I recently revisited “Revelations” and it really stuck in my head. In the 2 weeks since I’ve replayed probably it a dozen times and it grabbed much more on this revisit than it did a year ago. Maybe I’m just in more of a nostalgic & receptive mood. Dunno. I like the re-dos of “Only The Young,” “Don’t Stop Believin’,” “Be Good To Yourself,” and “Stone In Love.” These new versions have a subtle, punchier take on the classics.

And it finally dawned on me that the baseline & chorus in “What I Needed” has a distinct similarity to “Mother, Father” from the “Escape” album. Go to about 4:00 in the song and see if you catch the vibe. It’s definitely there around 4:45.

The newer songs are some of the best songs they have done since “Frontiers” especially “Wildest Dream”, “Never Walk Away”, “Change for the Better” & “Where Did I Lose Your Love”.

It is unfortunate that the label dropped the ball on this. They wouldn’t even put new material up on Journey’s MySpace page. Lame.

It’s NOT that SP WON’T or CAN’T come back because “he can’t hit the high notes.” Sheesh, he’s 60 years old and shouldn’t be expected to have the same vocal range (especially tenor!) that he had at 30. He no longer hit those notes at 36, but back then no one then seemed to notice. When he toured solo in the mid-’90s he was 45. Despite posts to the contrary from people whose only knowledge comes from watching videos on YouTube, Steve still belted out his songs on the FLOTSM tour. The difference then was that he was singing without Neal, Jon, Ross and Deen/Steve backing him. Totally different sound, but his voice was GREAT. I saw him in three venues on the tour. The crowds were wild and he was obviously enjoying performing.

He’s said several times over the past decade that while he loves performing, he really doesn’t want to ever feel like a “caricature” of himself at 30 years old. That era is gone, and with it his Spandex pants and bare chest. Hip replacements, no matter how successful, don’t allow for the manic running on (and up and down) stages like for which he’s best remembered.

Most importantly, Steve Perry doesn’t HAVE to return to Journey. He’s enjoyed a profitable professional career outside of Journey (as a songwriter and producer of several major theatrical events), and he continues to rake in mega-royalties on every song for which he received credit EVERY TIME those songs are sung, regardless of WHO sings them. His life is a far cry from remaining cloistered at home watching TV and eating potato chips.

If Neal (or Ross or Jon or any other current/former Journeymen) had to SING, they, too, would be TOAST. It’s a helluva lot easier to play an instrument on Journey’s catalogue for 40 years than to SING the songs.

Marianin posted: “Pineda is too young to reach the level … .” TOO YOUNG??!! He’s nearly 42, WAY OLDER than Perry was when he made the hits that AP tries to imitate. He’ll burn out SOON, though not soon enough for me. This past winter he was already crying to Neal about how “LONELY” he was on tour and how he needed to see his home and family. Hmmmm, guess that might be why Journey’s ‘09 tour has been an Asian tour up ’til now. They do have a number of State Fairs booked in the States this summer, not quite the major venues they’d like. But with their latest CD sold only at Wal-Mart, is anyone surprised?

Stevie Augeri was only in his 30s when his vocal chords became a train-wreck thanks to the relentless touring demanded by Schon & Co. SA asked for some time to heal, but guess what? Just as when SP had major health issues, Neal demanded performance. With SA, they made the unfortunate mistake of technically “enhancing” his vocals, which was caught in a major way by musicians and tekkies who followed Journey. That was a heavy blow to his career (and should have been an embarrassment to Neal Schon). However, I personally think Neal’s jumbo ego precludes him from feeling embarrassment.

Steve Perry isn’t the only former member of Journey who’s owed an apology by Neal, but he’s certainly due the most MAJOR apology. Neal was responsible for a HUGE LOSS in Steve Perry’s personal life, a loss about which neither he nor Neal has spoken publicly, and it’s doubtful they ever will. It was, however, the main reason Steve AND Neal chose to go on mutual hiatuses (their own “separate ways”) in the mid-’80s. It’s also ties into why Steve’s then-girlfriend Sherrie Swafford was given all royalties to Perry’s song about their break-up, “Oh Sherrie.” She has long had her own “confidentiality contract.”

Stevie Augeri HAD to appear “amicable” about his departure from the group due to non-disclosure (confidentiality) stipulations in his contract. Every member of Journey has faced those stipulations since Perry left, even short-lived Journey singer JSS, the only one who ever mentioned it to the media. And he really had nothing to lose, as he was GONE.

As with ANY R&R band that stayed together for a number of years, all sorts of SHIT happened that would be embarrassing and leveling to any of their careers and personal lives if made public. If Neal, Jon, Ross (or any other member of Journey) violates that part of their contract with Perry, then Neal and Jon (as Journey, the group) forfeit their rights to play any songs that SP had a hand in writing.

Neal will suck any life-force out of Pineda, and will then leave him for roadkill.

Finally, to the ignorant asses who post negative crapola about Steve Perry’s a capella singing of “Don’t Stop Believin’” after the World Series, let me just say this: (1) He’d been screaming for hours at a time throughout the Series, so of course, one would EXPECT him to be hoarse; (2) He had NO musical back-up; and (3) NONE of the players at the mic behind him even knew the WORDS to the song they CHOSE as their team’s ANTHEM. How LAME they were and what a good sport Steve was to try to lead them on national TV!!!

PERRY4EVER!!
RIP, JOURNEY!!!

That’s not why he can’t come back… He can’t hit notes that he used to be able to hit. Just look at videos of his latest live performances.
Being a big Steve Perry fan, I’ve accepted the fact that he’s way past his prime. Journey is better off without him. Besides, Steve Perry didn’t make Journey, Journey made him.