In high school, Journey was my favorite rock band. I followed that band like kids in the 60's followed the Beatles, every album, every single release and video was a major event to me. I had posters of them on my bedroom wall, right up there with Asia and REO Speedwagon. I've owned their album catalog four times over, twice on cassette tapes that couldn't take the punishment of repeat plays and twice on vinyl (a friend borrowed my Journey albums and left them in his car. They were more warped than a David Lynch movie by the time I got them back.) Over the years, I've seen Journey in concert about five times. The first two times was in 1986, two great concerts featuring the greatest singer of all time: Steve Perry.
But, all good things must come to an end and after that tour Steve Perry and Journey all but disappeared. Ten years later, Journey returned with Steve Perry for a new album but Perry's health problems prevented a tour. A few years later Perry was kicked out officially for his health but it's more likely due to his desire to sit around his house and live off his money (apparently the only member of Journey who can do that).
With Perry out, auditions followed (which included Geoff Tate of Queensryche) and the band chose Steve Augeri. Augeri bore a striking physical resemblence to Perry and could sing in a style that fit the original songs. While Perry was rumored to be a bit of a prima donna, Augeri was the singer the band wanted-a team player, someone with more of a rock influence and less ego.
When I saw Augeri for the first time, I was skeptical of how well it would go. That skepticism was erased when Augeri nailed "Separate Ways" at the beginning of the show. He wasn't charismatic or have as strong a voice as Perry, but Augeri was energetic and entertaining. Augeri's presence allowed Journey to rock harder and more often, but the lack of soulfulness made them sound stiffer and more generic.
Unfortunately, Steve Augeri had some throat problems recently which has forced him to step down from the lead singer spot (at least temporarily). As a result, the Journey I'm going to see next month will have a different singer: Jeff Scott Soto. Soto has been around for years and is best known to me as the voice of Mark Wahlberg in the movie Rock Star. Rock Star was a crappy movie, but the music was great! Soto can wail and has some of the R&B influence that has been missing from Journey since Perry's departure. Soto's voice does seem a touch lower than the two Steve's, but I think he'll still come off OK. This will add a lot of drama and interest in this upcoming concert, can Soto be the second coming of Perry or will he be Gary Cherone version 2.0. I can't wait to find out.
With that said, Number 82 is:
Blondie - Greatest Hits (2002)
Blondie is a band who I was familiar with before I started to listen to a lot of music. They were often on television and the radio and seemed to have a different sound each time out. Being a kid, I thought they were somehow related to the comic strip "Blondie" though Debbie Harry always seemed more blase'. Their big hits from their hot streak in the late 70's and early 80's is the reason they made this list.
When I think of Blondie, I think of sitting in my room with a bunch of homework listening to the radio. The breezy laid back pop of "The Tide Is High" always made me think of sunny beaches and palm trees. On the other hand, the flashy new wave rock of "Call Me" reminded me of L.A. streets and hookers (being on the American Giggolo soundtrack didn't help). "Atomic" was known for its rap at the end about the Cadillac that keeps eating cars. "Heart of Glass" was pure disco, when it would play on tv I kept waiting for Jon and Ponch to cut loose on the dance floor. My personal favorite is "One Way or Another", a swanky, swinging rock song with a bit of punk thrown in. That song has been used in a thousand commercials and I think a network used it as its theme song for a while (was it ABC?).
Blondie was a pop chameleon in the best sense of the words. They could adapt to almost any musical trend and bring out the glossier elements of their songs to juxtapose against Harry's disaffected vocals. At times, Blondie brought in some of their Punk edge on "X Offender" or "Dreaming". Other times, Blondie could get a little girl groupish on tunes like "(I'm Always Touched By Your) Presence Dear" and "Sunday Girl". No musical style was off limits, as Blondie is often credited with having one of the first major rap hits with "Atomic". New wave, pop, punk, disco...it was all there!
Like many groups that become the "it" band, the bubble eventually burst. Blondie did score a decent comeback hit a few years ago called "Maria", a sweeping pop rock tune that brought some luster back to their name. Despite the jaded attitude of Blondie, their music will always remind me of youthful innocence when life was about baseball cards and Battlestar Galactica.
.
No comments:
Post a Comment