mammoth bass tones. Both live afid in the studio, Rush's mixes make everything above the midrange sound like an afterthought - and that's just as well. Though Lee's falsetto isn't a shriek anymore, drummer Neil Peart's lyrics can still irritate. Taking individuglism ~o Ayn Rand-inspired extremes, Peart's most pessimistic screeds suggest that in the upcoming apocalypse, every-man-for-him self w.ill turn into stomp-the- other:.guy. . There's not much propag~nda on Exit . .. Stage Left - only "The Trees" (the maples unionize and, in the name of equality, destroy the taller oaks), "Free Will" (the group is for it) and "Tom Sawyer" (hardly the -fun-loving guy Mark Twain invented). The rest of the record includes pessimistic fables ("Red Barchetta"), travelogues ('1\ Passage to Bangkok"), hippie isms ("The Spirit of Radio") and 'instrumentals ("YYZ" :U1d ' "La Exit ... StaJ'e Left Villa Strangiato," minus its origi Rush nal subtitle). Except for a singa Mercury long in "Closer to theHe'art" and a **V2 jokey intro to "Jacob's Ladder," the versions here are virtl}alIy identical By Jon Pareles to the studio renditions, so Rush fans may find the set redundant. Others might get a kick out of the USH HAVE BEEN UN big, surging E chords the band fairly maligned as just an- keeps pumping out and perhaps , Rother barnstorming heavy- appreciate Peart's fine-tuned per metal act, fit only to vibrate arena Cussion, but one Rush album (pref walls. Actually, the group. is a lot erably Moving Pictures) siwuld be . -more interesting than cock-rock enough for almost anybody. ers like Van Halen or ACIDC, and Just about everything Rush do far less compromised than Journey can be found, more compactly, in or StyJt. "~ didn't change, e'very Yes' "Roundabout," with the re body else did'" proclaim cite liner mainder in Genesis' "Watcher of notes to their second live set, Exif. .. the Skies." Everything except the Stage Left, and, in a way, they're philOSOphy - and stage left is, of Tight. ~ush represent the last prof course, to the audience's far itable gasp ()f high-minded "pro right. Q gressive" rock, the province of vir tuOSic, storytelling, philosophizing bands that attracted· huge audi- ' The Discovery of Scat ences in the eatly Seventies. Now that Yes have been shaken Long before Dizzy, up, Genesis have gotten hep and high up on the tower'at Babel even Kansas are in limbO, Rush have the underground-FM, "oh, wow"-profound market to them a bearded carpenter turned selves. True, Rush are a comedown to a stonemason from the early Yes they ravage, but at least they never mush out like (barely able to see him Genesis. Their power-trio lineup through,the vapor of douds) keeps them hard-edged, despite the occasional synthesizer whoosh. turned to ask for a wooden , And they're more single-minaedly propulsive than their forebears. nail Rush's ingenuity is channeled into and came out with something compliqted riffs below trium that sounded like phant major chords, with Alec bob ah doolyah bop. Lifeson's guitar serying largely as -BILLY COLLINS reinforcement for Geddy Lee's 'MUSIC faceless bands REO's Kev,in Cronin, Rush's These groups Geddy Lee and Journey's Steve Perry, there's not a true rock super may iJonWuzte the star in the bunch. "Do you 'think a ~id would act chart.1; hut theres the sal!le way if he ran into Mick not a true ,super Jagger and Lou Gramm on his street on 'two different days?" star anwng them. asked one industry veteran. "For get it. And yet Foreigner's new "FOUR MAJOR ROCK & ROLL album is outselling the Stones'." bands shocked the music industry last The groups, for the most part, week when, without warning, they seem aware of this. "To us, the started acting like baseball teams. records speak for the band,',' said Foreigner's Rick Wills. "Mainly, £trly in thl week, REO Speedwagon ,. . . " traded bassist BrljCe Hall to Foreigner were Just not Image conscIous. in exchange for Rick Wills and a Added drummer Dennis Elliott: studio percussionist to be named wter; the next day, Styx sent drummer john Panozzo to journey for Steve Smith and a first-round garage..band draft Wbo:'wbo? choice:' -Billboard, April 9th, 1982 Pictllred a" the memher.r 0/ REO SpeuJwagoll, JOllrll"Y, Fom:q/lfr, RlI.rh al/{) Sty;r:. Call YOLI matcb theirf{lu.r with their llama? we het YOIIl"{/Il 'to The all.rll'l!r.r an: (111 the !lext p«;qe, By Steve Pond REO SPEEDWAGON: Neal Schon, guitar K£vin Cronin, vocal.! Ro.r.r Valory, ha.r.r Gary Richralh, guitar Steve Smith, drum.r LOS ANGELES Neal Doughty, keyhoarr).r JOllathall Cam, keyhoard.r Alall Gramr, drum.r RUSH: kay, so this is all hy Bruce HaIL, ha.r.r Gddy Lee, ha.r.r, vocal.! pothetical.Foreigner Neal Peart, drum.r , and REO Speedwa FOREIGNER: Ale.r: Lije.rOIl, guitar gon didn't swap bass Lou' Gramm, "oeal.! ,Mick Jone.r, guitar STYX: players, and Styx is Rick Wil4 ha.r.r Del/Ilu DeYoulI.q, "ocal.! Onot about to deal its drummer to Jame.r YoUllg, .'1l1itar Denllu Elliott, tJrum.r Journey. But assume, for a minute, Tommy Shall', .qllitar that such a scenario is possible. JOURNEY: -John Panoz.::o, {)rum.r Steve Perry, !local.! What effect would such a whole Chuck Panozzo, ba.r.r sale reorganization have on the fans who've made those four bands so popular? "Face ,it-'we're just ugly." None. None at all. ' But most of the group members Those bands-along with their blame their facelessness not on' platinum colleague Rush and doz something as simple as uglin~ss ens 'of contenders such as Lover but on a lack of old-style glamour. boy, 1humph and Red Rider - "We're not glamorous enough for would be singularly unaffected by kids to be star-struck," said Styx baseball-sq.rle trades, simply be bassist Chuck Panozzo, arid gui cause they're part of a .movement tarist James Young agreed. "We're ' that sells more rec'ords than any not a Rod Stewart-type group," he of the newer waves: faceless bands. said, "and we're not in a position Between them, the five top like Talking Heads, where whoev groups in this category - REO, er in New York is in charge of Journey, For~igner, Styx and Rush setting trends in the rock press - captured three of the four top likes us. We're all down to earth, slots in ROLLING STONE'S year and nobody in the group is terribly end album chart; Foreigner and into drugs or sex or violence or Journey, the two bands that didn't crazy acts with dogs , and forks. place as high in the twelve-month We're not trying to inject glamour roundup, both recently spent some into it, and that's nice, because we time at Number One. But while have a certain degree of privacy." their fans undoubtedly know the Still,the hard-core audience for 19 20 21 names and faces of front men like these group~ knmys [Cont. on 38] 'M U 51 C bands REO's Kev.in Cronin, Rush's Geddy Lee and Journey's Steve Perry, there's not a true rock super star in the bunch. "Do you think a kid would act the sal!le way if he ran into Mick Jagger and Lou Gramm on his street on ·two different days?" asked one industry veteran. "For get it. And yet Foreigner's new album is outselling the Stones'." The groups, for the most part, seem aware of this. "To us, the records speak for the band," said Foreigner's Rick Wills. "Mainly, , . . . " were Just not Image conscIous. Added drummer Dennis Elliott: Wboswbo? PictlllYd art! the IIIrlllher.r oj REO Sprrdu'agoll, JOllrllr.v, FiJm:qllrr, RII.rh alld St)/o'.'. Call .v0ll match th~ir jaJ.'(.r «'ith thrir lIamu? J.fq h~t .v0ll Cflll 'to The all.ru't'rJ' 1/1\' Oil the l/e;'I.'t page. REO SPEEDWAGON: Neal Schon,gllliar Kevin Cronin, vocau Ro.r.r Valory, ha.r.r Gary Riehrath, guitar Steve Smith, drnl11J Neal Doughty, ke.vhoarrJ.r Jonathan Caill, k£.vhoard.r Alan Gratzzr, drnm.r RUSH: Bruce Hal£ ha.r.r Gedry Lu, ha.r.r, jlocau Neal Peart, {)rul11J FOREIGNER: Ale,"!.' lifo.ron, .quitar Loll Gramm, I'ocau Mick .JOliN, guitar STYX: Rick Will.r, ha.r.r Dennis DeYoull.q, j'ocau DellI/is Elliott, ()rum,r Jama YoUI/.'I, .'Illitar Tommy Shalt ', guitar JOURNEY: John Pallozzo, drum.r Steve Perry, j10caU Chuck Pal/ozzo, ha.r.r
"Face it-'we're just ugly." But most of the group members blame their facelessness not on something as simple as ugliness but on a lack of old-style glamour. "We're not glamorous enough for kids to be star-struck," said Styx bassist Chuck Panozzo, and gui tarist James Young agreed. "We're not a Rod Stewart-type group," he said, "and we're not in a position like Talking Heads, where whoev er in New York is in charge of setting trends in the rock press likes us. We're all down to earth, and nobody in the group is terribly into drugs or sex or violence or crazy acts with dogs . and forks. We're not trying to inject glainour into it, and that's nice, because we have a certain degree of privacy." Still,the hard-core audience for 19 20 21 22 these groups kno~s [Cont. on 38]
RnLT.lNc. STnN" F"BRUARY 4.198 7 M U 51 C
facelessness through' their own And how has Journey achieved marketing techniques. The proc- that for the past several years? Not The faceless ess can be as simple and foolproof by spotlighting the band's faces, as not putting the musicians' but by using a series of alJ:?um Tbean photos on album covers. It's a ploy covers depicting, appatently, a rockbands that has long been used by camera- scarab openmg up 4t outer space. 1. Neal Peart shy bands - i.e., Pink Floyd, o~e of . Stick a picture of bassist Ross Va 2. Rick Will.r [Cont. from 37] who the band t.he originaIJaceless bands, though lory on a Journey album and ·members are;' in return, the acts its powerful' mystigue takes the chances are that many fans would 3. M ick Jone.f have a pretty good idea just who place of identifiable mugs; Chi- draw a blank; put on an illustration 4. Jame.f Young makes up that crowd. "Young male cago, with rock's most identifiable of.that scarab busting out of a big, musicians," said Geddy Lee qf logo (guitarist DOJlnie Dacus;who glowing ball ahd you've got an in 5. Bruce HaLL Rush's ~read-and-butter audience. seemed ~ loi: more willing co put his stanc' Journey record. Styx .manager Derek Sutton said face in die spotlight than the other Styx was even more,drastic in its 6. Alex Lije.fon that his band's fans, "while more members, didn't last long in this radio commercials for the last tour, 7. Dennu DeYoung evenly divide<;l among. males and group); and lately, Christopher , a Venture planned ~round the con females, is. similarly young: ' ~ Our Cross, who pPt' a flamingo on the cept of the Paradise Theater album. 8. Dennu ElJ.Wtt concert audi~~~ has a-median age cover of his spectacularly success- The initial ~dvertisements ~alked of sixteen," he said. "They're b.e- ful debut album and ' admitted aboutthe state of A~erican rock 9. Jonathan Cain tween twelve and tw!!nty." openly that he doesn't look at all "How much fog "and how many 10. Ge()iJy Lee Though the typi~ah:.(>ncertgoer like a rocker is supposed to look. flash pots must it hide behind?""":: (and heavy record buyer) mai~e a . Not one of tre latest albums' by and introduc~d the Paradise The 11. Lou Gramm sixteen-year-old male with long Styx, REO,Journey, Rush and F(i)r- ater theme. StYx wasn't even men hair, there's another broader and ' eigner contains a band photqgraph ttoned. less ' fanatical crowd, that also lis- on the front cover, and' Only-REO's ,- . . Yet these bands get away with it, as hard. The faceless bands have '. tens. "We have about 2 million fans Hi-Infidelity pictures the group on racking up strings of triple-plati figured this out; and so you'll see who buy all our records but don't the inner sleeve. I "We wanted num albums in the time it takes Journey coming out with 'Who's come to the concerts," said Sutt.on. album graphics that ~couraged ' person;il.ities like Bruce Spring Crying Now,' Foreigner ' doing "We're not sure eltactiy who they ' . point-6f~purchase sales, that steen, Tom Petty or even the Roll 'Waiting.for a Girl Like You' and are, but we know that they're old~[' ~,eate an image and identify the ing Stones to squeeze out a couple Styx with 'The Best 'of Times.' than the teens at our concert~." ,', prod,uct ~s Journey without. having of hit singles and a platinum Not only have many of these bands But however big the crowds can ~ to' use the band's name," s~id Her- lilburn. Has facelessness, in some figured out the radio formula-and get, many bands can mainta.in theIr bie Herber:r, Journey's inanager. bizarre way, become attr~ctive to most all of them are frankly and record buyers? openly commercial, so they have no If it is attractive to fans, it's qualms about following the for. because it's also attractive to radio. mula to receive airplay - but by "Radio stations all have their little having little personality, they won't" Court ruling ~ blow to target audiences, and they zero in offend either Top Forty or AOR's on them," said one record-com narrow target audience." '. pany executive. '1\nything that po "Whether or not a band is T-shirt bootleggers I~rizes your audience, like New faceless has nothing to do with our Wave, is too much of a risk to put decision to play its music," said -SHIRT BOOTLEG to the Graham operation and its OIl the air. To radio) faces don't' Jack Snyder, music director of , gers were dealt a major clients. Juc{ge H}lbert L wili of the matter. Nobody cares about per KMET-FM, Los Angeles' leading T blow in mid-December U.S. District COurt for the North sonality,- unless that personality AOR station. "Personally, I'd when a U.S. district-court judge ern District of Illinois awarded can be offensive in any way to part rather listen to a band with a strong awarded more than $1 million in Winterland $825,612 in damages, of your audience, and then' it'll personality than one of the faceless damages, costs and fees to Win even though the company had work,against you. It's funny-ten ,groups, say a Foreigner or aJour terland ProdUlctions, promoter Bill claimed that actual ~amages years ago, controversy was real , ney. But we make decisions based Graham's San Francisco-based amounted to $275,204. Winter good. Now it's real, real bad unless on two things: whether it's 'good merchandising operation. Most le land attorney Eric Wurst call{:d the it's traditional, Ted Nugent-style. music, and whether the kids are gitimate rotk&roll merchandisers decision "extremely significant" controversy that doesn't threaten into it. If the kids are into some around the country hailed the deci because "the trebled <;/amages anybody. But New Wave bands thing that's faceless, it makes no sion . as an important first step awarded will act as ·a,deterrent." that are, telling the kids abollt _dif difference to us." toward curbing bootlegging. Previously, most legal action ferent ways of living - that's too Cliff Burnstein of the Leber "This is only the tip of the ice taken against bootleggers amount dangerous. Not only does radids JSrebs management firm feels that berg, b~t it's a very good start," ed only to temporarily shutting institutionalized format guard image makes no difference to rec said John COulter, vice-president them down with injunctions and . against anything different, but it ord buyers, that records are pur of Road Runner Tour Merchandis restraining orders. But as mer guards against anything with muck ' chased solely because of the music. ing,' which include!i Kim ~rnes chandising revenues have become personality. "Record bUYl;rs· depend totally C!n ,and Kenny Rogers among its increasingly important in the eco '1\lbum-oriented-rock [AOR] the music, and I think it's only a clients. "I think we've shown these nomics of touring (see RS '356)., stations will only p'lay hard rock," coincidence that most of the big guys that we really mean business." merchandisers have stepped up the executive continued, "and gest bands today are faceless," he , In its case, Winterland charged their efforts to put Qootleggers out they'll welcome all' the faceless said. "The only factor I can think that the defendants - Creative of business. Dell Furano, president hard-rock bands. Those bands of to explain their facelessness is Screen Design Ltd. and its presi of Winterland, said his company have an instant· base of acceptance the media, which have always been dent and secretary-treasurer, Ar- , currently has "eight to ten major ~n AOR. At the same time, Top responsible for building artists' , ,nold and Allal} Goldzweig ~ had lawsuits" in progress. Road Runner Forty is getting softer and softer: images. If tne pop music of this sold 103,662 silk-screen T-shirts of and Styx manager Derek Sutton the Stones' 'Waiting on a Friend' time is the likes of REO Speed performers who had leased their are also pursuing b09tleggers in will get on more stations than wagon, .styx and Journey, you're "merchandising rights exclusiV'e1y court. -MARK HICKLING 'Start Me Up' just because it isn't dealing with music that the press
38 : ROLLING STONE , FEBRUARY 4 , 1982 M U 51 C
facelessness through their own And how has Journey achieved marketing techniques. The proc that forthe past several years? Not ess can be as simple and foolproof by spotlighting the band's faces, Tbeanswers as not putting the musicians' but by using a series of atl?um photos on album covers. It's a ploy covers depicting, apparently, a that has long been used by camera scarab opening up in outer space. 1. Neal Peart 12: Alan Gratzer shy bands - i.e., Pink Floyd, one of Stick a picture of bassist Ross Va 2. Ricle WiLu 13. Ste"e Smith t,he original faceless bands, though lory on a Journey album and its powerful mystique takes the chances are that many fans would 3. Miele Jone.f 14. ChuclePanozzo place of identifiable mugs; Chi draw a blank; put on an illustration 4. Jame.f Young 15. NealDoug~ty cago, with rock's most identifiable of that scarab busting out of a big, logo (guitarist Doimie Dacus, who glowing ball and you've got an in 5. Bruce HaLL 16. John Panozzo seemed a lot more willing to put his stant Journey record. face in the spotlight than the other Styx was even more drastic in its 6. Alex Lije.fon 17. Gary Richrath members, didn't last long in this radio commercials for the last tour, 7. Denni..r DeYoung 18. Ro.f.f Valory group); and lately, Christopher a venture planned around the con Cross, who put a flamingo on the cept of the Paradise Theater album. 8. Denni..r Elliott 19. Ste"e Perry cover of his spectacularly success The initial advertisements falked 9. Jonathan Cain 20. Tommy Shaw ful debut album and ' admitted about the state of American rock openly that he doesn't look at all "How much fog and how many 10. Ged{)y Lee 21. J(e"in Cronin like a rocker is supposed to look. flash pots must it hide behind?" . Not one of the latest albums by and introduced the Paradise The 11. Lou Gramm 22. Neal Schon Styx, REO, Journey, Rush and For ater theme. Styx wasn't even men- eigner contains a band photograph tioned. ' on the front cover, and only REO's Yet these bands get away with it, as hard. The faceless bands have has always hated. They never Hi-Infidelity pictures the group on racking up strings of triple-plati figured this out, and so you'll see wanted to write about those artists, the inner sleeve. 1 " We wanted num albums in the time it takes Journey coming out with 'Who's to build up any images or show any album graphics that encouraged personalities like Bruce Spring Crying Now,' Foreigner ' doing faces, and now that those artists . point-of-purchase sales, that steen, Tom Petty or even the Roil 'Waiting for a Girl Like You' and are big, the ~ands don't feel in create an image and identify the ing Stones to squeeze out a couple Styx with '111e Best of Times.' clined to participate with the press. product as Journey without having of hit singles and a platinum Not only have many of these bands If the press had been behind Jour
I to use the band's name," said Her album. Has facelessness, in some figured out the radio formula-and ney from. the start, maybe we'd see bie Herbert, Journey's manager. bizarre way, become attractive to most all of them are frankly and a lot of articles about how Steve record buyers? openly commercial, so they have no Perry sounds like Sam Cooke, but If it is attractive to fans, it's qualms about following the for the press was not interested in writ because it's also attractive to radio. mula to receive airplay - but by ing about Journey's image. So now, "Radio stations all have their little having little personality, they won't Journey's not interested." ablow to target audiences, and they zero in offend either Top Forty or AOR's Styx' Derek Sutton bears out on them," said one record-com narrow target audience." this last assessment. "Rush has pany executive. "Anything that po "Whether or not a band is never received critical acclaim. eggers larizes your audience, like New faceless has nothing to do with our REO Speedwagon has never re Wave, is too much of a risk to put decision to play its music," said ceived critical acclaim. Styx has to the Graham operation and its OIl the air. To radio. faces don't Jack Snyder, music director of never received critical acclaim. clients. Judge Hubert L WiIi of the matter. Nobody cares about per KMET-FM, Los Angeles' leading These are the three biggest tour U.S. District Court for the North sonality. - unless that personality AOR station. "Personally, I'd ing bands in the country, the jour. ern District of Illinois awarded can be offensive in any way to part rather listen to a band with a strong neymen performers the kids want Winterland $825,612 in damages, of your audience, and then' it'll personality than one of the faceless to see. But the press has played no even though the company had work against you. It's funny-ten groups, say a Foreigner or a Jour part in their success - they have claimed that actual damages years ago, controversy was real ney. But we make decisions based always missed the point, and they amounted to $275,204. Winter good. Now it's real, real bad unless on two things: whether it's good have tried everything they can do land attorney Eric Wurst called the it's traditional, Ted Nugent-style. music, and whether the kids are to say these bands are rubbish. I decision "extremely significant" controversy that doesn't threaten into it. If the kids are into some now prefer just to ignore the press." because "the trebled damages anybody. But New Wave bands thing that's faceless, it makes no Bob Regehr, vice-president of awarded will act as a deterrent." that are telling the kids about dif difference to us." artist development and publicity at Previously, most legal action ferent ways of living - that's too Cliff Burnstein of the Leber Warner Bros., agrees that the press taken against bootleggers amount dangerous. Not only does radio's Krebs management firm feels that is generally uninterested in today's ed only to temporarily shutting institutionalized format guard image makes no difference to rec biggest bands, but he Y 4 , 1982