A Conversation with Kevin Chalfant

[steveo777]

Anything Is Possible spent 8 weeks on the A/C chart, peaking at #21. It's a shame that Journey felt songs like La Do Da deserved set-list time while the only Eclipse track with a pulse never got a sniff at being played live.

They can't even bring themselves to play those best songs from Eclipse. Fuck you Neal! It pisses me off. I will consider that Neal doesn't know certain chords outside of the studio. Maybe Eclipse was made by a bot or the iluminati. Maybe the band doesn't really understand how to play the songs the computer helped them play.

Keep the heat on. Michaele, instead of massaging his balls, could you try squeazing them a bit, at least until they play some good songs?

[slucero]

Eclipse is fine... from a quality of songwriting, is-there-anything-that-naturally-screams "hit" perspective..

Nothing.

This is the same argument zealot Perry fans used when "Arrival" flopped. It was crap then, it's crap now. "Remember Me", "Higher Place", and "The Place in Your Heart" were about as commercial and as slick as Journey has ever sounded. To me, they sure sounded like bonafide hits from a different era. Guess what? They moved about as many units as a William Hung Gregorian Chant cd. Likewise, Eclipse bombed, but "Anything Is Possible" or "Someone" could've just as easily been radio-charting Revelation tracks.

Except the songs on Arrival sound like Journey songs.... that it didn't sell is more a testament to Journey's age and, the market changing/lack of promotion (it was their last Columbia album)

Eclipse sounds like Journey trying to be something else.. and also suffered from the above.

Don, do you have Arrival and Eclipse sales figures?

[Don]

Eclipse is fine... from a quality of songwriting, is-there-anything-that-naturally-screams "hit" perspective..

Nothing.

This is the same argument zealot Perry fans used when "Arrival" flopped. It was crap then, it's crap now. "Remember Me", "Higher Place", and "The Place in Your Heart" were about as commercial and as slick as Journey has ever sounded. To me, they sure sounded like bonafide hits from a different era. Guess what? They moved about as many units as a William Hung Gregorian Chant cd. Likewise, Eclipse bombed, but "Anything Is Possible" or "Someone" could've just as easily been radio-charting Revelation tracks.

Except the songs on Arrival sound like Journey songs.... that it didn't sell is more a testament to Journey's age and, the market changing/lack of promotion (it was their last Columbia album)

Eclipse sounds like Journey trying to be something else.. and also suffered from the above.

Don, do you have Arrival and Eclipse sales figures?

Eclipse's world wide sales are a little over 100k, Arrival was about 370k for world wide. The difference being that Sony was able to bring Arrival back to retail to capitalize on Journey's resurgence. I t didn't completely work out and Arrival ended up on a fire sale for five bucks but still better than what happened with Eclipse. That album is stuck at one retailer and when they are done selling it, it's gone. Wal-Mart doesn't even offer it online any longer. Hell, Wal-Mart even killed the one product that was selling, the Manila DVD. That's the problem when you hitch your wagon to one specific horse.

[The_Noble_Cause]

Except the songs on Arrival sound like Journey songs.... that it didn't sell is more a testament to Journey's age and, the market changing/lack of promotion (it was their last Columbia album)

Excuses, excuses, excuses...
When a Journey album you like sells, it's because it contains "Journey magic" or some other lame BS excuse.
When a Journey album you like flops, its due to changing demographics, poor marketing, natural disasters disrupting traffic, the honeybee zombie virus etc etc.
When a Journey album you hate flops, it's because the album sucks.
Anyone detect a pattern here?
Does anyone really believe that "Never Walk Away" was just sooo damn good that consumers (the same consumers who had been consistently ignoring Journey's output since 1998) felt compelled to pick it up?
Let's get real - "Revelation" sold big, not because of quality, but because it had the dirty dozen and the band was riding high on a DSB resurgence.

Eclipse sounds like Journey trying to be something else....

Except the songs I mentioned ("Anything Is Possible", "Someone", and "Ritual") are very Journeyish.
As Andrew said about the track "Someone": "It's pure Journey!"
He's right.

[VirgilTheart]

Except the songs on Arrival sound like Journey songs.... that it didn't sell is more a testament to Journey's age and, the market changing/lack of promotion (it was their last Columbia album)

Excuses, excuses, excuses...
When a Journey album you like sells, it's because it contains "Journey magic" or some other lame BS excuse.
When a Journey album you like flops, its due to changing demographics, poor marketing, natural disasters disrupting traffic, the honeybee zombie virus etc etc.
When a Journey album you hate flops, it's because the album sucks.
Anyone detect a pattern here?
Does anyone really believe that "Never Walk Away" was just sooo damn good that consumers (the same consumers who had been consistently ignoring Journey's output since 1998) felt compelled to pick it up?
Let's get real - "Revelation" sold big, not because of quality, but because it had the dirty dozen and the band was riding high on a DSB resurgence.

Bingo. And to the comment someone made earlier about even the Pre-Perry albums out-selling Eclipse and Generations, I'd like to kindly make a point to remind everyone that the music industry was in a very different state back in the 70s. Seriously, it's entertaining to see people constantly bring sales of older albums in comparison to the new material as if it's a fair comparison and if it has any relevance to the quality of the material on the new albums. If they did, then Nicki Minaj must be a musical genius...

Are the new albums flat-out masterpieces? No, not really. But then again, I don't think any Journey album has ever been like that.

Eclipse sounds like Journey trying to be something else....

Except the songs I mentioned ("Anything Is Possible", "Someone", and "Ritual") are very Journeyish.
As Andrew said about the track "Someone": "It's pure Journey!"
He's right.

And I still stand by the rest of the album too. Eclipse sounds like the same band that made Frontiers and Trial by Fire to me. Oh wait, no, it's missing His Holiness Steve Perry. My mistake. Can't possibly sound like Journey at all!

Yeah, Eclipse was a bit too Neal-centric overall, but it DID sound like Journey. And it's a great album despite its flaws. Here's the problem: Journey fans, much like most other fanbases of big 70's/80's rock bands, are constantly looking for the band to make a song that will be a big hit like the glory days, despite the fact that radio just won't give it much airplay and that music sales are different today than they used to be.

"Van Halen just released their new single 'Tattoo', off their new album 'A Different Kind of Truth'. So here's "Jump" by Van Halen!"

Sound familiar? There's only two ways Journey could possibly make sales anywhere near as big as folks here seem to expect them to gave: 1. Make a reunion album with Steve Perry or 2. Journey goes for a more contemporary sound and try to force radio airplay by first getting the new material hits online and have it spread. Look at Oppa Gangnam Style for example.

Now, if the first option were to happen, while the album would probably sell well, it wouldn't necessarily equate to a quality release. Steve Perry's name is just that big a draw. And still expect most folks at concerts to use those new songs as bathroom breaks.

[Don]

Journey's biggest competition against a new album is Sony. Sony/BMG moves a half million copies of the back catalog every year. 400,000 of those records have DSB included somewhere on their tracklist. Journey 2.0 already played the DSB card with Revelation. Eclipse fell back into a retail blackhole like Generation and Arrival did; basically, no DSB or SP era material equals no momentum at retail.
You have to feel bad for Cain who is spinning his wheels here. He doesn't have a melody maker for his lyrics like he did with Perry. There are no creative sessions around the piano or anything like that anymore. Jon is basically having a one tool player (Pineda) mime him sonically after he writes the lyrics, sets the melody and sings the tune to him.
You've got three guys in the band who really can't bring anything beyond being available for tour. Is it any surprise that Jon now feels that making albums is a lot of work?

Something else. A lot of Albums in the 70s that reached number one on the charts barely hit gold (500k) in sales. Moody Blues, Chicago, Santana and dozens of other acts topped the charts but never reached platinum or took 10 years to do so. The notion that everyone who reached #1 back then was selling millions is simply hogwash. There were exceptions to the rule just as there are now but a lot of people were struggling back then and being very frugal with their purchases. Before the 80s kicked in and the economy started rolling again, buying more than two or three albums a year was a luxury that many folk couldn't even afford.
Looking at the current situation, the music business has been on the upswing since 2008 when Journey sold 800,000 copies of Revelation. When the overall music scene see sales increasing yet Journey sees an 80% drop in their new release numbers, the product is the only thing that can be blamed here. Not the fans, not Wal-Mart but Eclipse itself. As stated earlier, Sony is selling half a million Journey albums a year so the demand is there for a Journey product, just not for a Neal Schon solo album. Case in point: in 2011, Sony/BMG sold 690,000 Journey albums, Nomota sold 80,000.
As Cain said that in his last interview: Neal got his way, and as Jon (and Kevin Shirley) half predicted, sales took a hit because of it.

[slucero]

Journey's biggest competition against a new album is Sony. Sony/BMG moves a half million copies of the back catalog every year. 400,000 of those records have DSB included somewhere on their tracklist. Journey 2.0 already played the DSB card with Revelation. Eclipse fell back into a retail blackhole like Generation and Arrival did; basically, no DSB or SP era material equals no momentum at retail.

You have to feel bad for Cain who is spinning his wheels here. He doesn't have a melody maker for his lyrics like he did with Perry. There are no creative sessions around the piano or anything like that anymore. Jon is basically having a one tool player (Pineda) mime him sonically after he writes the lyrics, sets the melody and sings the tune to him.
You've got three guys in the band who really can't bring anything beyond being available for tour. Is it any surprise that Jon now feels that making albums is a lot of work?

Something else. A lot of Albums in the 70s that reached number one on the charts barely hit gold (500k) in sales. Moody Blues, Chicago, Santana and dozens of other acts topped the charts but never reached platinum or took 10 years to do so. The notion that everyone who reached #1 back then was selling millions is simply hogwash. There were exceptions to the rule just as there are now but a lot of people were struggling back then and being very frugal with their purchases. Before the 80s kicked in and the economy started rolling again, buying more than two or three albums a year was a luxury that many folk couldn't even afford.

Looking at the current situation, the music business has been on the upswing since 2008 when Journey sold 800,000 copies of Revelation. When the overall music scene see sales increasing yet Journey sees an 80% drop in their new release numbers, the product is the only thing that can be blamed here. Not the fans, not Wal-Mart but Eclipse itself. As stated earlier, Sony is selling half a million Journey albums a year so the demand is there for a Journey product, just not for a Neal Schon solo album.

Case in point: in 2011, Sony/BMG sold 690,000 Journey albums, Nomota sold 80,000.

As Cain said that in his last interview: Neal got his way, and as Jon (and Kevin Shirley) half predicted, sales took a hit because of it.

Don - you have to stop with these logical, empirically proven "excuses"...

[Don]

All things considered, I still like Eclipse but I gotta call a spade a spade when it comes to people blaming everything else but the product itself for why it didn't perform better at retail. Yes, they didn't market it, sat on their laurels from their previous success with Revelation but at the end of the day, People want DSB or something closely resembling it. The song has become bigger than the band and unfortunately, Eclipse provided no conduit to connect the two.

[The_Noble_Cause]

...At the end of the day, People want DSB or something closely resembling it. The song has become bigger than the band and unfortunately, Eclipse provided no conduit to connect the two.

"Anything Is Possible", in addition to having a three word title like DSB, is pretty upbeat and poppy. Past Journey songs like "Be Good to Yourself" and "Change for the Better", are clearly in the DSB mold. Not sure if the masses are clamoring for that type of song (or any type of song) by a non-Perry lineup.

[The_Noble_Cause]

Except the songs on Arrival sound like Journey songs.... that it didn't sell is more a testament to Journey's age and, the market changing/lack of promotion (it was their last Columbia album)

Excuses, excuses, excuses...
When a Journey album you like sells, it's because it contains "Journey magic" or some other lame BS excuse.
When a Journey album you like flops, its due to changing demographics, poor marketing, natural disasters disrupting traffic, the honeybee zombie virus etc etc.
When a Journey album you hate flops, it's because the album sucks.
Anyone detect a pattern here?
Does anyone really believe that "Never Walk Away" was just sooo damn good that consumers (the same consumers who had been consistently ignoring Journey's output since 1998) felt compelled to pick it up?
Let's get real - "Revelation" sold big, not because of quality, but because it had the dirty dozen and the band was riding high on a DSB resurgence.

Bingo. And to the comment someone made earlier about even the Pre-Perry albums out-selling Eclipse and Generations, I'd like to kindly make a point to remind everyone that the music industry was in a very different state back in the 70s. Seriously, it's entertaining to see people constantly bring sales of older albums in comparison to the new material as if it's a fair comparison and if it has any relevance to the quality of the material on the new albums. If they did, then Nicki Minaj must be a musical genius...

Are the new albums flat-out masterpieces? No, not really. But then again, I don't think any Journey album has ever been like that.

Eclipse sounds like Journey trying to be something else....

Except the songs I mentioned ("Anything Is Possible", "Someone", and "Ritual") are very Journeyish.
As Andrew said about the track "Someone": "It's pure Journey!"
He's right.

And I still stand by the rest of the album too. Eclipse sounds like the same band that made Frontiers and Trial by Fire to me. Oh wait, no, it's missing His Holiness Steve Perry. My mistake. Can't possibly sound like Journey at all!

Yeah, Eclipse was a bit too Neal-centric overall, but it DID sound like Journey. And it's a great album despite its flaws. Here's the problem: Journey fans, much like most other fanbases of big 70's/80's rock bands, are constantly looking for the band to make a song that will be a big hit like the glory days, despite the fact that radio just won't give it much airplay and that music sales are different today than they used to be.

"Van Halen just released their new single 'Tattoo', off their new album 'A Different Kind of Truth'. So here's "Jump" by Van Halen!"

Sound familiar? There's only two ways Journey could possibly make sales anywhere near as big as folks here seem to expect them to gave: 1. Make a reunion album with Steve Perry or 2. Journey goes for a more contemporary sound and try to force radio airplay by first getting the new material hits online and have it spread. Look at Oppa Gangnam Style for example.

Now, if the first option were to happen, while the album would probably sell well, it wouldn't necessarily equate to a quality release. Steve Perry's name is just that big a draw. And still expect most folks at concerts to use those new songs as bathroom breaks.

Well said, Virgil.

[slucero]

...At the end of the day, People want DSB or something closely resembling it. The song has become bigger than the band and unfortunately, Eclipse provided no conduit to connect the two.

"Anything Is Possible", in addition to having a three word title like DSB, is pretty upbeat and poppy. Past Journey songs like "Be Good to Yourself" and "Change for the Better", are clearly in the DSB mold. Not sure if the masses are clamoring for that type of song (or any type of song) by a non-Perry lineup.

So now your "excuse" is that that AIP even though it's "pretty upbeat and poppy", doesn't sell because Perry isn't singing it? That's sorta like saying "without Perry singing it, it doesn't sound like Journey".. See a trend here??

My main point is that it doesn't sell because the songwriting sucks.. maybe because as Don pointed out, Jon is now relegated to writing without his best writing partner.

[Pelata]

Honestly, IMO, as long as we're on the subject...IF Journey put out a new record w/ Steve Perry, in this day and age, it MIGHT barely eek out Platinum then die out. I would even say it would do about as well as Van Halen's ADKOT (the uber-hyped return of DLR)...maybe 500K, a tour, then *poof*...gone. It's the nature of the game and Steve Perry/Journey are not immune or somehow the exceptions to it.

[Abitaman]

I am a Journey fan, no doubt about it. I follow all their solo recordings, have tons of bootlegs from the band, and buy everything they release, etc...
So I feel I can say they made a mistake not going with Kevin. Did he hold it against them for not picking him? Yes he did, he admits it. I do not not see that as whining, now. Back then yes, some what. Now he admits he has a problem with it after it happened. Heck I had a problem with it. IMO, I think if Kevin had been hired back then he would still be with the group. Did I have a problem with the other singers? Augeri-no, JSS-no, Arnel-a little. But if Kevin had been with Journey, I may have never learned about these guys, so there is good in all things, you just have to look for it.

[Gideon]

Honestly, IMO, as long as we're on the subject...IF Journey put out a new record w/ Steve Perry, in this day and age, it MIGHT barely eek out Platinum then die out. I would even say it would do about as well as Van Halen's ADKOT (the uber-hyped return of DLR)...maybe 500K, a tour, then *poof*...gone. It's the nature of the game and Steve Perry/Journey are not immune or somehow the exceptions to it.

I've always been skeptical of the idea that Perry's inclusion would be a world changing musical event. If you believe Don et al., a substantial portion of Journey's fan base doesn't know Perry's out of the band. If that's true, you can't blame their lackluster studio sales on Perry's absence... Which means no one cares to hear new material from the band, no matter who's behind the mic. Kevin Cronin still fronts REO and they're hardly storming the Billboard charts.

[STORY_TELLER]

Honestly, IMO, as long as we're on the subject...IF Journey put out a new record w/ Steve Perry, in this day and age, it MIGHT barely eek out Platinum then die out. I would even say it would do about as well as Van Halen's ADKOT (the uber-hyped return of DLR)...maybe 500K, a tour, then *poof*...gone. It's the nature of the game and Steve Perry/Journey are not immune or somehow the exceptions to it.

I've always been skeptical of the idea that Perry's inclusion would be a world changing musical event. If you believe Don et al., a substantial portion of Journey's fan base doesn't know Perry's out of the band. If that's true, you can't blame their lackluster studio sales on Perry's absence... Which means no one cares to hear new material from the band, no matter who's behind the mic. Kevin Cronin still fronts REO and they're hardly storming the Billboard charts.

I thinkI Walmart would cough up big bucks for an all-in flat purchase of an (advertised) Perry fronted album. They could probably negotiate a deal for 2 million copies or so.

I do agree, however, that in today's market, that album will do a sell through at around TBF numbers and then vanish -- unless the boys put together something magical that manages to get on the radio and/or get nominated for an award. That's simply a reflection of the market as it exists today.

The big picture: I don't see another album from Journey doing those numbers ever again WITHOUT Perry's return.

[Gideon]

That's probably true.

[Don]

Wal-Mart got burned bad with the Music Exclusives. Beyond Eagles and AC/DC, no one else sold enough to offset the loss leader part of the deal. The dude that orchestrated all of those packages is no longer with the retailer. WM killed their mp3 store also(two months after Eclipse was released).

I could see a Perry fronted album hitting Gold but Platinum would require something extraordinary. Billboard will do its part with the hoopla but to go that extra mile, I think they would have to whore out DSB one more time.
Change the arrangement to match Perry's deteriorated tenor, go acoustic for the intro, add samples, extend it in the middle, record it live with a bunch of adlib,etc. Anything that is different from the original but still close enough where the radio will play it (and they will play, it believe me).
That will give you that one last spark at retail. It would probably have to be under Sony too who has the power to make some magic with an front page iTunes deal.
All that said, the touring is where they would come out ahead. The quality of voice won't matter (look at Van Halen), just the ability for people to go out there one last time and say they got to see Journey with Steve Perry would be enough for most folks. I t would have to be one tour though, sold on that fact that is was a last go around.
Yeah, they'd lose the pinheads but take a look at Arnel's website or the Manila debacle; that ship has already been pulling out of port so no loss there anyway.

I really don't see this scenario playing out though.

[Pelata]

Wal-Mart got burned bad with the Music Exclusives. Beyond Eagles and AC/DC, no one else sold enough to offset the loss leader part of the deal.

And my Walmart even has several of those 2 titles left cluttering up it's shelves...especially AC/DC...

[STORY_TELLER]

Wal-Mart got burned bad with the Music Exclusives. Beyond Eagles and AC/DC, no one else sold enough to offset the loss leader part of the deal. The dude that orchestrated all of those packages is no longer with the retailer. WM killed their mp3 store also(two months after Eclipse was released).

That's interesting -- and not terribly surprising.

I still think an album advertised as the return of Steve Perry would do platinum, without a tour, just as TBF did. The fans have an emotional attachment to Perry in Journey. The excitement/anticipation factor would be there, but if the album wasn't spectacular, it wouldn't sustain.

This is all speculation of something that will never happen, of course. Even if Perry took a sip from the fountain of youth, he has zero desire to talk with Neal and Jon, let alone work with them.

[Don]

Back in 2006, Chalfant performed lead vocals on an album entitled Circles with a band called Shooting Star. I think it has more of an AOR vibe than either Storm Album.

[Gideon]

The quality of voice won't matter (look at Van Halen), just the ability for people to go out their one last time and say they got to Journey with Steve Perry would be enough for most folks.

If that's not an indictment of our society in general, I don't know what is.

[The_Noble_Cause]

So now your "excuse" is that that AIP even though it's "pretty upbeat and poppy", doesn't sell because Perry isn't singing it? That's sorta like saying "without Perry singing it, it doesn't sound like Journey".. See a trend here??

Nice try (actually, not really. I have no idea what you're trying to say). Let me reiterate - Revelation sold gangbusters largely due to the famous hits and the DSB resurgence. Did "Anything Is Possible" have radio single potential? Sure. So did other songs on Eclipse and Generations and Arrival. But w/out promotion, this is a non-starter.

My main point is that it doesn't sell because the songwriting sucks...

You talk as if a song's popularity is made or broken by it's lyrical craftsmanship. Do you have any idea just how many shit songs are currently flooding our electronic radio spectrum? Do you even listen to the radio? I heard "After All These Years" on the radio ALOT. Trust me, it wasn't exactly Cain/Schon's shining lyrical moment.

[STORY_TELLER]

Back in 2006, Chalfant performed lead vocals on an album entitled Circles with a band called Shooting Stars. I think it has more of an AOR vibe than either Storm Album.

https://www.box.com/s/50ctna0d6el1n3c3il66

Wow -- that, ummmm.... is one NASALLY singer. Okay, take it back. No longer a tossup between Chalfant and Arnel. lol...

[Gideon]

Perry was nasally until '83. Neither Chalfant nor Perry were at Geddy Lee's obnoxious levels, so it's all good.

[slucero]

So now your "excuse" is that that AIP even though it's "pretty upbeat and poppy", doesn't sell because Perry isn't singing it? That's sorta like saying "without Perry singing it, it doesn't sound like Journey".. See a trend here??

Nice try (actually, not really. I have no idea what you're trying to say). Let me reiterate - Revelation sold gangbusters largely due to the famous hits and the DSB resurgence. Did "Anything Is Possible" have radio single potential? Sure. So did other songs on Eclipse and Generations and Arrival. But w/out promotion, this is a non-starter.

My main point is that it doesn't sell because the songwriting sucks...

You talk as if a song's popularity is made or broken by it's lyrical craftsmanship. Do you have any idea just how many shit songs are currently flooding our electronic radio spectrum? Do you even listen to the radio? I heard "After All These Years" on the radio ALOT. Trust me, it wasn't exactly Cain/Schon's shining lyrical moment.

I knew you'd finally see it my way...

[kgdjpubs]

Back in 2006, Chalfant performed lead vocals on an album entitled Circles with a band called Shooting Stars. I think it has more of an AOR vibe than either Storm Album.

https://www.box.com/s/50ctna0d6el1n3c3il66

Wow -- that, ummmm.... is one NASALLY singer. Okay, take it back. No longer a tossup between Chalfant and Arnel. lol...

His voice has changed somewhat---and the recording on that album did him no favors. I still say at the time (mid 90s), he was the best option available.... A Perry clone? No, but unlike Augeri, he had the range.

To Have and to Hold http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3j9JyP9w9A

[Pelata]

I really like that Shooting Star album...the violin gives it a slight Kansas vibe, IMO. Again, I think Chalfant sounds fantastic.

[STORY_TELLER]

Perry was nasally until '83. Neither Chalfant nor Perry were at Geddy Lee's obnoxious levels, so it's all good.

It's in the ear of the beholder. Nasal can be attractive or unattractive.

The sound Chalfant makes with his voice is ugly compared to the sound Perry makes with his. Chalfant's voice sounds pretty unpleasant here, and that nasal quality is a standout negative factor. Perry has a universally revered voice by fans and singers alike. Whatever nasal quality you're referring to in Perry, I've never noticed it. I notice Chalfant's. GOD do I notice Chalfant's, lol...

Bottom line: Chalfant is no Steve Perry.

[Gideon]

Perry was nasally until '83. Neither Chalfant nor Perry were at Geddy Lee's obnoxious levels, so it's all good.

It's in the ear of the beholder. Nasal can be attractive or unattractive.

The sound Chalfant makes with his voice is ugly compared to the sound Perry makes with his. Chalfant's voice sounds pretty unpleasant here, and that nasal quality is a standout negative factor. Perry has a universally revered voice by fans and singers alike. Whatever nasal quality you're referring to in Perry, I've never noticed it. I notice Chalfant's. GOD do I notice Chalfant's, lol...

Bottom line: Chalfant is no Steve Perry.

No one is "universally revered" for anything; not Abe Lincoln, not Mother Teresa, not Jesus Christ, and not Steve Perry. Give me a name, I'll find you a critic.

A simple Google search for "Steve Perry + nasal" reveals that there are plenty of other folks across the web who detect such a quality to Perry's voice. The fact that you haven't ever detected it remands the discussion back to confirmation bias: far too often, people see what they wanna see and hear what they wanna hear. Which is also why Pinheads listen to Arnel's recent performances in Asia and respond with disproportionate praise.

As for whether or not Chalfant is no Steve Perry, there's no denying that they're worlds apart in terms of recognition and success. Then again, so is Perry and Jon Bon Jovi. And Perry and Elvis Presley. And Perry and Garth Brooks. And Perry and Bob fucking Dylan. In fact, Perry gets his ass handed to him in the public spectacle by musicians with less than half his vocal talent.

Personally, I've listened to a substantial portion of Chalfant's body of work, studio and live, and I find him to be a comparable singer to prime!Perry. But to each his own.

[STORY_TELLER]

Perry was nasally until '83. Neither Chalfant nor Perry were at Geddy Lee's obnoxious levels, so it's all good.

It's in the ear of the beholder. Nasal can be attractive or unattractive.

The sound Chalfant makes with his voice is ugly compared to the sound Perry makes with his. Chalfant's voice sounds pretty unpleasant here, and that nasal quality is a standout negative factor. Perry has a universally revered voice by fans and singers alike. Whatever nasal quality you're referring to in Perry, I've never noticed it. I notice Chalfant's. GOD do I notice Chalfant's, lol...

Bottom line: Chalfant is no Steve Perry.

No one is "universally revered" for anything; not Abe Lincoln, not Mother Teresa, not Jesus Christ, and not Steve Perry. Give me a name, I'll find you a critic.

A simple Google search for "Steve Perry + nasal" reveals that there are plenty of other folks across the web who detect such a quality to Perry's voice. The fact that you haven't ever detected it remands the discussion back to confirmation bias: far too often, people see what they wanna see and hear what they wanna hear. Which is also why Pinheads listen to Arnel's recent performances in Asia and respond with disproportionate praise.

As for whether or not Chalfant is no Steve Perry, there's no denying that they're worlds apart in terms of recognition and success. Then again, so is Perry and Jon Bon Jovi. And Perry and Elvis Presley. And Perry and Garth Brooks. And Perry and Bob fucking Dylan. In fact, Perry gets his ass handed to him in the public spectacle by musicians with less than half his vocal talent.

Personally, I've listened to a substantial portion of Chalfant's body of work, studio and live, and I find him to be a comparable singer to prime!Perry. But to each his own.

Oh there's our Giddy, absolutely seeing the world in black and white, no grey area whatsoever. Give him a hair he'll find a way to split it. You need to re-read my statement. Notice isn't the same thing as detect. I said I don't notice it with Perry but I notice it with Chalfant.

You don't like the word universally? Fine. Change that word to widely. Happy now? I'm pretty sure the majority of people reading my statement got the gist of where I was coming from. We're not writing contracts here kiddo. I'm certainly not going to spend hours arguing of a choice of word here or there. But you have at it. Enjoy.