House of Drumming.com

Smitty is BACK! Songs feel different, like the original recording.
The laid back approach and cymbal sensitivity Smith made these
great records. Loved Deen, but this is Journey at its best less
Perry. Ahhhhhhhh!

audio SUCKS...but solo at 3:00



just for fun...(I'll take the '81 snare any day!)

That was like hearing La Do Da off Captured all over again.

A little slower, but the big groove is there. Hell yeah. Got the chills. Smith not being in Journey for so long makes this all the sweeter. Love it.

I see he's gone back to clear Ambassadors instead of the Black Dots. Sounds much better.

Brings a bit of a smile to your face.

Steve sounds great.... probably the most relaxed rock drum solo ever performed. Very cool... "Machine Gun Smith"... I love it.... he probably hasn't been called that since '86

Also noticed..... 1st night of the tour, and I noticed that Arnel had some difficulty hitting the high notes on Faithfully..... that gig is mighty hard on a voice. I can't imagine being the stress of singing that gig over a long tour.

Wonder what's going through his head...TirakitaTa TirakitaTa TirakitaDhaaaa. It could just be that I'm old, but I so appreciate the double bass set up.

1st night of the tour, and I noticed that Arnel had some difficulty hitting
the high notes on Faithfully..... that gig is mighty hard on a voice. I can't imagine
being the stress of singing that gig over a long tour.

exactly...super hard vocal gig...his high notes are not there like they were even
a few years ago.

Double bass...100% best decision SS made! His rock edge isn't 1981, but his feel
is all there, especially on the ballads. Mr Relaxed...cat lives what he preaches
and teaches...what I LOVE about musicians...ain't all TALK...you can't hide when
performing. So much respect for Steve...both he and Vinnie, along with Dave
(and the rest) are drum ambassadors who never quit, kept learning, and lived a life
that kept them in the game for so long!

This channel has a lot of the MSG songs from opening night;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DvBhjtzNg4&list=PLW1B5b0yV8oSVKgRzGYyTWDkrEBqFJRUl

Drums sound GREAT on Separate Ways...plays his own fills perfectly!

Nice seeing the guy who came up with the parts play them...it sits better, albeit slower, with Smith vs Deen.

Love how Steve at the end of Who's Cryin didn't do the proverbial tom roll at the end of song...

Do have a question about his choice of the second snare...WHY? (update: he discusses below)

When I first heard Escape back in HS, I didn't dig his hat work...it was too light for my tastes
at the time. The drum recording back in '81 on this LP was great...like it much better than
what I hear today. Nothing has improved much imo in 35 years. Technology has made things
easier, not better. The drum sound from that '81 live concert is so good...Captured, the live
LP is amazing...Smith is so clean and spot on it still amazes me. Outside of Les Binks JP live
recording, it is probably my favorite rock live recording.



Mother Father w/special guest vocalist



THIS is a treat...Neil w/Greg again!



Never heard this before...