Some have stopped believing in Journey

[tater1977]

Some have stopped believing in Journey

By Alan Sculley

Virginian-Pilot correspondent
© September 27, 2012

http://hamptonroads.com/2012/09/some-ha ... ng-journey

Ever since Journey reformed in 1998 without singer Steve Perry, the band has had to deal with the fact that someone else is singing its signature classic rock hits like “Don’t Stop Believin’,” “Open Arms,” “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)” and “Anyway You Want It.”

As the band tours its way toward Tuesday night’s gig at the Ted Constant Convocation Center in Norfolk, with Pat Benatar and Loverboy, Perry’s shadow perhaps looms larger than ever. Credit that to Journey’s renewed popularity after having its Perry-led music featured in popular TV shows like “The Sopranos” and “Glee.”

The exposure has provided the veteran band with new fans, some who don’t even know about the Perry divide or that the band is on its third singer since then in Arnel Pineda. And there are a significant number of fans who want Perry back and haven’t fully accepted Journey in its current form.

“You still have haters out there – sure you do,” said Deen Castronovo, the band’s drummer, noting that he understands their feelings. “I’ve said it in a million interviews. Steve Perry is a god to me. … I mean, to me he’s one of the greatest singers of my generation, and the fans feel the same way, some of them.”

And some of them don’t feel the same way about Pineda.

“Yeah, they can be kind of nasty. They can be rough, and you see the reviews,” Castronovo said. “We have a lot of racial things sometimes (aimed at Pineda, who is from the Philippines), and that’s kind of tough. We have a lot of ‘Journey without Steve Perry is a karaoke band.’ OK, if that’s what you feel, but you know what, we still go out there and we deliver.”

Just to clarify, the band is fully behind the 44-year-old Pineda, who was discovered by Journey through YouTube.

“Let’s put it this way, if Arnel decides to leave this band, the band is done,” Castronovo said. “We’re not going to go find another singer. It’s just silly to do that.”

Besides, the recent history isn’t too good for Journey and vocalists. And when “The Sopranos” HBO series ended in 2007 by playing Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin,’ ” the band didn’t even have a singer to capitalize on the renewed interest. So, after a search, they hired Pineda. It’s been a good union.

“He goes out there and he gives it his all, he really does. And we respect him and love him like a brother, and I think he knows that. He feels that with us. … The chemistry is right. And with other singers, the chemistry wasn’t as good. When he came in and auditioned, dude, we knew.”



Journey without Perry, though, didn’t return to arena-filling popularity right away.

“I remember Jonathan (Cain, keyboardist) saying, ‘You know what, we have to re-educate the people. This is not going to be easy,’ ” Castronovo said. “We were playing to 1,500 people a night, and they were all arms-crossed, going, ‘There’s no way that this band is going to sound good without Steve Perry.’ And it took us a good five years of constant touring and constant work and constant re-education for people to realize, you know what, no matter who’s in that band, it’s the songs that are timeless. It’s the songs that people connect with. It doesn’t matter who’s playing them or singing them.”

Alan Sculley, alanlastword@gmail.com

[The_Noble_Cause]

I love that, in hindsight, the chemistry wasn't apparently good with Augeri, and yet they kept him around for eight long years.
One minute he is their beloved "brother", and the next, he is a disposable stand-in.
What garbage.
When they hired Arnel, he could barely speak a lick of English.
And we're supposed to believe that he brought a certain X-factor or missing je ne sais quoi back into the band?
Get outta here.
What chemistry? These guys don't hang out together Let's get real. Neal would party with JSS and have a good time.
Anyone think Neal is partying or jamming with Arnel on the weekends?

[steveo777]

I love that, in hindsight, the chemistry wasn't apparently good with Augeri, and yet they kept him around for eight long years.
One minute he is their beloved "brother", and the next, he is a disposable stand-in.
What garbage.
When they hired Arnel, he could barely speak a lick of English.
And we're supposed to believe that he brought a certain X-factor or missing je ne sais quoi back into the band?
Get outta here.
What chemistry? These guys don't hang out together Let's get real. Neal would party with JSS and have a good time.
Anyone think Neal is partying or jamming with Arnel on the weekends?

Neal has flown to Manila with Arnel for a benefit concert, as well as just recently gone home with Arnel for the christening of the new baby. There is a brotherly bond there.

[The Sushi Hunter]

I love that, in hindsight, the chemistry wasn't apparently good with Augeri, and yet they kept him around for eight long years.
One minute he is their beloved "brother", and the next, he is a disposable stand-in.
What garbage.
When they hired Arnel, he could barely speak a lick of English.
And we're supposed to believe that he brought a certain X-factor or missing je ne sais quoi back into the band?
Get outta here.
What chemistry? These guys don't hang out together Let's get real. Neal would party with JSS and have a good time.
Anyone think Neal is partying or jamming with Arnel on the weekends?

Neal has flown to Manila with Arnel for a benefit concert, as well as just recently gone home with Arnel for the christening of the new baby. There is a brotherly bond there.

Women in the Philippines throw themselves at just the average foreigner joe over there. Being a famous superstar that Neal is....well, you get the idea.

[YoungJRNY]

I love that, in hindsight, the chemistry wasn't apparently good with Augeri, and yet they kept him around for eight long years.
One minute he is their beloved "brother", and the next, he is a disposable stand-in.
What garbage.
When they hired Arnel, he could barely speak a lick of English.
And we're supposed to believe that he brought a certain X-factor or missing je ne sais quoi back into the band?
Get outta here.
What chemistry? These guys don't hang out together Let's get real. Neal would party with JSS and have a good time.
Anyone think Neal is partying or jamming with Arnel on the weekends?

I don't think think that comment was directed at Augeri. Right after that comment, he said "as soon as Arnel came in to audition, dude, we knew." So I'm guessing it was the auditioning. I think it was directed at JSS and Jeremey, IMO. Who all auditioned for Journey once JSS got hacked? Just Jeremey and Arnel, right? Maybe Hugo?

[RedWingFan]

If I recall correctly...didn't JSS achieve "brother" status while he was having his cup of coffee with the band?

[steveo777]

If I recall correctly...didn't JSS achieve "brother" status while he was having his cup of coffee with the band?

That wasn't a relationship, bro.

[RedWingFan]

If I recall correctly...didn't JSS achieve "brother" status while he was having his cup of coffee with the band?

That wasn't a relationship, bro.

Wham! Bam! Thank you maam!

[Yoda]

If I recall correctly...didn't JSS achieve "brother" status while he was having his cup of coffee with the band?

That wasn't a relationship, bro.

Ouch!

[Ehwmatt]

I love that, in hindsight, the chemistry wasn't apparently good with Augeri, and yet they kept him around for eight long years.
One minute he is their beloved "brother", and the next, he is a disposable stand-in.
What garbage.
When they hired Arnel, he could barely speak a lick of English.
And we're supposed to believe that he brought a certain X-factor or missing je ne sais quoi back into the band?
Get outta here.
What chemistry? These guys don't hang out together Let's get real. Neal would party with JSS and have a good time.
Anyone think Neal is partying or jamming with Arnel on the weekends?

I don't think think that comment was directed at Augeri. Right after that comment, he said "as soon as Arnel came in to audition, dude, we knew." So I'm guessing it was the auditioning. I think it was directed at JSS and Jeremey, IMO. Who all auditioned for Journey once JSS got hacked? Just Jeremey and Arnel, right? Maybe Hugo?

That's the way I read it too, Travis. But the comment still sorta reeks of after the fact bullshit to me for the reasons TNC stated.