Contents:
Digest Question (yyz@mcs.com (The YYZ Concern))
Re: popularity of DT (Tymoteusz Altman <altman@sfu.ca>)
Re: MAJESTY DEMO 86 CD'S/INSTRUMENTAL CD'S FOR SALE! PREORDER NOW! (Roland Schemers <schemers@Slapshot.Stanford.EDU>)
Re: E-mail questions to Dream Theater! (Michael Bahr <garion@indirect.com>)
Lost In The Sky --help! (BadForGood@aol.com)
Ask Dream Theater (Tymoteusz Altman <altman@sfu.ca>)
Re: popularity of DT (Tymoteusz Altman <altman@sfu.ca>)
Schlauschpieler! (Michael Bahr <garion@indirect.com>)
Snares and Triggers (Greg.Andrade@um.cc.umich.edu)
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Date: Thu, 7 Jul 1994 20:14:11 -0500 (CDT)
From: yyz@mcs.com (The YYZ Concern)
Subject: Digest Question
Hi!
Can someone explain to me how to get the Ytsejam digest, as opposed
to all of the individiual posts? Thanks!
-- Don
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Date: Thu, 7 Jul 1994 18:23:57 -0700 (PDT)
From: Tymoteusz Altman <altman@sfu.ca>
Subject: Re: popularity of DT
>
> Excerpts from mail: 5-Jul-94 popularity of DT by Douglas Merrell@xi.cs.fs
> > Someone had mentioned that they liked the closeness that they can feel
> > with Dream Theater and mentioned that they didn't have a chance to meet
> > David and company. Well, this is an interesting point to ponder...
>
> Who's David?
i was talking about Pink Floyd and meeting David Gilmour
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Date: Thu, 7 Jul 1994 19:36:10 -0700 (PDT)
From: Roland Schemers <schemers@Slapshot.Stanford.EDU>
Subject: Re: MAJESTY DEMO 86 CD'S/INSTRUMENTAL CD'S FOR SALE! PREORDER NOW!
>
> 1986 MAJESTY DEMOS CD AND 1987 INSTRU-mental! CD FOR SALE. SEND MONEY NOW
> AND BE GUARANTEED CD'S IN A FEW WEEKS WHEN THE SHIPMENT ARRIVES!!!!!!
>
...
> If you require more information, please send email to
> LODGE_TIM@CCSU.CTSTATEU.EDU
>
I'd like to order both of them, but I should probably wait until
I receive my first order, if you don't mind. If these two become
available before my first order, you could always send them and I will
send another check for $55.00 after I get them, at which time you could
send the original order. Does that make sense? :-)
thanks, Roland
-- Roland J. Schemers III | Networking Systems Authentication Services Programmer | 414 Sweet Hall +1 (415) 723-6740 Distributed Computing Operations | Stanford, CA 94305-3090 Stanford University | schemers@Slapshot.Stanford.EDU------------------------------
Date: Thu, 7 Jul 1994 20:34:05 -0700 (MST) From: Michael Bahr <garion@indirect.com> Subject: Re: E-mail questions to Dream Theater!
> Will "Forever" be on the new album?
No. The new album will contain:
Lifting Shadows Off A Dream Innocence Faded Space Dye Vest Caught In A Web Lie 6:00 The Mirror A Mind Beside Itself I. Erotomania <- my vote for "title I hope they change" II. Voices III. The Silent Man Scarred
To Live Forever and A Change of Seasons are not going to be on it.
> Has the band played "Light Fuse and Get Away", "The Ones Who Help to Set the > Sun", or "Afterlife" live since James Labrie has been in the band? If not, > why not? Many people would like to hear James do these excellent songs justice.
Light Fuse was played at Sundance in 1990, but not since LaBrie joined. Afterlife was sung by LaBrie at Palasesto, Milano, Italy 15/Nov/93 and is featured on the 2CD boot Lost In The Sky...
> Has anyone thought of bringing the Majesty '86 demo stuff up to par and > re-recording it or at least throwing some of it in at shows?
They played March of the Tyrant at the Palasesto show... Portnoy says they will not re-record any of it, in the interest of moving "forward" with their music.
Hmmmm...looks like time I posted the FAQ again, so we don't ask Dream Theater questions that the answer is already known. We won't get many questions so we have to make them count! :)
I'll be along with that FAQ sometime tonight, revised as per recent input from most of you here on Ytsejam.
Mike/garion@indirect.com/belar@aol.com
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Date: Fri, 08 Jul 94 00:45:01 EDT From: BadForGood@aol.com Subject: Lost In The Sky --help!
Hey All!
I recently saw (yesterday) this doubleCD in a local store I'd never been to for a reasonable price..problem is, I can't remember what the general feeling on this one is!! Is it worth getting? Better than Dance Of Eternity? Please anyone, tell me about this one if you can, I have little money and wouldn't want to waste it!
Thanks again...
Orlando---Lurker At Large
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Date: Thu, 7 Jul 1994 21:48:26 -0700 (PDT) From: Tymoteusz Altman <altman@sfu.ca> Subject: Ask Dream Theater
here are my questions for DT:
are you going to come play in Vancouver, Canada?
how do you feel about fans taping your shows? Will you have a taper section like Metallica often does? We don't tape to rip you off, we just want something (besides T-shirts etc.) to take with us after seeing the show.
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Date: Thu, 7 Jul 1994 21:59:06 -0700 (PDT) From: Tymoteusz Altman <altman@sfu.ca> Subject: Re: popularity of DT
> only because of the new following that they have acquired. The > progressive nature of their music has only caught on so much or only to a > certain type of audience. So, this is why they have been the friendly > guys of rock music that you seem to be referring to. Maybe I should add
your point about the type of audience is a good one. i've been to a variety of different concerts, with different audiences. there are the typical metal shows, where fans go crazy just to touch the guy or get a pick, or whatever. and then there were the two concerts i went to, that generally have an adult audience. one was Liona Boyd (a classical guitarist), and Strunz & Frah (world music/flamenco type guitarists). at both of these concerts there was a fairly sized crowd (2-3 thousand or more), and both of these musicians asked the audience to come backstage if they wished, to talk or get an autograph. surprisingly very few people went! if it was a metallica show, then probably 16 thousand people (or how many there are at one of their shows) would want to go. so the type of crowd is definatly a factor.
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Date: Thu, 7 Jul 1994 22:51:21 -0700 (MST) From: Michael Bahr <garion@indirect.com> Subject: Schlauschpieler!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------ vvvvv vvvv vvvvvvvvvvvvv vvvv vvvv v vvvv vv v v v v v vv v v v v v v v v v vv v vv v v vv v v v v v v v vv vvvv v v v vvvv vvvv vvvvvvvvvvvvv vvvv vvvvv ___ _ _ ___ _ ___ _ _ | \| >|_ /\ |\/| | |_||_ /\ | |_ | > _|_/| \|_/ \| | | | ||_/ \ | |_ | \ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ FAQL: Dream Theater (Current to 6/30/94) Compiled by: Jason Hough (Ytsejam List Owner) & Mike Bahr (Ordinary Person) (jhough@qualcomm.com) and (garion@indirect.com) Revised and Handled by Mike Bahr (address as above) Extensively "beta-tested" by Michael Burstin, Randy Haskin, and Brian Cox Thanks to Ken Higginson for the DT Ascii you see above. Welcome to the official, spiced with Vindaloo, Dream Theater FAQ, presented by us and the members of the Ytsejam mailing list!
We're not perfect. But we're trying to be as accurate as we can. If you can help us to that end with this FAQL, we appreciate it.
NOTICE! There are a few separate files now. The old one was just too hard to manage all as one! Plus, a few issues of the band's connection to bootleg material came up, etc. The new files, which are available via FTP, are:
faql.dt = This FAQL discog.dt = Dream Theater discography [official releases only] bootlegs.dt = Dream Theater bootleg guide lyrics.dt = All known lyrics from both the studio and live/demo-only releases.
For all this, anon-FTP to ftp.netcom.com and look under /pub/drkhoe/dt/*.
Michael Burstin (mikeb@cs.brandeis.edu) is now handling the bootlegs and the lyrics listings.
I'll start messing with the discog again as soon as more stuff from Awake becomes known, and/or material related to it shows up.
Dream Theater has a mailinglist! It's called Ytsejam.
The Ytsejam mailing list can be joined by doing the following: Send email to ytsejam-request@bnf.com No subject! Text should read, exactly:
subscribe ytsejam firstname lastname (replace the names with your own.) You will be added automatically! To unsubscribe, please do the following:
Send email to ytsejam-request@bnf.com No Subject! Text should read, exactly:
unsubscribe ytsejam
It will take you off the list that very day. If you have any problems please email jhough@qualcomm.com (ytsejam-owner@bnf.com).
I've shortened the credits section because of all the people who have been a part of it, but I wish to slight nobody; you ALL have helped a hell of a lot and a lot of kudos go to the people listed below.
I probably forgot whole boatloads of you in this short credits section. Please forgive me; I'll try and get it right next time... Many thanks to the following for their additions and corrections: * Michael Burstin (mikeb@cs.brandeis.edu) * Brian Cox (lerxst@esy.com) * Randall Haskin (strega@stein.u.washington.edu) * Dave (dld30@quts.ccc.amdahl.com) * Todd Henson (thenson@mason1.gmu.edu) * Bill Buckley (buckley@powdml.enet.dec.com) * Jennifer Albert (cc p.terrell@genie.geis.com) * Lars "ORION" Karlsson () * Tim (space2@hardy.u.washington.edu) * Aaron (asilver@umiami.edu) * Jeremy A. Smith (js013b@uhura.cc.rochester.edu) Abbreviations you should know: ------------------------------ DT - Dream Theater... NOT DREAM THEATRE! Petrucci is very specific about it. WDADU - When Dream And Day Unite IAW - Images And Words LATM - Live At The Marquee LIT - Live in Tokyo (video) ACOS - A Change of Seasons YML - Ytsejam mailing list PMU - Pull Me Under TTT - Take The Time LTL - Learning To Live LSIAD - Lifting Shadows Off A Dream CIAW - Caught In A Web AMBI - A Mind Beside Itself
CONTENTS -------- 0. New Questions/Frequently Changing Recent Information 1. Questions about the members of DT/DT History 2. Questions about DT performances/appearances/miscellany 3. Questions about the songs themselves
New Stuff --------- 0.1 What do we know about Dream Theater's new (third studio) album?
It is in production. Here's the track listing.
Dream Theater "Awake" (~74:30)
1. Lifting Shadows Off A Dream 2. Innocence Faded 3. Space Dye Vest 4. Caught In A Web 5. Lie 6. 6:00 7. The Mirror 8. A Mind Beside Itself I. Erotomania II. Voices III. The Silent Man 9. Scarred
Produced by DT, Duane Barron, and John Purdell. Tentative release date October 4, 1994.
1. Questions about the members of DT ------------------------------------ 1.1 Who are the current members of Dream Theater? They are Kevin James LaBrie (vocals), John Petrucci (guitar), Michael Portnoy (drums), Kevin Moore (keyboards), and John Myung (bass). Petrucci, Moore, and Myung grew up together in New York. Portnoy joined them later when they caught him playing at a club. LaBrie joined them in late 1990. LaBrie beat out fellow throats John Arch, Steve Stone, John Hendricks, and Chris Cintron for the job. His audition, consisting of an acoustic version of To Live Forever, and a regular LTL and TTT, was fantastic. 1.2 Has anyone been a member of Dream Theater that is not in it now? Yes. Charlie Dominici was their vocalist from 1988 to 1989, approximately. He did the vocals on "When Dream And Day Unite" and on part of the bootleg "Consciously Unreal". Chris Collins was their vocalist before 1988 on the Majesty demos. 1.3 What are the Majesty demos? Before they were Dream Theater, they were Majesty. However, there was already a band called Majesty, so they could not release the demos. They wound up on bootlegs and evaluation tapes. Between singers, Dream Theater did still more demos. These are referred to as the Dream Theater Demos due to the timeframe. Some of the songs DT has demoed include:
Another Won Your Majesty A Vision Two Far Vital Star March of the Tyrant A Late Summer Rain Schizophrenia Afterlife The Death of Spark Resurrection of Ernie Cry for Freedom Gates of Babylon Ytsejam The Killing Hand Mission: Impossible Golden Slumbers * O Holy Night Don't Look Past Me To Live Forever Metropolis A Change of Season Grab That Feel $ Creep With Tonality % Wanted Dead or Alive (sort of a joke)
* Also called The Golden Weight $ Later renamed Take The Time % Later renamed Learning to Live
1.4 Why did Charlie Dominici leave DT?
According to Mike Portnoy and John Petrucci, he was released because of several things, but most importantly because he didn't fit in with the band in a few important ways. He was far older than the rest of them, had a different idea of what DT should be, and lacked ability as a frontman when performing live. There were apparently a few personality conflicts at work. The band and Dominici are not currently in contact with each other.
1.5 Why did Chris Collins leave Majesty/DT?
According to Petrucci, he just didn't have what it took. Apparently they had to record his vocals on the demos one sentence at a time and sometimes even less. Furthermore, he found he could not perform live adequately. Based on tapes of the Majesty shows from 1986, this is a fairly accurate assessment of Chris Collins' singing ability.
1.6 What was James LaBrie doing before he joined the band?
Kevin James LaBrie (they drop the Kevin because they would otherwise confuse him with Kevin Moore, and two Johns are already hard enough to deal with, says Petrucci) sang for a Canadian band by the name of Winter Rose. He was selected from among 20 auditions and over 200 tapes by DT during the making of IAW. Winter Rose was a... well... a poser band. With song titles like "White Trash", "Saved By Love", and "Never Fall In Love Again", you can guess what it was like without even hearing tapes of them firsthand. 1.7 Who inspired the band members the most? In an interview, Mike Portnoy cited Neil Peart of Rush as his greatest influence and favourite drummer. His other influences include Terry Bozzio and Vinnie Calauata, but Portnoy says Peart is his drum "God". And since I've been mailed no less than 4 different "correct" spellings of Vinnie's last name, don't mail me with a correction please!
Petrucci has two groups of influences, he said in an interview. The Steves and the Als. The Steves are Steve Morse, Steve Howe, Steve Vai, and Stevie Ray Vaughan. The Als are Alex Lifeson, Al Dimeola, and Alan Holdsworth.
John Myung's bass idols are Steve Harris and Geddy Lee. Kevin Moore's ivory inspiration comes from Rick Wakeman, Jens Johansson, and Michelle Camillo, among others. Anyone know of more?
As a band, they are influenced most (according to Portnoy) by Rush, Queensryche, Yes, Marillion, Genesis, and Kansas. Those groups make a few appearances here in this FAQ forasmuch as they relate to DT.
Petrucci individually likes Pantera. The whole band got on very well with the Galactic Cowboys. Much like their listeners, they have very broad and varied tastes. Portnoy is a regular concertgoer, and has been met at Rush and King's X concerts by people on the Ytsejam list. 1.8 Andrea Held Leone and Ralph R. Dominici Sr. are mentioned in the liner notes to WDADU as the dedicants. What relation to the band are they? Andrea is Portnoy's sister. Ralph is Charlie's father. 1.9 Marillion is thanked in the liners in IAW, whats the relation? Dream Theater opened for Marillion in New York (anyone have the exact date?). Mike Portnoy also said, "We're all really big fans. I really dig 'Misplaced Childhood'." Whether Dream Theater and Phish are familiar with each other is not certain. 1.10 What is DT's address? Their mail address is PO BOX 166, Long Beach, NY, 11561.
1.11 What musical instrument sponsorships does DT have? Ibanez sponsors John Petrucci, and Tama Drums sponsors Mike Portnoy. His current drum kit was designed by Neil Peart in 1984 (see the Rush/Grace Under Pressure tourbook for more on this). Anyone know Myung or Moore's endorsements, if any?
1.12 Is there a Dream Theater fan club?
Yes. Write to the address below: Dream Theater Fan Club Dept.A 11 Penn Plaza Suite 910 New York, NY 10001-2006
1.13 What does the "symbol" DT uses mean?
The "symbol" can be seen on the IAW disc, on the IAW cover on top of the bed, on the WDADU cover, etc. It is the letter "M" of "MAJESTY" in a stylized font, says Portnoy. It was once used by Mary Queen of Scots.
1.14 What does the burning heart symbolize?
According to Portnoy, it was Moore's idea and essentially a copy of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The barbed wire represented obstacles and difficulties, the heart endurance and strength, and the fire their energy and passion.
1.15 Who thought up the name for the band?
Mike Portnoy's father Howard thought they should name it after the moviehouse near where they grew up. It was called The Dream Theater. Initially, they recorded a demo by that name, then named the band after it.
1.16 Where did DT go to school?
The Johns and Portnoy went to the Berklee (sic) school of music in Boston, MA, not Berkeley as has been erroneously mentioned on rec.music.progressive. Berklee is a music-dedicated school that has produced the likes of Steve Vai and Chris DeGarmo. Kevin Moore went to SUNY-Fredonia, as has been confirmed. Anyone know if Labrie did college? 2. Questions about DT performances/appearances/miscellany --------------------------------------------------------- 2.1 Who has toured with Dream Theater? Psychotic Waltz, the Galactic Cowboys, Saigon Kick, Meanstreak (with guitarist Rena Sands, Petrucci's wife) and others among a slew of local acts the band likes to use for openers. 2.2 What producers has Dream Theater worked with? Terry Date produced WDADU. Terry Brown (Broon), the producer who took Rush through their first eleven albums, produced the promotional discs from WDADU. David Prater produced IAW. Prater was the ex-drummer/producer of Santana. Doug Oeberkircher produced and mixed Live At The Marquee. Duane Barron and John Purdell produced Awake.
2.3 What songs has Dream Theater made videos for?
Pull Me Under Take The Time Another Day Another Day did not make MTV's playlist, even though DT felt it had the most MTV potential. Pull Me Under was shot live and has received the most airplay. Take The Time was shot as a video production, however the song had to be shortened a lot and many unexpected jumps in the song throw the video off pace. 2.4 What songs has Dream Theater played live? A better question would probably be which ones have they NOT played live, since they play just about all of them. Here are the songs that either don't get played live, or have never been recorded live at any known show. A Vision Two Far The Ones Who Help to Set The Sun (formerly "Death of Spock/Spark" in the Majesty demo era) (this will be added to when they tour for Awake no doubt) Here are a few songs that have ONLY been performed live, and never recorded in any studio or demo (yet): Eve Bombay Vindaloo Moon Bubbles Puppies on Acid/Kittens on Crack Barfbag
2.5 Who plays the saxophone on "Another Day"? Jay Beckenstein of Spiro Gyra, who owned the studio where IAW was put to tape (Bear Trax).
2.6 Will DT ever release production versions of the old Majesty demos?
In some cases, they did just that (see the discog). Mike Portnoy was asked about this, and said that while they might be fun to play live, it really wouldn't get the band anywhere to release new recordings of them. Since DT is concerned with moving forward, he said, it will likely not happen any more than it already has. Half the first album was production from the demos, but the remaining demos are "just too old." They did play an instrumental "March of the Tyrant" at Palasesto in Milano, Italy in November 1993. 3. Questions about the songs themselves --------------------------------------- 3.1 Who sings on the satiric "Wanted Dead or Alive" demo? We aren't sure. It sounds like John Arch of Fates Warning. Since the demo and the vocalist auditions took place in the same timeframe, it's possible. The higher voice, probably augmented by a helium balloon, has to be a "real singer", and could be Arch, Cintron, or LaBrie.
The stupid Beavis/Butthead voices... "This song Sucks!" seem to be augmented by the same helium helping, but as they are not sung, they could just as well be Portnoy and Moore: in other words we have no idea.
Some sources say it's Kevin Moore with a pitch shifter. Others contend (with pretty good explanation) that it was a roommate of Moore or Portnoy, and personally, I think it's Geddy Lee. :) Who knows!!
3.2 What is "A Fortune In Lies" about?
According to Mike, it was about a friend of theirs who was busted for stealing, and the experience he gleaned from it. 3.3 Where is the sampled voice in "A Fortune In Lies" from?
Mike Portnoy recorded it off a television documentary about the prison system.
3.4 What does "The Ytse' Jam" mean? YTSEJAM is MAJESTY written backwards, and it probably refers to their original band name in that ambiguous way instrumentals refer to things. 3.5 What is "The Killing Hand" about? John does not comment on it often, but Mike Portnoy opened up in an interview about why it was written and what he "thinks" it's about. In the interview Portnoy is very careful to remind the reader that he Could be all wrong, but that it's not likely. Petrucci wrote it as a sort of "Twilight Zone" story about war, in which he witnesses all these atrocities, and sees the names of the dead on a wall, and then realizes it's been him this whole time causing all the atrocities... then he sees his name on the wall, very Rod Serling-type of stuff. 3.6 Is "Afterlife" a Christian song? Is "Eve"? While the band admits Afterlife has Christian overtones, it is not a religious tune in the same spirit as the music of King's X or Parallax. Eve, the piano/guitar intro sequence used live for both Pull Me Under and Learning To Live at different times, includes a lot of voice samples including "Guide us on to our Lord Jesus, guide us home." Kevin Moore and John Myung are the more religious members of the band (compared to the secular Portnoy) and Moore wrote it, so while it is certainly not a Stryper-style preach jam, it can be classified as a Christian song. Mike indicated in an interview that Kevin Moore was aiming at that, but that (like in the Killing Hand case) he didn't write it himself so he couldn't guarantee the meaning was exactly right. 3.7 What is "Pull Me Under" about? The current explanation goes that it was inspired by Shakespeare's "Hamlet". Prince Hamlet swore vengeance on King Claudius for murdering his father, the former King, and then marrying his mother, still Queen. Hamlet's famous Soliloquy was the passage in which the conflict in Hamlet's mind is detailed, and the second verse of "Pull Me Under" coincides pretty thoroughly with it. The very end of the song James can be heard singing this line from Hamlet: "Oh that this too, too solid flesh would melt."
Furthermore, after seeing the video, in an interview, Portnoy said "Who the hell was that wolfman guy in the video anyway? We had written it based on something else entirely." Portnoy noted that while Moore did not write PMU about Hamlet specifically, he DID write PMU about what Hamlet was ABOUT. Same themes, ideas, etc.
Here's the no-brainer explanation: Here's a post from YTSEJAM #42 that shows the Pull Me Under/Hamlet connection. Date: Tue, 6 Apr 1993 05:47:59 -0400 (EDT) From: ender@uunet.uu.net (Pete "Ender" Walsh) Subject: Pull Me Under / Hamlet
PULL ME UNDER Images: Dream Theater Words: Moore
Lost in the sky Clouds roll by and I roll with them
KING CLAUDIUS [to Hamlet] How is it that the clouds still hang on you?
Arrows fly Seas increase and then fall again
HAMLET To be, or not to be: that is the question: Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, And by opposing end them? To die: to sleep; [and so on...]
This world is spinning around me This world is spinning without me Every day sends future to past Every breath leaves one less to my last
Watch the sparrow falling Gives new meaning to it all If not today nor yet tomorrow then some other day
HAMLET Not a whit, we defy augury: there's a special providence in the fall of a sparrow. If it be now, 'tis not to come; if it be not to come, it will be now; if it be not now, yet it will come: the readiness is all: since no man has aught of what he leaves, what is't to leave betimes?
I'll take seven lives for one
There are seven deaths in Hamlet.
And then my only father's son As sure as I did ever love him I am not afraid
Ghost I am thy father's spirit, Doom'd for a certain term to walk the night, And for the day confined to fast in fires, Till the foul crimes done in my days of nature Are burnt and purged away. But that I am forbid [etc...] But this eternal blazon must not be To ears of flesh and blood. List, list, O, list! If thou didst ever thy dear father love--
HAMLET O God!
Ghost Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder.
HAMLET Murder!
Ghost Murder most foul, as in the best it is; But this most foul, strange and unnatural.
HAMLET Haste me to know't, that I, with wings as swift As meditation or the thoughts of love, May sweep to my revenge. - AND - HAMLET Ay, so, God be wi' ye; [Exeunt ROSENCRANTZ and GUILDENSTERN] Now I am alone. [...etc, etc...] O, vengeance! Why, what an ass am I! This is most brave, That I, the son of a dear father murder'd, [...etc, etc...]
This world is spinning around me The whole world keeps spinning around me All life is future to past Every breath leaves me one less to my last
Pull me under Pull me under Pull me under I'm not afraid All that I feel in honor and spite All I can do is set it right
HAMLET Rest, rest, perturbed spirit!
[They swear]
So, gentlemen, With all my love I do commend me to you: [etc.] The time is out of joint: O cursed spite, That ever I was born to set it right!
- AND - HAMLET [...] When honour's at the stake. How stand I then, That have a father kill'd, a mother stain'd, Excitements of my reason and my blood, [etc.]
Dust fills my eyes Clouds roll by and I roll with them Centuries cry Orders fly and I fall again
This world is spinning inside me The whole world is spinning inside of me Every day sends future to past Every step brings me closer to my last
Pull me under Pull me under Pull me under I'm not afraid Living my life too much in in the sun Only until your will is done
HAMLET Not so, my lord; I am too much i' the sun. [in response to Claudius's comment on clouds, above.]
Oh that this too Too solid flesh Would melt
[Direct quote]
HAMLET O, that this too too solid flesh would melt Thaw and resolve itself into a dew! 3.6 What is "Another Day" about?
There are two schools of thought on the subject.
Suicide is the most obvious meaning. Pretty much every verse supports the theme of a person trying to talk someone out of killing themself. "so die another day... better to save the mystery"
Another equally valid point of view is that of mental illness, and trying to cope with it as the sufferer and/or family. "they took pictures of our dreams... etc"
People on Ytsejam have dug up gobs of evidence to support both meanings, so pick and choose whichever one you feel is right, or find your own. After all, this is music, not math. :)
3.8 What is Take The Time about?
The band wrote this as a joint effort just before LaBrie joined them, so the meanings are many and esoteric. However, in an interview, Portnoy has said it is just what it implies. You'll find all you need in your mind if you take the time.
One of the YML subscribers had a decent correlation going on with part of TTT and J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. Since those parts of the song are heavy in the relation and the rest are not, it is safe to assume that only one of the four used a Tolkien influence in penning their part of the lyrics. The middle passage (Unbroken spirit, obscured and disquiet... must turn to hope) was the clincher. Mike Portnoy indicated that TTT is definitely NOT a concept song in the way that Pull Me Under is about what Hamlet is about (which is obvious) or Learning to Live is about AIDS (also rather clear), but that it has a spectrum of influence and that since Petrucci wrote the section in question, the influence could very well have been conceptual. Nobody has asked Mike if LotR is in there, though.
3.9 What is being said in Italian in "Take the Time" and where is it from?
It's Italian for "Now that I'm blind, I can see much clearer." It was from the film "Cinema Paradiso" as the following: "Adesso che ho perso la vista, ci vedo meglio e di piu" It's Not a coincidence that LaBrie sings "I can see much clearer now I'm blind" right before the sample.
3.10 What was the original title of "Surrounded"?
Promotional cassettes for Images And Words had Surrounded labeled as "The Longest Night" on the sleeve. 3.11 What is "Surrounded" about? During the IAW tour they dedicated the song to Arthur Ashe, the tennis player who died of AIDS. However, the song seems more about enlightenment (in several forms) than death. The fact that Ashe was the first African-American tennis player to succeed in the sport supports this hypothesis. 3.12 What story is "Metropolis part I: The Miracle and the Sleeper" based on? It is based on the story of two twins from the Iliad (? or is it the Odyssey?) who are telepathically linked. It has no relation to the movie "Metropolis". Petrucci wrote it as a sort of fantasy epic, inspired by the likes of, you guessed it, Yes and Rush. The story itself is original (the twins are named Miracle and Sleeper and do not appear in literature) but the story type was Homeric. 3.13 What is "Wait For Sleep" about? Who is the girl/woman in "Wait For Sleep"? Kevin Moore has said she was a friend of his who had a spiritual void and a hard time filling it, reaching for something to believe in. It dealt with her fears about belief and her grief over a loved one's death. His explanation is longer, but that about says it.
3.14 What is "Learning to Live" about? This has been the bigger topic of discussion on the YML because Myung has commented briefly on it and Portnoy has, while not wanting to confirm it, indicated that the premise is correct in an interview. Learning to Live was inspired by the AIDS epidemic. Patricularly, the "From a common fear ... reach for life" passage, but the rest fits very snugly with the AIDS theme. 3.15 What is a "Vindaloo"? A Bombay Vindaloo is a hot spicy herb/pepper served on Indian food, usually chicken. It is also taken after drinks. My guess is DT got blasted in Asia or Europe and got to try this most interesting spice. :)
3.16 What is unique about the song "A Change of Seasons"?
Several things.
First of all, it's the first lyric work Mike Portnoy has done. (of course, it is not the only vocal work Mike has done... Mike had the dubious priviledge of singing the end of "Surrounded" after James walked off the stage at one of the England shows)
Second of all, it's the longest DT song at 20:42. It barely misses matching the longest Rush song on CD (2112, which is 20:47) and the longest Rush song on LP (2112, which was 21:12). This is a distinction because it's very rare to find bands comfortable with lengthy formats. "A Mind Beside Itself" may be longer, but it's not out yet so we don't know for sure.
Third of all, it's the only song that had LaBrie singing in it that has ONLY been recorded live, as in, not for any album. The other four songs that hold the live distinction are instrumentals.
3.17 Has anybody noticed the re-usable riff phenomenon?
Yes. Pull Me Under and Take The Time share a melody, which is not quite a riff but is identical if juxtapositioned on a corresponding major/minor scale, and Wait For Sleep and Learning to Live also share a main riff. Thematically, none of the songs interconnect. Mike Portnoy has said that the music is written out before the lyrics are written and set to melody. It is possible (any interviews mention this?) that they were intended to be counterparts and that the relation was either scrapped or made more subtle. The PMU-TTT connection is not as direct as the WFS-LTL connection. The melody from PMU's "This World is spinning around me, this world is spinning without me" in a minor scale sung by LaBrie is reproduced at 4:18 of the TTT instrumental section in a major scale played by Petrucci. Thus, the remaining question is whether or not 16-note melodies are reproduced completely in coincidence on the same album by the same band.
3.18 Has anybody noticed the Another Song phenomenon?
Yes. DT has a knack, it would seem, for Another Song titles. Another Won (from the Majesty demos), Another Day (from Images And Words) and Another Hand (prologue to The Killing Hand live and on LATM) are the factors of this phenomenon. The album "Awake" seems to have escaped this trap of nomenclature.
3.19 Who wrote "(To Live) Forever"?
John Petrucci.
3.20 Did the demos "Death of Spock" and "Cry For Freedom" ever go anywhere?
Yes. They became "The Ones Who Help to Set the Sun" and part of several instrumental improvisations. (listen to Bombay Vindaloo, Moon Bubbles, and Barfbag... it's in there.)
END
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Date: Fri, 8 Jul 94 01:49:28 EDT From: Greg.Andrade@um.cc.umich.edu Subject: Snares and Triggers
I suppose I should add a few comments to the recent discussion of real snare sound vs. triggers. In his interview with Modern Drummer magazine it was clear that Mike Portney was a victim of studio politics and a bit of his own cautiousness/naivete when triggered snare sounds were used on I&W. With the album being the band's first major-label release, I'm sure Mike wanted to listen to those who were, in essence, working for the record company AND the band. So, he allowed triggered sounds to be used instead of insisting upon the better natural sound*. * -- from comments by Portnoy and concert listeners, there seems to be a general consensus that the actual snare sound is better. Also in the interview, Portnoy indicated that he would probably be in complete control of his sound in the future and wouldn't play it so safe. Keep in ming that Bill Bruford continues to use a ringing, unmuffled snare drum sound to this day. There was a great deal of overtone and ringing from his snare drum on Yes' early recordings, but that's how he preferred it and the studio engineers were not allowed to tinker with it. His use of rim shots on most snare beats contributed to the considerable volume and resonance of his snare drum playing as well. Simply, it's a matter of personal preference and a willingness to stand up to so-called experts, even in the beginning stages of a recording career. Let's hope that Mike Portnoy takes after Bruford and goes with his own, actual snare sound.
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