New Kevin Shirley Interview

[Andrew]

So it sounds like Jon and Neal had a battle over ballads or rock. I'll bet there are at least 4 ballads on the new album. I noticed Kevin didn't allude to his opinion of the new album, so I also wonder what that means? You'd think he'd have been giving it props if it is any good. Maybe Schon and Pineda wanted it to rock harder and JC wanted sap.

I was emailing Kev about the Mr. Big album....I then asked about the Journey - but got no reply to that one

[Rockindeano]

So it sounds like Jon and Neal had a battle over ballads or rock. I'll bet there are at least 4 ballads on the new album. I noticed Kevin didn't allude to his opinion of the new album, so I also wonder what that means? You'd think he'd have been giving it props if it is any good. Maybe Schon and Pineda wanted it to rock harder and JC wanted sap.

Didn't he give it props before? It was, essentially, finished in the spring.

Could be he's thinking this is their last one..

Maybe. I think Neal was pushing harder this time for more rocking. So probably definitely creative differences. Jon's last blurb on his site seemed excited about the album, so I'm sure it all worked out in the end.

Jon also brimmed brightly when discussing the upholding of the legacy, and then immediately proceeded to lip sync Every Generation later that night. Yes, his words mean so much don't they?

[fredinator]

Odd because Kevin said this at the end of July:

Kevin Shirley, the band’s producer, reported in his blog that the studio recording is going very well and slammin’ 11 tracks were already recorded, “Neal is hell bent on rockin’ out and he’s quite a force to reckon with when he sets his mind on something… Arnel has been writing and singing up a storm.”

Shirley described the new Journey album as “the same deal, recording-wise, the difference is in the details. The new songs are very, very creative and rocking…. there is a theme to the entire album which is very sexy and very rocking – more will be revealed…”

Anyhoo, I hope Neal won!!

[Deb]

So it sounds like Jon and Neal had a battle over ballads or rock. I'll bet there are at least 4 ballads on the new album. I noticed Kevin didn't allude to his opinion of the new album, so I also wonder what that means? You'd think he'd have been giving it props if it is any good. Maybe Schon and Pineda wanted it to rock harder and JC wanted sap.

I was emailing Kev about the Mr. Big album....I then asked about the Journey - but got no reply to that one

And he was certainly propping the guys and the album all over facebook! Only took a few weeks, wham bam, done! Sounds like it was a good experience all the way around.

[Jana]

Odd because Kevin said this at the end of July:

Kevin Shirley, the band’s producer, reported in his blog that the studio recording is going very well and slammin’ 11 tracks were already recorded, “Neal is hell bent on rockin’ out and he’s quite a force to reckon with when he sets his mind on something… Arnel has been writing and singing up a storm.”

Shirley described the new Journey album as “the same deal, recording-wise, the difference is in the details. The new songs are very, very creative and rocking…. there is a theme to the entire album which is very sexy and very rocking – more will be revealed…”

Anyhoo, I hope Neal won!!

I knew he had said something great about the album.

[Saint John]

Only took a few weeks, wham bam, done!

Sounds like Escape and Frontiers. Journey made killer albums with free flowing creativity and impulse. Then someone got the idea that albums should be long, arduous endeavors and we were treated with 2 shit albums.

[brywool]

"...But I can tell you he's still a key component of the decision-making part of the band. Nothing gets played or released without Steve Perry signing off on it. I'm not privy to the details of their arrangement, but I can tell you this: if Steve Perry wanted to be back singing with Journey, everybody would find a way to make that happen."

Case in point why I DON'T have the utmost respect for Perry. If he's not in the band TODAY, then he needs to get outta the way of those who ARE in Journey. He's no longer a member. Other than the rehashes, why should he have ANY say in Journey post 1996? No wonder Neal hates him.

[Don]

"...But I can tell you he's still a key component of the decision-making part of the band. Nothing gets played or released without Steve Perry signing off on it. I'm not privy to the details of their arrangement, but I can tell you this: if Steve Perry wanted to be back singing with Journey, everybody would find a way to make that happen."

Case in point why I DON'T have the utmost respect for Perry. If he's not in the band TODAY, then he needs to get outta the way of those who ARE in Journey. He's no longer a member. Other than the rehashes, why should he have ANY say in Journey post 1996? No wonder Neal hates him.

How is Perry in the way? How has he stopped them from using any material that he doesn't co-own?

[brywool]

"...But I can tell you he's still a key component of the decision-making part of the band. Nothing gets played or released without Steve Perry signing off on it. I'm not privy to the details of their arrangement, but I can tell you this: if Steve Perry wanted to be back singing with Journey, everybody would find a way to make that happen."

Case in point why I DON'T have the utmost respect for Perry. If he's not in the band TODAY, then he needs to get outta the way of those who ARE in Journey. He's no longer a member. Other than the rehashes, why should he have ANY say in Journey post 1996? No wonder Neal hates him.

How is Perry in the way? How has he stopped them from using any material that he doesn't co-own?

The fact that he gets a vote is ridiculous (unless they were songs he was associated with). Read the bold quote above. Nothing. NOTHING?

[Michigan Girl]

"...But I can tell you he's still a key component of the decision-making part of the band. Nothing gets played or released without Steve Perry signing off on it. I'm not privy to the details of their arrangement, but I can tell you this: if Steve Perry wanted to be back singing with Journey, everybody would find a way to make that happen."

Case in point why I DON'T have the utmost respect for Perry. If he's not in the band TODAY, then he needs to get outta the way of those who ARE in Journey. He's no longer a member. Other than the rehashes, why should he have ANY say in Journey post 1996? No wonder Neal hates him.

How is Perry in the way? How has he stopped them from using any material that he doesn't co-own?

The fact that he gets a vote is ridiculous (unless they were songs he was associated with). Read the bold quote above. Nothing. NOTHING?

The songs people care about ...you know, from the SP era!!

[Saint John]

How is Perry in the way? How has he stopped them from using any material that he doesn't co-own?

His vote shouldn't matter on the shit he does have co-writing credits on, assuming the other 2/3rds vote otherwise. Say what you want, but I don't think Neal or Jon would ever stop him from singing any song in the Journey catalog at any time.

[brywool]

"...But I can tell you he's still a key component of the decision-making part of the band. Nothing gets played or released without Steve Perry signing off on it. I'm not privy to the details of their arrangement, but I can tell you this: if Steve Perry wanted to be back singing with Journey, everybody would find a way to make that happen."

Case in point why I DON'T have the utmost respect for Perry. If he's not in the band TODAY, then he needs to get outta the way of those who ARE in Journey. He's no longer a member. Other than the rehashes, why should he have ANY say in Journey post 1996? No wonder Neal hates him.

How is Perry in the way? How has he stopped them from using any material that he doesn't co-own?

The fact that he gets a vote is ridiculous (unless they were songs he was associated with). Read the bold quote above. Nothing. NOTHING?

The songs people care about ...you know, from the SP era!!

that's not what the quote said. Also, he was an equal share during the Augeri years. Again, Bullshit. If you want an equal share, do the work. You've already been paid for the prior things you've done. You're not out there working today, so you should not get an equal share. Royalties? yes. Touring cash? No.

[Ligzig]

that's not what the quote said. Also, he was an equal share during the Augeri years. Again, Bullshit. If you want an equal share, do the work. You've already been paid for the prior things you've done. You're not out there working today, so you should not get an equal share. Royalties? yes. Touring cash? No.

Have to agree, that is a dick move.

[Michigan Girl]

I don't care what the quote says ...I'm guessing SP doesn't give
a flip what the band does w/say Revelation material ...why would he?!?!

[Ligzig]

I don't care what the quote says ...I'm guessing SP doesn't give
a flip what the band does w/say Revelation material ...why would he?!?!

I don't think anyone is arguing that he does. What we are saying is that it's pretty fucked up if Perry gets a say in what is done with new material that he had no part of. Maybe he doesn't care enough to stop them, maybe he does....but the fact that he is allowed a vote at all, is bollocks.

[Michigan Girl]

I don't care what the quote says ...I'm guessing SP doesn't give
a flip what the band does w/say Revelation material ...why would he?!?!

I don't think anyone is arguing that he does. What we are saying is that it's pretty fucked up if Perry gets a say in what is done with new material that he had no part of. Maybe he doesn't care enough to stop them, maybe he does....but the fact that he is allowed a vote at all, is bollocks.

Perhaps he's as sentimental about a band that he helped take
to the highest possible level of success as Bry is about, oh say FernGully!! Let's think
about the seriousness of that!!

[Ligzig]

I don't care what the quote says ...I'm guessing SP doesn't give
a flip what the band does w/say Revelation material ...why would he?!?!

I don't think anyone is arguing that he does. What we are saying is that it's pretty fucked up if Perry gets a say in what is done with new material that he had no part of. Maybe he doesn't care enough to stop them, maybe he does....but the fact that he is allowed a vote at all, is bollocks.

Perhaps he's as sentimental about a band that he helped take
to the highest possible level of success as Bry is about, oh say FernGully!! Let's think
about the seriousness of that!!

Then maybe he should get his ass back in the band.

[Saint John]

I don't care what the quote says ...I'm guessing SP doesn't give
a flip what the band does w/say Revelation material ...why would he?!?!

I don't think anyone is arguing that he does. What we are saying is that it's pretty fucked up if Perry gets a say in what is done with new material that he had no part of. Maybe he doesn't care enough to stop them, maybe he does....but the fact that he is allowed a vote at all, is bollocks.

Perhaps he's as sentimental about a band that he helped take
to the highest possible level of success as Bry is about, oh say FernGully!! Let's think
about the seriousness of that!!

Then maybe he should get his ass back in the band.

They'd have to change their name to Jourvana. That's what they'd sound like.

[brywool]

I don't care what the quote says ...I'm guessing SP doesn't give
a flip what the band does w/say Revelation material ...why would he?!?!

I don't think anyone is arguing that he does. What we are saying is that it's pretty fucked up if Perry gets a say in what is done with new material that he had no part of. Maybe he doesn't care enough to stop them, maybe he does....but the fact that he is allowed a vote at all, is bollocks.

Perhaps he's as sentimental about a band that he helped take
to the highest possible level of success as Bry is about, oh say FernGully!! Let's think
about the seriousness of that!!

hahaha. I guess I should've wrote to James Cameron and yelled at him about how he completely ripped the story off from Ferngully. It's almost the same movie....

As for Journey- You can say "I don't think that's what he meant" but I'm going by the actual quote from Shirley and by Perry's history during the Augeri years.

And yeah, if he cares SO MUCH about Journey, and the "Ever Faithful Journey Fans" he needs to get his ass back in the band. Totally true. Otherwise WALK AWAY. It's no longer your band Steve. Do something of your own now.

I don't think Perry gives a rip about Journey or the fans. It's all about the cash. And that's fine, but don't give me the puppy dog droopy face whenever it's brought up. He knows what he's doing and more importantly, he knows what he can no longer do.

[Don]

Perry might have made a dick move but what he proved more than anything was the rest of the band was dickless.
Roger Waters (a founding member and the MAIN writer for the material of Pink Floyd) tried to do the same shit Perry did and Gilmour, Wright and Mason said fuck you, and they won!
Perry had none of the leverage that Waters had and the Pink Floyd case already had set precedent years before Journey's turmoil, yet Neal and Co. took the path of least resisitance.
If the band signed over the farm to him, and in essence made him a member for life, then that's on them. I have no sympathy for any of them but I do admire Perry's Business sense. His dick move was a gamble that paid off big time for himself. It actually works out for the band too because Perry is ten times the PR man that Schon is and can promote the band more in one interview then Schon can do in ten radio spots.

[Saint John]

Perry might have made a dick move but what he proved more than anything was the rest of the band was dickless.
Roger Waters (a founding member and the MAIN writer for the material of Pink Floyd) tried to do the same shit Perry did and Gilmour, Wright and Mason said fuck you, and they won!
Perry had none of the leverage that Waters had and the Pink Floyd case already had set precedent years before Journey's turmoil, yet Neal and Co. took the path of least resisitance.
If the band signed over the farm to him, and in essence made him a member for life, then that's on them. I have no sympathy for any of them but I do admire Perry's Business sense. His dick move was a gamble that paid off big time for himself. It actually works out for the band too because Perry is ten times the PR man that Schon is and can promote the band more in one interview then Schon can do in ten radio spots.

Good points, but I'll never admire a quitter.

[Ligzig]

It actually works out for the band too because Perry is ten times the PR man that Schon is and can promote the band more in one interview then Schon can do in ten radio spots.

I'm wondering if that's actually Perry being a good PR man, or the fact that 99% of Journey fans only know the name Steve Perry when they think of Journey. A.k.a, casual fans. Not really a fault of Schon, in that case.

[Don]

It actually works out for the band too because Perry is ten times the PR man that Schon is and can promote the band more in one interview then Schon can do in ten radio spots.

I'm wondering if that's actually Perry being a good PR man, or the fact that 99% of Journey fans only know the name Steve Perry when they think of Journey. A.k.a, casual fans. Not really a fault of Schon, in that case.

A little bit of both I would think. Schon's problem is every interview he does, once Perry enters the conversation, whatever is being promoted (tour, record) gets sidetracked. Neal should take notes from Mick Jones. That guy is in the same boat and sails through those awkward moments like a champ.

[Hippie]

From this interview.

Q: Did you have the feeling that Steve Perry and drummer Steve Smith were going to quit again? Which, of course, they did.


A: "No, I didn't. But you know, Steve Perry developed, and he reached the point where he…you know, people's voices change. You look at a guy like Robert Plant, who's doing his Alison Krauss thing now. In 1969 he was doing the Whole Lotta Love Thing, and he just doesn't do that anymore. Same thing with Steve Perry, who probably struggles to do Open Arms now. He was probably scared to go out there and have trouble doing what people wanted."

Case in point why I have the utmost respect for Perry....Who wants to see an aging singer with depleting talents trying to struggle through his songs night after night....people want to hear 'Album'. Perry used to be able to reproduce near studio quality songs in concert. Perry went out as close to 'on top' as you can. He was Barry Sanders, not Favre....

I could totally agree with what you're saying, but why not just let the band move on without him? A "passing of the torch" would have been classy. You know, like Rolie did.

My thoughts as well. I'd be even more impressed if I saw Perry point to songs like "Higher Place", "Change for the Better", etc. and say, "Ya know, I'm still mad at them, but those are some decent tunes. They did good there.". Or point to AP and say, "That guy's got some pipes."

Same with DDY in the Styx camp. No need to gush, but but give credit where credit's due. Now and then say, "Gotta admit, that one's alright!".

[Michigan Girl]

I don't care what the quote says ...I'm guessing SP doesn't give
a flip what the band does w/say Revelation material ...why would he?!?!

I don't think anyone is arguing that he does. What we are saying is that it's pretty fucked up if Perry gets a say in what is done with new material that he had no part of. Maybe he doesn't care enough to stop them, maybe he does....but the fact that he is allowed a vote at all, is bollocks.

Perhaps he's as sentimental about a band that he helped take
to the highest possible level of success as Bry is about, oh say FernGully!! Let's think
about the seriousness of that!!

hahaha. I guess I should've wrote to James Cameron and yelled at him about how he completely ripped the story off from Ferngully. It's almost the same movie....

As for Journey- You can say "I don't think that's what he meant" but I'm going by the actual quote from Shirley and by Perry's history during the Augeri years.

And yeah, if he cares SO MUCH about Journey, and the "Ever Faithful Journey Fans" he needs to get his ass back in the band. Totally true. Otherwise WALK AWAY. It's no longer your band Steve. Do something of your own now.

I don't think Perry gives a rip about Journey or the fans. It's all about the cash. And that's fine, but don't give me the puppy dog droopy face whenever it's brought up. He knows what he's doing and more importantly, he knows what he can no longer do.

That just puts him on the same level as his ex~bandmates, that's all!! We could go back and forth all century long, it
won't change a thing, why?!? Because this is a business decision made by a business and one of the businessmen was
just a head above the rest!! As a businesswoman, I am very impressed ...would love to see this man in action!!

[Don]

I see no need for these ex-members to validate their replacements. Accolades from the fans and the band's peers should be more than enough.

[S2M]

Perry, Arnel, Schon, and that fag Cain are obvious philosophers:

and all subscribe to Hedonistic Calculus..

http://www.moralphilosophy.info/hedonisticutilitarianism.html

[Ligzig]

I see no need for these ex-members to validate their replacements. Accolades from the fans and the band's peers should be more than enough.

Yeah, I agree with this. I mean, if Perry genuinely feels that way and ever wanted to respond in that way because he was touched, that's fine. I don't think he should respond giving Augeri/Soto/Arnel props just to appear classy.

[Ehwmatt]

I see no need for these ex-members to validate their replacements. Accolades from the fans and the band's peers should be more than enough.

Exactly... how many ex-wives/husbands look at their replacement and go... hey.... "Not as hot as me, but nice ass or tits on her!"

[Michigan Girl]

I see no need for these ex-members to validate their replacements. Accolades from the fans and the band's peers should be more than enough.

Exactly... how many ex-wives/husbands look at their replacement and go... hey.... "Not as hot as me, but nice ass or tits on her!"

LMAO!! Especially when they kicked your ass out!!