VJ's mix setlist from Father Paul

Even our "Stuck in the Clergy" fans have suggestions for VJ's Setlist. Here's an e-mail from Father Paul (photo right), who has one hand on the Bible and the other on a Duran Duran fanzine up in Minnesota:

Greetings again from the state whose football team can never win in Tampa Bay! I enjoyed the kid’s letter about wanting a mix tape. Were I to send a mix tape now to a woman, it would be creepy, I would likely lose my job being I'm a priest, face a rather large lawsuit, and cause a public scandal, so I won’t be doing that ever again. However, being stuck in the '80s, there are many perfect ones for a mix tape, so here are my suggestions:

• Rock and Roll Heart by Eric Clapton. It's off his Money and Cigarettes album from I think 1980, and is a nice tune.
• In Too Deep by Genesis. I had the Invisible Touch cassette tape and when my friend and girlfriend were in the car circa '97 he requested I play this. It's on my iPod too, and is a really great song. One of the few I think that has nothing to do with Phil Collins failed marriage.
• Hold Me Now by Thompson Twins.
• No One Is To Blame by Howard Jones.
• True by Spandau Ballet. (Sorry Sean, I don't think it's horrible. My friend claims it is about drugs, 'thrill in my hand, pill on my tongue' ... Hmm, could this be true?)
• Invisible Touch by Genesis. Quite appropriate, though he presumably does know her name.
• She's Got a Way by Billy Joel. Yes, it is from 1971, but it was apparently released as a single in 1982. I’m not an expert, I just have access to Wikipedia.
• Lady In Red by Chris DeBurgh. This one was of course playing at the prom I took a girl to. Heartbreaking at the time, but people move on. Nice song.
• Hello – Lionel Richie. "Tell me how to win your heart, for I haven't got a clue." Seems appropriate.
• Red Red Wine by UB40. Josh played it in an episode of The West Wing, one of my favorite shows, and played it for a woman he liked.
• Every Little Thing She Does – The Police
• Something About You – Level 42 (per your suggestion).
• I Got My Mind Set On You – George Harrison.
• Just Like Heaven - The Cure
• Forever Young – Alphaville. Napoleon Dynamite. Need I say more?
• Don't Dream It's Over – Crowded House.
• Lost In Emotion – Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam
• Don’t Stop Believing – Journey. I told you a couple used it at our wedding, so why not on the tape? Great tune.

Hope it works out for him. Though as a priest, I'd remind him to take it slow, and heed the words of Jermaine Stewart: "We don’t have to take our clothes off to have a good time."

Top selling iTunes song? Yep, it's Journey

Journey's 1981 signature hit Don't Stop Believin' has just surpassed the 2-million mark in digital sales, making it the all-time leader in this new era of music downloading.

The Guardian newspaper in the UK says downloads of the power ballad soared after its inclusion the series finale of The Sopranos: "iTunes sales rocketed 482 per cent in the period between the episode airing on June 9 and the following Tuesday, June 12," the paper said.

The sales landmark, first reported by SoundScan, means the tune has surpassed the elite "double platinum" status, something that seemed impossible once the record biz reluctantly embraced the digital sales world.

(By the way, the live video of the band performing the song in Houston back in '81 during the Escape Tour? Yeah, that one at the top of this post. It's been viewed more than 11-million times.)

Another happy Journey anniversary

OCT. 22, 1981 ... Lakeland Civic Center, Lakeland, Fla.: Journey with special guests Loverboy.

This is the concert that basically started Stuck in the '80s, gang, so I celebrate it each year with the usual traditions (the wearing of a pitifully undersized jersey concert shirt, followed by the inhaling of Chicken McNuggets, a strawberry shake and a big ole bag of stink-weed).

No, no. I'm kidding on that last part (it was a chocolate shake.) JOKE! I was 14 years old, so no illegal substances were involved. Instead, what I got was Steve Perry and Co. on their Escape tour -- probably the most surreal and perfect concert experience ... at least to someone without a driver's license.

Here's my retro-review of the concert that changed everything.

GENERAL ADMISSION: In those days, if you want a front-row seat just get there early and run to the stage when the doors opened. (Send a friend to buy your concert shirt.) And yeah, there are no seats. So enjoy standing up for the next 5 hours or so.

WORKING FOR THE WEEKEND: At that point in time, we'd maybe heard one Loverboy song on the radio -- Working for the Weekend. I'm not even sure their names were on the ticket stub (which cost about $12 back then). But the boys from Canada made a quick impression. I'm pretty sure they convinced half the audience to buy a Loverboy disc within the following 48 hours.

'THIS IS MY ESCAPE:' Per tradition, Journey opened with the title cut of the new album -- Escape. Not a memorable song per se. But I still get chills hearing it today. The next song -- Line of Fire, complete with a pyrotechnic explosion instead of a gunshot at the big moment halfway through.

DON'T STOP BELIEVING: Another Journey tradition -- changing the lyrics to their signature hit to reflect whatever town they're playing that night. "Just a city boy, born and raised ... right here in Lakeland."(FYI, nobody would make the mistake of calling Lakeland an actual city.)

PRESERVED FOREVER: The Escape tour lives on, thanks to a Steve Perry-produced DVD of the tour's stop in Houston, just a mere week after the Lakeland show. Yes, I own it. (And yes, I'll be watching it again today.)

WHY I REMEMBER THE DATE: October 22 also happens to be the birthday of Momma Spearsy, who was kind enough to let me attend what would become my first concert. Every year on this date, I call her in the morning and ask if she remembers the day of the Journey concert. She merely responds: "I just remember it made you so happy." Thanks and happy birthday, Mom!

[Listen to our podcast interview with Journey bassist Ross Valory, whose fly is open in the publicity photo above]

Is Journey's new singer tiring of the job?

Is Arnel Pineda homesick or not? A few days after Rolling Stone magazine quoted Journey's new lead singer admitting he was homesick and tired of the grueling tour schedule, another band member argues that he was misquoted.

"I am quite comfortable with the stage now, but, for me, it's still a very grueling tour. I haven't done this before," Pineda said in a Rolling Stone interview. "It's very stressful. It's a very, very challenging job. It's a fantastic job, but at the same time it's a curse. Trying to fill up very, very big shoes."

Pineda goes on to admit he's lonelier than he had imagined he'd be when he took the job offer.

"It is very, very sad. There are days I would break down and cry," he says. "But, you know. I just have to be man enough to face that this is a job I'm doing for my family. That's all the consolation that I'm getting. That's the only thought."

However, Neal Schon, founding member and guitarist for Journey, disputes the article. "They took a segment of what he said in the interview and erased all the good stuff he said in between. It has happened to me a million times in my career," Schon told Asian Journal Online. "It's his first tour. None of us knew what it would be like. We didn't know what kind of strength he had in a long duration like he's been. We've been out here for a solid four months with no breaks in between."

[AP photo]

The unexpected Journey of Jeff Scott Soto

Few people have seen the ultimate highs and disappointing lows in the rock business as Jeff Scott Soto.

Soto had served as the lead vocalist for Yngwie Malmsteen's first two albums before taking over lead vocals for Journey in January 2007. Six months later, the band announced Soto was out.

Oddly enough, it's not an entirely unfamiliar story for Soto. The Los Angeles-based rocker (who has band members living in Tampa Bay) was hired to handle the singing duties for the fictional "Bobby Beers" of "Steel Dragon" in the 2001 movie Rock Star, the story of how a tribute-band singer (Mark Wahlberg) took over the lead vocals job from a legendary but aging rocker.

Six years after the movie, Soto firsthand felt the incredible rush (and later the disappointment) when he took over the singing duties for a band once fronted by the legendary Steve Perry.

Still, Soto doesn't seem to hold any lingering resentments about his unexpected dismissal from the band.

These days, Arnel Pineda does the fronting for Journey, and Soto has returned to a solo career, complete with a new album. He recently chatted via e-mail with Stuck in the '80s about the ups and downs of life with Journey.

How did you land the gig fronting Journey?

"It's pretty widely known by now, the predecessor to Steve Perry, Steve Augeri, had some throat problems right as they were beginning a huge tour with Def Leppard in the U.S. I had already worked with Neal Schon in a band called Soul SirkUS and he knew not only was I heavily influenced and weaned on Journey's legacy but that he could count on me in a huff."

How much time did you get to prepare?

"I got a day's notice. I met them in D.C. on a day off, met them at the lobby to say hello. We got on the bus with a setlist to discuss how some songs go into others or are extended from the studio versions. We basically got a 10-minute sound check and an hour later, I was onstage in front of 20,000 people!"

How did the crowd react to you?

"It was a dream mixed with a nightmare actually. Some people didn't even pay attention, know or realize Steve Perry wasn't in the band anymore -- this after 10 years since his departure, 20 years since his last show with them!''

"So out comes this tall Puerto Rican dude belting out the hits! The pressure of knowing you are being judged, compared or rated against one of the greatest singers of all time while doing HIS songs, is not an easy thing. I am pretty bulletproof to criticism or people just not getting it, but it can be hurtful to not be accepted by die-hards who simply don't want to know about it."

Did Steve Perry influence you as a singer when you were getting started?

"It was more than words can describe to do all these songs I had done in previous high school bands or simply singing in the car for so many years. Perry helped shape much of my early years as a singer mainly because we were both influenced by so many of the same singers: Sam Cooke, Jackie Wilson, the whole Motown thing."

Did you get to witness any crazy rock star moments?

"There really aren't any crazy stories to tell. These guys are up there in their years so they play it safe when it comes to activity off the stage. They're all pretty mellow and family oriented so it was a chill environment, almost too chill for me."

So what's your side of the breakup story?

"It's difficult to truly tell my side as we do have confidentiality agreements with each other, so I don't know just how much of my departure/side sounds negative or explanatory.''

"All I can say is I put my whole life and dedication to continuing with them after I was officially deemed a permanent member of the band. I had no idea there were any issues, concerns, discussions or plans otherwise nor was there any given to me prior to my dismissal. I wish I could say it was amicable but I can't."

Have you heard Arnel Pineda's vocal work with the band yet?

"Of course I paid attention to their next move, how could I not? It's like looking to see who your ex is dating next after she dumps you. I love his voice -- it's organic, natural and sounds like he does it with ease most of the time.''

"My opinion about him being a Perry clone is a bit different than others'. He emulates the songs very well, but there's a sense of the 'feeling' that is missing for me, which is a good thing because it helps him retain his own identity. Perry had this very soulful swagger to his singing that is something more felt than emulated."

"Perry is a master, often imitated, never duplicated. I don't want this to sound negative in ANY way, Arnel is an AMAZING singer and I give him much respect for his position now!"

So what's next for you? I hear there's a new album in the works.

"The best way to get through a course of JSS 101 is to visit www.jeffscottsoto.com or even www.myspace.com/sewtoe."

"My new album, Beautiful Mess, was just released on iTunes and many other digital outlets two weeks ago and the video for the first single, 21st Century (shot entirely in Tampa!), launches (Sept. 15) on, well you guessed it, YouTube! (Click here to see it.) I'm also touring with the world-renowned Trans-Siberian Orchestra this winter as well so between album releases and touring on my own, I keep quite busy."

[Publicity photo]

The enduring majesty of Journey

Say one thing about the Journey-Heart-Cheap Trick tour: After four solid hours of 70s and 80s rock, these three bands had nothing left to prove to anyone.

Here are some highlights from the tour stop at Tampa's Ford Amphitheatre on Wednesday night:

EARLY START: It looked like a nearly full house at the outdoor venue, but maybe half had managed to arrive in time for Cheap Trick's 7 p.m. start time. That's a shame, because Robin Zander & Co. played only 45 minutes.

IF THEY WANT OUR LOVE, THEY GOT IT: Despite their short set, Cheap Trick got in all the classics, including "The Flame," which doesn't work itself in set-lists often. And hearing "Surrender" live just proves once again it's one of the best teenage anthems of any decade.

THEY'RE NEVER ALONE: Heart sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson were brilliant in an hour-long set. If you've never seen Heart play live, then frankly you haven't seen the best that rock n' roll has to offer. When Nancy starts the frantic acoustic chord work of "Crazy on You," I felt like my heart was about to explode. "Magic Man" remains as powerful today as it did 32 years ago. And their acoustic version of "Alone" never seems to lose its charm.

WE (HEART) HEART: The fans seemed surprised by Heart's commanding performance. A female fan two rows in front turned around and gushed at me: "God, I love Heart!" When waiting in the t-shirt line, where Heart's "Crazy on You" tank-tops were hot-sellers, another woman asked me, "Do you think Heart will come back and play more?" Nope, I told her while explaining the night's lineup, and she seemed  crushed.

NO DREAMS: One missing piece to the Heart set -- "These Dreams," their 1986 classic sung by Nancy. But reportedly she had a cold, so we'll take a rain check.

A LITTLE WARM: Pass the word to other bands visiting soon -- it's warm here in Florida during the summer. Still most bands came on stage dressed like they were playing a winter sock-hop at Clear Lake, Iowa. (Oh, I'd have paid double to see Nancy Wilson in a skirt and halter-top. Sorry, Cameron Crowe. You're wife is amazing, and I'm only human)

NICE SURPRISE: Journey opened with a surprise -- playing "Majestic," an aptly titled instrumental from 1979's "Evolution" album. Many fans recognize it also as the opening tune from their live "Captured" album. The harmonizing by the band members sent chills straight from your feet to your brain stem. The perfect opening to a great set.

ARNEL IS THE REAL DEAL: New lead singer Arnel Pineda worked the stage like a seasoned front-man, no small task in a steamy Florida summer night. Give him another two years, and he'll be the face of the band.

TWO-TISSUE SPECIAL: In an odd move, Journey stacked their two best-known ballads on top of each other, playing "Open Arms" and then going straight into "Faithfully." But hey, they've been doing this for 35 years now. I'm sure they had their reasons. Just feel free to share those with the women around me who spent 10 solid minutes crying during that love-a-polooza marathon.

THE CLASSICS: Many of the band's older tunes in the set -- "Lights," "Wheel in the Sky" and encore "Lovin' Touchin' Feelin' " -- had some extra zing that really brought them alive. But "Separate Ways" -- never my favorite tune -- really was pumped up, and it made all the difference.

WHAT ABOUT...: Hey, no "Who's Crying Now?" No problem, as far as I'm concerned. It wasn't for lack of time though. A hillbilly jam with Jonathan Cain on harmonica and Neal Shon on acoustic guitar seemed out of place and time-consuming. Still, it's obvious the band is changing its set-list nightly, and that's always the sign of a confident group of musicians.

THE SHIRTS: Ah, of course, the big question. All three bands have decent shirts for sale. And yeah, I bought two, including a Journey shirt that will soon replace my beloved 1981 "Escape Tour" jersey. (Click here to buy a replica online.) I chose a traditional black number, with the "Revelation" artwork on front and the tour stops listed on back. Dare I say classic?

BOTTOM LINE: A fantastic lineup of bands who still perform as well today as any point in their careers. This is the summer tour to beat right now. If this lineup passes within 500 miles of you, go!

Video didn't kill Journey's star

Let's face it: Journey is about eight years overdue for a spot in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Eligible since 2000, our San Fran rockers are victim to the sort of pre-Darwinian mentality that puts Madonna into the hall before them.

But our Neal, Ross and the gang are no threat to win the coveted MTV Video Vanguard award for a career of great music videos. I can't think of a band in the 80s that did less with MTV than Journey. And that's OK with fans, so long as they keep banging out great music and hitting the road for tours.

Still, if you force the issue, here's what you have...

TOP 5 JOURNEY VIDEOS:

5. WHEN YOU LOVE A WOMAN (watch it): Ah yes, the obligatory "look, we're recording the song" video.

4. SEND HER MY LOVE (watch it): Note to all our favorite bands. Always gotta love the "live concert" video with the studio version of the song laid in over the top.

3. ANY WAY YOU WANT IT (watch it): Late 70s cheesy goodness. Ross Valory looks like he belongs in Molly Hatchet, not Journey.

2. SEPARATE WAYS (watch it): I think the air-playing of the instruments is border-line creepy, but this video is as '80s as it gets.

1. FAITHFULLY (watch it): Steve Perry with a mustache in the ultimate "weary band on the road" tale. Any more questions?

Planning the perfect concert experience

This is a big concert week for a small group of Stuck in the 80s fans and particularly me. And big concert weeks require a lot of strategic planning.

It begins tonight with seeing Journey for the first time in 27 years. (And seeing Heart for the first time ... Cheap Trick for the third time.) But it continues with a small contingent of blog/podcast fans going to Vegas to see Morris Day and The Time on Friday and the Regeneration Tour on Saturday.

Considering the historic significance behind all these shows (Morris' first reunion show in 20 years; a rare U.S. appearance by The Human League), there's added pressure on the planning -- anything to make sure these became ideal experiences.

So without further hyperbole, here's my fool-proof, 10-step "day-of" plan for a great concert experience.

1. TAKE THE DAY OFF: Concerts are better enjoyed when you not rushing to the venue from the office. Plus, at our age, a nice afternoon siesta after a late afternoon, pre-concert feast of Taco Bell gorditas never hurts.

2. NO PLAYING THE MUSIC OF THE BANDS YOU'RE SEEING: Sure, it's OK to overdose on Journey's new album in the weeks leading up to the show, but I have a strict policy against it on gameday. I want the music to feel fresh. (I should say that my frequent concert pal Sean Daly maintains the opposite of this rule.)

3. CHOOSING A WARDROBE: Don't wear the shirt of the band you're going to see. ("Don't be that guy," as Jeremy Piven says in "PCU.") These days, I go with my patented black Tommy Bahama knockoff shirt, usually with jeans and shoes that won't be ruined by sloshing through concert arena muck. But by all means, mentally undress those of the opposite sex who wear the faded baby-doll concert tees from previous tours.

4. BRING A GOOD FRIEND, NOT A DATE: You won't remember the date's name a month from now. But your friend and you will talk about the show 'til the day you're both sitting side by side in the nursing home, waiting for your sponge-baths.

5. ARRIVE EARLY: Back in the old days, when it was general admission to most arena shows, this was mandatory if you wanted good seats. Now it just makes sense so that you can relax and even browse the concert tees (Hint: take then back to your car after purchase, since you parked so close).

6. GO EASY ON THE DRINKS: A shocker, I know, but everyone remembers the tragic ending to my "ziplock bags of rum" story from the Sting concert back in '85. To this day, I rarely have more than one or two drinks before or during a show. Remember, you don't drink beer ... you only rent it. And I hate paying the rent check while missing out on great tunes.

7. KNOW THE SET-LIST: This is a controversial practice of mine, but lately I try to look up the band's set-list on the Web ahead of time, so I know at what point in the show is a good time to grab a hot dog or a final beer. You want to be surprised? Fine. But I was more than happy at the Rush concert to head for my car early rather than listen to the 10-minute, head-numbing encore of "YYZ."

8. MINIMIZE DANCING: At our age, chances are you can't dance anyway. Feel free to stand up, sway around like someone sucker-punched you, but don't annoy your neighbors by pulling out moves best left to the days when you only had to shave twice a week.

9. SING ALONG: I'm anti-dance, but pro singing-at-top-volume. Go figure. Chances are no one can hear you anyway. You honesty think I'll have my mouth shut if Journey plays "Stone in Love?" I'll be in full air-guitar mode as well. Have fun -- it's a concert.

10. PULL A FERRIS THE NEXT DAY: Oh, yeah, the dreaded "stomach flu" (nod, nod, wink, win, know what you mean) -- why does it always strike the morning after the big show? Surely the boss won't begrudge you a few extra hours of downtime. (Oh, he will? Then schedule a phantom doctor or dentist appointment. You'll actually get sympathy for showing up late.)

Will I pull a Ferris the day after this long concert week ends? No need. I'll be vegging in our private pool cabana at the Luxor in Vegas on Sunday with the rest of the die-hard '80s fans. That's my final rule in concert planning: Allow plenty of time afterward to bask in the memories with those who went with you.

[AP photo]

Taking a Journey back to greatness

Journey is one day away from its gig here in Tampa Bay at the Ford Amphitheatre, though it seems like we've been waiting years for this tour. (Read my story in today's St. Pete Times here, and click here to hear the Ross Valory podcast interview.)

Naturally, I've spent the last few days looking up the band's setlist from recent shows, trying to figure out if my favorite tunes will be taken for a spin on Wednesday night. The good news is that nearly all of the songs you NEED to hear will be played.

But what about those lost classics? The tunes from earlier albums deserve just as much love as "Stone in Love" or "Faithfully."

The great thing about bands like Journey is that they had great tunes deep into every album they did back in the '70s and '80s, when making a "complete album" was still a cherished art form.

These days, iTunes has pretty much dissolved that necessity for musicians. But forgive me if I look back on fonder years. (Dude, it's what I do.)

TOP 5 LOST JOURNEY CLASSICS:

5. STAY AWHILE: "Reach out your hand, oh, to me. Oh, I'm fallin'."

4. THE PARTY'S OVER: "What can this poor boy do when he's hopelessly in love with you?"

3. DIXIE HIGHWAY: "I don't care what you want to be, baby, long as you're happy and free."

2. LINE OF FIRE: "Bye, bye, bye, Suzi."

1. JUST THE SAME WAY: "Come with me, never go away. Every day we will fly."

Podcast: Keeping time with Ross Valory

When it comes to getting answers about Journey, there are few people on the planet you can trust more than bassist Ross Valory. (The other name that comes to mind? Guitarist Neal Schon -- he and Valory are the sole remaining founding members.)

So imagine how difficult it was to squeeze 35 years of band history into about 25 minutes. The result of which is our Stuck in the 80s podcast this week -- Journey's rebirth, featuring a nice chat with Ross, who happily answered my queries just hours before taking the stage for a show that night in Iowa.

What will Ross reveal? The whereabouts of former members Gregg Rolie (umm, here) and Steve Smith (and here) for starters. And he'll surprise you with revealing who came up with the idea for the 3-disc set we know as "Revelation." For the rest, you'll just have to listen.

Click here to download the show. Or click here to get all our shows delivered automatically via iTunes. Don't forget: Journey, along with Heart and Cheap Trick, is criss-crossing the U.S. right now on tour. They play July 30 in Tampa at the Ford Amphitheatre.

[Photo from rossvalory.com]

Ross Valory and Journey's 'Cinderella story'

Hard to believe it has been 35 years since a group of jazz-fusion musicians came together in San Francisco to create a group they envisioned as a back-up band for local artists, only to end up as a phenomenon we know as Journey.

But even their humble beginnings -- and historical indifference from critics -- can't hide an impressive run of commercial success that includes nearly a dozen top 20 anthems and worldwide album sales surpassing 75-million.

These days, the band is perhaps the biggest feel-good story of 2008, re-energized by the new album "Revelation" and the addition of Arnel Pineda, a Philippines-born singer whose pipes are eerily similar to legendary Journey frontman Steve Perry.

So imagine the total honor it was to talk today with bassist Ross Valory, one of two remaining founding members. Here are some highlights from the interview. (Look for the full podcast this weekend.)

Does it surprise you that Journey's not yet in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? You've been eligible since 2000.

Ross Valory: "I'm not surprised at all. ... I don't lose sleep over it. It's all politics. Without being either negative or positive about it ... sooner or later it's gonna happen. I have a feeling it's going to happen sooner, but I'm still not going to hold my breath."

Does having Arnel Pineda onboard now finally put to rest the questions about Steve Perry returning to the band?

"With the fans and the public, yes, that does put it to rest. ... Even if we hadn't found Arnel, it would not have been any more likely than it has been since 1996 that [Perry] would return to the band."

Did Journey really find Pineda using the Internet?

"Neal Schon, our guitarist, was cruising the 'Net literally late one night, and literally in the 11th hour of completing our lineup for doing the record ... and he was at YouTube and he just typed in "Journey singer" or "Journey vocalist," and there he is, watching this guy sing these songs... He couldn't believe it."

What was your reaction when you heard him sing in person the first time?

"Goosebumps. ... And that's the way it was for all of us."

It makes for a nice fairy-tale year for you and the gang.

"It's a Cinderella story. ... Even Rolling Stone, which has never liked this band, has a story. ... And that's not to be glib or superficial. It's just the perfect story for a band's comeback."

-- Journey plays the Ford Amphitheatre in Tampa on July 30 along with Heart and Cheap Trick.

Finally, a Journey interview!

Today is the culmination of my very being: I get to talk to one of the original members of Journey, the first band I ever saw perform live -- and the unofficial symbol of our Stuck in the 80s kingdom.

Ross Valory, the nimble-fingered bassist of the San Francisco band since 1973, has invited me to give him a ring tonight prior to the band's July 30 show here in Tampa with Heart and Cheap Trick.

I hope he's ready for some serious fan slobbering, because he's going to get an earful during our short chat. You can bet I'll ask him about Steve Perry, new singer Arnel Pineda, former keyboardist Gregg Rolie and the band's new 2-disc set, which I still listen to about once every 4 hours.

As always though, I'm happy to ask him your questions as well. So drop me a comment with suggested questions. The interview begins at 6 p.m. so time is runnin' short.

Journey is reborn with "Revelation"

I've had June 3 circled on my calendar for a while. On today's do-list:

• Volunteer for tour of duty with Peace Corps;
• Dedicate myself to a healthy, vegan lifestyle;
• Cancel everything else on to-do list, buy new 3-disc set by Journey and spend entire day vegging out with headphones on.

Journey's "Revelation" was officially released today -- only at Wal-Mart -- and I'm busy buzzing through the CDs. The first disc has 11 new tunes with singer Arnel Pineda; the second offers 11 Journey classics re-recorded with Pineda; the third disc is a concert DVD that will have to wait til I get home.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: Simply incredible. I started with the re-recorded classics and was blown away right from the start with "Only The Young." You couldn't wipe the smile off my face. The band re-did its tracks as well, giving each song a modernized sound. "Wheel in the Sky" loses its sleepy feeling for a more deliberate pace. One song that didn't live up to the previous version was "Separate Ways" -- not my favorite tune anyway -- but it sounds a little too tinkered with here.

THE NEW SONGS: Still making my way through them, but so far I'm very happy. Think circa "Raised on Radio" days. Very timeless and 80s-feel to them, which is the highest compliment I give to anyone these days. So far, the highlights are "Never Walk Away" and "Faith in the Heartland." I'm looking forward to Jonathan Cain's songwriting on "After All These Years" and "Turn Down the World Tonight."

I hope to have the full review up soon.

Journey live! ... on the Ellen DeGeneres show

Anyone catch Journey and new lead singer Arnel Pineda performing live on the "Ellen DeGeneres Show" on Wednesday? Here's a clip:

Pretty amazing voice, Arnel. I've heard from those who caught the performance on TV that the band played one of their new songs after "Separate Ways." If anyone can find the clip, send me a link. Otherwise, here's a snippet of one of the new songs from the upcoming CD "Revelations." It's set for release on June 3.

A poll on Ellen's official website -- www.ellentv.com -- asks fans if they like Journey's new frontman. With more than 7,000 votes, 94 percent of respondents said yes.