New track by Jeff Scott Soto

[ScarabGator]

This is by far better than arnie and Journey. Damn did Neal totally fuck up with a decision he made in 2007.

[brywool]

This is by far better than arnie and Journey. Damn did Neal totally fuck up with a decision he made in 2007.

Not even. Jss in Journey was so not the way to go. Journey made the right decision, 100%.
Their sales and exposure have totally proven that.

[ScarabGator]

This is by far better than arnie and Journey. Damn did Neal totally fuck up with a decision he made in 2007.

Not even. Jss in Journey was so not the way to go. Journey made the right decision, 100%.
Their sales and exposure have totally proven that.

how do you know? They didnt release anything with JSS..but the concerts that summer with Def Leppard still did damn well.

[steveo777]

Well, Donna, then you're making an opinion without listening to the songs I posted regarding their new music. Go back and listen to the ones I posted. Without listening to most of their new songs, I don't get how you can come up with such a remark. Because I don't hear a Steve Perry sound. I hear a classic rock Journey sound and Arnel's voice. If you hear Perry I don't get it. I hear a tenor. That's about the only similarity. Like I said in another post, all of my friends who have listened to Revelation don't hear Perry at all and are actually disappointed. They wanted a Perry soundalike. Though, they all admit on the old music he is very similar.

That's the thing, Jana. I don't need to listen to them. I have Neal and Jon's own words to back up my theory. So there!

To each his own. This thread isn't about Arnel or Steve Perry anyway. It's about Jeff Scott Soto. I think we should let it get back on track.

Informed opinion. All righty, then. Most of us think there's more to the Journey sound than Perry; otherwise, Perry solo songs would sound like the Journey sound and they don't. They wanted the Journey sound, powerful, soaring tenor vocals , absolutely, which Arnel has, and the classic sound versus the TBF or ROR songs, which Rev is more reminescent of their earlier music re Neal's playing, etc. They specifically said there were others that sounded almost exactly like Perry and they didn't want that. They wanted a powerful tenor, though. Hell, Deen sounds more like Perry than Arnel. He just doesn't have the powerful vocals that Arnel does.

+1

You know this is a no win on MR. Arnel either gets criticized for sounding too much like or not sounding enough like. Most people I know love his energy on stage, while others criticize it. What do people want? I gauge the success of this lineup by what I see and hear. I hear great music being sung by a talented singer with a great voice and I see venues filled with fans who are clearly not complaining, infact, they appear very happy.

I know this is a JSS thread and I think he's very talented too. I will never understand how people thought he was the right fit for Journey, however.

[Author2]

Well, Donna, then you're making an opinion without listening to the songs I posted regarding their new music. Go back and listen to the ones I posted. Without listening to most of their new songs, I don't get how you can come up with such a remark. Because I don't hear a Steve Perry sound. I hear a classic rock Journey sound and Arnel's voice. If you hear Perry I don't get it. I hear a tenor. That's about the only similarity. Like I said in another post, all of my friends who have listened to Revelation don't hear Perry at all and are actually disappointed. They wanted a Perry soundalike. Though, they all admit on the old music he is very similar.

That's the thing, Jana. I don't need to listen to them. I have Neal and Jon's own words to back up my theory. So there!

To each his own. This thread isn't about Arnel or Steve Perry anyway. It's about Jeff Scott Soto. I think we should let it get back on track.

Informed opinion. All righty, then. Most of us think there's more to the Journey sound than Perry; otherwise, Perry solo songs would sound like the Journey sound and they don't. They wanted the Journey sound, powerful, soaring tenor vocals , absolutely, which Arnel has, and the classic sound versus the TBF or ROR songs, which Rev is more reminescent of their earlier music re Neal's playing, etc. They specifically said there were others that sounded almost exactly like Perry and they didn't want that. They wanted a powerful tenor, though. Hell, Deen sounds more like Perry than Arnel. He just doesn't have the powerful vocals that Arnel does.

It seems like every interview anywhere, ticketmaster post, etc. referenced his sounding like Steve Perry. I think most assert the classic sound to Perry's voice as he sounded in Journey and Arnel was under the impression that he had to emulate that voice. Think Perry still had the classic sound on ROR and didn't want to use it on his solo stuff for he even chuckled about OA when interviewed about Street Talk.

12/2007 Paul Liberatore review
"Then, in early December, a short time after I'd heard that Journey was holed up in the recording studio, the band announced on its official Web site, journeyband.com, that it had hired Arnel Pineda, "the Steve Perry of the Philippines," as its new lead singer.

Journey guitarist Neal Schon, who wants the band to get back to what it used to sound like in the Steve Perry era, gets the credit for finding Pineda.

From Pineda's perspective, he's not trying to be Steve Perry, one of his idols, but he's trying to sound as much like him as he can. "We have to make sure the hard-core fans will be satisfied listening to the songs," he said. "They're so used to Steve Perry's voice, so we have to be really close to how Steve Perry has done it. That's the hardest part."

According to that Louisville Review, when Arnel slipped into his "natural low register, he did not sound like Perry". Don't think his natural voice, if he has one, is the Steve Perry era sound that Neal alluded to above?

I agree with that Rollingstone review 6/2008 I think he has that Perry sound even on disc 1, they're just new songs. They probably would have used Deen if he had wanted it.

[kgdjpubs]

I know this is a JSS thread and I think he's very talented too. I will never understand how people thought he was the right fit for Journey, however.

Personally, for me, he sounded good on the ROR and later material. My issue more than anything was that he was fairly ill-suited in range to sing the Escape and Frontiers material. He's got the range to sing most of the songs, but I never thought he was comfortable singing at that range. Keep on Running was downright painful most of the time, and even something like Separate Ways was 50/50 as to how he sounded. Sometimes he would sound good--sometimes, he was pretty strained. That's a problem on the first tour--that bodes issues for 4-5 years in when most singers would have issues with these songs.

JSS is a great singer, no doubt, and a tremendous frontman. You can't use the WET cd as a judge of his songwriting since he didn't write any of it, but his solo cds are pretty good, so he's got talent in that area also. Needless to say though, I'm of the opinion he would have shredded his voice given time on this catalogue since you'll NEVER break away from the hits this day and age. JSS may have been a good choice in 1987 when Journey could still get on the charts, and do a major reinvention ala Van Halen to the point you could do a lot of his songs in the set. It might have worked then. Now, you're better off with someone who is better suited to sing high-tenor range songs. JSS, for all his good points, is not that person.

[Jana]

Well, Donna, then you're making an opinion without listening to the songs I posted regarding their new music. Go back and listen to the ones I posted. Without listening to most of their new songs, I don't get how you can come up with such a remark. Because I don't hear a Steve Perry sound. I hear a classic rock Journey sound and Arnel's voice. If you hear Perry I don't get it. I hear a tenor. That's about the only similarity. Like I said in another post, all of my friends who have listened to Revelation don't hear Perry at all and are actually disappointed. They wanted a Perry soundalike. Though, they all admit on the old music he is very similar.

That's the thing, Jana. I don't need to listen to them. I have Neal and Jon's own words to back up my theory. So there!

To each his own. This thread isn't about Arnel or Steve Perry anyway. It's about Jeff Scott Soto. I think we should let it get back on track.

Informed opinion. All righty, then. Most of us think there's more to the Journey sound than Perry; otherwise, Perry solo songs would sound like the Journey sound and they don't. They wanted the Journey sound, powerful, soaring tenor vocals , absolutely, which Arnel has, and the classic sound versus the TBF or ROR songs, which Rev is more reminescent of their earlier music re Neal's playing, etc. They specifically said there were others that sounded almost exactly like Perry and they didn't want that. They wanted a powerful tenor, though. Hell, Deen sounds more like Perry than Arnel. He just doesn't have the powerful vocals that Arnel does.

It seems like every interview anywhere, ticketmaster post, etc. referenced his sounding like Steve Perry. I think most assert the classic sound to Perry's voice as he sounded in Journey and Arnel was under the impression that he had to emulate that voice. Think Perry still had the classic sound on ROR and didn't want to use it on his solo stuff for he even chuckled about OA when interviewed about Street Talk.

12/2007 Paul Liberatore review
"Then, in early December, a short time after I'd heard that Journey was holed up in the recording studio, the band announced on its official Web site, journeyband.com, that it had hired Arnel Pineda, "the Steve Perry of the Philippines," as its new lead singer.

Journey guitarist Neal Schon, who wants the band to get back to what it used to sound like in the Steve Perry era, gets the credit for finding Pineda.

From Pineda's perspective, he's not trying to be Steve Perry, one of his idols, but he's trying to sound as much like him as he can. "We have to make sure the hard-core fans will be satisfied listening to the songs," he said. "They're so used to Steve Perry's voice, so we have to be really close to how Steve Perry has done it. That's the hardest part."

According to that Louisville Review, when Arnel slipped into his "natural low register, he did not sound like Perry". Don't think his natural voice, if he has one, is the Steve Perry era sound that Neal alluded to above?

I agree with that Rollingstone review 6/2008 I think he has that Perry sound even on disc 1, they're just new songs. They probably would have used Deen if he had wanted it.

The so-called Perry sound in disk one is a powerful, soaring tenor voice, which Arnel has. Beyond that, I see nothing close to Perry on the new Revelation songs, no phrasing and no emoting the unique way Perry does, and Arnel is a little huskier in tone and a little less polished in delivery.

I've said Arnel needed to sing the older songs as close to possible to the way Perry did. That's a given. That's why they wanted a true tenor, to sing the old catalogue, and why they wanted Arnel specifically, b/c, as Neal said, he has a powerful range and that's what interested him. Great combo for the songs of the classic era and new era - powerful tenor. Does Jeremey/Deen/Hugo/Chalfant (a few of those lacking in power, though) have a closer tone to Perry and sound more like Perry than Arnel? Absolutely. But many, many reviewers and concert-goers have said you can't tell Perry and Arnel apart. Not true, but a compliment. And the loons will agree you can tell them apart. I can tell them apart, but Arnel does those songs justice in getting as close as he can to the orginal sound live, which, hell, yeah, I want.

[Deb]

JSS is a great singer, no doubt, and a tremendous frontman. You can't use the WET cd as a judge of his songwriting since he didn't write any of it, but his solo cds are pretty good, so he's got talent in that area also. Needless to say though, I'm of the opinion he would have shredded his voice given time on this catalogue since you'll NEVER break away from the hits this day and age. JSS may have been a good choice in 1987 when Journey could still get on the charts, and do a major reinvention ala Van Halen to the point you could do a lot of his songs in the set. It might have worked then. Now, you're better off with someone who is better suited to sing high-tenor range songs. JSS, for all his good points, is not that person.

Agree with most of this......and ya, was pissed when it first happened, but I totally think it is for the best now. JSS is much too creative to be stuck singing the same 12-15 songs year after year......would be a waste of his talents. And ya, it very well may have started shredding his voice to sing those early songs year after year too. He has the freedom to choose what he wants to do musically.....i.e., W.E.T., Solo, TSO. And I for one looooove the rock and the soul we're getting from him lately.

[Jana]

JSS is a great singer, no doubt, and a tremendous frontman. You can't use the WET cd as a judge of his songwriting since he didn't write any of it, but his solo cds are pretty good, so he's got talent in that area also. Needless to say though, I'm of the opinion he would have shredded his voice given time on this catalogue since you'll NEVER break away from the hits this day and age. JSS may have been a good choice in 1987 when Journey could still get on the charts, and do a major reinvention ala Van Halen to the point you could do a lot of his songs in the set. It might have worked then. Now, you're better off with someone who is better suited to sing high-tenor range songs. JSS, for all his good points, is not that person.

Agree with most of this......and ya, was pissed when it first happened, but I totally think it is for the best now. JSS is much too creative to be stuck singing the same 12-15 songs year after year......would be a waste of his talents. And ya, it very well may have started shredding his voice to sing those early songs year after year too. He has the freedom to choose what he wants to do musically.....i.e., W.E.T., Solo, TSO. And I for one looooove the rock and the soul we're getting from him lately.

I guarantee you if Queen came a callin to sing the same Queen songs over and over he would grab it. At the end of the day it would give him high profile and major financial security.

[Deb]

JSS is a great singer, no doubt, and a tremendous frontman. You can't use the WET cd as a judge of his songwriting since he didn't write any of it, but his solo cds are pretty good, so he's got talent in that area also. Needless to say though, I'm of the opinion he would have shredded his voice given time on this catalogue since you'll NEVER break away from the hits this day and age. JSS may have been a good choice in 1987 when Journey could still get on the charts, and do a major reinvention ala Van Halen to the point you could do a lot of his songs in the set. It might have worked then. Now, you're better off with someone who is better suited to sing high-tenor range songs. JSS, for all his good points, is not that person.

Agree with most of this......and ya, was pissed when it first happened, but I totally think it is for the best now. JSS is much too creative to be stuck singing the same 12-15 songs year after year......would be a waste of his talents. And ya, it very well may have started shredding his voice to sing those early songs year after year too. He has the freedom to choose what he wants to do musically.....i.e., W.E.T., Solo, TSO. And I for one looooove the rock and the soul we're getting from him lately.

I guarantee you if Queen came a callin to sing the same Queen songs over and over he would grab it. At the end of the day it would give him high profile and major financial security.

True. And I think him and Brian May would make a great creative team and know for a fact he kills on the Queen songs or at least the 40+ that I've heard. Queen hasn't or isn't looking for somebody that sounds just like Freddie. And sorry just my opinion, but I just can't see Brian/Queen pulling the same crap with their frontmen as Journey has. Vocally and frontman-wise I will agree he is a better fit with Queen. But still think he gave Journey the shot of energy and the soulful vocal delivery that was missing. But water under the bridge now.......looks like all is well in both camps.

[Jana]

JSS is a great singer, no doubt, and a tremendous frontman. You can't use the WET cd as a judge of his songwriting since he didn't write any of it, but his solo cds are pretty good, so he's got talent in that area also. Needless to say though, I'm of the opinion he would have shredded his voice given time on this catalogue since you'll NEVER break away from the hits this day and age. JSS may have been a good choice in 1987 when Journey could still get on the charts, and do a major reinvention ala Van Halen to the point you could do a lot of his songs in the set. It might have worked then. Now, you're better off with someone who is better suited to sing high-tenor range songs. JSS, for all his good points, is not that person.

Agree with most of this......and ya, was pissed when it first happened, but I totally think it is for the best now. JSS is much too creative to be stuck singing the same 12-15 songs year after year......would be a waste of his talents. And ya, it very well may have started shredding his voice to sing those early songs year after year too. He has the freedom to choose what he wants to do musically.....i.e., W.E.T., Solo, TSO. And I for one looooove the rock and the soul we're getting from him lately.

I guarantee you if Queen came a callin to sing the same Queen songs over and over he would grab it. At the end of the day it would give him high profile and major financial security.

True. And I think him and Brian May would make a great creative team and know for a fact he kills on the Queen songs or at least the 40+ that I've heard. Queen hasn't or isn't looking for somebody that sounds just like Freddie. And sorry just my opinion, but I just can't see Brian/Queen pulling the same crap with their frontmen as Journey has. Vocally and frontman-wise I will agree he is a better fit with Queen. But still think he gave Journey the shot of energy and the soulful vocal delivery that was missing. But water under the bridge now.......looks like all is well in both camps.

Wait. To me, Steve Augeri's strength was in his soulful delivery of the songs, especially the new songs. So I don't see that it was missing. They were just missing live vocals by the end.

[Michigan Girl]

True. And I think him and Brian May would make a great creative team and know for a fact he kills on the Queen songs or at least the 40+ that I've heard. Queen hasn't or isn't looking for somebody that sounds just like Freddie. And sorry just my opinion, but I just can't see Brian/Queen pulling the same crap with their frontmen as Journey has. Vocally and frontman-wise I will agree he is a better fit with Queen. But still think he gave Journey the shot of energy and the soulful vocal delivery that was missing. But water under the bridge now.......looks like all is well in both camps.

Oh, I agree he'd be a GREAT Queen Frontman...not like Freddie, but he
does the songs justice!!! It could be a short stint, because JSS will probably
be around longer than the rest of them...but ohhh what a trip!!

[Deb]

Wait. To me, Steve Augeri's strength was in his soulful delivery of the songs, especially the new songs. So I don't see that it was missing. They were just missing live vocals by the end.

We'll just have to agree to disagree on this one. Nothing against SA or Arnel at all, I just thought JSS was easily the closest to Perry when it came to soulful delivery. One of the reasons why I love that song in my sig.

[Deb]

True. And I think him and Brian May would make a great creative team and know for a fact he kills on the Queen songs or at least the 40+ that I've heard. Queen hasn't or isn't looking for somebody that sounds just like Freddie. And sorry just my opinion, but I just can't see Brian/Queen pulling the same crap with their frontmen as Journey has. Vocally and frontman-wise I will agree he is a better fit with Queen. But still think he gave Journey the shot of energy and the soulful vocal delivery that was missing. But water under the bridge now.......looks like all is well in both camps.

Oh, I agree he'd be a GREAT Queen Frontman...not like Freddie, but he
does the songs justice!!! It could be a short stint, because JSS will probably
be around longer than the rest of them...but ohhh what a trip!!

LOL, if TSO ever gives him up. He's got more solos than any of the TSO vocalists this year and it sounds like they are snaggin' him for a Spring tour now too.

[Don]

True. And I think him and Brian May would make a great creative team and know for a fact he kills on the Queen songs or at least the 40+ that I've heard. Queen hasn't or isn't looking for somebody that sounds just like Freddie. And sorry just my opinion, but I just can't see Brian/Queen pulling the same crap with their frontmen as Journey has. Vocally and frontman-wise I will agree he is a better fit with Queen. But still think he gave Journey the shot of energy and the soulful vocal delivery that was missing. But water under the bridge now.......looks like all is well in both camps.

Oh, I agree he'd be a GREAT Queen Frontman...not like Freddie, but he
does the songs justice!!! It could be a short stint, because JSS will probably
be around longer than the rest of them...but ohhh what a trip!!

LOL, if TSO ever gives him up. He's got more solos than any of the TSO vocalists this year and it sounds like they are snaggin' him for a Spring tour now too.

What type of songs do they sing when they're not doing Christmas music?

[Deb]

True. And I think him and Brian May would make a great creative team and know for a fact he kills on the Queen songs or at least the 40+ that I've heard. Queen hasn't or isn't looking for somebody that sounds just like Freddie. And sorry just my opinion, but I just can't see Brian/Queen pulling the same crap with their frontmen as Journey has. Vocally and frontman-wise I will agree he is a better fit with Queen. But still think he gave Journey the shot of energy and the soulful vocal delivery that was missing. But water under the bridge now.......looks like all is well in both camps.

Oh, I agree he'd be a GREAT Queen Frontman...not like Freddie, but he
does the songs justice!!! It could be a short stint, because JSS will probably
be around longer than the rest of them...but ohhh what a trip!!

LOL, if TSO ever gives him up. He's got more solos than any of the TSO vocalists this year and it sounds like they are snaggin' him for a Spring tour now too.

What type of songs do they sing when they're not doing Christmas music?

Not all their stuff is Christmas music. Maybe based more around the new "Night Castle" cd.....

"Night Castle" is TSO's second non-Christmas rock opera, following "Beethoven's Last Night" in 2000. At is heart is the story of a U.S. Army special forces officer (Lt. William Crozier, voiced by former Journey and Yngwie Malsteen singer Jeff Scott Soto) and his journey to fight the Khmer Rouge in the early '70s Killing Fields of Cambodia. "It's an anti-evil album," explains O'Neill, who produced the album with Robert Kinkel. "What happened in Cambodia still breaks my heart. The things humans can do against humans never ceases to blow my mind, but somehow in the end good always wins and gives us hope. I think that resonates, especially with what's going on now in the world."

The "Night Castle" opera takes up 21 of the two-disc set's 26 songs and is fleshed out by a 68-page booklet featuring the artwork of TSO cohort Greg Hildebrandt. The five "bonus tracks" include "Nutrocker" and a rendition of Carl Orff's 1930s composition "Carmina Burana," both of which are works O'Neill says "were tremendous influences on us."

[Ehwmatt]

The "Night Castle" opera takes up 21 of the two-disc set's 26 songs and is fleshed out by a 68-page booklet featuring the artwork of TSO cohort Greg Hildebrandt. The five "bonus tracks" include "Nutrocker" and a rendition of Carl Orff's 1930s composition "Carmina Burana," both of which are works O'Neill says "were tremendous influences on us."[/i]

Nutrocker?

[steveo777]

True. And I think him and Brian May would make a great creative team and know for a fact he kills on the Queen songs or at least the 40+ that I've heard. Queen hasn't or isn't looking for somebody that sounds just like Freddie. And sorry just my opinion, but I just can't see Brian/Queen pulling the same crap with their frontmen as Journey has. Vocally and frontman-wise I will agree he is a better fit with Queen. But still think he gave Journey the shot of energy and the soulful vocal delivery that was missing. But water under the bridge now.......looks like all is well in both camps.

Oh, I agree he'd be a GREAT Queen Frontman...not like Freddie, but he
does the songs justice!!! It could be a short stint, because JSS will probably
be around longer than the rest of them...but ohhh what a trip!!

LOL, if TSO ever gives him up. He's got more solos than any of the TSO vocalists this year and it sounds like they are snaggin' him for a Spring tour now too.

What type of songs do they sing when they're not doing Christmas music?

lol
I was in my hometown the other day and my brother took me out north to show me what had changed over the last decade. We drove by a Christmas store and I asked how they survive the rest of the year. I figure if they can work 1 month and take the rest of the year off, they must be gouging people. Ya think?

[Andrew]

This is by far better than arnie and Journey. Damn did Neal totally fuck up with a decision he made in 2007.

Not even. Jss in Journey was so not the way to go. Journey made the right decision, 100%.
Their sales and exposure have totally proven that.

I think the best way to describe it is that the JSS line-up never got a chance to prove themselves under the conditions set up after his departure, but Arnel's inclusion certainly brought a lot of favorable publicity.

At the very least, it is now a proven fact that Journey may have missed an opportunity with JSS, but certainly have also gone on to be proven that Arnel was a great choice and they were lucky how things worked out.

[Behshad]

The "Night Castle" opera takes up 21 of the two-disc set's 26 songs and is fleshed out by a 68-page booklet featuring the artwork of TSO cohort Greg Hildebrandt. The five "bonus tracks" include "Nutrocker" and a rendition of Carl Orff's 1930s composition "Carmina Burana," both of which are works O'Neill says "were tremendous influences on us."[/i]

Nutrocker?

youre not 12 anymore Matt

[Ehwmatt]

The "Night Castle" opera takes up 21 of the two-disc set's 26 songs and is fleshed out by a 68-page booklet featuring the artwork of TSO cohort Greg Hildebrandt. The five "bonus tracks" include "Nutrocker" and a rendition of Carl Orff's 1930s composition "Carmina Burana," both of which are works O'Neill says "were tremendous influences on us."[/i]

Nutrocker?

youre not 12 anymore Matt

But I wish I was

[kgdjpubs]

LOL, if TSO ever gives him up. He's got more solos than any of the TSO vocalists this year and it sounds like they are snaggin' him for a Spring tour now too.

What type of songs do they sing when they're not doing Christmas music?

Not all their stuff is Christmas music. Maybe based more around the new "Night Castle" cd.....

"Night Castle" is TSO's second non-Christmas rock opera, following "Beethoven's Last Night" in 2000. At is heart is the story of a U.S. Army special forces officer (Lt. William Crozier, voiced by former Journey and Yngwie Malsteen singer Jeff Scott Soto) and his journey to fight the Khmer Rouge in the early '70s Killing Fields of Cambodia. "It's an anti-evil album," explains O'Neill, who produced the album with Robert Kinkel. "What happened in Cambodia still breaks my heart. The things humans can do against humans never ceases to blow my mind, but somehow in the end good always wins and gives us hope. I think that resonates, especially with what's going on now in the world."

The "Night Castle" opera takes up 21 of the two-disc set's 26 songs and is fleshed out by a 68-page booklet featuring the artwork of TSO cohort Greg Hildebrandt. The five "bonus tracks" include "Nutrocker" and a rendition of Carl Orff's 1930s composition "Carmina Burana," both of which are works O'Neill says "were tremendous influences on us."

btw, don't expect JSS to even sound REMOTELY similar to Perry/Journey on the TSO album. Totally different style of singing, and you have to listen hard to even figure out it's him on lead vox.

[brywool]

This is by far better than arnie and Journey. Damn did Neal totally fuck up with a decision he made in 2007.

Not even. Jss in Journey was so not the way to go. Journey made the right decision, 100%.
Their sales and exposure have totally proven that.

how do you know? They didnt release anything with JSS..but the concerts that summer with Def Leppard still did damn well.

Actually, they did that one song with him for the benefit, didn't they? Something about America which wasn't good. Regarding the concerts, I heard many of them. I heard one that I really liked the rest left me wondering why he was the choice for Journey? I hate to talk bad about JSS cuz I like him, just not with Journey. He doesn't have the range for it. Arnel does. The diction problem, while in some early performances, was a bit distracting (and in the Superbowl show was a let down) didn't take anything away (for me) from the guy's range, or soul. I've seen them live and hadn't been that psyched about them since the Perry days. I've seen both the DVDs, heard countless youtubes, and a few boots. The guy is the most capable of doing the catalog justice. With regards to his writing, nobody knows yet.

I just don't get all the JSS worship (with regards to Journey), and I don't get all the animosity directed at Pineda, especially when it's so over the top.

He did the one song with Neal that was awesome. Soul Sirkus was also cool. But it wasn't the Journey sound to me at all. Would've been decent, but it wouldn't have sounded like Journey. Journey with Arnel to me sounds like Journey.

[Jana]

This is by far better than arnie and Journey. Damn did Neal totally fuck up with a decision he made in 2007.

Not even. Jss in Journey was so not the way to go. Journey made the right decision, 100%.
Their sales and exposure have totally proven that.

how do you know? They didnt release anything with JSS..but the concerts that summer with Def Leppard still did damn well.

Actually, they did that one song with him for the benefit, didn't they? Something about America which wasn't good. Regarding the concerts, I heard many of them. I heard one that I really liked the rest left me wondering why he was the choice for Journey? I hate to talk bad about JSS cuz I like him, just not with Journey. He doesn't have the range for it. Arnel does. The diction problem, while in some early performances, was a bit distracting (and in the Superbowl show was a let down) didn't take anything away (for me) from the guy's range, or soul. I've seen them live and hadn't been that psyched about them since the Perry days. I've seen both the DVDs, heard countless youtubes, and a few boots. The guy is the most capable of doing the catalog justice. With regards to his writing, nobody knows yet.

I just don't get all the JSS worship (with regards to Journey), and I don't get all the animosity directed at Pineda, especially when it's so over the top.

He did the one song with Neal that was awesome. Soul Sirkus was also cool. But it wasn't the Journey sound to me at all. Would've been decent, but it wouldn't have sounded like Journey. Journey with Arnel to me sounds like Journey.

Yep.

[Deb]

LOL, if TSO ever gives him up. He's got more solos than any of the TSO vocalists this year and it sounds like they are snaggin' him for a Spring tour now too.

What type of songs do they sing when they're not doing Christmas music?

Not all their stuff is Christmas music. Maybe based more around the new "Night Castle" cd.....

"Night Castle" is TSO's second non-Christmas rock opera, following "Beethoven's Last Night" in 2000. At is heart is the story of a U.S. Army special forces officer (Lt. William Crozier, voiced by former Journey and Yngwie Malsteen singer Jeff Scott Soto) and his journey to fight the Khmer Rouge in the early '70s Killing Fields of Cambodia. "It's an anti-evil album," explains O'Neill, who produced the album with Robert Kinkel. "What happened in Cambodia still breaks my heart. The things humans can do against humans never ceases to blow my mind, but somehow in the end good always wins and gives us hope. I think that resonates, especially with what's going on now in the world."

The "Night Castle" opera takes up 21 of the two-disc set's 26 songs and is fleshed out by a 68-page booklet featuring the artwork of TSO cohort Greg Hildebrandt. The five "bonus tracks" include "Nutrocker" and a rendition of Carl Orff's 1930s composition "Carmina Burana," both of which are works O'Neill says "were tremendous influences on us."

btw, don't expect JSS to even sound REMOTELY similar to Perry/Journey on the TSO album. Totally different style of singing, and you have to listen hard to even figure out it's him on lead vox.

True. We've gotten quite a wide vocal range in projects from Jeff this year! From the highs on W.E.T. to the quite powerful, low range baritone sounding vocals on TSO's Night Castle.

[Deb]

Actually, they did that one song with him for the benefit, didn't they? Something about America which wasn't good. Regarding the concerts, I heard many of them. I heard one that I really liked the rest left me wondering why he was the choice for Journey? I hate to talk bad about JSS cuz I like him, just not with Journey. He doesn't have the range for it. Arnel does. The diction problem, while in some early performances, was a bit distracting (and in the Superbowl show was a let down) didn't take anything away (for me) from the guy's range, or soul. I've seen them live and hadn't been that psyched about them since the Perry days. I've seen both the DVDs, heard countless youtubes, and a few boots. The guy is the most capable of doing the catalog justice. With regards to his writing, nobody knows yet.

I just don't get all the JSS worship (with regards to Journey), and I don't get all the animosity directed at Pineda, especially when it's so over the top.

He did the one song with Neal that was awesome. Soul Sirkus was also cool. But it wasn't the Journey sound to me at all. Would've been decent, but it wouldn't have sounded like Journey. Journey with Arnel to me sounds like Journey.

And likewise Bry, some of us don't get all the Pineda worship, but to each his own. I have never once slammed Pineda in my JSS preference and never will, he's got a great voice and livin' his dream. What's to hate on? I mean heck, my favorite current lineup Journey members are Deen and Arnel, a lot of Schon and Cain's shenanigans still leave a bad taste in my mouth. Does Arnel's voice move me, no......but he's doing a good job on the Journey tunes, so all the power to him. Some wanted a new and energized Journey, some wanted an old-school Journey. Old school won out. Opinions for the most part aren't going to change.

And you can't really go on that Winds Of Freedom song for that Leesburg Virginia Centennial concert. He didn't have much to do with that song, besides laying down his vocals on it. Cain pumped that one out for that event. IMO the vocals were the only good thing about the whole song.

[Jana]

Actually, they did that one song with him for the benefit, didn't they? Something about America which wasn't good. Regarding the concerts, I heard many of them. I heard one that I really liked the rest left me wondering why he was the choice for Journey? I hate to talk bad about JSS cuz I like him, just not with Journey. He doesn't have the range for it. Arnel does. The diction problem, while in some early performances, was a bit distracting (and in the Superbowl show was a let down) didn't take anything away (for me) from the guy's range, or soul. I've seen them live and hadn't been that psyched about them since the Perry days. I've seen both the DVDs, heard countless youtubes, and a few boots. The guy is the most capable of doing the catalog justice. With regards to his writing, nobody knows yet.

I just don't get all the JSS worship (with regards to Journey), and I don't get all the animosity directed at Pineda, especially when it's so over the top.

He did the one song with Neal that was awesome. Soul Sirkus was also cool. But it wasn't the Journey sound to me at all. Would've been decent, but it wouldn't have sounded like Journey. Journey with Arnel to me sounds like Journey.

And likewise Bry, some of us don't get all the Pineda worship, but to each his own. I have never once slammed Pineda in my JSS preference and never will, he's got a great voice and livin' his dream. What's to hate on? I mean heck, my favorite current lineup Journey members are Deen and Arnel, a lot of Schon and Cain's shenanigans still leave a bad taste in my mouth. Does Arnel's voice move me, no......but he's doing a good job on the Journey tunes, so all the power to him. Some wanted a new and energized Journey, some wanted an old-school Journey. Opinions for the most part aren't going to change.

And you can't really go on that Winds Of Freedom song for that Leesburg Virginia Centennial concert. He didn't have much to do with that song, besides laying down his vocals on it. Cain pumped that one out for that event. IMO the vocals were the only good thing about the whole song.

You have never been over-the-top animosity ever re Arnel like some on here, Deb, and have actually wished the band well and gave credit where you felt due on clips instead of ignoring 200 great clips and pouncing on one clip with glee.

Re some wanting old school Journey versus some wanting new and energized, I feel we got both with Arnel. But like you said, we all have our own opinions on that.

[Michigan Girl]

And likewise Bry, some of us don't get all the Pineda worship, but to each his own. I have never once slammed Pineda in my JSS preference and never will, he's got a great voice and livin' his dream. What's to hate on? I mean heck, my favorite current lineup Journey members are Deen and Arnel, a lot of Schon and Cain's shenanigans still leave a bad taste in my mouth. Does Arnel's voice move me, no......but he's doing a good job on the Journey tunes, so all the power to him. Some wanted a new and energized Journey, some wanted an old-school Journey. Opinions for the most part aren't going to change.

And you can't really go on that Winds Of Freedom song for that Leesburg Virginia Centennial concert. He didn't have much to do with that song, besides laying down his vocals on it. Cain pumped that one out for that event. IMO the vocals were the only good thing about the whole song.

Bravissimo, Deb!!
Some of these Perry Pissers could learn a thingy or two (some AP pissers too)!!!

[bluejeangirl76]

a lot of Schon and Cain's shenanigans still leave a bad taste in my mouth.

Schonannigans.

[Jana]

a lot of Schon and Cain's shenanigans still leave a bad taste in my mouth.

Schonannigans.