Pat Benatar Live in NH

Finishing up with the series of concert videos here.  Pat Benatar was actually the second act to go on for the concert with Loverboy and Journey.  There was quite a long intermission to change the stage set after Loverboy and before Pat Benatar, yet oddly enough, she did not have an elaborate stage set at all.  Nope -- just Pat and her husband Neil Giraldo (on guitar) as the main focus.  When she came out on stage, it was quite thrilling.  Such a tiny lady with a huge voice -- and so much mystique and rock and roll power!  I remember seeing an interview with her, and the interviewer asked, "So how can we be as cool as you?"  She said, "it's all in the pointing," and proceeded to demonstrate her famous awesomely cool pointing technique.  I believe she said that it "makes you look tough."  Works for me!  I'm going to practice that now.  In the meantime, I hope you enjoy these videos.  I am so glad I saw her -- finally!

Journey Live in NH

Well, somehow time has escaped me again, and I am ashamed that it has been a month since I went to see Journey, Loverboy, and Pat Benatar in Manchester, NH.  I took several short videos with my Blackberry but had trouble uploading them directly from my computer -- so I added them to my YouTube channel.  I know they aren't the clearest or the best quality, but I think they certainly capture the excitement and general essence of the concert.  I can't tell you how blown away I was when Journey took the stage.  They basically exploded onto the stage with "Anyway You Want It."  I honestly felt like I was going to pop out of my seat - which I did!  I stood for their whole set, just mesmerized in a Journey trance.  The new lead singer is so full of energy, and the veteran band members are nothing short of amazing.  I hope you enjoy the videos!

Loverboy Live!

So -- it has again been much too long since my last post.  I apologize and have something special to post now!  Last night, I went to hear Journey, Pat Benatar, and Loverboy.  I have about 8 videos total, so here is the one of Loverboy's "Turn Me Loose."  I thought I had recorded "Working for the Weekend," but it didn't record.  Oh well.  It was really my first try at recording anything in length with the Blackberry.  It was a GREAT show.  Go see them if you can!

Open Arms

I was thinking about what to write this evening and was at a standstill.  Did some searching, and for some reason, "Open Arms" by Journey came to mind.  If you haven't noticed, I absolutely LOVE Journey.  They are my favorite group--not only from the '80s, but from all time.  Steve Perry's voice is completely unmatched--it's pure, clear, beautiful, and powerful.  He is equally at home with ballads and hard rockin' tunes.  Even their "fun" songs long "Anyway You Want It" really showcase his vocal talents.  Anyway, "Open Arms" is a gorgeous ballad about a couple who "sailed on together" and "drifted apart"-- but then they found each other again.  I think the fact that they found each other again is what really makes it touching.  The opening piano line is beautiful, and when Steve Perry comes in, it is true simplistic vocal beauty.  Just his voice and piano.  You know how much work vocalists go through in school to get that voice/piano accompaniment perfect?  It's astounding, and some vocalists never really achieve that perfect musical union.  Clearly, we have it hear.  When the rest of the band comes in, the instrumentals are strong, firm, yet not overpowering.  I really love this song.  It is true beauty.  A real gem in the Journey discography that shines throughout time.

Separate Ways with Journey

I've heard Journey's "Separate Ways" a couple of times this week and thought it would be a great song to look at.  I read that it was written by Steve Perry and Jonathan Cain (Journey's keyboardist).  Two of the guitar players in the band were in the midst of very messy and difficult divorces, so Perry and Cain wrote this song to, well, I guess channel the pain and heartbreak into something creative and healing.  I'm not sure how they did it, because it really is heart wrenching if you listen to the lyrics.  It basically says, "Hey, we're done, but I will always love you."  I get the image of a man whose heart was broken and who goes through life still loving the woman who caused so much pain--ready to come to her aid at a moment's notice.  Kind of a lifelong pledge.  Difficult concept to grasp.  Could go for women, too, and that being said....well, okay, I think I understand now.

Nike Air Pegasus - 1983

Anyway, I read many comments from folks about the video being extremely cheesy.  I didn't think it was that bad, although it most certainly could have been better with a different concept.  I still think Eddie Money's "I Think I'm In Love" wins the prize for the cheesiest video of all time--although the song is great (but the goofy vampire theme is really awful).  So, back to Journey.  They are dancing and rockin' out to air instruments in the beginning of the video.  Ultimately, real instruments appear by the end of the video, but we see the drummer playing oil cans and come kind of cymbals made from metal dishes for a bit.  This part through me for a loop.  I watched the video a couple of times over, and I think it's okay.  It's not very tough or "rock n' roll," but isn't it fun to see a group like Journey scaled down a bit, just wearing jeans and causal stuff?  You can even see Steve Perry and the drummer wearing some really classic Nike sneakers.  That is alright in my book.  Long live 1983!!!!  I really think the scariest part of the video is the woman's horrible outfit and mohawk-esque hairdo.  Yikes.  White leather pumps?  White leather jacket with the collar turned up?  Bad--but the outfit pales in comparison to the hair.  Yeah, it was 1983.  In all seriousness, the song is amazing--very touching and heart wrenching but in a good way, fueled by awesome guitar solos and keyboard riffs.  I do hope you'll enjoy this tune, but if you must go----ohhhh------they wish you love.......

Don't Stop Believing

So, let me just say that I absolutely LOVE Journey, and this is one of my favorite songs.  I think my favorite Journey song is actually "Anyway You Want It," just because it is so up-tempo and fun, and I love when Steve Perry sings about "the lovin' things."  But, alas, "Don't Stop Believing" is probably their most popular song of all time.  I've avoided writing about it at the risk of making folks tired of the tune, because I would not want that to happen.  It has gotten tons of airplay over the years, and I just read that it has been downloaded 2 million times - the most of any song that was recorded in the "pre-digital age."  It's an excellent song, as we know.  It has been in movies, on television, in political campaigns and rallies, and the list goes on.  Why is it such an awesome song?  Well, there are many reasons.  I can think of a few: Steve Perry's voice, the amazing guitar lines, the beautiful and very cool piano part, and...the lyrics!

The lyrics are ultra positive and inspiring, especially the chorus - "Don't stop believing, hold on to that feeling...."  However, the chorus only comes at the very end, after three verses and a repeated section that is similar to a chorus in principle, and come to find out, this particular "semi-chorus" section has caused quite a debate.  Is it "streetlight people" or "streetlights, people?"  To me, it sounds like he is singing "streetlights, people," but if you read some history and discourse on the song, you'l find that Steve Perry was interviewed for a magazine and talked about seeing people on the street under streetlights when he was in Detroit.  He said he liked the line "streetlight people" to describe them.  I guess you'll have to decide for yourselves.  The other part of the lyrics that has caused a HUGE debate is "South Detroit."  Yeah, uh, there is no such place.  I think we all know that, but come on folks, he just wrote it because it sounded good with the line.  Really.  No big deal.  Just like Billy Joel and the title/lyrics to"Allentown," which we discussed in my earlier post, "Into the Night."  Wow, people get really animated about this whole South Detroit thing.   It just makes a good line, that's all.  So, hopefully, we can all settle our differences, whether we are from Detroit or not, and enjoy the song--because it is awesome!

Anyway You Want It - Revisited

I wrote about the Journey song "Anyway You Want It" very early on when I first started this blog, because I absolutely love Journey - and this is my favorite of their songs. They have so many good tunes, most with more complex instrumentals and heavier (or more narrative) lyrics. But, alas, this is my favorite. It just has such kick with the tempo, the awesome guitar solo, the blend of the vocals from the band on the chorus, and of course, Steve Perry's lead vocals. Oh - I forgot about the cowbell. "More cowbell!" The cowbell is pretty cool. Definitely a must in 80s songs.

Of course, everyone knows what this song is about, which I really don't think is a big deal. I think the lyrics are perfect, and when you look at them, there are only two verses. The rest is all chorus. Kind of makes it like a chant or an anthem. The verses are also catchy, clear, and certainly easier to remember. I love when they sing "about the lovin' things." The "lovin' things" is just so awesome. Simple, cool, perfect - and still creative. Yeah! What a great expression. Steve Perry's voice is so powerful, and he has such a distinctive tone quality/color. I think the best vocalists really are those who have a unique sound. His is amazing. No matter what he sings, you know it's Steve Perry. And, even if he is singing an extended line of "ohhhh ohhhhh oh oh-oh oh-ohhhh" it really kicks. It would be my dream to see him perform live one day. Wow. The video for this song is very simple as well. Gotta love the jukebox and vinyl in the beginning. I had this album on vinyl! The rest of the video is simply Journey in the studio kickin' up some amps with this little tune. The band looks great, too. Steve Perry's hair is as almost as amazing as his voice. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this song and video. I could listen to it a million times. Never gets old. Enjoy!

Faithfully

So, once again I am long overdue for a post and way behind on things.  As mentioned earlier, I was out on the road for a week.  Long time to be gone from my computer!  As I was driving through the beautiful countryside going from gig to gig, I heard Journey's "Faithfully" on the radio.  I thought, "This is the perfect song for the road."  I listened to it again this morning and feel that it is probably one of the most perfect songs ever.  Listening to the beginning, I am blown away by how perfectly Steve Perry's beautiful voice is complimented by the piano line.  It is a perfectly matched ensemble of voice and piano - a perfect balance of melody and harmony.  I have heard so many performances of instrumentalists accompanied by piano, and none are a perfect as this opening.  The song progresses along with bits of added color by the guitar.  Drums come in with a few punctuations followed by a steady yet oh-so-subtle high hat to keep the rhythm in the third verse.  As I listen to the song again and again, I discover so many remarkable elements.  There are some really amazing solo guitar lines in this song, excellent balance and development of the vocal/instrumental combinations, and genuine, heart-felt lyrics.  It's not often that we hear "love affair" in rock lyrics, but Journey delivers that so beautifully.  "Being apart ain't easy on this love affair..."  Indeed.  Wow--I love this song.

The video is also pretty amazing.  Great glimpse once again into the styles of the decade.  If you watch it a couple of times, you'll notice all kinds of subtleties, including different seasons while they are on the road.  Nice to see a corded telephone gain, too.  I'm not quite sure I understand the mustache thing - but Steve Perry looks and sounds amazing with or without it.  Bravo, Mr. Perry!

Interlude

Hello blog world!  It has been an extremely long time since my last post.  I had intended to post each day with a new song.  Alas, I was out on the road for a week touring (not performing, though).  I heard many, many great 80s songs on the radio and intend to get right back to posting later today.  I am thinking of one particular Journey song that seemed to match my travels quite well...  More to come later today!

Song of the Day - "Any Way You Want It," Journey

Of all songs from the 80s, this has to be one of my all time favorites.  So simple yet completely full of energy, and Steve Perry's voice is always amazing.  I hope one day he will come back just for a reunion concert.  If you listen to the song and notice how powerful Steve's voice is, well, it just truly rocks.  The chorus is harmonized by all members of the band to really add some kick.  Steady beat, a couple of guitar "punctuations," and that famous cowbell really put this on the high octant list.  Of course Steve's voice carries like a powerhouse when he is singing extended "ohs" throughout.  Awesome song.  It will start your day and lift your spirits.  I probably enjoy listening to this song the most when I am driving.  It is the 6th song on my Amazon mp3 player to the right.  Enjoy!