JUNE 2011 ISSUE MMUSICMAG.COM JUNE 2011 ISSUE MMUSICMAG.COM JUNE 2011 CONTENTS Travis Shinn Travis COVER STORY JOURNEY BÉLA FLECK 40 How a classic-rock powerhouse found rock redemption 48 The banjo king and his original Flecktones aim with a new generation of fans. to reinvent bluegrass and jazz yet again. MY MORNING JACKET DEF LEPPARD 26 Kentucky’s fi nest work up a loose and lively new 62 Virtuoso guitarists Phil Collen and Vivian Campbell album in a church gym. take us inside a hard-rock hit machine. COLBIE CAILLAT “WEIRD AL” YANKOVIC 38 Falling in love proved just the thing for making her 66 Being pop’s most beloved funnyman for almost latest album shimmer and shine. three decades is no laughing matter. 4 M4-Vol2-Mag-GOLD.indd 4 7/7/11 11:42 PM JUNE 2011 ISSUE MMUSICMAG.COM JUNE 2011 ISSUE MMUSICMAG.COM JUNE 2011 ISSUE MMUSICMAG.COM JUNE 2011 ISSUE MMUSICMAG.COM onathan Cain is in the midst of a minor crisis. He almost four decades ago when Santana band alumnus Schon and was just shopping with his son in the Irish capital bass player Ross Valory fi rst formed the group in San Francisco. of Dublin when his wife called to let him know that Several albums and personnel changes later, Journey found Perry their laptop computer has gone kaput, the victim and a mainstream breakthrough with 1978’s Infi nity. Cain and Smith of a virus that hacked all their credit cards—except joined shortly afterward, solidifying the lineup that would dominate for one, which happens to be a brand that isn’t radio in the early 1980s with hits like “Who’s Crying Now,” “Open welcomed by merchants here in Dublin. So while his wife reports the Arms,” “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)” and “Faithfully.” Albums like Jtheft and procures new credit cards, Cain has had to head back to 1981’s Escape and 1983’s Frontiers sold in the multimillions; a 1988 his hotel to exchange cash for euros so he and his son can continue Greatest Hits compilation has sold 15 million by itself. seeing the sights. It’s a problem that could happen to any international Still, Valory and Smith departed during the making of 1986’s traveler abroad. But as the musician in the hotel lounge reminds Cain Raised on Radio, and the remaining trio soon drifted apart. Cain and on his way back out the door, he’s not just anyone. “The guy is playing Schon formed the supergroup Bad English, but never imagined that ‘Don’t Stop Believin’ as we’re leaving,” notes Cain, making his way Journey was truly fi nished. “We never offi cially broke up,” Schon says. back out into Dublin’s bustling streets. “It’s too funny.” “It was never like, ‘I hate you, I never want to be in this band again.’ Journey keyboardist Cain, guitarist Neal Schon and former It was just like, ‘I need a break. I’m burned out and need some time.’ singer Steve Perry wrote that particular song a full 30 years That time turned into 10 years.” The 1980-1985 lineup reunited for ago, but its explosive resurgence—“Believin’” is by far the most- 1996’s platinum Trial by Fire. But when Perry balked at touring due downloaded song to have been recorded in the 20th century—serves to health problems, the remaining members (minus Smith, who was as a symbol for their band’s own unexpected return to rock ’n’ roll replaced with Bad English drummer Deen Castronovo) elected to glory. Since the departure of Perry and drummer Steve Smith in 1998, hit the road without him. Perry replacement Steve Augeri was initially the group had endured several years of plummeting album sales criticized as a sound-alike, but he hung in for a respectable eight-year and a revolving door run before being felled of lead singers. The by throat trouble. When Steve Thorne/Redferns unlikely road back to a Augeri substitute Jeff full-on Journey revival Scott Soto didn’t click, began on June 10, the way was clear for 2007, when “Don’t Stop Pineda’s entrance. Believin’” was used as Journey’s latest the soundtrack for the album, Eclipse, found controversial closing the group working scene of the popular again with longtime Journey’s Ross Valory, Arnel Pineda and Neal Schon onstage in England, June 2008 TV mob drama The producer Kevin Shirley Sopranos’ series fi nale. and returning to a How was recording Eclipse? What has Arnel brought to the band? The song had been harder-rocking sound CAIN: We made our demos, then Kevin Shirley said, “Well, I’ve only CAIN: He’s able to switch gears easily because of all the club work nipping at the edges than has been heard got fi ve weeks free in my schedule, so let’s not rehearse.” So we went he did before joining the band. When he wants to turn on the Bono of popular culture from these guys in many straight into Fantasy Studios, where we had done Escape and Frontiers, thing, it’s right there. Whatever the song calls for, he’s got it in his for the previous few years. “It was Neal’s with these detailed demos that I had done with Neal. Backgrounds, bag of tricks. He’s got quite a magic wand. He also brings a certain years, becoming the vision on this one,” vocals—everything was pretty much nailed down. Then we had to see humility, a soulfulness. He’s got his feet on the ground, coming unoffi cial theme song Cain acknowledges. if the arrangements were all right from the street like he did. for the 2005 Chicago “He wanted to make and made sense. Kevin took the ‘We could play nothing but our He had been a homeless White Sox’s successful a guitar-driven rock blueprint that we gave him and kid and made something of World Series run. But record and show less we went from there. We were himself. He reminds us that The Sopranos’ uniquely of the pop side. I said only going to do fi ve songs, hits forever and do well, but it’s life’s a bitch and you’ve got incongruous usage of ‘Fine, we can do that.’” but the thing took on a life of to get over yourself—but also the song gave it an all- The twosome began its own. Neal and I said, “Well, important to keep growing.’ that anything’s possible. new cultural cachet. writing songs—their fi rst we’re here, let’s get this done.” It makes us all better for “That started the ball effort, “City of Hope,” We ran out of time with Kevin, –Neal Schon having him in our group. rolling,” says Schon. inspired by Pineda’s but Neal and I weren’t convinced it was totally fi nished yet. How does your writing process work? The other major Jonathan Cain, Neal Schon, Arnel Pineda, Deen Castronovo, Ross Valory story and the group’s element of the group’s triumphant October What did you do after Kevin left? SCHON: Songs always start with music and melody for me. I write rebirth came that same fateful summer, when Schon saw a series of 2009 show in his native Manila. Back in the U.S., Schon and CAIN: We went to Nashville and found this guy, Dave Kalmusky. My the music, lay it out the way I hear it, organize everything, arrange YouTube videos featuring Filipino-born Arnel Pineda and was fl oored Cain wrote the remainder of Eclipse with a couple of contributions daughter Madison’s a country singer, and she really liked his mixing. I it in my head. Then I’ll put up a mic and start singing the melodies by the singer’s power and range. “The guy’s a true chameleon,” from Pineda. After only fi ve weeks’ recording at Fantasy Studios gave him a song, “Anything’s Possible,” and he mixed it brilliantly. We that I hear against the bass and the chords. From there I’ll give it to Schon says. “He can croon with the best but he can also rock with in Berkeley, Calif., Cain and Schon headed to Nashville (where said, “OK, this sounds great, we’re going to let this guy mix the record.” Jon and he’ll do his dance with it—write the lyrics, maybe change the best.” Pineda uprooted himself to head stateside, and was thrust Cain has a home) to fi nish up with mixer and mastering engineer Kevin was a little bit reluctant to let go of that, but we told him this is the melody a little. Once in a while I come up with a lyric or two, but into the limelight as Journey’s new lead singer beginning in early David Kalmusky. Now the band has already begun a projected what we want for the record. it’s really not my forte so I don’t try to press the issue. 2008. His recorded debut with the group, that year’s Revelation, two-year world tour. “Then we’ll take another year off and live our SCHON: I was glued to the chair with Dave trying to get it as zoned became Journey’s fi rst Top 5 hit and platinum seller since Perry’s lives again,” Cain fi gures. “It’s what we do: work like hell and then in as we could, and Jon would come in a few times a day.