Eric wrote:
-------------------------------
Vince -

I respect your opinion about "Steve Perry IS Journey", however it is Neal Schon who is Journey. It is his band, it was before Perry and is after. Perry helped them become more popular (and at times Cheesy - Raised on Radio), but Journey isn't Journey without Neal.....

Eric

---------------------------------

A band is just that. A BAND. And where a band starts to go wrong (i.e. Journey, Van Halen, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, etc.) is when one member of the band, more often than not the guitarist, thinks that he IS the whole show. But look at the truth....

Was Bad English Journey?
Was VD III Van Halen?
Was Eternal Idol really Black Sabbath?

The answer in all three cases is a loud FUCK NO!

It's also ironic that in all three cases, the guitarists at least at least to some degree realize the reality of the situation. Black Sabbath has reunited, Journey did release one album as themselves, and Van Halen will very soon be reminding the world what real rock n roll is once again.

What Neal Schon in this case failed to realize (as did Eddie VH in 1996 and Tony Iommi in both 1985 w/Ozzy and 92w/Dio) is that once your fans have heard the REAL thing from you again, they won't let you go back to the fake.