his ability to sound like steve perry you're pretty much delusional. think of what the term "legacy sound" means.

I'll be the voice against the grain on this one. There are people out there closer to Perry than Arnel. Jeremey is probably one of them. There are probably others. Covering Perry was high on the list, but it wasn't the ONLY thing on the list.

i disagree. i don't think jeremey sounds like perry, not at all. what else was on the list besides capturing that legacy sound? i'm not knocking arnel in any way, he does a great impression, there is no discounting his ability to sing and to sing well.

[Chubby321]

don't mean to offend in any way..... if you think arnel was plucked for anything other than his ability to sound like steve perry you're pretty much delusional. think of what the term "legacy sound" means.

I am not delusional, well sometimes, but not now.

Look I am not taking away from Perry and I am aware of the legacy sound but there are people who have very very nice voice but you don't go crazy for them. Doesn't cut if for you. One good example is me, I was not crazy for anything Journey in my life. But when Arnel was hired, I came aboard. I did not like him because he sounds like Perry, I came aboard because I think he's a damn good singer and I like what I hear.

[kgdjpubs]

don't mean to offend in any way..... if you think arnel was plucked for anything other than his ability to sound like steve perry you're pretty much delusional. think of what the term "legacy sound" means.

I'll be the voice against the grain on this one. There are people out there closer to Perry than Arnel. Jeremey is probably one of them. There are probably others. Covering Perry was high on the list, but it wasn't the ONLY thing on the list.

i disagree. i don't think jeremey sounds like perry, not at all. what else was on the list besides capturing that legacy sound? i'm not knocking arnel in any way, he does a great impression, there is no discounting his ability to sing and to sing well.

If you want someone who sounds pretty close to Perry, and--more importantly--is singing without strain in that range on a consistent touring basis, Jeremey is better. There are differences, but if you want the bullet-proof touring machine, that's your guy. His natural range is higher than either Augeri or Arnel.

As far as other stuff.....new material and gelling with the band. If you don't fit with the band and knock the new material out of the ballpark, you're out. It's pretty easy to cover the Perry hits. All you have to do is get the melody and vocal inflections right and be able to hit the notes. Doing a convincing vocal on new material is much harder. On new material, you have to create those melodies, inflections and melodies--and THAT'S what made Perry nearly untouchable. It's the difference between a singer and a vocalist.

[Don]

Jon said after they dismissed JSS, that they were looking to sound like the 65 million records that were out there. How many ways can that be interpreted? Why do you think they were looking at tribute band singers? To find someone with his own unique voice? I don't think so.

Arnel's story, while touching isn't that uncommon. Quite a few rockstars were eating scraps and starving in L.A. before they made it big. They just didn't try to use it as a marketing tool to hit the big time. Hell, Jewel was eating out of dumpsters behind restaurants.

People want to hear the songs of the 80s and Arnel sounds close enough to Perry that people will take it over anything new the band has to offer.

Being a fan of Arnel is like being the fan of a really good Elvis inpersonator. He's talented but without the creativity of Perry, Kenny Loggins, Jimi Jamison, etc., and all the other artists that he has covered, Arnel would be nothing more than an empty book.

Journey is playing two songs on Oprah. We know they have to play DSB but why is the second song Faithfully? Why not leave a new song in peoples minds as you go vacation for the next year or so?
Because people aren't that interested in what the band has to offer in 2009, they want nostalgia and Journey re-recording 25 year old songs trumps anything fresh they have accomplished. How does playing Faithfully make Arnel a household name, especially when you'll probably hear it three or four times on the radio, preceeding the show except with Steve Perry on vocals? It doesn't.
Sony has to love Journey. They spend more time promoting the greatest hits than anything else they have done over the last 10 years.

[kgdjpubs]

Jon said after they dismissed JSS, that they were looking to sound like the 65 million records that were out there. How many ways can that be interpreted? Why do you think they were looking at tribute band singers? To find someone with his own unique voice? I don't think so.

I think there is also a difference between JSS and someone who is a tenor and sounds closer to Perry. You can interpret that statement multiple ways, but it might just be a way of saying that JSS was too far in the wrong direction from the tenor sound that people associate with Journey. I'm just saying there is likely more to it than just "ability to sound like Perry" in the hiring process. It was high on the list. I just don't believe it in itself was the list.

Arnel's story, while touching isn't that uncommon. Quite a few rockstars were eating scraps and starving in L.A. before they made it big. They just didn't try to use it as a marketing tool to hit the big time. Hell, Jewel was eating out of dumpsters behind restaurants.

I was referring to finding him on youtube, not the actual story myself. That DID create publicity.

Being a fan of Arnel is like being the fan of a really good Elvis inpersonator. He's talented but without the creativity of Perry, Kenny Loggins, Jimi Jamison, etc., and all the other artists that he has covered, Arnel would be nothing more than an empty book.

That's sorta saying he's talentless because he doesn't write songs? Jamison didn't write much at all in Survivor (and NONE of the Vital Signs album that sold the best), and there's a bunch of great singers out there who can't write worth a lick. Their talent is putting their singing style on a song and interpreting it. Arnel has material out there, so you can't just lump him in the never done any singing on their own, and the melodies/phrasing on Revelation are certainly different than on the Augeri cds. Someone came up with the phrasing on Revelation and I don't hear it on the Cain/Schon solo cds either. Options narrow at some point.

Journey is playing two songs on Oprah. We know they have to play DSB but why is the second song Faithfully? Why not leave a new song in peoples minds as you go vacation for the next year or so?
Because people aren't that interested in what the band has to offer in 2009, they want nostalgia and Journey re-recording 25 year old songs trumps anything fresh they have accomplished. How does playing Faithfully make Arnel a household name, especially when you'll probably hear it three or four times on the radio, preceeding the show except with Steve Perry on vocals? It doesn't.
Sony has to love Journey. They spend more time promoting the greatest hits than anything else they have done over the last 10 years.

I tend to agree, but without knowing how Oprah works, you might just play what she wants to hear and be happy for that. Personally, I'd give After All These Years another chance or try Turn Down the World Tonight, but I'm not in charge.

must sleep...nite.

[Don]

Jon said after they dismissed JSS, that they were looking to sound like the 65 million records that were out there. How many ways can that be interpreted? Why do you think they were looking at tribute band singers? To find someone with his own unique voice? I don't think so.

I think there is also a difference between JSS and someone who is a tenor and sounds closer to Perry. You can interpret that statement multiple ways, but it might just be a way of saying that JSS was too far in the wrong direction from the tenor sound that people associate with Journey. I'm just saying there is likely more to it than just "ability to sound like Perry" in the hiring process. It was high on the list. I just don't believe it in itself was the list.

Arnel's story, while touching isn't that uncommon. Quite a few rockstars were eating scraps and starving in L.A. before they made it big. They just didn't try to use it as a marketing tool to hit the big time. Hell, Jewel was eating out of dumpsters behind restaurants.

I was referring to finding him on youtube, not the actual story myself. That DID create publicity.

Being a fan of Arnel is like being the fan of a really good Elvis inpersonator. He's talented but without the creativity of Perry, Kenny Loggins, Jimi Jamison, etc., and all the other artists that he has covered, Arnel would be nothing more than an empty book.

That's sorta saying he's talentless because he doesn't write songs? Jamison didn't write much at all in Survivor (and NONE of the Vital Signs album that sold the best), and there's a bunch of great singers out there who can't write worth a lick. Their talent is putting their singing style on a song and interpreting it. Arnel has material out there, so you can't just lump him in the never done any singing on their own, and the melodies/phrasing on Revelation are certainly different than on the Augeri cds. Someone came up with the phrasing on Revelation and I don't hear it on the Cain/Schon solo cds either. Options narrow at some point.

Journey is playing two songs on Oprah. We know they have to play DSB but why is the second song Faithfully? Why not leave a new song in peoples minds as you go vacation for the next year or so?
Because people aren't that interested in what the band has to offer in 2009, they want nostalgia and Journey re-recording 25 year old songs trumps anything fresh they have accomplished. How does playing Faithfully make Arnel a household name, especially when you'll probably hear it three or four times on the radio, preceeding the show except with Steve Perry on vocals? It doesn't.
Sony has to love Journey. They spend more time promoting the greatest hits than anything else they have done over the last 10 years.

I tend to agree, but without knowing how Oprah works, you might just play what she wants to hear and be happy for that. Personally, I'd give After All These Years another chance or try Turn Down the World Tonight, but I'm not in charge.

must sleep...nite.

Good Night.

[Chubby321]

Jon said after they dismissed JSS, that they were looking to sound like the 65 million records that were out there. How many ways can that be interpreted? Why do you think they were looking at tribute band singers? To find someone with his own unique voice? I don't think so.

I think there is also a difference between JSS and someone who is a tenor and sounds closer to Perry. You can interpret that statement multiple ways, but it might just be a way of saying that JSS was too far in the wrong direction from the tenor sound that people associate with Journey. I'm just saying there is likely more to it than just "ability to sound like Perry" in the hiring process. It was high on the list. I just don't believe it in itself was the list.

Arnel's story, while touching isn't that uncommon. Quite a few rockstars were eating scraps and starving in L.A. before they made it big. They just didn't try to use it as a marketing tool to hit the big time. Hell, Jewel was eating out of dumpsters behind restaurants.

I was referring to finding him on youtube, not the actual story myself. That DID create publicity.

Being a fan of Arnel is like being the fan of a really good Elvis inpersonator. He's talented but without the creativity of Perry, Kenny Loggins, Jimi Jamison, etc., and all the other artists that he has covered, Arnel would be nothing more than an empty book.

That's sorta saying he's talentless because he doesn't write songs? Jamison didn't write much at all in Survivor (and NONE of the Vital Signs album that sold the best), and there's a bunch of great singers out there who can't write worth a lick. Their talent is putting their singing style on a song and interpreting it. Arnel has material out there, so you can't just lump him in the never done any singing on their own, and the melodies/phrasing on Revelation are certainly different than on the Augeri cds. Someone came up with the phrasing on Revelation and I don't hear it on the Cain/Schon solo cds either. Options narrow at some point.

Journey is playing two songs on Oprah. We know they have to play DSB but why is the second song Faithfully? Why not leave a new song in peoples minds as you go vacation for the next year or so?
Because people aren't that interested in what the band has to offer in 2009, they want nostalgia and Journey re-recording 25 year old songs trumps anything fresh they have accomplished. How does playing Faithfully make Arnel a household name, especially when you'll probably hear it three or four times on the radio, preceeding the show except with Steve Perry on vocals? It doesn't.
Sony has to love Journey. They spend more time promoting the greatest hits than anything else they have done over the last 10 years.

I tend to agree, but without knowing how Oprah works, you might just play what she wants to hear and be happy for that. Personally, I'd give After All These Years another chance or try Turn Down the World Tonight, but I'm not in charge.

must sleep...nite.

Nice post.