Is it just me or does this look like a blatant Journey ripoff down to the scarab and Infinity lettering? Granted, the songs are kind in the Journey vein along with Two Fires and The Storm, but at least they had their own lettering and not trying to look like a poor second-rate imitation. I've seen covers before that do resemble another band--which will happen since there are so many cds that some overlapping will have to occur eventually--but why try so obviously to make people think it's a Journey cd when it isn't??? Anybody else see this? Kevinhttp://www.melodicrock.com/phorum52/read.php?1,6407,6407#msg-6407Fri, 24 May 2013 04:18:47 +1000 Phorum 5.2.16 http://www.melodicrock.com/phorum52/read.php?1,6407,6514#msg-6514 http://www.melodicrock.com/phorum52/read.php?1,6407,6514#msg-6514 JT NoticeboardSat, 30 Sep 2000 16:44:24 +1100 http://www.melodicrock.com/phorum52/read.php?1,6407,6501#msg-6501 http://www.melodicrock.com/phorum52/read.php?1,6407,6501#msg-6501Mark Ashton wrote:
-------------------------------

I might have felt differently a few years ago, but I noticed something when BOB CATLEY did his first ever solo show. People were
coming up to us and asking what it was that we were selling. It was Bob`s debut solo album, "The Tower". Now I`d say that half
the audience that night didn`t even know he had a solo album out ( and didn`t even know about HARD RAIN either ) because they
had been huge MAGNUM fans in the past but had slowly become sick of the likes of KERRANG etc bringing decent music down
so they had stopped buying the mags. The fanzines do a great job but it`s mainly a case of preaching to the converted as people
have to almost already know about the mag to be able to get them.
So, we had done some local advertising and a lot of the people at the gig were only there because they recognised his name from
MAGNUM and went along out of curiosity. That really opened my eyes to the fact that there are a lot of people out there who
would be interested in what we were releasing but just didn`t know about it.


I'm 100% in agreement with you here on this point. It's not the music that is bad, but the fact that you can't get the cds becuase the common man on the street never even knew they existed. Live shows are the only way to get this music out since radio won't play it and the current music scene won't touch it.
I don't know what the big sellers are for N&T, but I would think something along the lines of a Bob Catley/Ten tour would be a good idea since they knew Bob Catley from Magnum and Ten appears to be the other big seller (and probably the only other act the common people might have heard of). Add to it that the music is similar enough that you could increase both sales at the same time and give wider exposure to both bands in the process--which could only help. Ten appears to haver enough name recognition in some areas to where they might draw a crowd and with correct advertising, Catley will draw people because he was in Magnum. By pulling together, you might be able to draw enough people to get a larger venue than either of them could pull by themselves, which would obviously mean more people, more album sales and everything else. Of course, reality is a bit harder than this scenario, but you are going to have to find a way to bring the common crowds in break out beyond the tight-circled AOR scene.


on other subjects though...

The question I have regarding your answer on The VU though is if you are going to take a band that sounds like Journey and release their cd with a Journey-styled cover, why not do it on a band like Two Fires that exists instead of something like The VU, which has been a non-living entity for 15 years. Whether the strategy will work or not, I don't know--it is possible, but people will at least have a chance to see a band like Two Fires out there touring, while The VU will never play a concert at their local area. It just doesn't make sense to promote a dead band as a Journey-type band where you have a live band like Two Fires at the same time.

Kevin]]> Kevin NoticeboardSat, 30 Sep 2000 10:28:24 +1100 http://www.melodicrock.com/phorum52/read.php?1,6407,6483#msg-6483 http://www.melodicrock.com/phorum52/read.php?1,6407,6483#msg-6483
Plus I think the VU cover looks like the Gods logo, so it should fit in nicely with N&T/Frontiers

I can't see the problem!!!

Thats my (very short) opinion

T]]> Tony M NoticeboardSat, 30 Sep 2000 05:15:31 +1100 http://www.melodicrock.com/phorum52/read.php?1,6407,6462#msg-6462 http://www.melodicrock.com/phorum52/read.php?1,6407,6462#msg-6462
I agree with your comments regarding The VU's cover, right on.

Your statement regarding the CD is very strong. Since Two Fires and Hugo's Time On Earth have been released this year I'm surprised to hear you say The VU will be the best AOR CD released this year. I hope you're right and I CAN'T WAIT to get a copy of The VU.

Later,

Aaron
]]> Aaron NoticeboardFri, 29 Sep 2000 20:42:34 +1100 http://www.melodicrock.com/phorum52/read.php?1,6407,6460#msg-6460 http://www.melodicrock.com/phorum52/read.php?1,6407,6460#msg-6460With regard to their only being one JOURNEY, NIGHTRANGER etc and the fact that artwork should be individual, do you rememeber the cover of NIGHTRANGER`s "Man In Motion" album and SURVIVOR`s "Too Hot To Sleep"? Both done by the same guy ( Who actually did almost every cover around at that time and had the same `style` to everything he did ) and both as near as damn to the same thing. I reckon they were both done at the same time and then he added a figure of a man for the Nightranger cover, but they were almost the same and came out quite close in time to each other as well.
It`s very hard to come up with new artwork ideas and I think in some ways what THE VU have done is justified. Not only because of the people involved but because what the album is, in essence, is a collection of old recordings ( not demos though as this was intended to be an album but they didn`t secure a deal at the time - which says a lot about the labels around back then. LOL ) with a very strong JOURNEY feel to them, It`s simply a way of bringing the point home to people.
OK, you guys are all up to date with the scene and you know what`s what, but there is a huge market out there of people who would buy a JOURNEY album but not some other band that is great, simply because the media isn`t there to inform them about it. If THE VU can attract these people`s attention and therefore interest by having a cover that bring to mind JOURNEY then I see no problem with that.
I might have felt differently a few years ago, but I noticed something when BOB CATLEY did his first ever solo show. People were coming up to us and asking what it was that we were selling. It was Bob`s debut solo album, "The Tower". Now I`d say that half the audience that night didn`t even know he had a solo album out ( and didn`t even know about HARD RAIN either ) because they had been huge MAGNUM fans in the past but had slowly become sick of the likes of KERRANG etc bringing decent music down so they had stopped buying the mags. The fanzines do a great job but it`s mainly a case of preaching to the converted as people have to almost already know about the mag to be able to get them.
So, we had done some local advertising and a lot of the people at the gig were only there because they recognised his name from MAGNUM and went along out of curiosity. That really opened my eyes to the fact that there are a lot of people out there who would be interested in what we were releasing but just didn`t know about it.
In my opinion, if one of our acts can gain a few sales by having a cover that looks like a JOURNEY cover ( and is actually at least as good as the new JOURNEY cover which is no great shakes ) then why the hell shouldn`t they? And if any of you lot are put off buying the album by the cover then it will be your loss because THE VU is the best pure AOR album that will be released this year, bar none. At least the cover art is an original piece of work and not some cheap clip art as many covers are these days.
We pride ourselves on our covers at NOW AND THEN / FRONTIERS. OK, you may not like every one, but we feel they are of a high quality generally. More importantly, the music contained within the CD is great ( as you say yourself ), so what`s the big deal?

Bye for now,
Mark





















































]]> Mark Ashton NoticeboardFri, 29 Sep 2000 20:06:58 +1100 http://www.melodicrock.com/phorum52/read.php?1,6407,6441#msg-6441 http://www.melodicrock.com/phorum52/read.php?1,6407,6441#msg-6441
Kevin]]> Kevin NoticeboardFri, 29 Sep 2000 12:10:40 +1100 http://www.melodicrock.com/phorum52/read.php?1,6407,6440#msg-6440 http://www.melodicrock.com/phorum52/read.php?1,6407,6440#msg-6440
Later,

Aaron]]> Aaron NoticeboardFri, 29 Sep 2000 11:51:26 +1100 http://www.melodicrock.com/phorum52/read.php?1,6407,6437#msg-6437 http://www.melodicrock.com/phorum52/read.php?1,6407,6437#msg-6437
Aaron wrote:
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Augeri can really whale.



You think he's going to blow a spout? I think he can wail rather well also...lol

Kevin]]> Kevin NoticeboardFri, 29 Sep 2000 09:29:18 +1100 http://www.melodicrock.com/phorum52/read.php?1,6407,6436#msg-6436 http://www.melodicrock.com/phorum52/read.php?1,6407,6436#msg-6436
You have a good point. The Storm cd's and Hugo's stuff are top notch in my opinion as well. Maybe the cover does go a little far but I like it. IMO The Storm and Two Fires cd's are better than what Journey has done since 1983. That's why I'm okay with the cover. I personally like the Chalfant/Rolie/Valory/Ramos/Hugo stuff better than the later Journey stuff. It will bet interesting to hear how Arrival sounds when it gets released. I can't wait to hear that one. Augeri can really whale.

Cheers,

Aaron
]]> Aaron NoticeboardFri, 29 Sep 2000 08:48:45 +1100 http://www.melodicrock.com/phorum52/read.php?1,6407,6435#msg-6435 http://www.melodicrock.com/phorum52/read.php?1,6407,6435#msg-6435
Thanks,

Aaron]]> Aaron NoticeboardFri, 29 Sep 2000 08:44:04 +1100 http://www.melodicrock.com/phorum52/read.php?1,6407,6426#msg-6426 http://www.melodicrock.com/phorum52/read.php?1,6407,6426#msg-6426Alot of the covers put out by melodic rock labels these days are lacking quality, I'm tired of seeing the same embossed font style on every albums release even when its a totally different band. I did like the Jimi Jamisons Survior cover, it was simple and elegant and it folded out really cool too.

No retreat, No surrender!!
Corey]]> corey NoticeboardFri, 29 Sep 2000 04:28:35 +1100 http://www.melodicrock.com/phorum52/read.php?1,6407,6423#msg-6423 http://www.melodicrock.com/phorum52/read.php?1,6407,6423#msg-6423
Aaron wrote:
-------------------------------
I'd say give the cd a listen befored judging it based on the cover. You never know, maybe it is Journey with a different name. The proof is in the music.

Actually, I have about 7 of the original songs--including the original version of "Remember" on cassette and love them (moreso than Two Fires actually), but this is no more Journey than anything else.



I think the cover is kinda cool myself along with record name. With Valory, Prince and Chalfant involved, I'd say the cover is justified. What do you think?

I have no problem with the record name--it is rather inspired--but there is only ONE Journey, Styx, Night Ranger, Def Leppard, etc. I have no problem with somone sounding like Journey as long as they pull it off (The 2nd Storm cd is among my all time favorites and it's nothing if not Journey-sounding) but copying cover art directly is going a bit too far, IMO. Look at the Hugo cds--he has his own little logo which distinguishes him and makes him unique. Why can't The VU have it's own logo???

Kevin]]> Kevin NoticeboardFri, 29 Sep 2000 03:53:18 +1100 http://www.melodicrock.com/phorum52/read.php?1,6407,6421#msg-6421 http://www.melodicrock.com/phorum52/read.php?1,6407,6421#msg-6421
blm wrote:
-------------------------------
Nah, Frontiers didn't drive this cover. The band presented it as a done deal.
I know how everybody at this end felt about it !!



my how the tables have turned..... Interesting.

Kevin]]> Kevin NoticeboardFri, 29 Sep 2000 03:42:07 +1100 http://www.melodicrock.com/phorum52/read.php?1,6407,6420#msg-6420 http://www.melodicrock.com/phorum52/read.php?1,6407,6420#msg-6420I know how everybody at this end felt about it !!]]> blm NoticeboardFri, 29 Sep 2000 03:05:26 +1100 http://www.melodicrock.com/phorum52/read.php?1,6407,6417#msg-6417 http://www.melodicrock.com/phorum52/read.php?1,6407,6417#msg-6417 Aaron NoticeboardFri, 29 Sep 2000 02:55:34 +1100 http://www.melodicrock.com/phorum52/read.php?1,6407,6415#msg-6415 http://www.melodicrock.com/phorum52/read.php?1,6407,6415#msg-6415 Vinnie NoticeboardFri, 29 Sep 2000 02:20:57 +1100 http://www.melodicrock.com/phorum52/read.php?1,6407,6408#msg-6408 http://www.melodicrock.com/phorum52/read.php?1,6407,6408#msg-6408 shawn pelata NoticeboardFri, 29 Sep 2000 01:51:28 +1100 http://www.melodicrock.com/phorum52/read.php?1,6407,6407#msg-6407 http://www.melodicrock.com/phorum52/read.php?1,6407,6407#msg-6407
Kevin]]> Kevin NoticeboardFri, 29 Sep 2000 01:40:56 +1100