Arnel, lets be frank!

I love Journey with all my heart. I love every damn song theyve done. But I will not continue to support the Arnel show. I dont like him, hes not right for the band and an american icon is tainted. I actually passed up on tix for Journey in Atlanta to see Def Leppard. That says a lot for me, I would have NEVER done that in the past. I dont give a shit who sticks a skewer in my asshole and puts me on the fire, I dont like him. He would be great for Air Supply but not my Journey.

and furthermore he cant sing dont stop believing for shit!!!! My 10 year old could hit it the way he does. And what he does to only the young shouldnt even be allowed by law.

when he does OTY please tell him its "another night in any town".....not "another night in any sound..."

Um, dude...The very last thing I want Arnel to be is me!

Can you imagine the pain of having to ruin Journey songs day in and day out and have the worst stage presence of any frontman, ever?

Shit...Im a shitty singer, but at least I pronounce words properly and don't look like a shitbag when I run around onstage...

I so agree....I was not impressed when I saw him last year.....I think my Journey days are over as well......

Schon should be ashamed for this PR stunt he calls a lead singer. Im done with Journey until they hire a singer(or bring back one) that makes me remember Journey from the good days. Someone tell schon his novelty has worn off, just like the bird that dips up and down in the glass of beer.

Tell that to a few million filipino's that think schon is God because he hired one of their own.

I think Frank wrote something here a few days ago. About the way pineda "phonetically" sings. I finally watched the a few vids and that comment was spot on. I can just see schon hiring him and making the poor guy watch perry tapes (I wouldnt mind it at all) 22 hrs a day. Even watching the vids, you can see how arnel even tries to imitate Perry's moves on the stage along with the singing.

I said this when it all went down....if I want to see an Elvis impersonator I will go to Vegas, if I want to see a Perry impersonator I will go see a Journey concert. Trust me, the latter is NOT going to happen!

Good points Doka.

Ok SUPER honesty here:

Was ok with Augeri in.

When Jeff got hired after the fiasco I was kinda pissed. Knew his credentials though. He was/is a cool guy and kicked ass when given the chance, so I was back on board.

Jeremey became a contender. I know them both. Great. Not in a good position there right?

Then karaoke singer hired. Truth be told, I only held on because I was friendly with the last 1 and 1/2 singers. Anything now I try to ignore.

I stopped wasting money on them as soon as they screwed over the previous 2 singers. I refuse to help Neal pay his alimony.

doka wrote:Tell that to a few million filipino's that think schon is God because he hired one of their own.

That, I don't have a problem with. It's the vitriolic hatred with which they spit their justification that is offensive....

doka wrote:I think Frank wrote something here a few days ago. About the way pineda "phonetically" sings. I finally watched the a few vids and that comment was spot on. I can just see schon hiring him and making the poor guy watch perry tapes (I wouldnt mind it at all) 22 hrs a day. Even watching the vids, you can see how arnel even tries to imitate Perry's moves on the stage along with the singing.

He doesn't impersonate Perry's moves. he might actually be more passable, if he did that. His moves are amateur night at the local karaoke bar. They're truly sickening. If you want a guy that knows all of perry's moves, look at Hugo. He even fucking holds the mic like perry.

The problem is the voice. It's like he got the official Journey version of hooked on phonics....They way I figure, the way news travels to Manilla, Arnel's piece of shit manager got word via carrier pigeon that Augeri was sacked....sold someone a few ant farms to make enough money to buy "Hooked on Phonics: The Journey Edition"...made Arnel start studying. After 3-4 more months, JSS gets sacked and Arnel's manager starts blasting Assoff's office with youtube loaded emails....

Frank, thats some good stuff!!!! If you wrote a book about Journey I would have to read it.
Have you watched any of the you tube videos with the arnel show and the comments have people saying "better than perry"??? Seriously there are people who think this guy is better than Perry. Hell I think a couple of those MR people have said the same.
Comments like that make me wanna yakk all over my chuck taylors.

Frank wrote:

doka wrote:Tell that to a few million filipino's that think schon is God because he hired one of their own.

That, I don't have a problem with. It's the vitriolic hatred with which they spit their justification that is offensive....

doka wrote:I think Frank wrote something here a few days ago. About the way pineda "phonetically" sings. I finally watched the a few vids and that comment was spot on. I can just see schon hiring him and making the poor guy watch perry tapes (I wouldnt mind it at all) 22 hrs a day. Even watching the vids, you can see how arnel even tries to imitate Perry's moves on the stage along with the singing.

He doesn't impersonate Perry's moves. he might actually be more passable, if he did that. His moves are amateur night at the local karaoke bar. They're truly sickening. If you want a guy that knows all of perry's moves, look at Hugo. He even fucking holds the mic like perry.

The problem is the voice. It's like he got the official Journey version of hooked on phonics....They way I figure, the way news travels to Manilla, Arnel's piece of shit manager got word via carrier pigeon that Augeri was sacked....sold someone a few ant farms to make enough money to buy "Hooked on Phonics: The Journey Edition"...made Arnel start studying. After 3-4 more months, JSS gets sacked and Arnel's manager starts blasting Assoff's office with youtube loaded emails....

I beg to differ with you there Frank. On alot of the ballads pinhead does alot of the Perryisms that we have come to know, let's say for the lack of better wording the "romanticism" that many of us come to know when Perry sang the ballads. The fillipinos are eating it up like this was all his idea. And Hugo should know all the moves...he is a "tribute" singer.

What's the difference?...the tribute singer knows who he is and the other is trying desperately to be something he can never achieve.

arnel sucks and hes killing Journey.

These are just my two cents, so take them for what they're worth (which I realize is two cents but STFU )...

When I saw the performance in Chile, I was a little concerned. Arnel seemed to have a lot of infectious energy and a hell of a range, but wasn't very polished. His diction was firmly within the realm of horrendous; a strong voice is useless without a measure of polish.

But I had a hard time believing Schon and Cain would deliberately hire a singer that couldn't fit the bill, so I kept following their European tour. And lo and behold, he improved considerably.

When I watched him live in Nashville, I had the best time at a Journey concert ever. I saw them twice with Augeri and once with Soto, and I think Arnel beat them both by a landslide. He's got the best of both: Augeri's range and Soto's power, minus their diction of course, but it wasn't bad enough to be a distraction.

As far as his stage presence is concerned, I personally don't see what the fuss is. I recall seeing several videos of Perry (not to mention portions of the Escape DVD) running around stage like, well, a loon. Not until Frontiers/ROR did he, in my opinion, adapt a truly professional stage dynamic. Arnel has a youthful exuberance and athleticism to him that none of the other singers can touch, in my humble opinion, and it's hardly something to fault him for.

As regards people "hating him"... I think that crosses a line. I've debated this point with many people at Melodic Rock, but the fact of the matter is that Steve Perry is a documented asshole when it comes to this band. Scream and rant at Dan all you like, but the truth is that he says nothing about Perry that hasn't been documented and sourced. He was an extraordinary egotist and demonstrated great narcissism. Now, that said, I don't hate Perry. He made some very bad decisions and it pisses me off when his fan brigade tries to whitewash his history because they delude themselves into thinking that a great voice is a get-out-of-jail-free card. He can be a great singer and an asshole too. Compare that to Arnel's actions, which are documented as gracious and sympathetic. The man has taken a heapful of criticism with far greater humility and kindness than Perry probably ever did. So no one sane should hate him, revile him, or wish him ill... and believe me, I've read many comments on MR, Youtube, and elsewhere demonstrating such behavior.

Now, as for him vs. Perry in a singing contest. Well, burn me at the stake for saying so, but Perry had his bad nights. There are videos of Perry (like videos of Arnel) that I've heard which make me cringe. I give Perry props for innovating a vocal juggernaut that has defeated many professional singers; not to mention that his nearly touring regimen was ridiculous. But the fact of the matter is this: Arnel is a lot older than Perry when he started singing Journey, not to mention that health issues are said to have critically damaged Arnel's voice within the past decade or so, if the interviews are to be believed. To compare him now to Perry in his prime is unfair to both of them.

The bottom line for me is that I've seen nothing that suggests Perry could tackle this songbook now, and if he can't do it, then I don't want to hear him. I appreciate, respect, and treasure the memories and performances he gave the world, but the fact that he's Steve Perry means jack shit to me. If he can't do it now, then people should stop begging him to return. If he can pull it off? Well, I'll happily eat my words.

So for me, I enjoy Journey past and present and try not to let it bother me too much.

OOh Giddy, you are just trying to kiss asses on both sides of the fence

I don't see how people can hate Arnel. He is a class act and completely innocent when it comes to any fiasco coming from Neal&Frigga and/or Journey mangement.

Hate isnt the word...strongly dislike is more like it

Behshad wrote:I don't see how people can hate Arnel. He is a class act and completely innocent when it comes to any fiasco coming from Neal&Frigga and/or Journey mangement.

I ditto that. He is NOT the bad guy and I have seen him live enough times to make the judgement that he is doing a pretty damned good job. I don't get all the criticism. I get the sour grapes over the management and Neal/Cain crap, but the Arnel hate I don't get.

doka wrote:OOh Giddy, you are just trying to kiss asses on both sides of the fence

I kiss ass?

Tell that to Andrew.

doka wrote:Hate isnt the word...strongly dislike is more like it

Even then, it comes down to a distinction: do people dislike Arnel the man or Arnel the singer (i.e. his voice)?

He's a far better and humble man than Perry was when he was Journey's lead singer, and that's a fact.

Behshad wrote:I don't see how people can hate Arnel. He is a class act and completely innocent when it comes to any fiasco coming from Neal&Frigga and/or Journey mangement.

Arnel's not a bad guy. He seems like a genuinely gracious guy....and who could blame him for taking that job, despite his underachieved resume for the position.

The problems here are 1) his employers and 2) his fans. They make the whole thing a very bitter pill.


NO arguing with Gideon regarding Steve Perry except to say that Dan doesn't know every answer regarding Perry. So what he says isn't always 'documented and proven'....Steve hasn't revealed so much as a reason as to why he no longer sings....we can speculate all we want as to the reasons, which Dan has done on plenty of occasions, but such speak is neither documented OR proven.

Given the rabies-infested actions of some loonies, I would be very hard-pressed to do anything different, if I were in Steve Perry's shoes. Granted, I have a certain amount of contempt for the man because he wont give us a single fucking reason....but at the same time, I understand why he just backed the fuck out of this business and just counted his royalty payments. You would too, if loonies would kill their 12 cats, just for a chance to shove your log into their dried up, 10-year past menopause, vag's. That'd scare the living shit out of me....


Why bother with any of that, when you can stay home and earn your percentage...and let the dried up, post meno-loonies ooze about a hired hand from manila instead?

Gideon wrote:
He's a far better and humble man than Perry was when he was Journey's lead singer, and that's a fact.

You don't know that at all. Arnel has only been in the public eye of Journey fans for a year or two. Give him 7-8 years, just like Perry had....to turn nice and jaded...and let's see what he turns into.

Also, like I said above, Perry might be a little more gracious and humble than you think....he might have good reasons for not telling you why he no longer wants to sing.


If he comes out with a new album, like the loonies are predicting, well then, you and Danny-boy can hold him to the mat to fess up.....but until he actually releases something and expects us to buy it....he's far better off staying out of the crazy shit that will likely stir on these boards and elsewhere...

Arnel reminds me of an American Idol contestant. I just can't take Journey seriously with him in the band. It ruins their stature. Do not give me any bullshit that Journey is some legendary band now. It's a joke. When Jimmy Page decides to scour youtube to find an Eskimo that sounds like Robert Plant, well,,,,, you get the picture. It's not going to happen.

Pineda does seem to be a genuine guy and I do like his singing. His enunciation and stage presence I hate though.

Ed wrote:Arnel reminds me of an American Idol contestant. I just can't take Journey seriously with him in the band. It ruins their stature. Do not give me any bullshit that Journey is some legendary band now. It's a joke. When Jimmy Page decides to scour youtube to find an Eskimo that sounds like Robert Plant, well,,,,, you get the picture. It's not going to happen.

Pineda does seem to be a genuine guy and I do like his singing. His enunciation and stage presence I hate though.

As always, I can't ever say it better! Well said!