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April 24, 2009
Wilson Sisters To Share More Vocal Duties on Next Heart Album
For decades most fans have likely envisioned Ann Wilson as the vocal powerhouse behind the sound of Heart, and rightfully so. Ann has served as the lead vocalist since the beginning, and has made a name for herself as one of the best female rock vocalists of all time.
These days Ann and her sister Nancy — who is no vocal slouch herself and is also a fine guitarist – are planning
some changes for their next new album, which the group has already begun working on. This time, they are experimenting with more harmonies, a development that does not seem to bother Nancy at all.
“It’s just a way of reinventing, and having more fun, and taking some of the pressure off of Ann as a singer,” she told Reuters during a recent interview.
She also went on to say that she really enjoys the chance to use her vocal talents when the opportunity presents itself, but adds that the material has to be a perfect fit for her voice.
The new album is scheduled to be released next summer, but since they are said to be taking their time on it, it’s hard to think that fans can be certain of a 2010 summer release. As for how the release will be done, that’s something they are currently thinking about.
They do not sound terribly satisfied with the way the release of their last album was handled by Capitol back in 2004 when they released Jupiter’s Darling. Perhaps they will consider an exclusive deal with one of the big retailers – something we mentioned quite recently here, and seems to be working well for other veteran acts like the Eagles and AC/DC.
With eight tracks reportedly recorded so far, Heart returns to the studio in a few weeks to resume work. Also on their itinerary is a summer tour with fellow classic rockers Journey, which is probably keeping the group quite busy with rehearsals and other preparations. It’s clear that the Wilson sisters are not just sitting around and waiting to grow old, something their fan base is most likely very happy to see.
For the full story, visit Reuters.
July 23, 2008
Journey’s Jonathan Cain Speaks Highly of New Lead Singer
Currently on the road as part of a triple header classic rock tour, Journey’s new lead singer, Arnel Pineda, is reported to be easing into his new role quite nicely and becoming more comfortable onstage.
Journey keyboard player Jonathan Cain says Pineada has “found a good balance between movement and singing, working the crowd, interaction with the band, that sort of thing. And then also adjusting to up in the air, off the bus, on the bus, in the hotel room, getting sleep, eating healthy, the meet-and-greets–there’s a lot to get used to.”
Cain goes on to say that Pineda has a good set of habits developed already for life on the road and he sees Pineda as “the kind of guy you want.”
By this time it is well known to Journey fans that their new lead vocalist was discovered by Neal Schon while searching for singers on the popular video-sharing website, YouTube. Making a remarkable story even more remarkable, Pineda was half-way around the world, living in the Philippines.
Journey has been touring and making records for more than 30 years and has over 75,000,000 album sales to their credit. Although they may not be drawing crowds quite as large as they were back on the 1980’s, the group shows no signs of slowing down.
Journey’s current tour has them teamed up with two other legendary classic rock acts, Heart and Cheap Trick. It’s bound to be a show to warm the heart of many an aging rock fan, and is also attracting younger fans that have been finding out that the music from their parents’ generation can be pretty cool.
For more, check out Live Daily.
July 13, 2008
Journey’s Dean Castronovo Basks In Interview Spotlight
Journey drummer Dean Castronovo says he does not usually get to do interviews since the other members of the group usually want to do them, but Castronovo seems more than happy to have his say for a change, and does so in a recent interview with the Deseret News.
Not surprisingly, there’s much talk about the group’s new singer Arnel Pineda. Finding Pineda through the internet by viewing videos of his performances with his band in the Philippines convinced the band that he was the guy they were looking for, but at the same time, they worried a bit about how he might fit in with the rest of the band. When you fly someone you’ve never met half-way around the world for an audition, it is easy to understand those kinds of concerns.
It has all turned out just fine, reports Castronovo. Pineda “is is the most humble and nice person I have ever met,” he says.
Journey has surely had their share of changes where lead singers are concerned. After splitting with original lead singer Steve Perry, they group hired Steve Augeri, who was a good replacement for Perry, but ended up leaving the band after ten years. There was a brief stint with Jeff Scott Soto as frontman, with Castronovo sharing some of the vocal duties as well.
Castronovo also mentions his good friend and former Journey drummer, Steve Smith, and humbly reveals that he has copied Smith’s style, and often jokes with him about how he has “ripped him off.”
When Castronovo talks about his early influences, he mentions seeing KISS drummer Peter Criss and his massive drum kit. However, on at least on occasion Castronovo was in attendance when Rush was opening for KISS, and Castronovo was quite impressed with Neil Peart’s ability to actually play his entire massive kit. It’s kind of hard to imagine Rush opening for KISS, but I guess you have to start somewhere.
Speaking of Neil Peart, I recall reading not all that long ago on one of the many news updates on his site that he has great admiration for Steve Smith’s ability. That’s a compliment that must make any drummer feel pretty damn good.
Dean Castronovo sounds about as happy as anyone can possibly be with their job. “I don’t know of any other job I’d rather, or should I say, I can do. Life is good,” he says.
For more of the interview, check out the Deseret News.
July 11, 2008
Journey And Heart Build New Fan Base
Two classic rock acts are currently touring together, and seem to be generating a lot of interest among fans who remember the early days, as well as new fans who are showing up at concerts and screaming out requests for well-worn classic tracks that were probably recorded years before they were born.
Journey and Heart have hit the road and neither group appears to be showing any signs that they are ready to retire from the music scene. Journey, with their new lead singer, Arnel Pineda, have recently released a new album 
that has been certified gold and Heart is planning to enter the studio later this year to work on some new material.
After laying low for a while, sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson, the two remaining original members of the group, seem to have made the decision to seek the spotlight once again. They performed not too long ago on the popular “Idol Gives Back” television program along with Fergie, and have also had some of their music featured on the wildly popular video game, “Guitar Hero.”
It’s a story that’s playing out quite frequently in concert halls these days: Young fans singing along with or requesting songs from their parents’ generation. Whether that demonstrates a lack of good music being made these days or the enduring appeal of music made during the 1970’s and 1980’s is unclear. Perhaps it’s a bit of both.
Instead of fading away, the popularity of the music we think of as classic rock seems to be on the rise. There are at least three major classic rock stations in my local market (Boston), and I suspect most other major markets in the country have their share of classic rock stations. The satellite radio broadcasters also have a number of stations dedicated to the classic rock format as well.
When I first heard Heart back in my teenage years, I never expected they would still be out touring when I was in my late forties. They were one of the first rock acts that really caught my attention back in those days, and I became an instant fan. Although the current line-up does not live up to the standard of the original line-up for me, I’m still very happy to see them out there touring and planning to work up some new material.
Cheap Trick is the other act that is part of this tour, and although I do recall a hit or two from the past, I don’t think their popularity rose quite to the level of either Journey or Heart. I’m sure they’ve got fans out there and I recall hearing that they were quite popular in Japan at some point, but personally, I’ve never been much of a fan.
Whether it’s Journey, Heart or Cheap Trick, it appears that the sounds of classic rock will not be disappearing from the airwaves and concert halls any time soon.
Check out the Salt Lake Tribune for more on the Journey/Heart/Cheap Trick Tour.
March 28, 2008
Classic Rock Triple Header Touring This Summer
Three big names from the 1970’s and 1980’s are teaming up for a U.S. tour starting on July 9 in Denver, Colorado. Journey, Heart and Cheap Trick are joining forces for a tour that will finish up on October 4 in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
The summer tour will be the first major road trip for Journey since they have been joined by their new lead singer, Arnel Pineda.
As it stands today, the tour dates are as follows:
July 9 – Denver, CO – Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre
July 11 – Salt Lake City, UT – USANA Amphitheatre
July 12 – Lake Tahoe, NV – Harvey’s Lake Resort
July 15 – San Diego, CA – Coors Amphitheatre
July 16 – Irvine, CA – Verizon Amphitheatre
July 18 – Las Vegas, NV – Mandalay Bay Arena
July 19 – Tucson, AZ – Casino Anselmo
July 22 – Council Bluffs, IA – Mid America Center
July 23 – Oklahoma City, OK – Zoo Amphitheatre
July 25 – San Antonio, TX – Verizon Amphitheatre
July 26 – Houston, TX – Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
July 27 – Dallas, TX – Superpages.com Amphitheatre
July 30 – Tampa, FL – Ford Amphitheatre
July 31 – West Palm Beach, FL – Sound Advice Amphitheatre
Aug. 2 – Charlotte, NC – Verizon Amphitheatre
Aug. 3 – Atlanta, GA – Chastain Amphitheatre
Aug. 4 – Atlanta, GA – Chastain Amphitheatre
Aug. 6 – Orange Beach, FL – The Amphitheatre @ The Wharf
Aug. 7 – Nashville, TN – Sommett Center
Aug. 9 – Birmingham, AL – Verizon Amphitheatre
Aug. 10 – Raleigh, NC – Walnut Creek Amphitheatre
Aug. 12 – Virginia Beach, VA – Verizon Amphitheatre
Aug. 14 – Jones Beach, NY – Nikon at Jones Beach
Aug. 16 – Scranton, PA – Toyota Amphitheatre
Aug. 17 – Uncasville, CT – Mohegan Sun Casino
Aug. 19 – Boston, MA – Tweeter Center
Aug. 21 – Holmdel, NJ – PNC Bank Arts Center
Aug. 23 – Syracuse, NY – New York State Fair
Aug. 24 – Saratoga, NY – Saratoga PAC
Aug. 26 – Camden, NJ – Susquehanna Bank Center
Aug. 27 – Washington, DC – Nissan Pavilion
Aug. 30 – Bethel Woods, NY – Center for the Arts
Aug. 31 – Hershey, PA – Hersheypark Pavilion
Sep. 4 – Watertown, NY – Watertown Baseball Diamond
Sep. 6 – Cincinnati, OH – Riverbend Music Center
Sep. 7 – Cleveland, OH – Blossom Amphitheatre
Sep. 9 – Detroit, MI – DTE Energy Music Theatre
Sep. 10 – Indianapolis, IN – Verizon Amphitheatre
Sep. 12 – Chicago, IL – First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre
Sep. 13 – St. Louis, MO – Verizon Amphitheatre
Sep. 15 – Kansas City, MO – Midland Theatre
Sep. 16 – Minneapolis, MN – Target Center/Casino
Sep. 19 – Seattle, WA – White River Amphitheatre
Sep. 21 – Portland, OR – Clark County Amphitheatre
Sep. 24 – Concord, CA – Sleep Train Pavilion at Concord
Sep. 26 – Sacramento, CA – Sleep Train Pavilion at Sacramento
Sep. 27 – Mountain View, CA – Shoreline Amphitheatre
Sep. 30 – Los Angeles, CA – Greek Theatre
Oct. 3 – Phoenix, AZ – Cricket Pavilion
Oct. 4 – Albuquerque, NM – Journal Pavilion
