It’s been a Steve Perry morning. Shortly after I awakened, “Missing You” began playing in my head. I didn’t hear the words at first, just the music, including the sound of Perry’s voice as an instrument.
Even if you somehow slid by popular music in the ‘80s and ‘90s and then overlooked the seemingly permanent place many of his songs and his work with Journey have on playlists, I’ll bet you’ve heard his voice. Pause here to go to iTunes and listen to a sample, in case you’ve forgotten the sound. Try “Oh Sherrie” or “Who’s Cryin’ Now.” Or just go straight to “Don’t Stop Believin’.” The texture of that voice, the astonishing range (from high tenor to low bass), and the clarity of it, make it memorable. The drum and guitar work from Journey is worth a listen, too.Anyway, I put on my earphones and plugged into my iPod to listen while I worked on a rather mindlessly repetitive task. No one was nearby except the cats, so I harmonized to “Missing You” and then belted out “Oh, Sherrie” multiple times. I felt happy. The sometimes-sad lyrics aside, singing with Steve Perry is energizing. I danced, too. With Steve Perry.
Recommended, in no particular order, to revive your musical memory and, perhaps, bring on a Steve Perry morning:
“Oh Sherrie”
“Open Arms”
“Foolish Heart”
“Who’s Cryin’ Now?”
“Anyway”
“Go Away”
“Missing You”
(The photo is from the Wikipedia article about Steve Perry.)
Hey Lisa,
ReplyDeleteTook my son to see Journey last two summers a go. I like Steve Perry... but he was the only one not in the group that night. Turns out that the current singer who replaced Steve Perry is actually BETTER than Steve Perry. It was a great night. (Not to mention Cheap Trick and Heart!)
'Oh Sherrie' is one of my all-time favorite songs. How can you not sing along (at the top of your lungs)?
ReplyDelete"SHOULD'VE BEEN GONE!!!"
There's a photo of Steven Perry in the paper today. Whoa. Bet he doesn't wear shirts like that anymore.
ReplyDelete