I read an excerpt from an interview with Neal Schon recently.
The subject is the search for a new vocalist, eventually finding Arnel Pineda on You Tube. In the interview Schon describes the qualities he was looking for: "I wanted a guy that could convey the classic songs with a similar texture to his voice, and a tenor voice, but someone who puts his own spin on it. Which is exactly what Arnel does."
Translation : Arnel sounds like Steve Perry.
And he does. His voice may lack that sparkle, that magic that could only ever belong to Perry, but it's a pretty close approximation. And to be frank, I think most
Journey fans are beyond that now. They know Perry won't return, and they accept that a good substitute is all they can ever expect.
Frontiers Records have just released a 2 track sampler, taken from the forthcoming new studio album, '
Revelation', the first
Journey album to be named after our website. Though they clearly can't spell.
This of course is the first recording with Pineda handling lead vocals, and is again produced by Kevin Shirley.
Opener,
'Never Walk Away' could easily have been lifted from the cutting room floor after the '
Raised On Radio' sessions. Obviously discarded by the band at that time because it sounded too much like
'Be Good To Yourself', with an inferior axe solo.
Second problem is the clarity of the mix, or lack of it. This sounds like it was recorded through an old woollen sock. Nothing is pin sharp. It's all too one dimensional. Nothing is in the foreground or background (except the bgvs, which are way too far back). Let's hope this is a rough first mix we're listening to.
The second track,
'After All These Years', the inevitable ballad, sounds much better - clearer and sonically sounder.
Sketched around Cain's piano, it's sentimental, full of melancholy harmonies and commendably restrained swells of strings. As you might expect, Schon's trademark guitar arpeggios punctuate the lyrics and accentuate the big vocal moments.
It's a worthy
Journey ballad, and Pineda handles it well, emoting gracefully, but it is hardly a triumph.
Maybe it is just too much to expect another '
Faithfully', '
Open Arms' or
'Who's Crying Now'. Roll on
'Revelation'.
Written by
Brian Monday, May 26, 2008
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