I saw this singer when they debuted him on The Today Show. Instead of going with a new sound, they've become their own tribute band by picking someone who impersonates Steve Perry. He sounds almost exactly like him note for note. It's shameful and disrespectful to Steve and what he did. If they had wanted to continue with the Journey name they should have changed and picked someone that would give them a new sound and new great songs. Not a pint-sized impersonator.
shareSome one sounds bitter... As they say, If it isn't broken, why "fix" it? The sound and soul of Journey deserves to live on without that one singer. Steve Perry was not the first nor last. I am really happy for Arnel! Steve checked out on them, what should they have done? Hung it up without him? Maybe they will lose your loyalty, but they will gain many others.
shareYeah can't say i've ever heard 'he sounds TOO MUCH like the original singer' as a reason to dislike a band...
Edit: Is the OP (myinnerspace) also the poster livmtb with the thread below this one? It says almost the same thing, and is a new account with ONLY the one comment on this movie.
livmtb:
"Its nothing new at all. Its like a cover singer playing with the band."
Yours:
"Instead of going with a new sound, they've become their own tribute band..."
Hhmmm...coincidence?
"Ugh, now i'm going to have to go online and look at turtles." - Michael Scott
Besides that, Deen Castronovo is the best singer they've ever had - and he's the freakin' drummer! He's also the best drummer they've ever had, IMHO.
"Loser! Idiot! Wimp! Degnerate! SSSSSSSSSLUT!!!!"
I'm with you on this. It's a great story, and huge for the new guy, and a great starting point for a journey comeback.
Are they planning an album of new material?
And just out of curiosity, why hasn't Steve Perry been lured out of retirement? Is there bad blood? Or he just doesn't want to? Or maybe health reasons?
>Are they planning an album of new material?<
Journey have already done two albums of new, original material with Arnel as singer. "Revelation" in 2008 (which reached #5 on the Billboard rock album chart) and "Eclipse" from 2011 (which reached #13 of the billboard rock album chart.) Arnel is also on the "Live In Manilla" concert DVD, which features a lot of new songs from his era of the band. It's amazing to see people on this board claiming that Journey are now an oldies/tribute act with no new material. Such criticisms are just completely false - plain and simple.
I'm glad to hear about the new material. I'll have to check it out. I don't think Journey is an oldies/tribute act either.
I was thinking that a good producer, such as the LA Reids and Clive Davis's could orchestrate a more profound comeback. An album of new material, with a popular top ten radio hit, guest musicians, famous producers and studio people. Maybe even one song with Steve. It sounds like something that could really happen.
It was great to see this type of comeback happen to the Beach Boys last year--having been a nostalgia band for a LONG time. The new album was good, and their first radio single in years was excellent.
to MyInnerspace... great post. You said two things that were the same
exact thoughts that went through my head... 1. that they are their own
tribute band, correct me if I am wrong here but wasn't there another
singer between this new guy and Steve Perry that also sounded just like
Steve Perry? I think he was even named Steve. I think this lend much
credibility to the "they've become their own tribute band" concept, and
2. the part about being disrespectful to Steve Perry.
It strikes me that the making of such a documentary is a total slap in
the face of Steve Perry. While the story of how this new singer came
to be may be "fascinating" it hardly warrants the making of s documentary.
It makes me think that the documentary is just a RIDICULOUS marketing
tool for other things.
"While the story of how this new singer came
to be may be "fascinating" it hardly warrants the making of s documentary."
Have you seen some of the crap people will make movies about these days? This is as good a reason to make a film as any.
www.twitter.com/ninja_car_horn
Wow! Is that a sick and twisted way to warrant the execution of anything.
I thought we as individuals were supposed to "look up" toward the risen
bar of success and past benchmarks, not down at the gutter of failures just
to make ourselves feel better. You get the big "L" on the forehead for that statement.
They had Steve Augeri. He sounded like Perry. Then they got Jeff Scott Soto who sounds nothing like Steve Perry. They fired him after the tour. Then they got Pineda who sounds almost identical to Perry. Journey has always been more concerned with recreating the Perry hits in concert than coming up with stellar new material. Even Perry said that they should've kept Soto.
What bothers me is that Neal and Jon's whole justification for keeping Journey going is that "there was a Journey before Steve Perry and there can be one after." Have any of you actually heard the first three albums they did before Perry came into the group with Infinity? It sounds NOTHING like the Journey that Perry led. But, and this is my problem, the Journey after Perry is trying sooooo hard to sound exactly like the Perry-led incarnation. It's hypocritical and insulting to the band's legacy.
And yes, the best singer replacements are the ones that sounded nothing like their predecessors.
Black Sabbath replaced Ozzy Osbourne with Ronnie James Dio.
AC/DC hired Brian Johnson after the death of Bon Scott.
Van Halen replaced David Lee Roth with Sammy Hagar.
These are the three most successful examples of singer replacements and they sound nothing like the previous singers.
And yes, the best singer replacements are the ones that sounded nothing like their predecessors.
Black Sabbath replaced Ozzy Osbourne with Ronnie James Dio.
AC/DC hired Brian Johnson after the death of Bon Scott.
Van Halen replaced David Lee Roth with Sammy Hagar.
These are the three most successful examples of singer replacements and they sound nothing like the previous singers.
[deleted]
I think he sounds better than Perry, but to each his own. If they stray too far from the Journey "sound", they should just rename the band anyway. New sound, new name.
Bon Scott and Brian Johnson anyone?
I agree..I think Arnel sounds much better than Steve Perry, and his voice fuller, more masculine, richer and even grittier at time...more of a rock voice. I've listened to some of the original songs with Steve Perry, and personally I find his voice.. uhmmm...rather 'effeminate' at times. Doesn't impress me really. I only started paying more attention to Journey after Arnel joined the band. I particularly love their new album "Eclipse", which why he co-wrote a couple of the songs. Plus I saw them twice here in Toronto and it was worth every penny..
I say hats off to him!!!
I don't mind Arnel's size, and I never even noticed he is short, but as a documentary this falls far short because it fails to answer two questions:
1) Why is Steve Perry no longer with Journey?
2). Why is having a replacement singer who sounds almost exactly like the former singer a good thing?
I've never been a big Journey fan, but I like them enough to catch them in concert this year and to watch this film. I'm content to leave it at that for now. 6/10 stars from me.
In the documentary it answered one of your questions and the other one has no relationship to the point of it.
"Why is Steve Perry no longer with Journey?" Doesn't matter. The documentary is not about the band. It's about Arnel Pineda joining the band. Another reason is that the reason for Steve leaving are well known. During the recording of "Raised on Radio" Perry's mother became ill and later died. During that time Perry was frequently away from the band. His many absences caused friction between him and the other band members. Eventually they decided to part ways. Also to answer another commenter on why Steve hasn't come back is simply that Steve has said he has no interest in rejoining the band.
As far as your second question it is stated in the movie by Neal Schon that to the majority of fans it's very important that the band has the same sound. And I wholly agree with that sentiment. I grew up listening to Journey since the early 1980's. When I hear one of their hits I want to hear it sung the same regardless of who sings it.
Also I highly disagree with the sentiment that it is disrespectful to Steve Perry. By continuing the style and sound of the Steve Perry era they are saying that he is the definitive sound of Journey. There is no higher compliment they can give him.
I like Journey even though it is more of a womans band. I also like Arnel, I probably wouldn't listen to them if Arnel did not sound like Steve Perry.
shareLike most classic rock bands, they make their living playing their classic hits and their fans want it to sounds the same. Steve Morse has been in Deep Purple 20 years, he is considered one of the best guitarists in the world, yet he goes out and plays BLACKMORE S parts the way Blackmore plays them, he sure as hell isn't going to start playing his jazz fusion stuff , the fans would go nuts.
Journey couldn't have just brought in Paul Rodgers and expected their fans to accept him singing faithfully despite Rodgers great voice, probably better than Perry's.