By Clarence Yu
Contributor
I’ve been very lucky to have a sixth sense when it comes to getting a hold of good music.
In these days of downloading music, I rarely buy CD’s, and if I do, they are from bands that in my mind deserve a slot in my CD case drawer.
Journey is one of those bands. When a friend advised me of his impending trip to Manila I immediately requested him to find me a copy of their latest release, Revelation, which is available only at Wal-Mart Stores in North America. Much of my interest stemmed from news that their new lead singer was Arnel Pineda of the Philippines.
I am one of the lucky ones to have possession of it at this time, and would like share my thoughts on the band in general and a personal review on the new album.
Journey burst onto the music scene in the late 1970’s and early 80’s, ruling the pop/rock scene with a lethal combination of catchy melodies, syrupy, sugar coated lyrics, and the “Voice” — as Steve Perry, the original lead singer of Journey, was and is called up to this day.
With a voice as sweet as saccharin, guitar riffs extraordinaire, (Neal Schon), driving keyboards (Jonathan Cain), a thunderous bass (Ross Valory) and a jazz/rock fusion groove (drummer Steve Smith), it was tantamount to eating ice cream on a hot summer night. And who does not love ice cream? It’s sweet, and it tastes good.
With Journey, the music they have created over the years is as sweet as sweet it can ever be. Who can ever forget those long drives at night when you turned up the radio and heard, “Send Her My Love,” or “I’ll Be All Right Without You” without getting a chill up your spine. Or for others who still remember prom nights with the local band playing “Faithfully.”
Filling stadiums and breaking adult oriented rock (AOR) chart sales, the “City By The Bay” band (“Lights”) had mass appeal in large part due to their excellent pop songwriting. Tales of broken hearts, fidelity, commitment, breaking up, making up, faith, love and anything sappy in general were common themes of every boy and girl relationship that the band collectively tapped.
“Separate Ways,” “Open Arms,” and “Don’t Stop Believin,” stand out as classic examples of their excellent songwriting abilities, and they were a band that people actually flocked to stadiums to see live in concert before the onset of MTV (a formidable feat, in my opinion, considering that music videos were not en vogue during the time).
After considerable success with Journey, Steve Perry went solo with two albums while maintaining membership with the band. “Foolish Heart,” and “Oh Sherrie” were probably the most commercial successes from his solo venture, and remain staples on classic rock radio to this day.
With the arrival of heavy metal and hard rock in the mid to late 80’s, the band found difficulties in maintaining a fickle audience, no doubt by this time largely influenced by the visceral images from MTV.
The band never formally called it quits, but it was apparent with guitarist Neal Schon and keyboardist Jonathan Cain’s new band, Bad English (“When I See You Smile” being their most notable chart success), that things were not quite as stable within the homefront.
Fastforward to 1996. Journey “reunites” with an excellent album “Trial By Fire” produced by none other than legendary Kevin “Spank” Shirley, also producer of well-known bands such as Aerosmith and the Black Crowes, to name a few (the nickname “Spank,” owing to the distinct wall of sound that he is known for creating during the recording and mixing process).
Steve Perry then refuses to tour behind the album due to vocal cord problems and hip-replacement surgery, and the reunion was short-lived.
The year 2001 marked the arrival of the aptly named release “Arrival” with new singer Steve Augeri and new drummer Deen Castronovo in tow (Schon’s and Cain’s bandmate from Bad English).
Unimaginable at the time to find a singer to fill in Perry’s shoes, Augeri was first introduced to the general public as a member of Journey via a cut on the “Armageddon” movie soundtrack album (“Remember Me”), and Deen Castranovo faithfully duplicated the classic sound of drummer Steve Smith (his most famous recorded performance outside of Journey being drums and percussion on the 1984 Bryan Adams track “Heaven.”
Augeri gave the band a second life and renewed hopes for fans of Perry’s voice, which Augeri aptly duplicated, albeit on lower octaves. “Higher Place” and “All The Way” were strong cuts from this album, but were met with little commercial response from fans, most of whom were die-hard Perry fanatics. The band’s decrease in popularity was evident on their 2001 Live Concert DVD “Journey 2001,” playing to a much smaller audience relative to the stadiums they filled in the ‘80’s.
After a second album, Augeri called it quits (or Journey fired him, depending on what you have read) owing to “vocal cord problems.” Sounds similar to Perry’s departure?
After a brief tour with temporary singer Jeff Scott Soto (from Yngwie Malmsteen’s Rising Force—music fans, just Google it), the band again called it quits. A brief resurgence, notably in the final episode of The Sopranos, where “Don’t Stop Believin” was featured in the final cliffhanging scene, and in a derivative remake of “Open Arms” by Mariah Carey, perhaps renewed hopes for the band that they could still write and record simply good music without the “Voice.”
The search was on for a new singer. Risky as might have been in searching, other bands had pulled it off before (Van Halen, Genesis, Motley Crue), finding second lives and even more success with new singers.
Enter Filipino Arnel Pineda.
Pineda’s story is the stuff of a million American Idol fan’s dreams combined. With a 25- year music career in Manila and Hong Kong, singing with numerous cover bands under his belt, Arnel first gained prominence in the Philippines as lead singer of the ’80’s band, AMO (in English, loosely translated as “Master”).
The infamous (or famous, depending on your point of view) story of Mr. Schon’s discovery of Mr. Pineda on YouTube is now a part of urban legend. Basically, Mr. Schon felt that looking for a singer the traditional way was time consuming, thus committing himself to hours of browsing on YouTube. He found a clip of the band “Zoo,” and in his gut, he knew Pineda was the one.
After a brief audition process, the band immediately went in to record their latest release, again with Shirley on producing duties.
Considering the limited amount of time the band had to adjust to Mr. Pineda and vice versa, Journey version 3 was able to churn out high output, with a 3-disc package: one disc of 11 new songs, the other an 11 re-recorded greatest hits compilation, and the third, a live DVD of their recent performance at the Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas.
With a huge question on whether Mr. Pineda could fill in the void left by Mr. Perry and co., I was, suffice to say, quite hesitant to listen to the new disc for fear of disappointment.
The opening track, “Never Walk Away,” was enough to erase any doubts in my mind. I was blown away immediately. The opening, soaring guitar riff with a crash of drums and bass was enough to keep me smiling as it opened the door to the possibilities of a new, relevant Journey. Mr. Pineda’s voice was immediately seared into my brain with the first line: “So young in love and they couldn’t wait/said their vows just to run away.” Alright, that is cheesy lyric but that is what great songwriting is all about. Again the songs revisit familiar themes of running away, love, broken promises, etc., the band fires on all cylinders on this driving, propelling track.
Strong cuts on the album include: the ballad “After All These Years,” which is sure to make waves on Adult Contemporary Radio. “What It Takes to Win” is an aerobic, anthemic tune that would fit in great on any boxing movie soundtrack. “Like A Sunshower” is a doo-wop type of ballad with a chord structure reminiscent of “Lights” from Journey’s earlier material but is strong enough to stand out on its own. “Change for the Better” has Mr. Pineda showcasing vocal staccato breaks reminiscent of an earlier hit, “Any Way You Want It.”
Mr. Pineda’s voice is full of fire and soul, and combined with the band, becomes an instrument unto itself. I’ve seen a YouTube performance of “Never Walk Away” and Jonathan Cain (keyboards) is playing rhythm guitar. The song is pure melodic rock, without the aid of keyboards, and from a technical standpoint, that’s very difficult to pull off.
There is an ethereal, live ambience feel to the whole album, like it was cut live in the studio. Mr. Pineda respectfully gives a nod to Steve Perry by being able to duplicate his signature high tenor, yet infuses his own raw, rough and fiery style. I doubt if Mr. Perry would be able to pull of the rough and raw vocals of Mr. Pineda on “What It Takes to Win.”
The rest of the album is very strong material, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it doesn’t post high sales. Mr. Schon and Mr. Castronovo are in fine form throughout the album.
Mr. Schon is truly an underrated guitarist, who not only is technically good, but rhythmically great. I am particularly impressed with Mr. Castronovo’s rock-solid drums and the raw, primal sound of the production by Mr. Shirley.
The 2nd disc of re-recorded versions of their greatest hits is good but not great. That’s fine with me, and enough to keep a Journey fan’s appetite wet.
I am a guitarist myself, having played in Filipino cover bands for 20 years and I know that Mr. Pineda is not the best singer here. But he is the most optimal singer, a consummate professional who is the best fit for Journey. After all, he has been singing Journey tunes for most of his career. I guess he had 25 years of rehearsal, and he rightly deserves this job.
With Mr. Pineda on vocal duties, there is that distinct possibility that Journey may finally escape the stigma of “The Voice,” and finally be given credit simply as a group of guys who made good music, and are still continuing to make relevant, good tunes, as a band that never tried to be hip in the first place.
Hard core fans and critics may disagree, but opinions vary, and, as they say, music does the best talking. Listen for yourself and close your eyes. There might be a day when the question is reversed: Will Mr. Perry be able to fill in Mr. Pineda’s shoes? Buy this disc, and don’t stop listening and believing.
45 Feedbacks on "Journey (is) back"
Law
I can’t get enough of this guy AP. Anybody planning to make a movie or write a book about him? Fans needed to know every little pieces about him. ‘Been a week for me now in front of my pc watching AP on you tube. Only few noticed his talent until now that he is 40?? Albeit you, that there are tons of people like him there whose extraordinary talents are unnoticed. God bless!!!
BN De Los Reyes
“I know that Mr. Pineda is not the best singer here.”
Who do you think is better than Arnel Pineda and why? Do you think Arnel is not as good because he does not look as glamorous as Martin Nievera or Gary Valenciano?
I think Filipinos in the Philippines have not yet realized how big Mr. Pineda is becoming in Europe and the U.S. All you need to do is read the string of reviews and news coverages of Journey’s various concerts in England, The Netherlands, Utah, Arizona, California, and Nevada to-date (more venues to follow in their 50-concert tour). Type “Arnel Pineda” in Google News and find out.
Find out about this humble, unassuming, unglamorous-looking Filipino who has received unprecedented coverage from GQ Magazine, New York Times, LA Times, CBS News, Ellen DeGeneres, and others.
Wake up, Philippines! Arnel Pineda is as much a hero as Manny Pacquiao and, as we speak, is paving the way for the success of other Filipino entertainers in the international stage.
Nesj Xavi
I now live in Vallejo, CA (northern San Francisco Bay Area, has 25,000 Filipinos) and I’ve loosely followed the Bay Area’s own Journey for 30+ years.
I visited the Philippines many times and my fellow Sailors/Marines and I were always impressed at how friendly and Americanized Filipinos are, and we were amazed at all the great sounding singers and bands there. I still have cassette tapes of bands and original artists like Ryan Cayabyab (I hope we get to hear his stuff in US someday).
I’m really surprised that few Filipinos have been discovered and I hope that Mr. Pineda will set off a new wave not just for singers but also for composers. (After Lea Salonga was discovered, I heard that a similar search started but there was no American Idol nor YouTube then.)
I bought the new Revelation album and I am simply impressed with Mr. Pineda. At first I did not want to buy, but after seeing the free concert videos at walmart.com, I was hooked. To me, Mr. Pineda is as good or even better than Mr. Perry. So I bought 10 more albums for “care packages” to send to my fellow servicemen stationed overseas.
Nesj Xavi
BD
Pretty good article, but Steve Perry did not refuse to tour with the “Trial By Fire” CD. HE developed a hip problem and was researching the treatments available, (there were no vocal cord problems at that time) he took more time than the band wanted to make a decision. The band asked him if they could go on without him and that they were already auditioning a new singer. Needless to say that probably hurt his feelings. He asked them to give him a little more time, they didn’t and the rest is our LOSS. Arnel is good but he will never be able to totally fill “THE VOICE’S” shoes. Even if SP can’t hit all the notes anymore (maybe he can) just seeing them all together as they were on”Trial By Fire” would fill much bigger venues than they are filling now. And why did they need to re-record the Journey classics with Arnel? Kind of mean spirited to me. Thanks for listening!!
Khan
I am a guitarist myself, having played in Filipino cover bands for 20 years and I know that Mr. Pineda is not the best singer here.
““““““““
What do you mean by this? Had the other ‘better’ singers posted their stuff on Youtube do you think they would have satisfied Dean Schon’s taste?
What makes a singer better than others?
Can you show me a better RP-based vocalist than Arnel?
N. Erndyne
Great well-researched article.
As a Journey fan that used to watch them in San Francisco, I was skeptical about buying their new album until one of my Filipino co-workers suggested that I listen (not look) at the on-line walmart videos. Wow, Arnel is terrific. He sounds great, just like I remember the band. And his athleticism on stage is amazing.
A few years ago, I watched Led Zeppelin and I wanted to hear their signature style but unfortunately the singer has aged and could not hit the high notes anymore. How I wish that famous bands (especially the singers) would never get old.
BTW, my Filipino co-workers are now creating new line dances with Journey music and many of them are going to the concert coming up here near Sacramento.
N. Erndyne
Pablo Escobar
Hi
I just want to make some comments about your write up on the band Journey. Firstly, the original vocalist of Journey was not Steve Perry but it was Greg Alan Rolie. He was Neal Schon’s former bandmates in Santana and Abraxa’s Pool and a couple of other side projects. Rolie had recorded Journey’s first album and few other albums all the way to 1980. Although, Steve Perry came into the scene in 1977 when Rolie decided to step aside and do the keys and backing vocals for Perry. But prior to that, Rob Fleischman did a vocal stint with Journey for a year in 1977.
Steve Perry was replaced after he had a hip-injury while vacationing in Hawaii. Due to Journey’s tour commitments needed to be fulfilled, they were left with no choice but to hire someone to fill-in Perry’s job. Steve Augeri from Tyketto filled-in for Perry and made 3 albums with Journey. Due to continuing throat infection, he decided to leave the band and Journey continued some of their tour dates with Deen Castronovo temporarily filled in for Augeri. They hired Jeff Scott Soto of Axel Rudi Pell and Yngwie Malmsteen (pronounced Invei Ma-lmsti-n).
Secondly, Neal Schon formed the metal band Bad English with Jonathan Cain & Deen Castronovo along with The Babys’ John Waite & Ricky Phillips. Cain also had played with The Babys for a year in 1979 until he joined Journey and helped the band to the top of the charts with the Escape album.
For the record, Schon also formed a band called HSAS (Hagar, Schon, Aaronson & Shrieve). With Hagar & Schon teamed-up, it’s like listening to Van Halen & Journey combined. Checked it out.
Joel gomez
I disagree with you when you said arnel is not the best singer. For me he is one of the best singers I heard. He is truly world class. His voice was so good that it got attention from another part of the world. Truly singing can be learned but the quality of voice is inherent.
Geoff
I think this was the fairest review of Revelation I’ve read so far. Although I agree with the sentiment, I just hope the question posed in the second to last sentence doesn’t bring up the inevitable comparisons between new and old singers from Steve Perry fans. There doesn’t need to be another argument started from an offended fan who can’t accept the reviewer’s well-intended compliment to Arnel Pineda.
There is a lot for Journey to be proud of with their new singer. Arnel’s vocals on this new CD is both familiar and refreshing at the same time. I would say that “Like A Sunshower” sounds the most retro, while “Change For The Better” sounds the most urgent, but in a good, energetic way. “After All These Years’ is a classic ballad very reminiscent of the tear-jerker “Faithfully” that will surely have some of the ladies crying at Journey’s concerts this summer. In my opinion, Revelation is the band’s best album since 1983’s Frontiers.
jhonatan
excellent reviews…except i don’t agree with you thinking that there’s somebody better than Arnel there in the Philippines that can sing like he does has the same charisma, personality,energy,style,stage presence and most of all his humility.
Ajie
you said it all. i got the album & just love it. i hope it will be available in the Philippines very soon so my friends over there could get their own copies. i’m so proud of arnel p. he really deserves it & more
fernan
ya! man!..arnel pineda is the greatest guy i’ve seen in first journey concert in planet hollywood…he rocks the auditorium!!!!,just bought 8 journey cds/dvd album in walmart edmonton and gave to my friends,they’re really appreciate it!!1ciao!
treu
I’ve got the disc on the first day it went on sale, and I wasn’t disappointed. Great review!
Robert
Mr Clarence,
May I suggest, for you to post this article to YouTube.com, and/or to the Journey website, under the forum column. Lot of Journey fans review that thread almost everyday. I am not computer savvy, perhaps, maybe you can do it for me. Thanks
Ariel
Not bad bro. Not bad at all.
Journey is Back » ArnelFans.com
[...] Clarence Yu of Inquirer.net talks about Journey’s comeback: I’ve been very lucky to have a sixth sense when it comes to getting a hold of good music. In these days of downloading music, I rarely buy CD’s, and if I do, they are from bands that in my mind deserve a slot in my CD case drawer. Journey is one of those bands. When a friend advised me of his impending trip to Manila I immediately requested him to find me a copy of their latest release, Revelation, which is available only at Wal-Mart Stores in North America. Much of my interest stemmed from news that their new lead singer was Arnel Pineda of the Philippines. Categories: Articles Tags: clarence yu, inquirer.net [...]
Juan de La Cruz
“Mr. Pineda is not the best singer here…” I am just curious. Who, in your opinion, is better than Arnel Pineda? I’ve heard of Bamboo, Parokya ni Edgar, RiverMaya. I would like to check them out.
Millie Rigo
Great review, makes me want to have a copy of Journey’s album soonest so I can see and learn for myself how good this band is.
Khan
The seemingly apparent bias in Mr. Yu’s review and the haphazard placement of the comment about Arnel not being the best vocalist in the Philippines have historical and social connotations.
Arnel rose from an abysmal life to that of world class performer. After laboring for 25 years he finally got his chance, a grand one indeed. Not a lot of middle class and elite Filipinos appreciate such a remarkable feat, but most Filipinos do. AP’s cinderella (J)ourney is a dream come true for most Filipinos; an inspiration unrivaled in today’s depressing times.
The ‘Thank You’ portion of the new album has Arnel’s acknowledgment….”:
“Finally, thank you so very much to all Filipinos…for believing in me. MABUHAY TAYONG LAHAT!”
Stay strong AP and live on Journey!
Robert
In reference to Juan dela Cruz statement , “Arnel Pineda is not the best singer.” Well, I have to disagree. I checked River maya, Parokya and the other name I can’t remember: they are not good enough to be compared to Arnel. Case closed.
Clarence Yu
Thanks all for the comments.
Here are my own:
1. When I mentioned that Mr. Pineda is not the best singer here, it was meant in context. There are much better singers here, but they do not fit the Journey vocal position, so in a sense, Mr. Pineda is the best singer for Journey to come from the Philippines, but not THE best singer per se. There really is no such thing as a “best” singer. I would probably venture to say that I haven’t heard of any best singer yet. There are only good singers.
2. For Mr. Pablo Escobar - You are right. Greg Rolie was the original singer of Journey. But for the purposes of the article, I started out with the history of Journey as it was known to the public. Cain was also Waite’s bandmate in the Babys. I am also a big fan of Sammy Hagar and am aware of his side projects with Mr. Schon. But I believe that these facts were not useful for the purposes of writing the review, which would then make it too long. Thank you for your comments, though.
Clarence Yu
More comments.
To BD:
I did mention that Mr. Perry had hip-replacement surgery during the Trial By Fire period, though I cannot substantiate my claim that he had vocal problems at the time, this was a matter that I had heard on the talk radio stations at the time (I was living in the US during this period).
To Mr. Gomez,
You are entitled to your opinion as much as everyone else is. I do think that there are better and worse singers than Mr. Pineda. But, in my mind, there is simply no such thing as the “best.”
To BN De Los Reyes,
Please do not misconstrue my statement. I did not mention anything about glamour. In fact, I personally avoid the “sheen” that accompanies celebrities. I have long been a follower and enthusiast of rock music and believe that glamour has nothing to do with one’s talent, as it is only a function of marketability. Some bands intentionally make themselves unattractive to sell (the Sex Pistols, the early version of The Rolling Stones).
To Khan,
First of all, it is Neal Schon, not Deen Schon. Secondly, as I mentioned above, I do not believe in the word “best” when it comes to talent. Perhaps “great” would be a good word to use. If you get the chance to ask Mr. Pineda of his opinion, I am sure he can cite other vocalists who might be better than him. He is that much of a humble guy, in my opinion.
Best Regards
Clarence Yu
Dennis P
Singing for Journey, trying to hit the high notes at high intensity, seems to be extremely stressful on the vocal cords. Steve Perry quit because of vocal cord problems, and so did Steve Augeri. Most of Journey’s songs have to be delivered at high intensity and high pitch.
Listen to SP and AP deliver Don’t Stop Believin’. At one of the last parts where you are supposed to sing “hold on to the feeleyiyenng!” SP often changes pitch to reach it at a higher key. I believe this is what did him in. Nice to listen to, but practically ensures he won’t be able to sing forever.
I hope AP takes care of his voice. It is his golden goose, so to speak. Maybe once in a while he can “reach for the stars” but he should also try to last as long as he can…
DP
Eric
Great reading… I am not a music person but after reading this I emailed my brother to get a cd at Walmart.
Ron
Great job. This is one of the more intelligent, well researched reviews/blogs I have read regarding Journey/Arnel Pineda. I am suitably impressed.
pepster
HUH? HUH?.. “I am a guitarist myself, having played in Filipino cover bands for 20 years and I know that Mr. Pineda is not the best singer here.”
i don’t think so.. HE is one of the BEST in the WORLD. can you name who you think is the best Pinoy singer (not just recording singer and still living)?
jcastro
I’m a Journey fan then and now. First day the album was released my husband got me a copy at Wal-Mart. I loved it. I was also fortunate to watch the concert in Irvine. Even though it’s more than an hour drive from L.A. and considering the traffic but it’s worhty.Arnel is a great performer. I will also watch the concert here in L.A. on Sept. 30 at the Greek Theatre.
Joven2ra
Thanks for the article. Great read. I’m a Journey fan now because of Arnel. I had my Revelation album courtesy of a relative a week after it was released in the States last June 3. Here in Manila, it was released last Friday (June 18)through MCA-Universal and could be bought at major record stores. The DVD concert is not included in the album sold here. Please buy only original cds as a sign of support for our kababayan. As a minor trivia, 8 out of 8 concerts they performed so far are all sold-out events. WOW!!!
Joven2ra
Sorry for the error, album was released here July 18 and not June 18 as stated in my earlier post. Price is around P480.
gemV
i just got my own copy of the Revelation album 2 days ago. I have urgently requested it from a friend in the States, because I am such a big fan of Arnel Pineda..and wow! its truly a great album. It was way beyond my expectation..although for me bitin ang live concert nila in the dvd that was included in the album but it was still superb. Hope they would come up with full live concert album next time. Way to go AP! You truly deserve everything that’s happening to you right now..God bless you always.
Khan Tot
By Clarence Yu:
To Khan,
First of all, it is Neal Schon, not Deen Schon. Secondly, as I mentioned above, I do not believe in the word “best” when it comes to talent. Perhaps “great” would be a good word to use. If you get the chance to ask Mr. Pineda of his opinion, I am sure he can cite other vocalists who might be better than him. He is that much of a humble guy, in my opinion.
Best Regards
Clarence Yu
“““““““
I tried to cover my bases so I had the drummer and the lead guitarist mentioned in the same context. My mistake.
You’re right that Arnel is such a humble dude that he’ll obviously deflect the answer to such a dumb question: ..”are you the best singer in the Philippines?”
I sense a little bit of envy in your review. Is it hard for you to imagine the success that Arnel is having right now? Relax and enjoy Arnel’s ride. If you don’t appreciate his triumph then do something else not divisive.
Peace.
Clarence Yu
More comments:
For Khan: I think you are taking things way too out of context. You rephrase my sentence by turning it into a “dumb question.” Generally speaking, I believe Mr. Pineda is a great singer, period.
As a musician who hasn’t made it “big”, of course, absolutely yes, I would love to have the kind of success that Mr. Pineda has. Who wouldn’t love to record music with first rate professionals, and go out on tour in North America? It is the stuff of every musician’s dreams. But that does not mean I cannot celebrate his triumph and feel proud for him.
As for envy? Does he have more money that I do? Does he have more fame than I do? Is that a measure of a man? Perhaps they may be the standards by which you measure a man, but they are certainly not mine. Perhaps I wish I had his talent, but I don’t, and that’s perfectly fine with me.
Perhaps I envy your propensity to provoke an argument. I wish I had your skill. Peace as well.
Clarence Yu
Khan says:
“The seemingly apparent bias in Mr. Yu’s review and the haphazard placement of the comment about Arnel not being the best vocalist in the Philippines have historical and social connotations.”
Dear Mr. Khan:
What connotations are these? I am quite puzzled by your comments, but then again, I’d rather not hear your answer. I believe my review was well balanced.
If ever there are historical connotations, it is the fact that Mr. Pineda paid his dues singing in cover bands playing American music, but I personally have nothing against that. It’s a living, and people do it all the time.
I suggest in the nicest possible way that before you make a comment about a person, get to know him first. I’m free to meet you for a drink or two, if you’d like.
Have a nice day.
wafiman
Great review man, well researched, mature and sober.
Come to think of it the Philippines has a great reservoir of “great” singers. Arnel opened the doors. i’m sure its just a matter of time that other great Filipino singers will be pushing it wide open.
igorot27
get your facts right. George Tickner (who left the band) was Journey’s original frontman. he was followed by Robert Fleischman (who got fired after the producer heard steve’s demo tape). it wasn’t steve perry. he’s actually the 3rd, steve augeri coming 4th, JSS the 5th. AP’s the 6th. to date only neal and ross are the remaining members from the original line up.
Clarence Yu
Hi Igorot,
As mentioned in an earlier comment I left, I felt that it was not relevant to talk about earlier Journey facts, which in my mind, did not satisfy the objectives of the review. I presented Journey with Steve Perry on the basis of how they entered mainstream radio, which is how fans got to know them.
Thank you for your input though.
Clarence Yu
Definitely Journey
Well am surprise that the reviewer was not sold on AP as the best singer… “Mr Pineda is not the BEST singer here”… then why use the word “best” if there is no such thing as best?… according to that context there is one out there if he is not the best then who is?… lets see here and you only categorized AP as a “great” singer am i right? Well according to Mr Neal Schon he is the BEST singer here or there… and declared that he is the real deal!!.. and as you stated on your own review.. “music does the best talking”… so lets just do that…a good review but not that great review coming from a musician like YU. PEACE!
ginie
Good review, however, I think there’s an error in your line, “…and I wouldn’t be surprised if it doesn’t post high sales(?)” It should be “…and I wouldn’t be surprised if it posts high sales.” By the way, if you think Arnel though “is not the best singer in the Philippines” then who do you think is? Because for his music genre I haven’t seen one yet as good as he is.
Clarence Yu
Hi Ginie,
That’s a typo, thank you for pointing it out.
For Ginie and Definitely Journey,
Hey, nothing’s perfect guys, and everything is subjective and taken in context. No one’s the best, yet no one is the worst, either.
I’ve posted my comments on your queries below, please read so that there will be no repetitions…
Peace all,
Clarence YU
p.huber
I do agree with Mr. Yu. Arnel Pineda may not be the best singer in the Philippines but he is a great singer and he is lucky. there are of course hundreds of good singers in the Philippines waiting to be discovered and maybe are known already within the country but don’t have that luck to get discovered by a well-known american band like the journey. there was Mig Ayesa who already performed as Freddie Mercury in London’s Broadway “We will Rock You” left the stint in london so he could join the search for the lead singer of INX in the USA and landed as second runner up. Promised some recordings as one of the prizes but was never heard from then on. so what I am saying is, Arnel is a very good singer that been honed for 25 years and had on top of that more luck compared to his peers.that’s what make him different.
to Nesj Xavi: Ryan Cayabyab is a musical director, more into accompanying some famous local singers and is also a Music Professor teaching at the Conservatory of Music at University of the Philippines. As far as I know, he doesn’t sing professionally anymore (although he used to together with the famous “Circus Bands” of the early ’70’s whose members included the best rock band singers of that time together as one (Basil Valdez, Haji Alejandro, Tillie Moreno, Ryan Cayabyab to name a few)but composes and arranges music for his favorite singers. I suppose you guys didn’t know that. Each of those members went solo after they split and most of them became famous singers on their own.
Clarence Yu
Thank you Mr. Huber for your opinion; you could not have articulated what I meant better enough. Further, your insights and discussion on a piece of Pinoy rock (Circus) definitely serves as a good counterpoint to those whose opinions are not tempered by such awareness of the history of our music in general.
Best Regards
Clarence Yu
Clarence Yu
Just a follow-up thought: I went to a Best Buy outlet here in the United States and saw prominently displayed, of all things, a Journey “Greatest Package” consisting of a CD and a DVD, available only at Best Buy. The sticker screams: Original songs of Journey performed by Original members of Journey, Steve Perry, etc. Now this is a fallacy as we all know it, because one of the readers just pointed out that Greg Rollie was the original singer of the band. Also irritatingly highlighted on the package: “bass on some tracks by Randy Jackson.” We all now know Randy Jackson via American Idol, but many do not know that he was a noted “behind the scenes” session musician for many, many years before landing his TV gig. Talk about capitalization to the core…
Now just wait a business minute! The Revelation CD is only exclusive at WalMart, but Journey’s other stuff is exclusive at Best Buy. Seems like a double edged sword here, and I see the dollar bills ringing in for either Journey’s former record label, Journey management and co., and Steve Perry.
Another perspective is forming in my mind about this ballyhooed reunion, but I’ll just keep it to myself. I wish Mr. Pineda all the best.
Best Regards
Clarence Yu
erniebalajadia
Yeah, thats’ true, Arnels’ not the best singer in the PI, but Bert de Leon the Director Admired his singing voice, right! Who then is the best singer, the one who has influence to the rich people in the industry? Arnel was a simple guy who has talent in singing, but he doesn’t recognize b’coz of being poor guy. That’s was happened in the RP. NOW, here in the States, Arnel was the “GREATEST SINGER OF ALL TIME”, real ROCK STAR!!! Almost All of their concert was SOLD OUT!!! If you miss one of Arnel-Journeys’ Concert, you will be missing one part of your life, telling you the truth! Their (JOURNEY-band) Concert was Different to them All!!! Especially the moves of Arnel on top of the stage, WOW! He was incredibly amazing, full of enery! He was an AMERICAN DREAM, beleive you me, and the GRAMMY AWARDS waiting for them, the band JOURNEY! Who is SP, he just a memories, forget him lol’! ARNEL IS THE MAN!!! Humble and low profile guy! WE LOVE ARNEL and the band JOURNEY!!!
mariav
No offense, the problem of Filipinos is that everyone should look a certain way, should act or sing a certain way to be in. Not here in America. If you are unique, the better. Filipinos need to go out of the box. We have the habit of saying, muka siyang chimay, meaning ugly. But in the Western countries, chimay look to them is unique and look beautiful.
Now my point is a lot of talented people in the Philippines are not discovered there and are discovered here in America or elsewhere and become famous because
mariav
continuation:
…because they are not given the chance back in the Philippines because of that mentality.
Mostly the actors and actresses back there have relatives or parents who are actors themselves….connections and nepotism prevail.
It’s sad, but it is a reality in the many industries in the Philippines
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