Rating: Summary: Journey 2001 DVD (Without legendary Perry) Review: This is a really well produced DVD. I was very impressed with the quality especially the sound. Neal really performs well like always and its cool to see the band back together again. Steve Augeri is a good singer but just cant reach the high notes and doesnt show the emotion of Steve Perry. Steve had a way of singing songs that made you get goose bumps and your hair to stand on end! It's really weird to see the band playing such small venues now compared to the 40-80,000 seat stadiums they played at well into the late eighties. What happened to the unique lighting that was used in the raised on radio concert?? The triangular looking lighting panels that changed colors and brightness used mostly in the Girl Can't Help It video and I'll Be Alright Without You videos. Did anyone notice this big change in lighting???Being a huge Journey fan I couldnt resist this DVD even if it was unfortunatly without Steve Perry. I reccommend it to anyone who enjoys the music of Journey.
Rating: Summary: New Journey deserves a listen Review: Journey,to me,are one of the most misunderstood and underappreciated bands to come out of the progressive rock era.Fabulously talented,and so much more than the progressive pop rock phenomenon of the early 80's that they were.I must have looked at this dvd on the shelves umpteen times and passed on it after seeing that the 2 Steves were not present.I checked reviews and most were quite positive so I picked it up.The replacements,as they are referred to by the naysayers,quite simply,blew me away.I'll refer to them as full fledged new bandmembers,and their presence breathes new life into this band.Both members shine in this beautifully produced dvd concert.Dean is an excellent singer and a monster on drums,and Mr. Augeri reminded me of a young Steve Perry,with a slightly different,smokey delivery.Both are quite worthy of sharing the stage with stallworths Vallory,Cain,and Schon.Schon's playing is as good as I have ever heard.The person who complained about his guitar tone is completely out to lunch.Schon may have the best tone I have ever heard by a rock guitarist.The picture and sound quality are superb,although Steve is mixed a little low through the center channel.Steve nails these songs and makes them his own.A great disc.Long live Journey!
Rating: Summary: Magical, Musical night Review: Here's the only drawback for this great concert video. I wish that the guys would have invested more effort in the extra features. No interviews, and very little backstage footage made me wish for more. Then on came the show. The first song was the powerful "Seperate Ways," and Steve Augeri immediately nailed the vocals that were originally piped by the other Steve (Perry). Strong to the end. Then the other "new" member, Deen Castronovo played with power and precision equal to any of the previous Journey drummer. As well he should. Deen played with Neil Schon on Ted Nugent's "Double Live Gonzo" as well as with many other artists including Ozzy Osbourne, Steve Vai, and with Schon and Jonathan Cain in Bad English and on their respective solo projects. Deen is no stranger to the Journey experience! Best of all is the strong song set and video and audio clarity. If you've experienced a live Journey show lately and as often as I have, you'll really appreciate this collection of songs! This was one of the rare concerts where Journey played the gorgeous "All the Way," and "La Raza del Sol." This DVD is a must buy for any Journey fan or any fan of melodic, classic rock.
Rating: Summary: The Journey Continues Review: My wife and I have seen the "new" Journey in concert 6 times since 1998. We saw the very first Journey concert with Steve Augeri as lead singer. We were blown away then, and we have been blown away every concert since then. We purchased this DVD and it was delivered on Christmas Eve, 2002. We have watched this DVD in its entirety EVERY DAY since then, re-living the absolute JOY that we felt seeing them live the past 4 years. For ANY Journey fan out there, old or new, DO NOT be deceived by the handful of dissenters who have submitted their reviews to Amazon!! I can assure all of you that Steve Augeri is a much better LIVE lead singer than Steve Perry EVER was. His stage presence is incredible, and his incredible vocals do justice to ALL of the legendary Journey songs that we all know. Although Journey only performed two songs from the 2001 "Arrival" CD (the first CD with the new lineup) in this Las Vegas concert, if you don't already own "Arrival", BUY IT NOW!! If Sony would have bothered to do at least an AVERAGE job of promoting this great CD, it would have gone platinum. Steve Augeri has earned the right to be called THE lead singer of Journey. To call Mr. Augeri a "Perry clone" or a "2nd rate Perry" is ridiculous, and very insulting!! Because of Steve Augeri and Deen Castronovo (the "new" drummer) and the infusion of ENERGY they have brought to the band, Neal Schon, Ross Vallory, and Jonathan Cain are actually ENJOYING themselves, without the iron hand of Steve Perry getting in the way. When you purchase this DVD and play it for the first time, just LOOK at the happiness and the cohesiveness that has returned to this incredible band. All of the band members are having a great time, they are all smiling, and they are playing their hearts out. Journey has been doing EXTENSIVE touring, especially the past couple of years. Do yourself a favor, and GO SEE THEM IN PERSON!! Try to catch the VH-1 "Behind The Music" one-hour special on Journey. You will all see for yourselves what I am saying. Steve Augeri fits into this legendary band LIKE A GLOVE!! I don't know what some of these reviewers were watching, but the concert I saw on this DVD was JOURNEY at it's VERY BEST!! Buy this DVD NOW!! Buy "Arrival" NOW!! You will NOT be disappointed!!!
Rating: Summary: This DVD takes concert DVDs to a "Higher Place"! Review: Finally, a Journey DVD is released! I have to say that this is probably one of the best live videos ever created. It is great not just because it involves the best rock band of all time, but the DVD gives you flawless performance and production. This DVD features a Las Vegas, NV concert that was performed a few months before Journey's release of their 2001 album "Arrival". After watching it in its entirety, I was astounded at the perfection displayed throughout the entire band. Steve Augeri (the new lead vocalist) has permanently established himself as Journey's front man. He practically nails every high note! That is very difficult for a vocalist to do without a little help with post-production. He also is so intent about keeping the song true to its original recording. Neal Schon is (as always) a master with the lead guitar. Incredible energy and harmony is given in each song...including his solo! Ross Valory (bass) is a mixture of attitudes on stage: sometimes he acts reserved and intense in his performance and other times he's smiling and make funny gestures to the other guys in the band. Despite those observations, his bass guitar playing is crisp, clear, and perfect! Jonathan Cain completely showcases all of his talents in this DVD performance. Here, he plays keyboards, piano, and guitar, plus sings backup vocals! The man proves that he is a comprehensive and total musician. Lastly, Deen Castronovo (drummer) is just insane...in a good way! While his drumming is superb and unblemished with each song, he gives the songs more of a hard rock edge. His movements seem blistering and furious, but they are controlled, making the drums powerful and accurate. The set list for this concert DVD was excellent. All of the hits are played with a few exceptions. Some bonus songs are included such as "La Raza Del Sol" from the band's box set. This is the only recorded live performance of this song that I am aware of, and it is done well. Another bonus song is "Fillmore Boogie". This one will rock the socks off you! It is an explosive, intense rocker that features the band jammin' on guitars and drums...no lyrics (I guess Steve needs a break sometime!). There are some extra features such as band member biographies and a photo gallery. The sound quality is AWESOME! Using Dolby 5.1, this DVD is incredible to listen to. The production of the sound, lighting, and video techniques in this concert and DVD was done with astounding quality. With this DVD scoring A-pluses on all marks, get it whether you're a hardcore Journey fan or just a rock enthusiast. This DVD clearly demonstrates the perfection that Journey achieves in their live performances!
Rating: Summary: A Huge Gamble In Vegas Review: Journey hits the stage in Las Vegas without legendary front-man and vocalist Steve Perry for this performance. The payoff? Let's call it even. New guy Steve Augeri is a fine singer, but you Senator, are no Jack Kennedy. Lacking the power and range of Perry (but what male singer doesn't?), some of the tunes are obviously a bit of a struggle. However, having not heard Perry sing live in over 20 years, I can't say the real-deal would fair much better on those Journey classics. Very few 70's rock stars can pull off their hey-day tunes (Robin Zander and Steven Tyler being two exceptions). All in all, Augeri does a very good job, and has fairly decent stage presence for a band of guys looking 50 straight in the face. He seems lost at times, but as this was recorded in 2001 when he was still new on the job, let's cut him some slack. (When I saw the band in 2003, he seemed much more comfortable with the role.) A quick look at the other members for this performance: Ross Valory: the guy looks like Kirk Douglas. But a more solid bass player would be hard to find. Jonathan Cain: Keyboards, guitar, and background vocals, and a fine job on all. Wish they would have performed "Anytime" during this show as they did on the 2003 tour. Cain did an excellent job on lead vocals. Not the greatest "talk to the crowd" guy, though. They do miss Perry in that respect. Some of his keyboard sounds do not seem as powerful as the old recordings, though. Neal Schon: Total monster. Enough said. Very nice guitars! Dean Castronovo: Incredible drummer and shockingly good singer. Huge asset to the band. It is no wonder Neal wanted him in Journey. The camera work on the DVD is okay. Not spectacular, but some good shots of the band. Too many cheesy crowd shots, though. I could care less about the crowd. I want to see Journey, not some guy with a mullet pumping his fist or a couple smooching during a ballad. The sound is where this DVD shines the most. A good mix for the most part, although Neal's guitar does sound muddy at times. But overall, very good sound with various choices. I would probably give this DVD 3 1/2 stars. Three is too low, so I went with four. A good performance with good sound. I found their 2003 performance much more enjoyable, but this was a fine performance in its own right. While the new lineup certainly doesn't eclipse any older versions, I really don't think they took a step back either.
Rating: Summary: Incredible Show Review: I've bought this DVD because like everyone else, I'm a huge Journey fan. I just want to thank Steve and Deen for stepping in to continue the Journey. Steve is amazing with the audience and interacts with them beautifully. Deen is phenomenal on the drums and Neal, Ross and Jonathan are sounding better than ever. The quality of this DVD is outstanding and since I have received this DVD, which was just over a week ago, I probably have watched it a dozen times. This DVD is one that will never leave my DVD player. Can't wait until they come out with another DVD with more of their new music on it. Highly recommend this DVD!
Rating: Summary: nice try but no dice Review: NO STEVE PERRY .... NO JOURNEY !!!!!!! JOUENEY WOULD HAVE BEEN NOTHING AFTER GREG ROLIE LEFT IF MR. PERRY HAD NOT COME ALONG ... SO NOW THAT MR. PERRY IS NO LONGER THERE , THERE IS NO JOURNEY AS FROM AS I AM CONCERNED... GO OUT A BUY ALL OF STEVE PERRYS SOLO ALBUMS IF U WANT TO HEAR SOME AWSOME VOCALS .!!!!!!!
Rating: Summary: perfect quality concert dvd Review: I can't believe how many "new-Steve haters" there are that hardly give this dvd a chance just because there's no Steve Perry. This dvd has perfect sound and picture quality. The video editing is perfect. The camera angles do not jump around every half second like a lot of live dvds these days. It's edited exactly the way all concert dvds SHOULD be. As if it's a live broadcast on TV. No MTV style editing. The perfomance is outstanding. Sure, the new Steve sounds a lot like the old Steve, but what's wrong with that? What if they got a singer who sounded completely different? A lot of bands who replace singers usually end up with someone who totally sucks, but obviously Journey was very careful about their choice. The new Steve sounds great live. He doesn't seem to have as much running around the stage energy that the old Steve had, but in no way does that make the performance worse. Deen Castronovo (did I spell that right?) does a great job on the drums. I'm not that familiar with his past, but I do know he plays drums on a couple songs on the Working Man Rush tribute cd. But he makes Journey drummers of the past look like Meg from White Stripes. He rips through the entire show perfectly. Plus does some backing vocals! Neal's guitar playing improves every time they tour. And of course Ross and Jonathan are also great. There's no reason any true Journey fan should not like this dvd. If you're just whining because there's no Steve Perry, then remember this: what if they got someone like Peter Steele from Type O Negative to sing for Journey? Or ANYONE who doesn't have a similar sound to Steve Perry? I thing Journey make the perfect choice.
Rating: Summary: Journey is back BETTER than EVER.... Review: For anybody who misses Steve Perry i say get over it. He was a great vocalist but how he nearly destroyed this wonderful band is unforgivable (go to www.esc4p3.com for an interview with Herbie Herbert Journeys original mangaer to uncover the Truth about Steve Perry). Now onwards we go. Kudos to Steve Augeri to step in to such big shoes and to sing the songs we all know and love with such passion is unbelieveable. Deen Castronovo a great replacement for Steve Smith and he adds a new demention to the band with his vocal talent as well. As for Neal (the true heart of this band), Jonathan , and Ross what can you say about these great musicians except wow....this band since Steve Perry has left has not only grown but acutally has gotten BETTER. So heres to looking in the future with this wonderful band and to seeing them on the road for many more years to come...For the Wheel in the Sky keeps on turnin....
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