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I am hated on Youtube about Perry. I argue to adoring female fans how he cannot sing anymore
and they cannot accept this reality. He was a very unique singer. There is a great site from
an opera singer analyzing Perry and he had a gift, but this type of voice cannot do 180
gigs a year. His lifespan lasted about ten years. He lost at least an octave and cannot tour.
He's over 60! Not like a guitarist or keyboard player...as long as they don't get arthritis they
can still perform. Augeri was great, but same thing and Deen had to cover for him at least
4-6 songs a gig. Freakish the drummer also sounds just like Perry (seriously freakish).
Very sad tale about addiction and domestic violence. Arnel is a good clone and his story was
as appealing, but he is reaching his end as well. This is a tough gig for singers!!!

Life...

Happy Thanksgiving to all...

Journey is the past. I don't care much for nostalgia. I wouldn't go see The Beatles if they were performing either. I actually can't think of any "rock" band that I'd be excited to go see in concert right now. As for jazz, I used to look forward to seeing the Pat Metheny Group, but even they have lost their lustre. Most of the interesting jazz shows don't even tour North America much anymore. It would have been nice to see and hear John Scofield with Bill Stewart live on their last tour.

Pocketplayer wrote:I am hated on Youtube about Perry. I argue to adoring female fans how he cannot sing anymore
and they cannot accept this reality. He was a very unique singer. There is a great site from
an opera singer analyzing Perry and he had a gift, but this type of voice cannot do 180
gigs a year. His lifespan lasted about ten years. He lost at least an octave and cannot tour.
He's over 60! Not like a guitarist or keyboard player...as long as they don't get arthritis they
can still perform. Augeri was great, but same thing and Deen had to cover for him at least
4-6 songs a gig. Freakish the drummer also sounds just like Perry (seriously freakish).
Very sad tale about addiction and domestic violence. Arnel is a good clone and his story was
as appealing, but he is reaching his end as well. This is a tough gig for singers!!!

Life...

Happy Thanksgiving to all...

There is a long list of singers who still sound great in their 60s and 70s (eg Sting). And clearly Perry can still sing (based on a fairly recent youtube clip)...whether he chooses to in Journey is another matter.

Paul Marangoni wrote:Journey is the past. I don't care much for nostalgia. I wouldn't go see The Beatles if they were performing either. I actually can't think of any "rock" band that I'd be excited to go see in concert right now. As for jazz, I used to look forward to seeing the Pat Metheny Group, but even they have lost their lustre. Most of the interesting jazz shows don't even tour North America much anymore. It would have been nice to see and hear John Scofield with Bill Stewart live on their last tour.

I was never much of a Journey fan myself, but you sound a bit musically depressed. Perhaps too much Thansgiving dinner.

Musically depressed? Why would you say that? I still find lots of great new music to listen to. There just aren't many bands that I find interesting enough to sit in front of and watch or listen to for a couple hours. It's only going to get worse too, seeing as the only people that can afford to play gigs for next-to-nothing are hobbyists.

And I'm Canadian. Thanksgiving was over a month ago...


Actually, I would love to see Billy Cobham again if he ever tours around here again.

Paul Marangoni wrote:Musically depressed? Why would you say that? I still find lots of great new music to listen to. There just aren't many bands that I find interesting enough to sit in front of and watch or listen to for a couple hours. It's only going to get worse too, seeing as the only people that can afford to play gigs for next-to-nothing are hobbyists.

And I'm Canadian. Thanksgiving was over a month ago...


Actually, I would love to see Billy Cobham again if he ever tours around here again.

I wasn't being real serious in my first response. But, if I had been, your response might stand as pretty good evidence.

But, Happy, Much-Belated, Thanksgiving.

I'm expecting him to play match grip most of the footage we end up seeing. Should be interesting. Smith with Journey was a big inspiration back in the day.

Once more unto the breach, dear friends,

Straying from original topic...but;

I agree Paul, he can still sing, but do a tour...no way! Even Trial By Fire his tone changed.
He can sing ballads...in the end, I admit, who REALLY knows...but my argument is time
stands still (we can all hear his voice from 1978-85) and our brains want the same...fair?
No way, but reality. If I was Steve, I would also quit if I could not perform at that level.

This was good;
https://fireandair.wordpress.com/2008/09/28/steve-perry-a-bit-confusing-frankly/

Other interviews mention only in passing the difficulties of performing as a quasi-operatic
vocalist for 180+ sets a year for years on end, well beyond that which is euphemistically called
“punishing” or “grueling” in the operatic world and firmly in the realm of larynx-shredding insanity.

Paul - I kind of agree on not being big on nostalgia - I have fond memories of getting very very inspired by the documentary "Frontiers and Beyond" when I was younger. It lit a fire my under my ass to be a musician for sure. But the landscape and context is just different now. It's a new reality really. Rush was it for me wayyyy more than Journey and I haven't been to any of the shows, even on this last tour. I'm glad they're still out there doing their thing though!

I was a big Journey fan right from the Infinity record. I only saw them live once, in Toronto around 1982 I think. I remember Steve Smith did a clinic in the afternoon and I attended with Paul DeLong. Steve played the "Black Page" during his solo at the clinic, and no one even knew it (aside from me and DeLong). I spoke with Steve briefly and he was very kind. The show at Maple Leaf Gardens that night was ridiculously amazing. Steve Perry had the most incredible singing voice, and the whole band played great.

As for Rush, I lost interest around Signals. Growing up, me and friends always went to see Rush over the holidays (they always played at Maple Leaf Gardens around Christmas or New Year's). I played in a band that was on Rush's label and managed by Ray Daniels in the 80s, and I also played with FM (who used to open for Rush before I joined). Rush was a big part of my identity back then. I still believe that Neil was never the same after the Buddy Rich fiasco, although he seems to have gotten much better in the last few years.

I don't think a new band could make it today if they sounded anything like Journey or Rush. No way, no how.