Eclipse - Your Reviews

[Journey/Survivor]

Yes, I promise to not post any topless photos that are sent to me. Journey is counting on you, ladies!

[Gideon]

He'll get it here, too!! Cover your balls!!

The irony here being that the ones who usually suggest these sorts of things are the ones who are the most easily offended.

You never know, I could be TB forever84 ... woooo-ooooo-ooooooo!!!

I hope not, because that guy would do well taking your advice about bitching and moaning.

[Michigan Girl]

He'll get it here, too!! Cover your balls!!

The irony here being that the ones who usually suggest these sorts of things are the ones who are the most easily offended.

You never know, I could be TB forever84 ... woooo-ooooo-ooooooo!!!

I hope not, because that guy would do well taking your advice about bitching and moaning.

That would be whining and crying ...bitching and moaning is what makes this place a little
slice of heaven!! :wink:

[VirgilTheart]

He'll get it here, too!! Cover your balls!!

The irony here being that the ones who usually suggest these sorts of things are the ones who are the most easily offended.

You never know, I could be TB forever84 ... woooo-ooooo-ooooooo!!!

I don't know about that one, MG. First off, while both you and TB seem to share similar views, you actually seem to know something about maturity. Secondly, and not meaning to be rude here, but TB's writing on the rant comes across much better than yours here.

[Michigan Girl]

He'll get it here, too!! Cover your balls!!

The irony here being that the ones who usually suggest these sorts of things are the ones who are the most easily offended.

You never know, I could be TB forever84 ... woooo-ooooo-ooooooo!!!

I don't know about that one, MG. First off, while both you and TB seem to share similar views, you actually seem to know something about maturity. Secondly, and not meaning to be rude here, but TB's writing on the rant comes across much better than yours here.

We'll have to correct that, immediately!!

[Deb]

He'll get it here, too!! Cover your balls!!

The irony here being that the ones who usually suggest these sorts of things are the ones who are the most easily offended.

You never know, I could be TB forever84 ... woooo-ooooo-ooooooo!!!

I don't know about that one, MG. First off, while both you and TB seem to share similar views, you actually seem to know something about maturity. Secondly, and not meaning to be rude here, but TB's writing on the rant comes across much better than yours here.

Gotta love her, she's a passionate person, I share the same trait...........speak first, type later.

[VirgilTheart]

Gotta love her, she's a passionate person, I share the same trait. Speak first, type later.

Certainly. But part of what I mean is that MG has certain tell-tale mannerisms in her writing that makes me rather confident she isn't TB.

Such
as this, for example.

Not mention abusing the italics at times.

Either way, it's nothing I really consider to be wrong. But TB's writing did come across cleaner in this regard.

[Liquid_Drummer]

Hmm. I consider Arnel's voice to be rather full in comparison to Perry .

Are you on coke? Steve Perry has by far the strongest/heaviest/huskiest voice of all the past singers and the current one. Go listen to him speak at the HOF ceromony in Hollywood. Just talking you can tell how powerful it is. I dare you to throw any Pineda recording/song up against any song off Frontiers. It would pale considerably. When are you Tards going to ever learn- Pineda will never be as good as Perry in anything singing whatsoever. Nothing.

Notice I never challenged you on your Pineda v Augeri argument? Hell, I have a much stronger voice than that fucking clown.

Arnel COULD NOT sing Trouble Child with the power and fullness that Perry did. I could go on.

[ebake02]

Great album!! She's a mystery threw me for a loop, I wasn't expecting that turn.

[Saint John]

Hmm. I consider Arnel's voice to be rather full in comparison to Perry .

Are you on coke? Steve Perry has by far the strongest/heaviest/huskiest voice of all the past singers and the current one. Go listen to him speak at the HOF ceromony in Hollywood. Just talking you can tell how powerful it is. I dare you to throw any Pineda recording/song up against any song off Frontiers. It would pale considerably. When are you Tards going to ever learn- Pineda will never be as good as Perry in anything singing whatsoever. Nothing.

Notice I never challenged you on your Pineda v Augeri argument? Hell, I have a much stronger voice than that fucking clown.

Arnel COULD NOT sing Trouble Child with the power and fullness that Perry did. I could go on.

Arnel is still a slick, faily crystal clear tenor, a la Journey's vocals circa Escape. When/If he starts his downward vocal slide, he, too, will probably have more "fullness."

[Ehwmatt]

Ok, I spent a LONG time listening to this album on a cross-country road trip from Denver to Cleveland the past four days. Here is my song-by-song take for whatever it's worth to all of you:

Production/General/Random Stuff:

Interesting direction they've taken on the album both creatively and sonically. I am a big fan of all the layers and nuggets that await the dedicated and attentive listener, particularly on headphones. I love all the panning of the various guitars. The album sounds good to me. It's a step above the last few efforts. I also do not hear Arnel buried in the mix as some people apparently do. As far as the creative direction, this is obviously different for the band. It definitely works at times and doesn't work so well at other times. But I will not fault them for thinking outside the box. As a side note, Arnel did a great job on this album. I didn't notice any glaring diction issues this time around, and I hope he can keep it up for the live shows.

In the end, I think I have a pretty bifurcated view of this album. On one hand, I LOVE the musical direction they've gone in and really dig the musicianship. On the other hand, I can't help but lament the many missed opportunities I hear in many of the songs. I think Journey is talented enough to have gone in this musical direction while retaining their catchy hooks. And I feel like there are a lot of "near misses" on this album when it comes to just finishing a killer musical effort off with a great hook. But, I can almost definitively say that I will play this album a lot more than I played Revelation.


City of Hope: This song starts off promising. Cool riff, Arnel sounds very good, and then unfortunately, the song just sort of meanders. This song feels like a very musically talented young band that is a bit wet behind the ears in the songwriting department (which Journey of course isn't). I commented on this when the single came out, and feel the same way after hearing the extended version. The verse is very catchy and builds nicely. Then, you have a very strange chord progression leading into the chorus and the chorus just leaves you totally unsatisfied. There is no build and release of musical tension that we expect in pop-oriented music like Journey. The City of Hope "chorus" feels much more like a pre-chorus. There is simply no hook here. I might play this song on sunny day drives for a little while. But, it's not going to be a favorite. 4/10.

Edge of the Moment: Good song. Like many other points on this album (even the strongest parts), I feel like the song missed an opportunity to be huge, yet dark at the same time. The chorus just plods along a bit too much. That bizarre Neal wah riff that plays in the right channel during the chorus just sounds very odd and it distracts me from Arnel. But, the main intro and theme riffs and the overall groove will definitely keep me coming back to this song in the future. 7/10

Chain of Love: Good riffing and a pretty good song. The chain-chain-chain chant during the chorus honestly sounds hokey to me, but I do dig this song's overall feel. It's definitely fresh and new, but for some reason, that chorus hearkens back to the multiple shitstains that were Generations songs. I can't explain it. Maybe it's the intervals they use on the harmonies or whatever. Again, I feel like the songwriting does not do the music itself justice. But, it's fresh enough and different enough that I can see myself coming back for more and more. 6.5/10

Tantra: Seemingly one of, if not the most divisive song on the album when it comes to what we here think of it. I like it. Great piano from Cain to start off, a SINCERE vocal from Arnel (something his performances sometimes lack to my ears), and of course incredible work from Neal in the song's latter half. Everytime I have listened to this song so far, I have heard a new nuance(s) in Neal's lead playing. He plays right along with Arnel's vocals and it really brings you back to some of those magical, melodic Perry-Neal vocal/guitar exchanges. My three favorite genres are AOR, Prog Rock, and 70s power pop. This fits nicely into the prog category. I could easily see myself playing this song back-to-back with Dream Theater's The Spirit Carries On. Bombastic? Yes. But for me, as a prog fan, that's no worry. 8/10

Anything is Possible: My runaway favorite on the album, as I suspected from hearing the preview clips a month or so back. The song is nearly perfect Journey. Neal's intro solo is just fantastic. Melodic with a touch of shred added to taste (e.g., the pinch harmonics and the like). Arnel sounds great, even though this is the song where his old diction problems HINT at creeping in. It's catchy, uplifting, and the perfect summer, windows-down new Journey album anthem. I also love Neal's work during the chorus of the song, and of course, his work in the second half of the song. Even here, however, the otherwise fantastic chorus suffers from some amateur-sounding songwriting. The phrasing/amount of words in parts (e.g., "how you imagine your life") is just too much, and it comes off sounding a tad bit awkward. But, I just can't fault the song that much given how great it is musically. 10/10

Resonate: Oops, did I say AIP is my runaway favorite on the album? Scratch that. This is my co-favorite. Everything about this song just moves me. The atmospheric intro is great, Neal's moody leads are vintage, Deen does great work, Arnel sounds great, and even Ross does some nice work here (if that is him, and not Neal playing). This song just has so much to hear. You cannot hear it all in one, two, or even three listens. And you certainly can't hear it all without listening to it on a quality pair of headphones. Even on a great stereo system, you just won't hear the way certain things are masterfully panned left and right and the like. Just try it. This song is like early 90s Dream Theater meets Mother, Father. And that's perfect for me. 10/10

She's A Mystery: Not down with the love affair with this one. It's nice to hear Journey taking a stab at a mostly acoustic song, but it just doesn't work that well. The main riff itself has been done a million times (key of E, open strings, suspended chords and the like), and it just doesn't move me that much. The song also just meanders too long with the acoustic part. Finally, I don't even feel the jam session part of the song is as good as it's being made out to be. But maybe that's just because I'm so bored by the time it finally kicks in. At any rate, a nice try, but green songwriting ruins a decent idea. Just because I'm a prog music fan doesn't mean I want to hear songs that are pointlessly long. I feel this one is just that. 5/10

Human Feel: I've gone back and forth a lot on how I feel about this song. It's not a great song by any stretch of the imagination, but I do love the percussion, the organ, and Neal's chunky riff at the start. The chorus is a non-starter and again, it feels like you're listening to a band that has some talented players but has a lot to learn about songwriting. At this point in Journey's career, the members are far from wet behind the ears. A definite missed opportunity to make a really killer song, because musically it's there in parts. My opinion really changed from being indifferent towards the song to somewhat liking it when I used it to work out to at the gym. Not bad there because of the good elements (i.e., the percussion and Neal's main riff). 6.5/10

Ritual: I just don't get it. Not my thing. I just can't pin down why yet. 4/10

To Whom It May Concern: Not bad, but thematically sure to give some listeners unwelcome pause. Again, for some reason, I can't think of reasons to praise or critique it yet. I guess I just need a little more time. 6/10

Someone: The shortest and consequentially the most accessible song on the album to traditional fans. Definitely the most dated sounding song on the album, but that's all right. It's a solid AOR effort that doesn't quite match the brilliance of Anything is Possible for me. The chorus again feels like a missed opportunity to make a really killer song, as it is a "near-soaring" effort that is just suffering from a couple odd chord changes and melody directions in the vocal that prevent it from assuming a place in the Journey melodic song hall of fame. 7.5/10

Venus: I'm a Neal fan, and I like the way they reprise To Whom It May Concern here. Lends the album more prog credibility to my ears, as that is a common tactic among prog bands. Here, it's a very solid effort from Neal that kills The Journey from the Revelation record. I don't see traditional bubble gum Journey fans digging this any more than they dig anything from Kohoutek to The Journey to any other instrumental work in the Journey canon, but anytime I can hear Neal pushing himself creatively I'm all for it. Maybe they could have been a bit more ambitious with the keys here and reprised more of the album's melodic themes in order to give it a true prog feel. I think Cain was up to it. 8/10.

[Liquid_Drummer]

Just got home with it. On Track 4. Edge of The Moment kicks ass. The one thats on now sounds like the scary piano from Halloween. HEhe.

Now I hear that this song has a bit of a Kashmir feel before the 1st bridge. (Duh its Chain of Love....

[Liquid_Drummer]

So far some very good moments on the album. Thing is, I hear Cain's influence and I dont like it. He is all cheeseball these days. I think Neal wrote most of the verses, bridges and Cain the chorus parts. I keep hearing great verses and cookie cutter pasted on choruses. The chord changes in a lot of these chorus parts has Cain stamped all over them. I wish he would stop watering down the sound. Rollie, please come back and put this cheese lyric, no soul clown out to pasture. You CAN NOT have a true rocking album with Jon Cain on it. That is like saying Air Supply rocks. We know that is just impossible. This album might have some heavy guitars but it lacks soul BIG TIME. Sorry.

[steveo777]

So far some very good moments on the album. Thing is, I hear Cain's influence and I dont like it. He is all cheeseball these days. I think Neal wrote most of the verses, bridges and Cain the chorus parts. I keep hearing great verses and cookie cutter pasted on choruses. The chord changes in a lot of these chorus parts has Cain stamped all over them. I wish he would stop watering down the sound. Rollie, please come back and put this cheese lyric, no soul clown out to pasture. You CAN NOT have a true rocking album with Jon Cain on it. That is like saying Air Supply rocks. We know that is just impossible.

Ugh Huh. I'm sure Cain had nothing to do the band's huge success going forward from Rollie.
Some of you guys are nuts. Cain is and has been an integral part of Journey's success. Can't deny that, dude!
As much as I like Neal's playing, he ain't the composer in this band.

[Don]

Did I miss Tito's review? Did ICE scare him into hiding?

[Gideon]

Rollie, please come back and put this cheese lyric, no soul clown out to pasture.

Rock? Rolie? I guess your copies of the pre-Cain stuff sounds different from mine, because I'm thinking of songs like "Do You Recall" and "Someday Soon" and "Opened the Door" (all Rolie co-written) and comparing them to songs co-written by Cain, like "Stone In Love", "Separate Ways", "Edge of the Blade", etc. Yeah, Rolie's definitely a rocker.

[Ehwmatt]

So far some very good moments on the album. Thing is, I hear Cain's influence and I dont like it. He is all cheeseball these days. I think Neal wrote most of the verses, bridges and Cain the chorus parts. I keep hearing great verses and cookie cutter pasted on choruses. The chord changes in a lot of these chorus parts has Cain stamped all over them. I wish he would stop watering down the sound. Rollie, please come back and put this cheese lyric, no soul clown out to pasture. You CAN NOT have a true rocking album with Jon Cain on it. That is like saying Air Supply rocks. We know that is just impossible. This album might have some heavy guitars but it lacks soul BIG TIME. Sorry.

Like I said in my review, I really like the direction the album goes in overall. But, there are countless "missed opportunities" in terms of the songwriting - anything from the melody to the choice of words in vocal phrases to some chord changes in certain parts that detract from what could have been absolutely killer songs. But cheesy lyrics alone don't bother me.

I think you're being overly harsh on Cain. Somehow I really doubt that Neal and Cain pasted their own songwriting onto each other over and over for each chorus. By all accounts, Cain was frustrated at his role in this album's creative process. If he really wrote every single or even most choruses, I don't see him being that frustrated with his role. Additionally, I do think he played a good role on this album. His keys on Tantra are top notch, the atmospheric keys on Resonate are similarly fantastic, and thankfully we were spared the sugary sweet piano riffs of old.

Don't get me wrong, I think the overall songcrafting conspicuously suffers at various points on the album, but to heap the blame for that exclusively on Cain is unfair.

[koberry]

Ok, I spent a LONG time listening to this album on a cross-country road trip from Denver to Cleveland the past four days. Here is my song-by-song take for whatever it's worth to all of you:

Production/General/Random Stuff:

Interesting direction they've taken on the album both creatively and sonically. I am a big fan of all the layers and nuggets that await the dedicated and attentive listener, particularly on headphones. I love all the panning of the various guitars. The album sounds good to me. It's a step above the last few efforts. I also do not hear Arnel buried in the mix as some people apparently do. As far as the creative direction, this is obviously different for the band. It definitely works at times and doesn't work so well at other times. But I will not fault them for thinking outside the box. As a side note, Arnel did a great job on this album. I didn't notice any glaring diction issues this time around, and I hope he can keep it up for the live shows.

In the end, I think I have a pretty bifurcated view of this album. On one hand, I LOVE the musical direction they've gone in and really dig the musicianship. On the other hand, I can't help but lament the many missed opportunities I hear in many of the songs. I think Journey is talented enough to have gone in this musical direction while retaining their catchy hooks. And I feel like there are a lot of "near misses" on this album when it comes to just finishing a killer musical effort off with a great hook. But, I can almost definitively say that I will play this album a lot more than I played Revelation.


City of Hope: This song starts off promising. Cool riff, Arnel sounds very good, and then unfortunately, the song just sort of meanders. This song feels like a very musically talented young band that is a bit wet behind the ears in the songwriting department (which Journey of course isn't). I commented on this when the single came out, and feel the same way after hearing the extended version. The verse is very catchy and builds nicely. Then, you have a very strange chord progression leading into the chorus and the chorus just leaves you totally unsatisfied. There is no build and release of musical tension that we expect in pop-oriented music like Journey. The City of Hope "chorus" feels much more like a pre-chorus. There is simply no hook here. I might play this song on sunny day drives for a little while. But, it's not going to be a favorite. 4/10.

Edge of the Moment: Good song. Like many other points on this album (even the strongest parts), I feel like the song missed an opportunity to be huge, yet dark at the same time. The chorus just plods along a bit too much. That bizarre Neal wah riff that plays in the right channel during the chorus just sounds very odd and it distracts me from Arnel. But, the main intro and theme riffs and the overall groove will definitely keep me coming back to this song in the future. 7/10

Chain of Love: Good riffing and a pretty good song. The chain-chain-chain chant during the chorus honestly sounds hokey to me, but I do dig this song's overall feel. It's definitely fresh and new, but for some reason, that chorus hearkens back to the multiple shitstains that were Generations songs. I can't explain it. Maybe it's the intervals they use on the harmonies or whatever. Again, I feel like the songwriting does not do the music itself justice. But, it's fresh enough and different enough that I can see myself coming back for more and more. 6.5/10

Tantra: Seemingly one of, if not the most divisive song on the album when it comes to what we here think of it. I like it. Great piano from Cain to start off, a SINCERE vocal from Arnel (something his performances sometimes lack to my ears), and of course incredible work from Neal in the song's latter half. Everytime I have listened to this song so far, I have heard a new nuance(s) in Neal's lead playing. He plays right along with Arnel's vocals and it really brings you back to some of those magical, melodic Perry-Neal vocal/guitar exchanges. My three favorite genres are AOR, Prog Rock, and 70s power pop. This fits nicely into the prog category. I could easily see myself playing this song back-to-back with Dream Theater's The Spirit Carries On. Bombastic? Yes. But for me, as a prog fan, that's no worry. 8/10

Anything is Possible: My runaway favorite on the album, as I suspected from hearing the preview clips a month or so back. The song is nearly perfect Journey. Neal's intro solo is just fantastic. Melodic with a touch of shred added to taste (e.g., the pinch harmonics and the like). Arnel sounds great, even though this is the song where his old diction problems HINT at creeping in. It's catchy, uplifting, and the perfect summer, windows-down new Journey album anthem. I also love Neal's work during the chorus of the song, and of course, his work in the second half of the song. Even here, however, the otherwise fantastic chorus suffers from some amateur-sounding songwriting. The phrasing/amount of words in parts (e.g., "how you imagine your life") is just too much, and it comes off sounding a tad bit awkward. But, I just can't fault the song that much given how great it is musically. 10/10

Resonate: Oops, did I say AIP is my runaway favorite on the album? Scratch that. This is my co-favorite. Everything about this song just moves me. The atmospheric intro is great, Neal's moody leads are vintage, Deen does great work, Arnel sounds great, and even Ross does some nice work here (if that is him, and not Neal playing). This song just has so much to hear. You cannot hear it all in one, two, or even three listens. And you certainly can't hear it all without listening to it on a quality pair of headphones. Even on a great stereo system, you just won't hear the way certain things are masterfully panned left and right and the like. Just try it. This song is like early 90s Dream Theater meets Mother, Father. And that's perfect for me. 10/10

She's A Mystery: Not down with the love affair with this one. It's nice to hear Journey taking a stab at a mostly acoustic song, but it just doesn't work that well. The main riff itself has been done a million times (key of E, open strings, suspended chords and the like), and it just doesn't move me that much. The song also just meanders too long with the acoustic part. Finally, I don't even feel the jam session part of the song is as good as it's being made out to be. But maybe that's just because I'm so bored by the time it finally kicks in. At any rate, a nice try, but green songwriting ruins a decent idea. Just because I'm a prog music fan doesn't mean I want to hear songs that are pointlessly long. I feel this one is just that. 5/10

Human Feel: I've gone back and forth a lot on how I feel about this song. It's not a great song by any stretch of the imagination, but I do love the percussion, the organ, and Neal's chunky riff at the start. The chorus is a non-starter and again, it feels like you're listening to a band that has some talented players but has a lot to learn about songwriting. At this point in Journey's career, the members are far from wet behind the ears. A definite missed opportunity to make a really killer song, because musically it's there in parts. My opinion really changed from being indifferent towards the song to somewhat liking it when I used it to work out to at the gym. Not bad there because of the good elements (i.e., the percussion and Neal's main riff). 6.5/10

Ritual: I just don't get it. Not my thing. I just can't pin down why yet. 4/10

To Whom It May Concern: Not bad, but thematically sure to give some listeners unwelcome pause. Again, for some reason, I can't think of reasons to praise or critique it yet. I guess I just need a little more time. 6/10

Someone: The shortest and consequentially the most accessible song on the album to traditional fans. Definitely the most dated sounding song on the album, but that's all right. It's a solid AOR effort that doesn't quite match the brilliance of Anything is Possible for me. The chorus again feels like a missed opportunity to make a really killer song, as it is a "near-soaring" effort that is just suffering from a couple odd chord changes and melody directions in the vocal that prevent it from assuming a place in the Journey melodic song hall of fame. 7.5/10

Venus: I'm a Neal fan, and I like the way they reprise To Whom It May Concern here. Lends the album more prog credibility to my ears, as that is a common tactic among prog bands. Here, it's a very solid effort from Neal that kills The Journey from the Revelation record. I don't see traditional bubble gum Journey fans digging this any more than they dig anything from Kohoutek to The Journey to any other instrumental work in the Journey canon, but anytime I can hear Neal pushing himself creatively I'm all for it. Maybe they could have been a bit more ambitious with the keys here and reprised more of the album's melodic themes in order to give it a true prog feel. I think Cain was up to it. 8/10.

Good review. I tend to think that Eclipse is greater than the sum of its parts. Wondering, while at a glance your scores seem to average out to 6-ish/10, does the disc in its entirety measure higher than that for you? Or is it pretty much meh?

[Eric]

Ehwmatt:

AMAZING review!

[Liquid_Drummer]

Rollie, please come back and put this cheese lyric, no soul clown out to pasture.

Rock? Rolie? I guess your copies of the pre-Cain stuff sounds different from mine, because I'm thinking of songs like "Do You Recall" and "Someday Soon" and "Opened the Door" (all Rolie co-written) and comparing them to songs co-written by Cain, like "Stone In Love", "Separate Ways", "Edge of the Blade", etc. Yeah, Rolie's definitely a rocker.

Did you listen to anything before Perry joined ? I think Cain, Perry and Schon had chemistry (duh) and we got the dirty dozen. Cain without Perry and vice versa just doesnt get close. I like a few things on the album but the lyrics are killing me.

I dont like lyrics that make me feel like I am at a motivational seminar like Anything Is Possible. Dont like that one at all. SO far I do like about 30% of the album. Chain of Love is really nice. Kashmir-ish feel.

Maybe I am hard on Cain. I feel that I can hear his bits from hearing them for so long vs Neal.

[Gideon]

Did you listen to anything before Perry joined ? I think Cain, Perry and Schon had chemistry (duh) and we got the dirty dozen. Cain without Perry and vice versa just doesnt get close. I like a few things on the album but the lyrics are killing me.

I dont like lyrics that make me feel like I am at a motivational seminar like Anything Is Possible. Dont like that one at all. SO far I do like about 30% of the album. Chain of Love is really nice. Kashmir-ish feel.

Maybe I am hard on Cain. I feel that I can hear his bits from hearing them for so long vs Neal.

I have listened to pre-Perry material, but that route would sell far less than even the gamble that is Eclipse. Rolie's a great musician, but when it comes to songs that are centered around vocals to any great extent, his rock output in Journey lags miles behind what Journey did with Cain.

[Journey/Survivor]

And you call yourselves fans???

I have yet to receive one topless photo of any of the Ladies of MR. That bonus track only plays for those ladies that send me a topless photo of themselves.


By the way. In addition to the bonus track....I just received a phone-call from Steve Perry. Steve has promised to do a reunion album and tour with Journey if at least 3 of the MR ladies send me a topless photo of them-self.

[Liquid_Drummer]

Did you listen to anything before Perry joined ? I think Cain, Perry and Schon had chemistry (duh) and we got the dirty dozen. Cain without Perry and vice versa just doesnt get close. I like a few things on the album but the lyrics are killing me.

I dont like lyrics that make me feel like I am at a motivational seminar like Anything Is Possible. Dont like that one at all. SO far I do like about 30% of the album. Chain of Love is really nice. Kashmir-ish feel.

Maybe I am hard on Cain. I feel that I can hear his bits from hearing them for so long vs Neal.

I have listened to pre-Perry material, but that route would sell far less than even the gamble that is Eclipse. Rolie's a great musician, but when it comes to songs that are centered around vocals to any great extent, his rock output in Journey lags miles behind what Journey did with Cain.

When I think of Rollie I think of People and Places which has always been my favorite Journey song since hearing that in the back seat of my sisters boyfriends car when it was new and I was 7 maybe. That organ intro... To this day grabs me like it always did. Huge fan of every Journey record (yes I said record) all the way to ROR. Cain was the commercial magic bullet no doubt and we got some killer deep cuts from him too. The musician in me appreciates the Rollie era more. The rawness, them finding their way. I guess I was hoping for more of a leap..

Its growing on me though... I am hearing some of the best Journey since Ror and I dont even know which song it is as the cd is playing now..

[Liquid_Drummer]

I must add I think the verse sections of Let Someone Love You sound rollie era. Fuck me I spoke too soon.

ARNEL SOUNDS FUCKING AMAZING !! You cant pro tools that. He has had training and smoothed out his voice big time. I never had a problem with diction myself. Damn his tenor is sounding fat and full. Arnel doesnt use head voice much does he ? I always seem to hear him in chest voice even in his higher registers.

HOWEVER.

Like almost every damn recording this one is mastered mighty hot. VU meters on my audio rig are nailing 0db for those that know what I mean. In laymans terms, the album is too loud. This causes problems with dynamics. The difference between the most subtle, quite sound on the cd and the loudest most bombastic moment should be drastically different in volume but since there is so much damn compression the ceiling is lowered and the music doesnt have as much room to expand and contract. You dont hear this issue on any Journey records prior to 2001. Then it became an industry plague that lives on here. Anyone hear Rush's Vapor trails ? There was AUDIBLE distortion on the retail cd ?!?!

This isnt that bad but the overall recording and mastering on this record is par for the course for 2011. Nice and clear with a great mix but just mastered too damn loud like everything else now.

[Saint John]

ARNEL SOUNDS FUCKING AMAZING !! You cant pro tools that. He has had training and smoothed out his voice big time. I never had a problem with diction myself. Damn his tenor is sounding fat and full. Arnel doesnt use head voice much does he ? I always seem to hear him in chest voice even in his higher registers.



... the overall recording and mastering on this record is par for the course for 2011. Nice and clear with a great mix but just mastered too damn loud like everything else now.

LD, I *thought* I had found a few errors with the mixing and a skip, but the gentleman that mixed the album, David Kalmusky, sent me this explanation. I think it's impressive as hell, to say the least. It really gets into some of what you're talking about. And I think the loudness problem you're having is because concerts ARE loud. Explanation:

"We did NOT "Chop up" and "Perfect" this record, Quantizing, editing, Auto Tuning, Fixing performance on the computer..... that was not part of the agenda of this record.

This record, is as human as you can possibly make a record these days, and if we put it under the microscope, there are lots of pick noises, moments where it might rush a bit, and lay back a bit, Arnel's vocal may crack a little, or fall naturally off Pitch... It's part of the experience the Band, and Kevin want you to have with this record. to really hear these guys, and their musicianship. Like a concert, or an experience...It's full of alot of really cool "Honest" musical moments, that really show you just how great these guys are. There's nothing "Clinical" about this record, So... it's not bound to be "Perfect."

[perryswoman]

My wife doesn't like this album. She says it rocks too hard. She asked where are Cain's
beautiful melodies and ballads? I love this album. I think we're gonna get divorced.
Thanks Journey!

llol!!!!!!! Well after going to 3 walmarts I finally found it in walmart in charleston sc! I won't rave about those idiots again this year! This cd rocks!!!!! A million times better than revelation! Resnate, She's a mystery, and chain of love my favs so far. Best cd in years!!!!!!!!! All that bitching and moaning in studio paid off

[Jana]

ARNEL SOUNDS FUCKING AMAZING !! You cant pro tools that. He has had training and smoothed out his voice big time. I never had a problem with diction myself. Damn his tenor is sounding fat and full. Arnel doesnt use head voice much does he ? I always seem to hear him in chest voice even in his higher registers.



... the overall recording and mastering on this record is par for the course for 2011. Nice and clear with a great mix but just mastered too damn loud like everything else now.

LD, I *thought* I had found a few errors with the mixing and a skip, but the gentleman that mixed the album, David Kalmusky, sent me this explanation. I think it's impressive as hell, to say the least. It really gets into some of what you're talking about. And I think the loudness problem you're having is because concerts ARE loud. Explanation:

"We did NOT "Chop up" and "Perfect" this record, Quantizing, editing, Auto Tuning, Fixing performance on the computer..... that was not part of the agenda of this record.

This record, is as human as you can possibly make a record these days, and if we put it under the microscope, there are lots of pick noises, moments where it might rush a bit, and lay back a bit, Arnel's vocal may crack a little, or fall naturally off Pitch... It's part of the experience the Band, and Kevin want you to have with this record. to really hear these guys, and their musicianship. Like a concert, or an experience...It's full of alot of really cool "Honest" musical moments, that really show you just how great these guys are. There's nothing "Clinical" about this record, So... it's not bound to be "Perfect."

Really fascinating info, and very nice of him to share with the fans.

[amaron]

I am not feeling this album. I kinda like City of Hope and I like Resonate, but that is it. Many times I found myself listening to a lot of these songs and wondering when they were going to end.

I can't pinpoint the reason I don't like it, I just don't. Everything sounds good, it just doesn't touch me.

[brywool]

Arnel COULD NOT sing Trouble Child with the power and fullness that Perry did. I could go on.

I don't agree.

[steveo777]

Hmm. I consider Arnel's voice to be rather full in comparison to Perry .

Are you on coke? Steve Perry has by far the strongest/heaviest/huskiest voice of all the past singers and the current one. Go listen to him speak at the HOF ceromony in Hollywood. Just talking you can tell how powerful it is. I dare you to throw any Pineda recording/song up against any song off Frontiers. It would pale considerably. When are you Tards going to ever learn- Pineda will never be as good as Perry in anything singing whatsoever. Nothing.

Notice I never challenged you on your Pineda v Augeri argument? Hell, I have a much stronger voice than that fucking clown.

Arnel COULD NOT sing Trouble Child with the power and fullness that Perry did. I could go on.

Horse shit. Arnel can sing anything Perry sang. No doubt in my mind about his vocal range.
Whether he could "deliver" as well, is a different question.