Author Topic: Neal Schon's JOURNEY Through Time  (Read 1320 times)

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Offline Samsara

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Neal Schon's JOURNEY Through Time
« on: January 25, 2019, 12:57:27 PM »
Been a ton of drama in the Journey camp the last several years, leading to a hiatus this year. The short of it is basically the band are at a crossroads and Neal and Jonathan don't see eye-to-eye on a lot, and so after touring significantly the past decade, they are taking the year off.

Neal, however, when things starting going sour with Jonathan (which they've at least publicly said has been rectified, which I don't believe for a second), was considering going out as "Neal Schon's Journey." That morphed into Neal Schon's Journey Through Time, a benefit show for fire victims last year in San Francisco.

The show featured former Journey keyboardist/singer Gregg Rollie, and former Journey drummer/singer Deen Castronovo, along with Marco Mendoza on bass.

Looking over the setlist, it was 32 songs long, and spanned pretty much everything Journey did through Trial By Fire, including stuff from the first three albums with Rollie.

Well, it went over so well, Neal's taking it on the road this year. I listened to a bit of the show last year, hearing Deen (who honestly, aside from Steve Perry, is the best singer Journey ever had, no offense to Arnel, Gregg, JSS, or Steve Augeri) do "Trial By Fire" with Neal on an acoustic guitar, I immediately got tickets to a show.

I'm anxious to see how this all goes down. Deen is an INCREDIBLE singer. And with Gregg doing the singing for the stuff he was on, and I am sure Neal taking a song or two, Deen is going to sing the majority of the set, which is going to be incredible. I saw him do a lot of lead vocals back in 2006 when Journey toured with JSS as lead singer, and Deen sang three or four songs from the drum kit and was absolutely AMAZING.

Not sure how many Journey fans are on here (I saw an old thread from a long, long time ago), but this really may be worth checking out if it ends up rolling by you this year.
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Offline ProfessorPeart

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Re: Neal Schon's JOURNEY Through Time
« Reply #1 on: January 25, 2019, 01:02:42 PM »
I only own the first 3 Journey records so this had me interested when I first heard about it. To see Gregg there to perform stuff from the ignored albums would be very cool. For me, each album number is also where they rank on my list. Love the first, second is pretty good, third is okay.

I think the fact that Santana got Gregg and Neal back for another Santana band album helped to fuel this.
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Offline Ben_Jamin

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Re: Neal Schon's JOURNEY Through Time
« Reply #2 on: January 25, 2019, 01:31:29 PM »
I really wish this was coming here. I would gladly see this set f old journey songs and then some.
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Offline Samsara

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Re: Neal Schon's JOURNEY Through Time
« Reply #3 on: January 25, 2019, 01:41:48 PM »
From the benefit show they did in 2018, it looks like a good helping of the first three albums, and then some deeper Perry-era cuts, and then the hits too. Unless I'm mistaken, there was nothing post-Trial By Fire.

Being a massive fan of Trial By Fire, I am hoping we get the title track (they did it in 2018, and I saw it personally on Long Island back in...2002, I believe, when the Augeri-fronted band played the Brookhaven Amphitheater).

I'm not a HUGE fan of the the first three Journey records, but I appreciate their place in history, and really think this is an amazing opportunity for fans of the band in general.
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Offline Mister Gold

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Re: Neal Schon's JOURNEY Through Time
« Reply #4 on: January 27, 2019, 11:05:38 PM »
Definitely potential in this. It'd be neat to see this lineup record some original music too, if at all possible.
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Offline Nel

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Re: Neal Schon's JOURNEY Through Time
« Reply #5 on: January 30, 2019, 05:08:59 PM »
There's a handful of stuff from the first three albums I really enjoy.
Of a Lifetime
On a Saturday Nite
Anyway
You're on Your Own
Look Into the Future
Nickel and Dime
Karma

I remember seeing footage of a live show where Deen was singing "Mother, Father" whilst drumming and he was just incredible on that song.
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Offline Stadler

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Re: Neal Schon's JOURNEY Through Time
« Reply #6 on: January 31, 2019, 06:32:52 AM »
There's a handful of stuff from the first three albums I really enjoy.
Of a Lifetime
On a Saturday Nite
Anyway
You're on Your Own
Look Into the Future
Nickel and Dime
Karma

I remember seeing footage of a live show where Deen was singing "Mother, Father" whilst drumming and he was just incredible on that song.

If I KNEW they were playing Nickel and Dime and Mother, Father, that alone would be enough to get me into the venue.

Offline Samsara

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Re: Neal Schon's JOURNEY Through Time
« Reply #7 on: February 25, 2019, 12:59:19 PM »
This weekend was pretty incredible. I was at the first show on Friday night, and I was blown away to see Neal Schon on such a tiny stage. The place was sold out, and while my wife and I (40s) were clearly the youngest people in the room, the old timers knew their tunes, and rocked with the best of them. Admittedly, I'm not a big fan of the Journey era with Gregg Rolie. I appreciate his talent, and the songs, but I'm personally more moved by incredible singing and guitar playing.

That said, Neal and his band put on an incredible show, playing a lot of those early tracks. But once they started with the Perry era material, that's when things took off. Deen Castronovo played drums and sang lead vocals from the drum stool, and man, it was every bit as good as I remember. The man was sniffling, hacking, and blowing his nose throughout the whole show, but you couldn't tell on his vocals until the end. He blew the roof off the place with Lights and Separate Ways (the latter was absolutely show-stopping), and then did an inspiring version of "Trial By Fire" with Neal Schon, just Deen on vocals and Neal on a single guitar. And then Deen introduces "Mother, Father," saying how he was in Journey, Neal gave him a shot at singing this tune, and how it really has special meaning for him.

You be the judge - remember, he has a bad cold:

Mother, Father -  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgqbLDb5gbY

Trial By Fire - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDBf8Zmjjxw

I missed the opening and first line of Trial By Fire. My phone just updated, and it changed where all the settings were, so I had a hard time getting the video to work at first. My vantage point sucks, as I was in the back of the venue, but did my best. There are some other clips floating around from Oakland on Saturday night as well.

All I can say is, if you were on the fence, get off and go.
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Offline ProfessorPeart

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Re: Neal Schon's JOURNEY Through Time
« Reply #8 on: February 25, 2019, 05:27:52 PM »
Wow, saw the setlist. I would definitely try to see this. I hope they announce more than just the 3 dates they have so far. They play most of my favorite Gregg era tunes. Have to keep an eye out for a Chicago area show.
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Re: Neal Schon's JOURNEY Through Time
« Reply #9 on: February 25, 2019, 05:33:53 PM »
Wow Deen sounds great on those tunes. I didn't think anyone could do justice to Mother, Father like Steve Perry.
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Offline Stadler

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Re: Neal Schon's JOURNEY Through Time
« Reply #10 on: February 26, 2019, 08:32:56 AM »
If you asked me to sketch out my dream 25 song Journey setlist, that covers everything I would put on there (except one song:  "Only The Young").   Holy mackerel.   If he's within two hours of me (or somewhere I can easily be), I'm there. 

Thanks, Samsara.

Offline Samsara

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Re: Neal Schon's JOURNEY Through Time
« Reply #11 on: February 26, 2019, 08:42:15 AM »
If you asked me to sketch out my dream 25 song Journey setlist, that covers everything I would put on there (except one song:  "Only The Young").   Holy mackerel.   If he's within two hours of me (or somewhere I can easily be), I'm there. 

Thanks, Samsara.

NP. I would have liked to have heard "Only the Young" as well. The show is well worth going to if it comes by.
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Offline bosk1

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Re: Neal Schon's JOURNEY Through Time
« Reply #12 on: February 26, 2019, 02:01:03 PM »
 :o  Wow!  Deen crushed it on Mother, Father!  I mean, was it perfect?  No.  But he did better with a cold than most could when 100%.  I've heard him before, so I knew he was capable of delivering the goods.  But it's been several years since I've heard him, and, again, he was sick and STILL did that!  Just...wow.  And the fact that he could deliver a performance while sick like that from behind the kit is even more amazing.  It's not like he could grab a quick sip of warm tea during between verses or during the solo.  Nope.  Gotta keep plowing through. 
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Offline Ben_Jamin

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Re: Neal Schon's JOURNEY Through Time
« Reply #13 on: February 26, 2019, 02:15:20 PM »
:o  Wow!  Deen crushed it on Mother, Father!  I mean, was it perfect?  No.  But he did better with a cold than most could when 100%.  I've heard him before, so I knew he was capable of delivering the goods.  But it's been several years since I've heard him, and, again, he was sick and STILL did that!  Just...wow.  And the fact that he could deliver a performance while sick like that from behind the kit is even more amazing.  It's not like he could grab a quick sip of warm tea during between verses or during the solo.  Nope.  Gotta keep plowing through.

Hell yeah. I give him props. Even with boogers and tears, show still has to go on.
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Re: Neal Schon's JOURNEY Through Time
« Reply #14 on: February 26, 2019, 03:25:56 PM »
Deen is a very good singer.  He did a few lead vox for Journey on their "Generations" album.
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Offline ytserush

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Re: Neal Schon's JOURNEY Through Time
« Reply #15 on: March 02, 2019, 10:25:46 AM »
Always down for Pre-Perry Journey... May need to look into this. Thanks.

Offline bosk1

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Re: Neal Schon's JOURNEY Through Time
« Reply #16 on: March 04, 2019, 01:45:09 PM »
Deen is a very good singer.  He did a few lead vox for Journey on their "Generations" album.

And on the tour as well.  I saw them that tour, as well as the next tour with JSS before they got Arnel, and he crushed it on vocals.
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Offline Bertielee

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Re: Neal Schon's JOURNEY Through Time
« Reply #17 on: March 05, 2019, 04:57:22 AM »
From what I've seen on YouTube, they sound fantastic! Great players, really tight, and don't tell me about DC's vocals (what a singer Deen is)!

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