retroBlog

melodicrock.com recently posted a great interview with former Journey manager Herbie Herbert. the music industry giant never minces words and gives it to you plain and straight. Herbert confirms a lot of what Journey fans have been wondering these last few years in the interview including the Steve Augeri tape-gate, Steve Perry losing his vocal ability and his thoughts on Jeff Scott Soto and current vocalist Arnel Pineda. it’s a great read. head on over to melodicrock for the full interview.

here are just a couple of interesting quotes from Herbert:

On Steve Augeri: …And the thing is, the whole time that you were rooting and rooting and rooting for Augeri I knew that there was problems. Not because I was going to shows but because right at the beginning my company shot the Vegas show that was put out on Direct TV. And the original footage of that they insisted, you know, people at my company insisted that I come and watch. And I go, please I wanna come and watch Journey on video, what the fuck? And they said no you have to set and watch this for a minute. I go why, you know, it was like torture. So I sat down and then it was torture. I said what’s going on here? I go man he’s really, he’s missing everything. He struggled so badly that night you can’t believe it. There was hardly anything that could be saved in the lead vocal and the problem was to me at that particular time was Neal Schon was grimacing when he would miss these notes.

On Steve Perry and vocal range: ..you know if you’re a half step down from a major to a minor or whatever, you know, it’s a significant change in the tonality and everything else. And for whatever reason, the band, Journey has always had an obsession with playing the songs in the original key. Despite the logic, the unavoidable logic, that if Steve Perry was still in the band, and I know that there’s a giant public out there that would love nothing more, they’re clueless to the fact that the guy can’t sing anymore. … Journey performed (at Bill Graham’s wake in ‘91), you take these songs and you get a tape of that and they took them down two whole steps. I mean, this is from E to A. They passed G to A, you know what I mean? Knocking ‘em down hard and Steve Perry’s voice was all broken up. So, you know, forget about it. It was just so revealing. That was in ‘91 at which point that day I hadn’t seen him since 1986 Raised on Radio and that was five years. And what an ugly encounter that was with Steve Perry that day…

On Jeff Scott Soto: He has much more of an alto voice. There was a lot of material, especially Raised on Radio material like I’ll Be Alright Without You that he might have done really well on but if you’re gonna try to do the really high songs like You’ve Got Something to Hide or La Do Da or whatever, I can’t recall, I went and saw them in concert and there was a bunch of material that was so far out of his reach he was just as bad as Augeri at his worst so you can’t. If you make a change it’s gotta be an upgrade. Kevin Chalfant would have been a much better choice at that point.

that’s Herbie Herbert for you. ya just gotta love ‘em!

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as we spend more and more time out on the road stuck in traffic, advertising on cars and trucks seems to be a good way of getting through to those potential customers sitting in their cars. I mean, we’ve all been there. with a line of cars barely inching along, drivers are just itching for something to break the monotony. so help out your fellow citzens bored out of the minds in their cars. advertise your business on the side of your automobile using these customized car magnets available over at VistaPrint. these durable high strength magnets can be placed on the side of your car door or on the back of your vehicle. and VistaPrint makes it easy by letting you use an existing template on their website. If you’ve got your own logo or design, VistaPrint allows you to upload those as well. and once you’ve submitted the design online, VistaPrint will get the magnets over to you in three days. it’s that simple. it’s truly an effective and easy way to spread the word about your business or service. these colorful magnets will catch the eye of the drivers nearby and will let them know how to contact you or where to go for more info about your business. plus with prices starting as low as $9.99 at VistaPrint, it’s also an economical way to advertise. to learn more about what VistaPrint has to offer, be sure to go to their website.

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I watched Ricky Gervais‘ Extras - The Extra Special Series Finale on DVD last night. The series on the whole was a bit spotty and the series finale pretty much followed suit. It felt a bit long in some parts which could have benefited with some editing to make things a bit tighter. but the girdle-popping scene along with Andy Millman’s heartfelt confession at the end are a must-see for Ricky Gervais fans. it was interesting that Gervais chose to use Kate Bush’s This Woman’s Work to emphasize the sad scene with Maggie. I personally felt it was a bit lame since This Woman’s Work has been used a number of times before in other films and TV shows. it was a bit distracting especially since they didn’t feature songs like this in previous episodes in the series. a bit out of character, I’d say. another negative about the release is the lack of any bonus features. the DVDs for seasons 1 and 2 both had some neat bonus videos especially the footage of Gervais not being able to keep a straight face in pretty much any scene that he’s in. at times, the bloopers are even funnier to watch than some of the actual episodes.

also available at amazon.com:

(more…)

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man, I used to love taking long road trips to see some of my favorite bands. most of the time it was the results of seeing an awesome show near where I live and wanting to see the show again but in the next town or city. other times, it’s just simply because the band isn’t playing in town. of course, now that I’ve got my little boys, the priority of seeing a great band five or six hours away, isn’t as high on the list anymore. but one of my goals this summer is to take a little trip to Atlanta with my ten year old and see some shows. you know, to have some sort of bonding experience with my son. and as you know, a road trip can do wonders for any sort of relationship whether it be father and son or among friends or even as a family. and Atlanta is a great city that I like to visit every now and again. I remember some great times visiting there back in my college days. some buddies of mine and I would drive overnight to meet some of our Georgia Tech friends to catch an Atlanta Braves ball game. and one time after a game, we were hanging out at a bar near the ballpark trying to think of things to do in Atlanta, when all of a sudden a close friend of mine, Mike, got bored sitting around and just striped down to his boxers and ran down the street cheering for the Braves just for the heck of it. kinda gives you a glimpse of the kind of guy Mike was, right? but anyway, the look on some of the innocent bystanders on the street was absolutely priceless. heh. now, I don’t think I’ll need to run down the streets of Atlanta in my boxers to bond with my son but I’m sure he’ll love seeing the recently built Georgia Aquarium while we’re there. and since I love drinking Coke, we’ll definitely stop by the World of Coca-Cola exhibit. I’ll be using a website by Trusted Tours & Attractions to set up some guided tours of the city for my little son and I to enjoy. you know, whether you’re in San Francisco wanting an Alcatraz tour or just in need of some new family vacation ideas, the Trusted Tours & Attractions website is a great online tool to use when planning for your next trip. it’s something you may want to check out and see for yourself. Oh and while you’re online, be sure to sign up for their Travel Newsletter. one lucky person on their email list will win a new IPOD Nano. and sign up soon because the offer ends March 31st.

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here are just some random nothings about last night’s Dancing with the Stars

- did anyone catch the Jonas Brothers on DWTS last night? holy crap. can someone explain to me why these little kids are so popular right now? they absolutely CAN NOT sing! man, my ears are still hurting from watching their performance last night. it was painful. see for yourself: last night’s skin crawling version of A-Ha’s Take on Me. God. so. lame. and here’s the second song of the night - When You Look Me in the Eyes. ouch. why didn’t Disney just use the infamous “Autotune” on the boys’ vocals like they do on all those other teenie-bopper groups? oh sorry, apparently Miley Cyrus got dibs on the Autotune for her own shows.

- can someone just stop Adam Corolla from talking? please. he’s absolutely annoying. now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that he needs to leave the show because THAT would mean no screen time for Julianne Hough. and not being able to watch Julianne Hough do her thing in those lovely outfits would be an absolute tragedy.

- did anyone notice the contrast between Kristi Yamaguchi’s pasty white skin last week and her nicely tanned body this week? obviously she has succumbed to the ubiquitous (at least on the show) spray-on tan. fortunately, she looks a lot better with the tan. let’s just see if Priscilla Presley gives in to the spray-on tan next week! but can they do anything for her botoxed face?

- I laughed so hard when, for the second week in a row, Samantha Harris put the microphone to Marlee Matlin’s face even though Marlee was signing with her hands. I so dislike Samantha Harris.

- as for the ones that got the boot - tennis champ Monica Seles was a given since her personality didn’t really translate that well on camera. she had that “Celine Dion”-vibe that just wasn’t happenin’. but it was a bit surprising to see Penn Jillette go. I was so sure Steve Guttenberg was going to be the first to hit the road.

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I just noticed that one of my colleagues here at work has a newfangled digital photo frame on her desk. You know the ones that automatically display various digital photos that are stored on a camera’s memory card. it’s pretty neat. my colleague has a bunch of vacation photos currently showing on her unit. and she didn’t even buy the digital photo frame. it was a gift from one of the outside businesses that she deals with regularly. the frame’s got the business logo and everything. I can tell that digital photo frames are going to be the next big thing in terms of corporate promotional items. ball point pens, hats, t-shirts and USB drives have all run their course. these photo frames have “staying power”. just think about it. office workers love displaying their family photos on their desks. so these photo frames can be a great tool to promote your business. check out digitalframesdirect.com to learn more about how you can utilize digital photo frames as a promotional tool.

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This just in! The U.S. summer tour dates for Journey have been confirmed. and yes, they will be out on the road with Heart and Cheap Trick. this looks to be one of the better “packaged tours” for the upcoming summer season.

Wed 07/09/08 Englewood, CO Coors Amphitheatre
Fri 07/11/08 Salt Lake City, UT Usana Amphitheatre
Sat 07/12/08 Stateline, NV Harvey’s Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena
Mon 07/14/08 Friant, CA Table Mountain Casino
Tue 07/15/08 Chula Vista, CA Coors Amphitheatre
Wed 07/16/08 Irvine, CA Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
Sat 07/19/08 Phoenix, AZ Cricket Wireless Pavilion
Sun 07/20/08 Albuquerque, NM Journal Pavilion
Wed 07/23/08 Oklahoma City, OK Oklahoma City Zoo Amphitheatre
Fri 07/25/08 Selma, TX Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
Sat 07/26/08 The Woodlands, TX The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
Sun 07/27/08 Dallas, TX Superpages.com Centre
Wed 07/30/08 Tampa, FL Ford Amphitheatre @ State Fairgrds.
Thu 07/31/08 West Palm Beach, FL Cruzan Amphitheatre
Sat 08/02/08 Charlotte, NC Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
Sun 08/03/08 Atlanta, GA Chastain Park Amphitheatre
Mon 08/04/08 Atlanta, GA Chastain Park Amphitheatre
Thu 08/07/08 Pelham, AL Verizon Wireless Center Birmingham
Sun 08/10/08 Raleigh, NC Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion
Tue 08/12/08 Virginia Beach, VA Verizon Wireless Virginia Beach Amphitheater
Thu 08/14/08 Wantagh, NY Nikon At Jones Beach Theater
Sat 08/16/08 Scranton, PA Toyota Pavilion At Montage Mountain
Sun 08/17/08 Uncasville, CT Mohegan Sun
Tue 08/19/08 Mansfield, MA Tweeter Center For The Perf. Arts
Thu 08/21/08 Holmdel, NJ PNC Bank Arts Center
Sat 08/23/08 Syracuse, NY New York State Fair Grandstand
Sun 08/24/08 Saratoga Springs, NY Saratoga Performing Arts Center
Tue 08/26/08 Camden, NJ Susquehanna Bank Center
Wed 08/27/08 Bristow, VA Nissan Pavilion At Stone Ridge
Sat 08/30/08 Bethel, NY Bethel Woods Center For The Arts
Sun 08/31/08 Hershey, PA The Star Pavilion At Hersheypark Stadium
Sat 09/06/08 Cincinnati, OH Riverbend Music Center
Sun 09/07/08 Cuyahoga Falls, OH Blossom Music Center
Tue 09/09/08 Clarkston, MI DTE Energy Music Theatre
Wed 09/10/08 Noblesville, IN Verizon Wireless Music Center
Fri 09/12/08 Tinley Park, IL First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre
Sat 09/13/08 Maryland Heights, MO Verizon Wireless Amph. St. Louis
Fri 09/19/08 Auburn, WA White River Amphitheatre
Sun 09/21/08 Ridgefield, WA The Amphitheater At Clark County
Wed 09/24/08 Concord, CA Sleep Train Pavilion At Concord
Fri 09/26/08 Marysville, CA Sleep Train Amphitheatre
Sat 09/27/08 Mountain View, CA Shoreline Amphitheatre
Tue 09/30/08 Los Angeles, CA Greek Theatre

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quick update! I’m currently working on reviews for the latest releases by Bryan Adams, The Kills and Gnarls Barkley. But until then, here’s a few of my previous reviews just in case you missed them the first time around…

Goldfrapp - Seventh Tree - Alison Goldfrapp and Will Gregory still deliver melodic hooks galore!

Yes - Union Tour on DVD (boot) - rare footage of eight arena sized egos all on one stage!

Allison Moorer - MockingBird - a cover album that’s interesting AND creative!

The Wreckers - Way Back Home - just the marketing/sales department out to milk the fans!

Sheryl Crow - Detours - Sheryl Crow on autopilot

Kathleen Edwards - Asking for Flowers - my favorite CD at the moment

They Might Be Giants - Here Come the 123s - still on heavy rotation in my minivan!

Little Big Town - A Place to Land - pop/country done right!

stay tuned for more…

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I currently use a spare room in my house as a makeshift recording studio. it really doesn’t look like much but it’s got all I need to translate ideas into recorded demos. I’ve got my multitrack recorder along with a rack full of compressors and sound processors on one side of the room. and the rest of the room is filled with gear including microphones, guitars, keyboards and my trusty ol’ electronic drum kit. what I really need is some extra money to convert the room into a real recording room. but with a family, mortgage, car payments and a pile of bills, having extra dough to play around with is pretty rare in this household. that’s why I just entered the TriScents by Renuzit Home Makeover contest. all I had to do was write a 250 word essay and submit 2 minute video about why my house needs a makeover. frankly, my old house is a money pit. it’d probably be a good candidate for “This Old House” on PBS. but winning $20,000 from this Home Makeover contest would be just as good! The money would definitely help in configuring my “recording room” the way I want it. but I’m sure the wife would have the final say in where the bulk of the $20,000 will go in our renovations. the funny thing about Renuzit’s contest is that I’ve been recently using their new TriScents air freshener in my little recording room. let’s face it, having a couple musician friends over to record in a small room calls for something like TriScents. without the handy dandy air freshener, the room would smell all musty especially after rocking through a couple of tracks with the guys. TriScents does the trick. the cool thing is that Renuzit even offers a coupon on their website for us to download and use toward one of their Renuzit TriScents Starter Kits. so you can grab the money saving coupon for a cool new air freshener on their site and then surf over to their contest page so you can enter to win. be sure to see official rules to learn more about the $20,000 Home Makeover contest.

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Singer/songwriter Kathleen Edwards recently released another stellar set of songs titled Asking for Flowers. Edwards has this knack for creating vivid portraits of fractured individuals which includes murder victims (Alicia Ross, Oh Canada), draft dodgers (Oil Man’s war) and discarded lovers (Asking for Flowers).
this remarkable album is a true joy to listen to from beginning to end. each song is distinct and memorable for the storylines and tuneful melodies. one of the many highlights on this record is the title track, Asking for Flowers -
..Every pill I took in vain, every meal for you I made, every penny I put away,
asking for flowers is like asking you to be nice
Don’t tell me you’re too tired, 10 years I’ve been working nights
you can just feel the heartbreak, the regret and the sadness in the song. the song just floors me every time I hear it. It’s an amazing talent to be able to convey in song an intimate moment like that and keep the truth, detail and emotion intact. Edwards also includes unique touches in her songs like on the first single, The Cheapest Key where she defines each note on the musical scale. she’s bitter and she’s angry but the song also conveys wit and cleverness that makes the song go down well. Co-producer Jim Scott made a smart choice of reigning in the instrumentation to keep the focus on Edwards’ vocals and the well written lyrics. but when key instrumental passages do kick-in like in the song Goodnight, California, the resulting effect is significantly moving and transcendent.
Asking for Flowers is a true gem of an album and will easily land on this year’s list of best releases.

watch the promo video about the new album on youtube:

and be sure to catch Kathleen Edwards on tour:
March 27 - Portland, Maine at The Big Easy
March 28 - Boston, Mass. at Paradise Rock Club
March 29 - Northampton, Mass. at Pearl Street
March 31 - Burlington, Vt. at Higher Ground
April 5 - Chicago, Ill. at Metro
April 6 - Detroit, Mich. at Magic Bag
April 8 - Pittsburgh, Pa. at Rex Theatre
April 10 - New York, N.Y. at The Fillmore at Irving Plaza
April 11 - Annapolis, Md. at Ram’s Head
April 12 - Philadelphia, Pa. at The Fillmore at TLA
April 14 - Alexandria, Va. at The Birchmere
April 16 - Asheville, N.C. at Grey Eagle Tavern
April 17 - Louisville, Ky. at Headliners
April 18 - Birmingham, Al. at WorkPlay Theatre
April 19 - Nashville, Tenn. at Mercury Lounge
April 30 - Indianapolis, Ind. at Music Hall
May 9 - Boulder Col. at Fox Theatre
May 13 - Tucson, Ariz. at Club Congress
May 14 - San Diego, Calif. at Belly Up
May 16 - Los Angeles, Calif. at Troubadour
May 17 - Santa Barbara, Calif. at Lobero Theatre
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