Timing is everything...

Hey there Stevie baby, how's it hangin'?  Whassupwitchoo?

It's a bright, sunny and warm Tuesday here in Pittsburgh.  The weather has been doing a dance between snow and spring-temperatures lately, it's got my nose running.  Wish it would make up its mind and stop the indecisiveness between the two extremes.  I'm ready for spring already, but I know we're not at that point yet, we'll have a nasty blizzard at some point.  But, in Pittsburgh, it really doesn't snow all that much. We had an inch last week, and it melted in 3 days.  I can deal with that!

Well, a thought occurred to me the other evening, about you, when I remembered my magazine article for World War II magazine, that I had published in January 1999 about Miep Gies' life story. That thought is: "Timing is everything."

For example, the editor of the magazine wanted to hold the article and wait until Miep DIED before they published it, they kept stalling and stalling, and it finally got me upset enough to BLUFF my way through a letter on Museum letterhead, stating that the Museum's lawyer would be getting in touch with them if the article wasn't published ASAP, and if they chose to wait until Miep died before they published it, just to make more money off of her, they would be sued.  Now, of course, I have no legal knowledge whatsoever, but I banked on the fact that they didn't either.  And NOBODY wants to mess with a huge Jewish museum full of super smart people who are angry, right?! Sure enough, in the very next issue, my article appeared.  I was a Journalism minor in college, and the number one rule of most magazines is: "Dead people sell more magazines than live people do."  But I wanted Miep to read it, and be proud of it, BEFORE she died.  It was my labor of love to her, as my friend of 15 years.

So, when you think about it, it makes a person wonder if perhaps you are waiting for the "perfect time" to release your new album....maybe on your BIRTHDAY??  That's a pretty cool time, if you ask me.  Somebody wrote on Facebook yesterday, when they posted the video for "Patiently," that we should "heed your words, and wait patiently for your new album."  Well, being the devil's advocate as I usually am, I wrote, "Sometimes analysis leads to paralysis, there's nothing wrong with giving a nudge."  I received no responses to that, but I know in the cosmos, there was a silent agreement between fans.

Consider yourself nudged, my friend.

I know you want everything to be perfect, but guess what?  It'll NEVER BE PERFECT.  If you wait for the "perfect right time" to release it, there will NEVER be a "perfect right time" to do anything.  You seem rather hesitant, as though you're afraid of opening a Pandora's box, or something that may bite you on the ass later on...is that how you feel about doing another album after all these years??  If so, FUGGETABAHTIT, will ya?!

Seriously, Stephen, you should know by NOW that every one of your die-hard true fans who have stuck by you through every twist and turn of your life will ALWAYS be there, no matter WHAT, no matter WHEN, no matter HOW.  If 30-40 years of being a fan aren't enough to convince you, then take my word for it.  We love you.  Unconditionally.  Sure, there may be some morons out there who critique and bash anything you do, despite being a "fan," but you can't please EVERYBODY, so screw them and just do what pleases YOU.

So, if you're stymied and afraid, and stuck in a rut about it, take comfort in knowing that WE ARE HERE FOR YOU, and we will BUY anything you record, even if it's a bad impression of Tiny Tim singing "Feelings!"  (GAWD, remember that guy?! EWWWWW).  If you stood up there and YODELED the song "Feelings," in falsetto with a frog in your throat, we would still buy the damned thing, ya know???  Because it is YOU who is doing it.  We love YOU, and not just the product you're creating.  We love the sincerity behind the words, we love the passion and the emotion you pour into every word.  We love the chills that go down our spine when we hear your voice.  We love the feeling that you really CARE about life, and people, and the complexities of love whenever you sing.

You can do it without the other guys in Journey, you've proven that before, and that never changes.  You don't need them to make beautiful music.  You've been blessed to have that gift long before they even knew you existed.  So get out there, my favorite sexiest Troubadour in the universe, and DO IT.

I'll hold your hand through the whole process if that's what you need.  If you need me to shut the hell up and leave you alone and stop nagging, just say the word and consider it done.  I know you want to do things in your way, in your own time, with no pressure...but, is that realistic?  Gone are the days of music when you could control your own timing of release and touring, and your own creativity, and your own marketing of said product.  Isn't that the truth of the music industry?  It's all formulaic now, it's all mass marketing and a blip of fame that fades as soon as the next new thing is churned out by someone else.  Why deal with that crap when you have the power and the ability and the passion to do everything the way YOU want to do it??  I understand, truly, that you must have that feeling in your gut.

So, I'm behind you 110%, no matter if we have to wait until Xmas 2012 to hear your new songs.

Take your time, but remember, timing is everything. Hollywood knows that with their movies, and the music business knows that----just like the magazine industry knows that.  If you wait TOO LONG, there is a POSSIBILITY that Neal Schon or Jonathan Cain may put out a brand new solo album and beat you to the spotlight.  That would suck.  Don't let anybody steal the spotlight from you.  Don't give them the time to do it, and don't give them the opportunity to beat you with timing.  That's all I am saying.

We love you Stephen, more than you can ever fathom.  Do what you feel is right, and we'll follow.  We will support you and care about you and wait if that's what you want us to do.  Just be cautious.  There are those out there who don't WANT to see you succeed, that is obvious, (we will not name names but you know who they are), but if you give them what they want, you lose more than just dignity and self-esteem, you lose a whole lot of mojo, chutzpah, and passion, which---we all know----would kill you.  Maybe THAT is what you fear most.

But hear this:  We won't allow that to happen.  We will buy millions of whatever album you release, when the time comes, and put you over the top, to prove the naysayers all WRONG.  Because we believe in you, we support and encourage you, and we love you.  Plain and simple.

Bye for now.  Go get that sexy butt of yours in the studio and start singing to us, will ya?!

Love, Rebecca