Steve Perry, Surprise Performance

Steve Perry of Journey fame made a surprise appearance during and Eels concert over the weekend in St. Paul, Minnesota. Steve hasn't performed in public in 20 years! He still sounds great to me!

Comments

[Bob]

It's nice to hear Perry out singing again. He does sound very good, but let's not lose sight of the fact that the band played those Journey tunes in a much lower key to fit the vocal range he has left. If he were to get back together with Journey, I don't think the majority of casual Journey fans would be satisssfied with hearing those songs performed that way. I do hope that this performance will give him the inspiration to record again. He does still have a lot of gas left in the vocal tank -- just not enough to sing all of those impossibbbbbly high Journey tunes in their original keys night after night.

[Metalboy!]

You're right, Bob. Perry should record. AND perform!

Yeah, he is singing in a lower key but he does hit some high notes, granted, not as impossibly high as he once did.

This mainly has to do with age, I would assume, more than anything, though not having sung publicly in 20 years could also be a factor. And you're also right -- He still has a lot of chops left, which is a little different than some other 80's hyenas with whom we are familiar, i.e. Don Dokken.

Yet, I recall seeing Boston in 1979, not long after their second album, and thinking Brad Delp was singing a lot lower than how he sounds on the albums.

Still, Journey's current singer "Out-Perry's" Steve Perry, as somebody in previous recent comments has so adroitly described it.

There's no touching that dude live. Where Perry can top everybody is in songwriting and recording, especially with today's technology.

If he records, which I hope he does, get ready... Sustained 10th octave vocal stunts, here we come!

Frontiers recording contract, anyone?

[Rita]

Neil Schon is such an a**-wipe, I don't ever think Steve Perry would go back with Journey.

I love him though and think its great that he is singing again. 20 years is a long time. He sounds fantastic. Not that much different than he did on Frontiers (to me anyway). You could tell on that album that his voice wasn't as high as it was earlier on. Love, love, love him.

[Darktown]

Nothing but respect for this man................

[GNR]

Lovin, Touchin... does it get better ? No matter the arrangement or style. Same vibe - thoughts come across your mind :)

[Gary]

Guys already in his mid 60's. He did awesome in my book.Great to see him back out on the boards having fun!!

[Bob]

Metalboy!, my good sir, 'twas I who used the "Out'Perry Perry" line in my concert review. glad ya liked it. When I was writing my first comment to this post, I actually thought of Brad Delp as well because those Boston tunes were almost impossible to sing live. I have recordings from Boston's '76 and '79 tours, and also saw them in '86. While they did play all of the songs in their original keys, Delp did play with the melodies from time to time when one of those ridiculously high notes would come up. I don't fault him for it at all. I honestly think that he came as close as any rock singer could have at the time to singing those songs like they sounded in the studio.

It's the same thing with Steve Perry. His voice does still sound very good -- he just doesn't have the same vocal range he did 30+ years ago. Hell, 30 years ago I had a lot more hair, and a lot less gut -- times change. :) and yes, Perry right now could sing Don Dokken off the stage. If Steve Perry does record an album, I would buy it.

[fletch]

Right now. Some singer is yelling at his past guitarist, "no way, he's not that good."

[Dj]

And again. I only listen to Journey for certain reasons. There's still no doubt that he has an excellent voice. Much respect.

[glamrockerarchie]

I don't think he sou def that great n I'm a big journey fan. I've seen them live with Steve way back and the new singer a couple years ago. At this stage I would def stick with new singer as they were very good new and old songs.

[Him]

Some nice, reasonable, posts here. I concur: Perry sounds great for his age and regardless of it. Financially (for perhaps the fans and some in the band), a reunion would make sense. I wonder though: maybe he should just go the Gramm route and strike out on his own, develop his own fan base, and let Mr. Pouty stew in the situation he has created (in that regard, Perry's treatment at the hands of Schon is not unlike Gramm's at the hand of Jones . . . both black marks on their talent and legacies, if you ask me). Having said that, I would still be torn about missing seeing them play together again.

Nice to see some more love being shown for Boston, and Delp in particular. I saw them most recently during their Corporate American tour and they managed a nifty feat: on the real high shifts (think "Don't Stop Believing"), he simply traded back and forth with Fran Cosmo. Gifted throughout his career (even "Had A Good Time" was a great Boston song). Sad how his life ended and the circumstances surrounding that decision. Truly tragic.

[Metalboy!]

Well said, HIM. And if Perry can pick up where he left off on the level of the AOR pop cheese confection, "Oh, Sherri", he'll kill it!

Just ask the 21 year-old blonde I was talking to a couple of months ago, who told me he was her idol!

[fletch]

I thought/knew he was always there. what makes you think differently?

[Him]

That would be the interesting thing, Metalboy! Where would he pick up at this point and given this market? His sound is a lot more raspy. Not sure "Oh Sherrie" will sound the same or that he would track in that AOR direction.

And, you know what? I really wouldn't care. I can age alongside my bands and accept them (in most cases) for what they are now. Same goes for my singers. I am even an apologist for some of them.

But, the more I think about it, the more I think he should go solo. Explore the standards, do a one-off show with his old band-mates, capitalize on his legacy and create a different space (I won't say "niche") for himself. The perfectionist that he is (at least according to interviews) seems to also be at peace with his place in the world . . . even if he struggles with what "could have been" and "might still be." In a senses, a mega-reunion would just hurt things. Big ticket prices, already big egos inflamed, boasts about the future, etc. Not sure I want that (though, as I said, not sure I would miss it either).

One final comment: I saw the Augeri-led version of this band (back during the infamous tour with Foreigner where Gramm was basically forced into singing after nearly dying). It was okay, not bad. But I think Pineda is a better version of the clone that they want right now (and, likely, for some time going forward). And I don't mean that as a slam [sidebar: Soto could have been great and remains underrated].

Pineda seems like the nicest, most grounded, fan in the world. And he is a fan. He is living his dream right now. If you want to see a humble and grounded person, go read how he reacted to Perry's performance. Not a lot shocks me these days. But this man is a gift. Fans are lucky and Journey (especially Schon) are lucky to have him. I hope, regardless of what happens, that he continues to find peace and success in his life.

[fletch]

mb: was it that hick chick I told you about?

[eric]

I don't think he should go back with Journey. Their new singer pretty much sounds like he did 25 years ago and Steve cannot really compete in that way.

I DO think he should record some stuff though. I like how his voice sounds now. It's lower and more "gritty". Would like to hear him sound like what he does NOW.

[Metalboy!]

The guy can still sing his derrière off!

I say get a KILLER guitarist. My ex-lead guitarist thinks it should be Steve Stevens, hahaha!!!

Think about it! That guy could run circles around Schon and they got bigger snozes than The Faces, hahaha!!!