Well, it looks like Neal meant it this time!

[Don]

All of this comments about no ballads or limiting the ballads or all rockers. I guess hindsight is 20-300.

Since Perry joined the band, Journey has been a melodic band with a lot of ballads/slower songs.

Infinity had 6 ballads out of 10 tracks and opens with a ballad

Evolution has 6 out of 11 and 7 if you count Too Late which is essentially a ballad with a monster guitar solo.

Departure has 6 out of 12 though this album's rockers are some really rocking stuff.

Escape has 4 out of 10. This is with Jon Cain who always takes it on the chin for ballads.

Frontiers has 4 out of 10.

After this Perry started to take control and it got more mellow than ever. Arrival brought it back into more balance for Journey and Revalation is about the same.

I think the variety and the way it all ties together to sound like Journey is the magic I love. I am confident with Shirley at the helm they will again put out good product.

That was the Perry era of the band. Why not go with a different formula, now? Either way, they're still going to be playing Open Arms and Faithfully at their shows regardless. Why get stuck adding yet another slow song onto their setlist?

It's not about what they play in concerts. It's about an album that I will love. And without some midtempo ballads and ballads it won't be Journey for me. I loved the mixture. Sure, reduce it, but without some the album won't be great to me and won't have the magic like said above.

Of course, but what you want compared to what I want and compared to what others want are all different things. Like was alluded to earlier, if it comes off sounding like Hardline with crisper vocals, what is not to like about that?

I would really like to see the production stepped up on this effort. To me, TBF is the benchmark for all Journey albums when it comes to that and I'm not even a big fan of that particular release.
Revelation sounded like a Wal-Mart album which, after the great sonic work done on TBF and Arrival, should not have been the case.
Even the production on Neal's solo efforts Beyond The Thunder and Voice Is far superior to Journey last release.

[MrsPerry]

:lol: When I first read this I thought it said odd wench in the works!

i would happily be Neal's 'odd wench'.

[Jana]

I don't think it has to be all 'balls to the wall'. I just don't want a mellow record like TBF, or the original version of Arrival. WAY too ballad heavy for me. Had Arrival not been updated at the end, I wouldn't have played it nearly as much as I did. I hardly play TBF at all, though there are tracks that I go back to a lot, some of those are ballads (Easy to Fall- love that song).

Revelation (the new stuff) was a pretty balanced record. Jon has had his share of ballads over the years, and then some. In the end, I'm sure it will be a pretty balanced effort. Maybe, at this point, it's leaning more towards a heavy feel and as they get to the end, they'll realize that a slow tune might be cool.

Look at the first Hardline album with Neal. THAT was a great mixture of tunes. Not TOO heavy, not TOO soft. That one was just right for me. And the ballads were heavier ballads. Also... the production on that Hardline album was GREAT. Didn't Neal do that? Maybe he should handle the new Journey album. That Hardline album, sonically, was a brilliant album. His guitar sound was also perfect on that record.

I agree, Arrival, if they left it as originally done, would have had no kick. I am not asking for a TBF at all, just many on here want only like one ballad. I love midtempo songs with the Journey sound. I think it will be balanced, just more rocking throughout and more varied subject matter. If they truly are doing 15 songs, I'm not worried about that. But, on the other hand, that's a lot of songs, and I worry, if it's that long, there will be filler in there. Having said that, I am just happy to see these guys creating new music and actually showing passion for it and not going by the numbers. So I won't bitch too much. I still appreciate at this age the guys are thinking outside the box.

[brywool]

I don't think it has to be all 'balls to the wall'. I just don't want a mellow record like TBF, or the original version of Arrival. WAY too ballad heavy for me. Had Arrival not been updated at the end, I wouldn't have played it nearly as much as I did. I hardly play TBF at all, though there are tracks that I go back to a lot, some of those are ballads (Easy to Fall- love that song).

Revelation (the new stuff) was a pretty balanced record. Jon has had his share of ballads over the years, and then some. In the end, I'm sure it will be a pretty balanced effort. Maybe, at this point, it's leaning more towards a heavy feel and as they get to the end, they'll realize that a slow tune might be cool.

Look at the first Hardline album with Neal. THAT was a great mixture of tunes. Not TOO heavy, not TOO soft. That one was just right for me. And the ballads were heavier ballads. Also... the production on that Hardline album was GREAT. Didn't Neal do that? Maybe he should handle the new Journey album. That Hardline album, sonically, was a brilliant album. His guitar sound was also perfect on that record.

I agree, Arrival, if they left it as originally done, would have had no kick. I am not asking for a TBF at all, just many on here want only like one ballad. I love midtempo songs with the Journey sound. I think it will be balanced, just more rocking throughout and more varied subject matter. If they truly are doing 15 songs, I'm not worried about that. But, on the other hand, that's a lot of songs, and I worry, if it's that long, there will be filler in there. Having said that, I am just happy to see these guys creating new music and actually showing passion for it and not going by the numbers. So I won't bitch too much. I still appreciate at this age the guys are thinking outside the box.

I'd still like only ONE ballad!

[Jana]

I've only heard Shirley talk smack AFTER the creative process is over. The fact that he is going out of his way to mention it now while the album is being made strikes me as significant. It’s been mentioned before that Shirley likes to take multiple takes with Neal’s solos, while Neal just likes to tear it up from the gut.
Wonder if that could be the problem.

Neal said he kept quiet on Revelation with Shirley and acquiesced more, where they butted heads more on their last album together. I bet Neal is back to being feisty. I also bet Jonathan wants a few more ballad or midtempo tracks, if what they've put out so far is all rocking like Shirley said. Oh, well, creative tension can make the best music.

[brywool]

I've only heard Shirley talk smack AFTER the creative process is over. The fact that he is going out of his way to mention it now while the album is being made strikes me as significant. It’s been mentioned before that Shirley likes to take multiple takes with Neal’s solos, while Neal just likes to tear it up from the gut.
Wonder if that could be the problem.

Neal said he kept quiet on Revelation with Shirley and acquiesced more, where they butted heads more on their last album together. I bet Neal is back to being feisty. I also bet Jonathan wants a few more ballad or midtempo tracks, if what they've put out so far is all rocking like Shirley said. Oh, well, creative tension can make the best music.

Yeah, it'll be interesting to hear what they come up with. Cain's style has been out front a lot since 1981. There's room for both-- Hey Journey! Avoid butting heads and make a double album!!

[Arkansas]

I just want it to sound good. The sonic of TBF was far superior to Arrival & Revelation. I don't want it compressed & compacted, or muted & muddy. I want a loud, but finely tuned snare drum and melodic toms, not wet cardboard. I want to hear the actual metallic crispness of the cymbals. (Far too often cymbals get lost in the mix.)

I want powdery clean vocals, and bright dagger-like staccato piano/keys. I want thunderous bass, yet reined-in when need be, and never punchy.

The overall sonic needs to be open, but not too loose, & slightly echoed, with a little crunch. Please please don't over-process the guitars, or over-produce the album. I've always considered Journey's best sound was somewhere in the middle of Escape & Trial By Fire...maybe throw in a little Whitesnake, Heart, & Piranha Blues...

Not too much to ask, huh?


later~

[Jana]

I just want it to sound good. The sonic of TBF was far superior to Arrival & Revelation. I don't want it compressed & compacted, or muted & muddy. I want a loud, but finely tuned snare drum and melodic toms, not wet cardboard. I want to hear the actual metallic crispness of the cymbals. (Far too often cymbals get lost in the mix.)

I want powdery clean vocals, and bright dagger-like staccato piano/keys. I want thunderous bass, yet reined-in when need be, and never punchy.

The overall sonic needs to be open, but not too loose, & slightly echoed, with a little crunch. Please please don't over-process the guitars, or over-produce the album. I've always considered Journey's best sound was somewhere in the middle of Escape & Trial By Fire...maybe throw in a little Whitesnake, Heart, & Piranha Blues...

Not too much to ask, huh?


later~

LOL. You need to post this to Neal's facebook page.

[hoagiepete]

Wow Arkansas! If I ever start a Wine and Food Magazine, you're hired as a reviewer.

[Lerxst101]

I'm so tired of the same old formula that I'm really looking forward to hearing what they come up with on this one. We have so many ballads to choose from their catalogue, and some of the more recent ones have seemed to fit in the "heard that one before" mold, at least to my ears. I still think back to the day I first played "side 2" of Frontiers: "Wow! This is a great sound." The music was very different from what the band had done in quite a long time, and it was certainly welcomed enthusiastically by me. I mentioned that to Neal at BB Kings, when I saw him with Soul SirkUS. He agreed that one of the beauties of a record album was having two sides -- an artist could really divide up the songs and experiment on side 2. But I digress.

I love bands that continue to grow and push the boundaries. Rush, Dream Theater, Iron Maiden, and others are not afraid to expand and push their capabilities. Bands that churn out the same old songs/format often fizzle in the end. If nothing else with Journey, who really hasn't gotten that much airplay following their "traditional" format on the past few releases, I think it's incredibly healthy to just say, "F' it" and try something new. I would guess that it's Jonathan who would not be as pleased with a harder Journey sound, but I think it's Neal's time to experiment with the signature sound and see where it goes. In the end, I just look forward to new Journey music. But I'm hoping for a songs that I continue to go back to versus playing a few times and then forgetting.

Time will tell.

[Since 78]

I'm thinking this album is going to come off closer to a Neal Schon project than a Journey album, which I am totally cool with. As Neal said, He's tired of being on A/C setlists. They don't need to worry about having a hit on the radio anymore or even on the album charts for that matter. Just crank out something totally balls to wall as far as pace and energy and I'll be happy. Cain has gotten more mellow in his dotage and is probably miffed that he might not have another adult contempory hit ever again. I say good riddance. When rock groups intentionally aim for a hit on the A/C chart (Which Mick Jones admitted to with Foreigner's last release) it's time to hand in your balls and give up your title as a rock band and just admit that you're a pop act now.
Journey needs to chuck that yoke away one more time before it's all said and done so now is as good a time as any.

Well Said! Journey was once a Rock Band, they should go out like they came in!

Just say no to slow!

[Michigan Girl]

I just want it to sound good. The sonic of TBF was far superior to Arrival & Revelation. I don't want it compressed & compacted, or muted & muddy. I want a loud, but finely tuned snare drum and melodic toms, not wet cardboard. I want to hear the actual metallic crispness of the cymbals. (Far too often cymbals get lost in the mix.)

I want powdery clean vocals, and bright dagger-like staccato piano/keys. I want thunderous bass, yet reined-in when need be, and never punchy.

The overall sonic needs to be open, but not too loose, & slightly echoed, with a little crunch. Please please don't over-process the guitars, or over-produce the album. I've always considered Journey's best sound was somewhere in the middle of Escape & Trial By Fire...maybe throw in a little Whitesnake, Heart, & Piranha Blues...

Not too much to ask, huh?


later~

Yes ...but I like it!!

[Hollywood]

I'm thinking this album is going to come off closer to a Neal Schon project than a Journey album, which I am totally cool with. As Neal said, He's tired of being on A/C setlists. They don't need to worry about having a hit on the radio anymore or even on the album charts for that matter. Just crank out something totally balls to wall as far as pace and energy and I'll be happy. Cain has gotten more mellow in his dotage and is probably miffed that he might not have another adult contempory hit ever again. I say good riddance. When rock groups intentionally aim for a hit on the A/C chart (Which Mick Jones admitted to with Foreigner's last release) it's time to hand in your balls and give up your title as a rock band and just admit that you're a pop act now.
Journey needs to chuck that yoke away one more time before it's all said and done so now is as good a time as any.

Well Said! Journey was once a Rock Band, they should go out like they came in!

Just say no to slow!

I just don't get it I guess. Revelation had a lot more rock songs on it than any of the Perry era records, but is it better album than Frontiers and Escape? No. I don't understand what record y'all are talking about when you say Journey used to rock.

They just need to make a great Journey record. All rockers, all ballads, or freaking reggae!!! I don't really care as long as it is creative.


BTW... I agree with the Hardline comment....

[Jana]

I'm thinking this album is going to come off closer to a Neal Schon project than a Journey album, which I am totally cool with. As Neal said, He's tired of being on A/C setlists. They don't need to worry about having a hit on the radio anymore or even on the album charts for that matter. Just crank out something totally balls to wall as far as pace and energy and I'll be happy. Cain has gotten more mellow in his dotage and is probably miffed that he might not have another adult contempory hit ever again. I say good riddance. When rock groups intentionally aim for a hit on the A/C chart (Which Mick Jones admitted to with Foreigner's last release) it's time to hand in your balls and give up your title as a rock band and just admit that you're a pop act now.
Journey needs to chuck that yoke away one more time before it's all said and done so now is as good a time as any.

Well Said! Journey was once a Rock Band, they should go out like they came in!

Just say no to slow!

I just don't get it I guess. Revelation had a lot more rock songs on it than any of the Perry era records, but is it better album than Frontiers and Escape? No. I don't understand what record y'all are talking about when you say Journey used to rock.

They just need to make a great Journey record. All rockers, all ballads, or freaking reggae!!! I don't really care as long as it is creative.


BTW... I agree with the Hardline comment....

I agree with you, Hollywood. All the albums everyone on here loves with Perry have a number of ballads, like you posted. Well, I agree
almost with everything. Ixnay the reggae And they can do rockers like Hardline. Love them.

[brywool]

I just want it to sound good.
later~

I thought Perry's voice on TBF sounded terrible. They used mics that really distorted his voice. Other than that, it was decent sounding. This was supposedly in an effort to sound "current". Um... gimme a break.

[steveo777]

Keep posting, People! (In case the band reads here)

If they read what people post on the Journey official site, the album would be too ballad heavy.

[Don]

Screw those people . They couldn't pay 30 bucks to support Neal performing songs he helped create, yet they'll spend $100 to listen to Arnel sing Aerosmith covers. They get no fucking say in this.
You hear that Neal? As far as the new fan base is concerned, the buck stops at Arnel's door, not yours.

[Michigan Girl]

Screw those people . They couldn't pay 30 bucks to support Neal performing songs he helped create, yet they'll spend $100 to listen to Arnel sing Aerosmith covers. They get no fucking say in this.

+1 ...pinheads

[Jana]

Keep posting, People! (In case the band reads here)

If they read what people post on the Journey official site, the album would be too ballad heavy.

I want two ballads and two midtempo songs. Is that too much to ask out of a 15-song album?

[jrnyman28]

Hollywood, I think you may be confusing "slow or quiet" songs with "ballads". "Ballads", at least in Journey's case, are the much maligned sickeningly saccarine (sp) sweet lovey-dovey gobbledy-gook dredge that Jon Cain loves. It has worked in the past, but it has been done WAY too much. But give me a song like "Walking Away From The Edge" and I am all in. Not a "ballad", but a slow, incredibly emotional and powerful song. THAT is what has been missing lately!! Like "Mother, Father" or "Winds Of March"!!

[Don]

I'm expecting some six minute cuts In the vein of Winds Of March that alter the tempo within the song. Anything akin to adding a HSAS solo to Open Arms doesn't qualify as rocking, so please, no shortcuts Neal.

[portland]

Screw those people . They couldn't pay 30 bucks to support Neal performing songs he helped create, yet they'll spend $100 to listen to Arnel sing Aerosmith covers. They get no fucking say in this.

+1 ...pinheads

Agreed

[wednesday's child]

If Neal's calling the shots, and Arnel's writing any of it, there's a pretty good chance
the album won't sound like it's aimed at the Metamucil-and-prune-juice crowd. God
knows Deen would like harder material.

Still, I'm juuuuuust not getting my hopes up again.
Cain'll probably keep trying to necromance the $$$$-making ballads of years past,
and if the $$$$ argument prevails, Journey will just keep (pl)ucking that chicken.


wech

[brywool]

Screw those people . They couldn't pay 30 bucks to support Neal performing songs he helped create, yet they'll spend $100 to listen to Arnel sing Aerosmith covers. They get no fucking say in this.

+1 ...pinheads

Agreed

You saw Neal's show Portland? How was it?

Seems to me the ones that aren't supporting Journey now are the ones

who "get no fucking say in this."

[Jana]

I'm expecting some six minute cuts In the vein of Winds Of March that alter the tempo within the song. Anything akin to adding a HSAS solo to Open Arms doesn't qualify as rocking, so please, no shortcuts Neal.

Well, I will repeat my plea to Neal, in case he' s listening, please do something like this. My kind of music:

Troubled Child - http://www.youtube.com/v/sZZnFgTeWuQ&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel

[G.I.Jim]

I'm expecting some six minute cuts In the vein of Winds Of March that alter the tempo within the song. Anything akin to adding a HSAS solo to Open Arms doesn't qualify as rocking, so please, no shortcuts Neal.

Well, I will repeat my plea to Neal, in case he' s listening, please do something like this. My kind of music:

Troubled Child - http://www.youtube.com/v/sZZnFgTeWuQ&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel

One of my all-time favorite songs, and believe it or not... I think it's the hardest Journey song I ever learned while playing with Frontiers. This song kicked my ASS!!!

[Escape Artist]

Just in case the band does lurk here, I would like a few mid-tempo songs and a few mood altering tracks as well. No ballads is fine, just need an emotional hook in there. Hardline was great, but it ain't Journey.

[DrFU]

I'm expecting some six minute cuts In the vein of Winds Of March that alter the tempo within the song. Anything akin to adding a HSAS solo to Open Arms doesn't qualify as rocking, so please, no shortcuts Neal.

I found an HSAS DVD in a bin at the Dallas Guitar Festival ... rockin' good stuff!

[Jana]

Just in case the band does lurk here, I would like a few mid-tempo songs and a few mood altering tracks as well. No ballads is fine, just need an emotional hook in there. Hardline was great, but it ain't Journey.

I like all of your points.

[Don]

I'm expecting some six minute cuts In the vein of Winds Of March that alter the tempo within the song. Anything akin to adding a HSAS solo to Open Arms doesn't qualify as rocking, so please, no shortcuts Neal.

I found an HSAS DVD in a bin at the Dallas Guitar Festival ... rockin' good stuff!

It is good stuff. My point is about regurgitating older material into a song like Open Arms instead of writing something completely new to use as a patch. Doing the re-records seems to have made the band lazy, artistically.. what next, dropping the Winds Of March solo into After All These Years and calling it new and refreshing?

I have to have faith that the band will bring totally new arrangements to the songs that they want to extend this time around and just dump a few more ballads off of their setlists instead of trying to muscle them up.