Most of All

[Art Vandelay]

I've been listening a lot to Traces lately. I don't speak much about my personal self on this board, but I've been dealing with a lot of personal trauma at home this past year. Living with a spouse who now suffers from deep depression and anxiety is life changing to say the least. Steve's album came along just in time and has been my audio therapy. I can somewhat get where he's coming from, so his words have resonated deeply.

Anyway, during today's listen, I really zoned in on Most of All. It just hit me that this song could be the ying to I'll Be Alright Without You's yang. IBAWY is a proclamation that this person wants to move on and wants to do things on their own, and that they'll be alright doing it. A bluesy hook is added for mood.

MOA could be viewed as the follow up, when the person realizes that they really won't be alright and knows that they will have to face this struggle...again with a bluesy hook for mood. We all know that Steve wrote this for Kelly, and it not really a follow up song...but I found it ironic how it does come off as a result to IBAWY. Just a silly observation.

[The_Noble_Cause]

Great song. Wish the album had more Randy Goodrum collaborations. Steve said he wrote this one before he met Kellie.

[Art Vandelay]

Great song. Wish the album had more Randy Goodrum collaborations. Steve said he wrote this one before he met Kellie.

Sorry, I thought that was one of the few that he penned after Kellie's passing.

[scarab]

I always skipped this song cause it took too long to take off into a great song, I think about a minute or so.
But then one day in my truck on a small road trip I finally heard the song in its entirety.
I love it When Perry does those vocals that sound like he is doing a duet with himself.
And the outro guitar is great, subdued but soulful.

And sorry about your personal stuff Art. I hope things get better.
On flip side for me some of Traces is a hard listen (depressing)for me on some songs and I wont even listen to Blue Jays Fly or we Fly anymore and for the most part October in New York, though I love the whole symphony big band feel of the song.
I would love to hear the backstory on his collaboration with the guy who wrote the music

[youkeepmewaiting]

I listened to the album for the first time in a while today. Always really enjoyed it but exhausted it a bit last year.

My younger brother committed suicide a little over a year a go and listening to Most Of All again earlier really made me think about my mums sadness over it. In fact I think a lot of that album is going to have that affect. Which is funny because I didnt link it together at all last year.

[Art Vandelay]

I listened to the album for the first time in a while today. Always really enjoyed it but exhausted it a bit last year.

My younger brother committed suicide a little over a year a go and listening to Most Of All again earlier really made me think about my mums sadness over it. In fact I think a lot of that album is going to have that affect. Which is funny because I didnt link it together at all last year.

Very sorry for your loss.

I get that the album may be a bit heavy or a downer for many, especially those anticipating a return to what was. I find it a blessing to have, especially since timing of Steve's first message about the album was released almost to the day of my wife's first anxiety-induced episode.

[bellairepark73]

This song is my absolute favorite. It sounds and IS so poignant. The bass line is so smooth and background vocals are SO good. Then comes CAN WE BE SOMETHING AGAIN. If you have experienced a loss then this song, MOST Of ALL, can help you get in touch with what you are feeling. It did for me. I cried when listening to it. So emotionally rich. Songs don't usually move me. This song punched my heart and at the same time soothed it.

[SusieP]

Art and YouKeepMeWaiting - so sorry to read the tough times you have been and are still going through.

I just listened to that track again.

Like everyone else here, I was tired of waiting for new Steve Perry material to be released.
And when it was, I was so eager to buy the CD and listen.
I can't tell you how disappointed I was with it.

I only put a few tracks onto my MP3 and I haven't played the CD since it came out.
'Most of All' isn't one of them - so I have to admit, I couldn't remember it.

I can see why you guys feel this song.

Hope you and yours find the strength to keep going.

[The_Noble_Cause]

I can't tell you how disappointed I was with it.

For the most part I agree. Still, alot of good stuff on there. Some of the bonus tracks, like the uptempo motown-flavored Angel Eyes, should have been included on the regular cd.

[scarab]

Yep, Angel Eyes is a lost gem and a song he "could have" easily sung live, especially with some background singers.
I just remember at the ROR HoF and to a lesser degree the Giants games sing alongs and the Hollywood WoF how the crowd would just go nuts over Perry.

I am still hoping for a re-release of Angel Eyes, kinda like what he did for Were Still Here (another awesome song).
And go on anywhere and sing it live, and follow it up with Lights, LTS, Oh Sherrie, ect. (Songs he could easily sing live).

[SusieP]

In my area of the UK we have a phrase - "I've gone past it" - it's used in situations for example when you are so hungry but you don't get chance to eat until way, way later on.
By the time you have chance to get some food, you don't want it any more because you have gone past it.
That's kinda how I feel about this set of songs and their lyrics.
We waited sooooo long.


Angel Eyes, has a kind of 'Northern Soul' vibe to it in parts to my ears.

I don't even know if you guys in the States have/had that genre of music??

It was popular here ages ago. And there was a whole dance craze associated with it - still is in some places.

Songs like - The Snake - Al Wilson, Out On The Floor - Dobie Gray, Do I love You [Indeed I Do] - Frank Wilson, There's a Ghost In My House - R Dean Taylor........ al that kind of stuff.
They were mainly B sides of classic American soul tracks brought home to the UK by various DJ's and some 'movement' of British club goers embraced all these soulful voices and created a whole big dance culture thing based around them.

They are all old and scratchy recordings - nostalgia!!

I'm getting a faint hint of that vibe from some of these Perry songs.
Angel Eyes and maybe So Easy To Love.

Maybe its just the soulfulness in his voice.

It's Steve and I love the guy, but I dunno, I still struggle to enthuse about any particular track.

I know a lot of you - [Brywool for sure] love Sun Shines Grey.
I tried to love it because I respect some opinions on here.

But I can't.
It reminds me a bit of something from Trial By Fire - might even be the title track. Not keen anyway.

Easy To Love and We're Still Here I think are good and are the only ones I can put up with on my MP3.
No Erasin has a good hook but not keen on the lyrics - that back seat of my car lyric just makes me go 'eurgh.'
Sorry Steve...................but I've gone past it.

[ADALBL]

Wow. I feel bad that more or you are not enjoying all of Traces more. I think its genius, very layered, incredibly emotional, very professionally written, performed, and recorded. I still love it and listen to it all the time and it's been almost a year since it was released. I also think it feels very fresh. I dunno why some of you are not enjoying more though I respect your opinion. I absolutely love it.