YTSEJAM Digest 3033
Today's Topics:
1) A Ytsefan in Progression Magazine!`
by "Syrinx" <syrinx@mindspring.com>
2) Whole buncha stuff
by "Brown, Neal Patrick" <W059@ACADEMIC.TRUMAN.EDU>
3) APSoG
by Lars Hellsten <lars@shaw.wave.ca>
4) CD NOW yourself, lars
by Kevin Madden <kwmadden@pipeline.com>
5) Re: jamming thoughts down your throat.....
by "James Bennett" <rycher@thegrid.net>
6) Chroma Key
by "Razvan Tudose" <rtudose@terminus.dnttm.ro>
7) Re: New album-song by song
by Gonzo1298@aol.com
8) You Not Me
by "Brian Hayden" <Brian.D.Hayden-1@tc.umn.edu>
9) stuff
by JB <beamup@vt.edu>
10) Re: Thoughts on Lines in the Sand
by Gonzo1298@aol.com
11) Another day connected with Take away my pain
by David Di Tivoli <dream@pronet.it>
12) Re: Dazed and Confused
by Eckie <eckie@asu.edu>
13) Burning My Imagination
by Über Cabe <caber1@concentric.net>
14) YTSEJAM digest 3026
by Christophe Thomas <Christophe.Thomas@bull.net>
15) YTSEJAM digest 3025
by Christophe Thomas <Christophe.Thomas@bull.net>
16) Phill Rock Stations Not Playing DT
by Christopher Bellardine <chris154@clam.rutgers.edu>
17) Re: HELP - Savatage at Birch Hill
by Sava Web <savaweb@winternet.com>
18) John Petrucci talks about FII - Part 1
by "Tom Baddley" <tbaddley@ontheair.com>
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Sat, 27 Sep 1997 18:06:49 -0400
From: "Syrinx" <syrinx@mindspring.com>
To: "A Ytse Besides Itself" <ytsejam@ax.com>
Subject: A Ytsefan in Progression Magazine!`
Message-ID: <199709272212.SAA09996@brickbat9.mindspring.com>
Just a quick one (while he's away)...
Our own Andy Miller (subtlerage) is in the latest edition of Progression
Magazine. No, he's not in it for his own work. He's in it to promote the
finneus gauge cd. in their add, they quote Andy as saying...
"did you ever buy an album that makes you want to haul all your musical
equipment down to the nearest pawn shop? ...by this disc. it rules."
Congratulations, Andy!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
e-mail: syrinx@dreamt.org / syrinx@mindspring.com
erotomania! = http://www.mindspring.com/~syrinx
offical lemur voice hompages:
http://www.cobweb.nl/mcoenen/welcome.htm
http://www.mindspring.com/~syrinx/lemur.htm
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 27 Sep 1997 17:24:55 CDT
From: "Brown, Neal Patrick" <W059@ACADEMIC.TRUMAN.EDU>
To: <ytsejam@ax.com>
Subject: Whole buncha stuff
Message-ID: <27SEP97.18808796.0066.MUSIC@ACADEMIC.TRUMAN.EDU>
Okay...I got up tofay and saw I had two Ytsejams already waiting for
me...sheesh...you guys are all on speed =P A few initial random
thoughts: if BMS is released as a single, what are they going to do
about the famous expletive? There's been a thread about a shared riff
between JLMB and Wait For Sleep...the WFS segment in question has a n
extra beat in it (it's ONE-two-three-TWO-two-three, if you can recall
the melody) whereas the JLMB thing is only five beats instead of six
(ONE-two-THREE-FOUR-five). I still haven't made up my mind about
Peruvian Skies. I just don't get that song. From #3030: 1) Buck said NM
is a bad song to lead off FII with. I thought it was great,
personally--I feel it's the best track on the album, representing the
new style very well while still being as beat-you-upsdie-the-head
intricate as, say, Take The Time. LITS might have been better, because
of that cool, wispy Yes-like opening, but then you can't intro LTIS with
HK, and HK wouldn't have been a good leader. ToT is best for a closer,
and any other song would have made me worry about the rest of the album.
=) Speaking of NM, someone asked what time it's in...that opening theme
is in an alternating sig...listen to it right at the beginning of the
song, so you can hear the chimes in the background (either MP on
crotales or something or DS). The pattern is based on 16th notes. The
chimes are in a pattern of
three-three-three-three-two-two-three-three-three-three-two. (That's the
# of 16ths in between each note.) That means it's really in 16 and 14,
respectively--or 4/4 and 7/8. =) 2) Jon Derry wondered about backing
vocals...I'd like to know what's going on with the BMS chorus--the deep
voices and the "computerized" voice.Anybody know? (Or better yet,
anybody have an opinion? ;) From #3031: 1) KillMary: no, I'm God....go
away, you impostor...hehehehehe 2) NM sounds like U2? I sure don't hear
that.... 3) Phoenix asked about the solo on JLMB. It sounds to me like
a give and take between JP and DS...it actually sounds to me like they
wrote the melody line (which means it's more of a melody & not technical
ly a solo) and split it up every couple of beats between the synth and
guitar. It's a highlight of the album, and I wish they'd written more of
it, although I can hear some of those riffs in the background now in the
beginning of the song.
One more random thought: patention? hunged? ass whole? I realize not
everybody on here's a native speaker of English...but as Will Smith said
in "Men In Black"...."cuz....damn...." hehehehehe
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 27 Sep 1997 17:24:09 -0400
From: Lars Hellsten <lars@shaw.wave.ca>
To: ytsejam@ax.com
Subject: APSoG
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970927172406.0068b3a8@mail.tor.shaw.wave.ca>
>One song. APSOG is a single song! There is no way FII is better than it
>even I&W's isn't at the level of perfection that FW reached with that
album.
Give me a break. So APSOG is better than FII because it's one long song?
Excuse my ignorance, but how the FUCK does the fact the album only has one
song make it a better album? FII has several SONGS on it (TOT, LITS, NM,
AL, etc...) that are better than APSOG. And of the albums as a whole, FII
is much better because APSOG is boring, doesn't flow well, and could have
been cut down to 15-20 minutes without losing anything.
Besides, it's easier to reach a "level of perfection" when an album is just
one song, because there's nothing else on the same album to compare it to
but itself.
** Lars Hellsten <lhellste@undergrad.math.uwaterloo.ca> **
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 27 Sep 1997 19:15:50 -0400
From: Kevin Madden <kwmadden@pipeline.com>
To: ytsejam@ax.com
Subject: CD NOW yourself, lars
Message-ID: <1.5.4.32.19970927231550.006999e8@pop.pipeline.com>
> New Releases September 23
> `````````````````````````
> Dream Theater Falling Into Infinity
> Scorpions Deadly Sting-Mercury Years
> Kiss Gene Simmons
Funny, this came in *my* CDNOW update.
CD of the Day: Stratovarius - Visions
Green Bay Packers - The Quest to Repeat
3-1
This Week: at Detroit
Kevin
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 27 Sep 1997 16:26:20 -0700
From: "James Bennett" <rycher@thegrid.net>
To: <ytsejam@ax.com>
Subject: Re: jamming thoughts down your throat.....
Message-ID: <01bccb9c$c2b96d40$a4663cd1@i574747.thegrid.net>
someone said...
>Hmm, did you read the "Screw...of it" part? I'm sick of people agruing
>the fact that they can like FII. EVERYONE KNOWS THAT. It's when someone
>says "they sold out. they suck." That pisses off people. And then the
>people who have not been fully reading the jams said "i have a right to
>not like this FII. but i do like FII." What's wrong with you people?
>READ THE POST, THEN REPLY!!!
Well, I think you need to re-read my post, because judging by this reply it
sure seems like you didnt. At the end of my original post I said, that if
someone is spewing crap about the new album and just saying that it sucks,
its crap etc, that they should be ignored. By the way, i have been "fully
reading the jams" whatever that means, will there be a test?? Oh, and dont
take this personally, im just expressing myself
peace.
James
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 28 Sep 1997 02:28:31 +0300
From: "Razvan Tudose" <rtudose@terminus.dnttm.ro>
To: <ytsejam@ax.com>
Subject: Chroma Key
Message-ID: <199709272329.CAA02049@terminus.dnttm.ro>
I am looking for the Chroma Key demo (On The Page,
Sounds Like Watercolor, Chroma Key a.s.o.)
If you have the demo and are willing to dub it for me ,
please email me (rtudose@mail.dnttm.ro) and we'll
set up a trade ...
Thanx! :)
btw, did I mention that Kevin Moore rules ? :)
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 27 Sep 1997 19:31:02 -0400 (EDT)
From: Gonzo1298@aol.com
To: ytsejam@ax.com
Subject: Re: New album-song by song
Message-ID: <970927193059_2098528270@emout07.mail.aol.com>
>>YNM - Does not fit on this album at all. Great lyrics, but far too pop
>>oriented musically (gee, with Desmond Child writing?). Not a bad song,
>>but just not right for the overall tone of this album.
I've seen plenty of people bashing this song and I ready can't understand
why. Some say it's too poppy, others gripe about a "bad production." Sorry,
but I love this song!!! The chorus is clearly Child, but this isn't the
first catchy chorus he has written...and gee, I like a pop song...and this
one is within the framework of a DT song. Nothing could be better. And as
far as the production, forget it. Shirley did a great job on the whole thing.
This album is balanced sonically, much more so than AWAKE which one could
barely hear the keys. So I'm rambling...
Gonzo
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 27 Sep 97 18:37:35 -0500
From: "Brian Hayden" <Brian.D.Hayden-1@tc.umn.edu>
To: ytsejam@ax.com
Subject: You Not Me
Message-ID: <342d98be4da6316@mhub2.tc.umn.edu>
Okay, this is bugging the hell out of me. The verse vocal melody in YMN is
very similar to a melody from a pop song that I can't remember. Does anyone
else hear this, and do you know that song? It's probably about 5-10 years
old.
-Brian
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 27 Sep 1997 19:41:16 -0400
From: JB <beamup@vt.edu>
To: ytsejam@ax.com
Subject: stuff
Message-ID: <3.0.2.32.19970927194116.007c2b90@mail.vt.edu>
>>How the hell can you take something like this personally? You didn't have
>>jack shit to do with the production... stop taking credit for it, you
>>didn't contribute.
>
>Dude, are you on crack? Did I ever want to take credit for it? Is that what
>I said? Go and get some sleep, you're seeing things. You're obviously seeing
>things I never wrote.
when you said "i take it personally when people bitch
about the production", how is that supposed to be taken?
Point in fact... you can disagree with their, comments, but you
cant "take it personally" unless you did the production yourself
(i.e. if you were Shirley). Sorry if I sounded harsh (as I read it
now it does looks a bit much), but the implications of that comment
are that you did the producing.
Oh and by the way, I did get some sleep (now that my Operating
Systems program is done)... so I'm feeling much better thanks! :)
Trying to take the time to talk through this tepidly, (whoa.. thatsa lotta
t's)
Jason
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 27 Sep 1997 19:40:33 -0400 (EDT)
From: Gonzo1298@aol.com
To: ytsejam@ax.com
Subject: Re: Thoughts on Lines in the Sand
Message-ID: <970927193936_-127941350@emout19.mail.aol.com>
Mike Bahr wrote:
>>Doug Pinnick adds an ingredient to that song that DT sorely
>>needed. KJLB is a good vocalist, but he plays the voice like an
>>instrument, taking it to heights and breadths unheard of to add power and
>>polish to the songs. King's X is a different animal, conveying an
>>incredible amount of emotion in vocal-driven songs while playing
>>prog-worthy but less crucial instrumental accompaniments. Those of you who
>>are turned off by Doug's addition to DT may not have had a chance to
>>experience the KX musical direction enough, because it's almost the exact
>>opposite side of the progressive coin from DT. I think the combination of
>>the two makes quite possibly the most complete DT song I've ever heard.
Amen. Doug gives DT soul which is something James can't do, but that's okay.
Doug was the perfect choice for that song. And boy does he wail!
Gonzo
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 28 Sep 1997 01:55:32 +0200
From: David Di Tivoli <dream@pronet.it>
To: ytsejam@ax.com
Subject: Another day connected with Take away my pain
Message-ID: <3.0.1.32.19970928015532.009269e0@pronet.it>
I think that Another day is connected with Take away my pain.....
Have you seen Another day video?The girl with her brother that ask to the
father to die another day..........
+--------------------------------------------------+
| David Di Tivoli |
| "DREAM" Undernet:#italia |
| E-mail:dream@pronet.it |
| UIN #2549487 |
|www.pegacity.it/abita/374/index.htm |
|-----------------------------------------------------|
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 27 Sep 1997 17:09:10 -0700
From: Eckie <eckie@asu.edu>
To: ytsejam@ax.com
Subject: Re: Dazed and Confused
Message-ID: <342DA026.FABC400E@asu.edu>
Heh, NO KIDDING! I wish I had more of these I&W shirts, 'cuz this one's
starting to smell bad! I went to check out some ol' equipment at guitar
center and plugged a Jackson Kelly into the Rocktron Pirahna (the kelly
wasn't too hot...one of 'em commercially "toned down" models :P) Anyhoo, I
had gotten comments from 3 sales clerks within 5 minutes of me walking into
the store, and all of 'em said there was another DT freak that I should talk
to, but they didn't know where he was.....
..So I played the "Calling All DT Fans" riff, aka the opening to Pull Me
Under, and sure enough, I had somebody tap me on the shoulder and shout out
frantically, "Hey! Are you a big DT fan!?". Hey Vince, we got another
guitar player who's absoultely nuts about DT...he also mentioned that he has
a drummer friend who can play everything DT has put out. (But he also
mentioned that this drummer is a bit of an asshole). Anyhoo, we exchanged
numbers 'n what not....
I swear, it was a scene right out of Wayne's World. On the way out of the
store, another sales clerk strikes up a conversation with me and we start
talkin' about how the record company is so fuckin' DUMB on promoting DT....
and he shared a very interesting viewpoint (One that I don't accept, but I
never really considered it that heavily before):
Maybe the suits at Elektra really do have taste, and don't want to see the
same thing that happens with every pop band; these people don't want a
bunch of posuers running around with Dream Theater apparel and butchering DT
songs on Fender twats and Marshall amps just because Dream Theater's
suddenly popular. Dream Theater has become more of a "hidden treasure" in
American rock 'n roll, much like every other band that's been recommended on
this list. And those that find this treasure have found a great reward and
should keep it underground.
I told him, "Yeah, that's true that we don't have to worry about any
"posuer" Dream Theater fans the way it is," but I still think that there are
a lot of people who need to hear this band, and I'll recommend DT's FII,
Awake, or I&W to anybody (especially FII).
Regarding U2, I let a friend of mine who's into the "U2 thing" borrow my cd
player and FII for about half an hour, and when he returned it to me he
said, "It's too preachy and apocolyptic sounding. I'd rather listen to
Oasis. U2 keeps everything on an upbeat level, and this band seems to look
at everything in a very dark way, very critical about pop culture."
Well, DUH, it's METAL!
~G.I. Eckie
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 27 Sep 1997 19:51:37 -0700
From: Über Cabe <caber1@concentric.net>
To: ytsejam@ax.com
Subject: Burning My Imagination
Message-ID: <342DC639.6768@concentric.net>
Hi everyone,
> From: Seth Hatlelid <srhatlel@artsci.wustl.edu>
> Subject: First post in a while
> Derek said that Eastwest hated them and the only reason that Eastwest let
> DT have any controll over their own music was that DT was making money
> for them and Eastwest had no idea how, so Derek said that they get pretty
> much left alone becuase they were making money without any outside help
> and EW was afraid to screw that up.
Why is it that I think Derek is going to become DTs new "clown" member?
Between this, the blond chick thing, and the gay rumors, he's going to
take over MPs position pretty easily. :)
____
> From: Lars Hellsten <lhellste@undergrad.math.uwaterloo.ca>
> Subject: CDNOW
> > New Releases For September 23
> > R O C K
> > Jackson Browne "The Next Voice You Hear"
> > Morphine "B-Sides And Otherwise"
> > Southern Culture On The Skids "Plastic Seat Sweat"
> > Gregg Allman "One More Try"*
> > Cream "Those Were The Days"*
>
> Gee... isn't there something wrong with this picture? Fucking assholes.
Yeah, where is the Elton John CD!?! CDNow sucks more than that wanna be
sell out band Dream Theatre. They can't even sell out, right! They have
11 songs, that actually have some value in them. :)
____
And just to end this post with some semi-DTC.
I have "twisted" :) around the lyrics to BMS so that it's a song about
how MP hates JLB.(hey who needs parodies, when you can just think of a
funny scene)
JLB is a back seat driver(the I say it's green, and then you tell me
it's red :). JLB makes fun of MP hair turning gray. So MP had to color
it, the same color JLB hair is. :) And the my words give you your life
part is about how MPs lyric are what supports JLB job or life, and how
JLB tries to mess with MP lyrics. :)
Hehe, the song is pretty fun this way. Who says that BMS is depressing,
use your imagination, dOOd!
Über Cabe caber1@concentric.net
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 28 Sep 1997 02:59:18 +0100
From: Christophe Thomas <Christophe.Thomas@bull.net>
To: ytsejam@ax.com
Subject: YTSEJAM digest 3026
Message-ID: <0039600000194469000002L092*@MHS>
Status Distribution Unknown , ::
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Recipients
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=
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 28 Sep 1997 03:10:34 +0100
From: Christophe Thomas <Christophe.Thomas@bull.net>
To: ytsejam@ax.com
Subject: YTSEJAM digest 3025
Message-ID: <0039600000195093000002L032*@MHS>
Status Distribution Unknown , ::
The message regarding "" sent on Unknown , :: was sent by
Status Recipient
Type To
Native Name ytsejam@ax.com
Foreign Native Name ytsejam@ax.com\n\n\nINTERNET
Recipients
Status Reporters
Type From
Name Domain NOTES
Native Name CN=3DChristophe Thomas/OU=3DFR/O=3DBULL@B=
ULL
Foreign Native Name CN=3DChristophe Thomas/OU=3DFR/O=3DBULL\n=
BULL\n\n
Organization BULL
Org Unit 1 FR
Last Name Thomas
First Name Christophe
Status 769
Explanation Invalid recipient
X.400 Status 769
Explanation Le d=E9lai de distribution est arriv=E9 =E0 expiration
=
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 27 Sep 97 21:32:45 EDT
From: Christopher Bellardine <chris154@clam.rutgers.edu>
To: ytsejam@ax.com
Subject: Phill Rock Stations Not Playing DT
Message-ID: <CMM-RU.1.5.875410365.chris154@clam.rutgers.edu>
Wysp and Wmmr are not playing DT at all. I called WYSP 4 times and asked
them to play DT, and they said that "We don't play them" , and I tried Wmmr,
and they said that "DT wasn't on our playlist." Here is my proposal: DT
needs Philadelphia (a major music market) to play their material to gain
further exposure to the Philadelpia area in which I live in. It bothers me
when I read other jammers posting that they heard DT on the radio, and I have
yet to hear any DT past or present on the two biggest rock stations here.
Remember the petition we all signed to help get them into the studio, Well I
think the band deserves this help from their fans, Here are the phone
numbers to the stations: WMMR- 800 423-wmmr or 215 238-8000, WYSP 215
263-7625. I don't know how you will respond to this post, but I am very
pissed off about it. I want DT to succeed and get into the studio often so
they can put out an album every year like Rush did. Obviously the phone call
won't take long, and one phone call from many jammers a piece could really
help promote this band. Yes I am trying to help promote this band. If
anyone has this same problem with their local radio stations, then we all
could help everyone's local radio stations. If you guys think my post is a
little extreme, then I am humble to listen to feedback. Now playing: Trial
of Tears. A+ song
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 27 Sep 1997 20:45:48 -0500 (CDT)
From: Sava Web <savaweb@winternet.com>
To: ytsejam@ax.com
Subject: Re: HELP - Savatage at Birch Hill
Message-ID: <199709280145.UAA21383@tundra.winternet.com>
TicketBastard has it listed under Sabotage not Savatage for some reason..
>
>
> No DTC. I just went to Ticketmaster and they said that they're not selling
> tickets for the Savatage show at the Birch Hill. Does anyone know of any other
> places that carry Birch Hill tickets in NYC? I'd rather not wait until the
> night of the show, but I also don't want to waste a trip into NJ.
>
> Thanks.
>
>
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
savaweb@winternet.com
Savatage Fan Web Pages Trans-Siberian Orchestra Web Pages
www.savatage.com www.winternet.com/~savaweb/tso
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 27 Sep 1997 20:16:53 -0600
From: "Tom Baddley" <tbaddley@ontheair.com>
To: <ytsejam@ax.com>
Subject: John Petrucci talks about FII - Part 1
Message-ID: <199709280216.CAA112496@out2.ibm.net>
The following is loosely transcribed from a recording of JP's guitar clinic
in Orlando, FL in August., 1997. I originally was just interested in
posting up some of the comments he made about FII's songs, but it quickly
became an almost verbatim transcriptions of his question and answer session
between songs he played. I'll have to split it in several parts, as it's
taking me a long time to transcript this tape...I'd never make it as a court
reporter! Not every question and comment John made was included. I tried
to keep only the comments that were related to FII or their attitudes and
feelings going into this album. Everyone seems to really have jumped on
James LaBrie for his comments about DT tapping Rush and Pink Floyd's
audiences during a recent interview. I think that a lot of you missed
James' point. This is their livelihood...their career. I know I'd like a
raise at my job. For DT, Larger Audience=Pay Raise. This is how they put
food on their tables...how they get new clothes on their young children's
backs...hell, maybe James can even get some more reindeer! ;-) Wanting a
larger audience to share your music with is no sellout to me, as long as you
remain true to yourself. DT's love of creating music can't be denied. I
hope that the following transcription doesn't open a new can of worms
towards JP. I really appreciate Mike and him getting out there and sharing
their wealth of knowledge with other musicians...and their openness and
honesty is truly unique in this day and age. I think that it's interesting
to understand more where DT is coming from (straight from the horses mouth,
so to speak), and I haven't seen this posted yet...so here goes:
(JP plays Lines in the Sand along with a DAT of the rest of the band [Go
Karaoke John!!] )
JP: Something interesting about that song that I'd like to point out...on
parts like the one that goes (plays example, starting at 3:57 on CD) the
guitar and keys are playing similar parts, yet each of us are doing
something a little different. In order to keep us separated better, we
mixed it where you will hear the guitar on the left, and the keys on the
right side...so that's something you might hear when you listen to the CD.
On this next song...the way we write our arrangements a lot of the time is
to name each different part after the band that we stole them from. So we
may have a Pink Floyd verse going into a Metallica section...to a Gregg Kihn
solo...anything...they can get really obscure sometimes....actually, we
don't really rip them off...we change a note or two. (much laughter!) See
if you can hear some of these sections I'm talking about in this song.
(plays Peruvian Skies)
JP: Did you hear some of the parts I was talking about on that one?
(everyone nods and says "Yep!")
(question about his "clean" and "Heavy/Lead" sound)
JP: In the past, I would usually only have one clean sound and then a heavy
or lead sound that I would use throughout the album. On this one, I did
something different with the guitars. I used a variety of Boogie amps and
use many more different sounds. One thing different about the way we
recorded this album is that in the past, we would record all of the drums
for all of the songs at one time, then all of the guitar, then all of the
bass, and so on. On this album, we recorded each song individually, and I
didn't use the same guitar setup on any two songs. The amp I'm playing
through tonight is a Heartbreaker amp made by Boogie, and I use it on some
of the songs on the new album. It was very experimental for me, I got to
tailor my sound so that it best suited the songs.
Q: Did you use any alternate tunings on FII?
JP: No, I didn't, but I did use the 7-string on a few songs, so you'll hear
that on there.
Q: What was the mindset going into this album since the heavy metal musical
climate has changed so drastically in the last few years?
JP: One thing we said going in was that we weren't going to chase any
trends. We've been together for like 12 years or so...so if we try to do
something that doesn't feel like us, it's not going to sound right. That's
something that we are not going to do. Also with this type of music, it's
kinda funky to take a longer song and edit down and it doesn't really sound
like you meant it to sound. ... So, as far as our strategy for the rest of
the world is...we are just going to do what we do. We know that the live
thing is very important to us...playing live in these different countries.
So far as making it in America, unless you are like, you know, Phish, where
you have tons of people come camp out at your shows no matter what...I think
it's hard to be real commercially successful unless your music is played on
the radio. That's the major form of publicity here in America. Like I said
before, "How do you do that without chasing trends?". I think, for us,
myself in particular...a lot of my influences are Pop artists and Pop bands
that have maintained musical integrity...like YES, Peter Gabriel, Sting and
guys like this that are very, very musical, but they're writing music that's
on the radio. So that's my mentality to Dream Theater in America...and
actually always has been. If you listen to all the albums, you'll see there
was always something that was trying to go that direction.
Q: Did Derek add something different to the band?
JP: Yes, absolutely. The sounds and instruments that he uses are more
natural like Rhodes, Mellotron, [Hammond] B3, and stuff like that...so it
gave a more classic vibe.
Q: I heard that John Myung was playing a Chapman Stick on the new album?
JP: Yes, John Myung is playing Chapman Stick on this album. He plays it on
two songs on the album [Take Away My Pain and New Millennium] and it sounds
really cool. (JP describes Chapman Stick - go to www.stick.com for pictures
and details) Tony Levin is probably one of the most reknown Stick guys out
there and is a big influence to John. In fact, on the next song I'm going
to play (TAMP), John is playing the Stick.
Q: What do think of the new music that's coming out today.
JP: Most of it is very bad...although occasionally a good song or two will
get through. Actually, I listen to a lot of radio and there seems to be a
lot of heavily vocal oriented stuff in the Pop world. The guitar has kinda
taken a back seat a bit. I don't like that. (laughter!)
Q: Do you sing?
JP: Yes...I'm not going to sing tonight, though. Actually, this is the
first album where I'm singing on it...and Mike and Derek are singing as
well. We have our own little trio group and we do a lot of the background
vocals.
(Plays Take Away My Pain)
JP: That one's called Take Away My Pain. The thing that's interesting
about that whole song...the way it evolved...originally...and this will
explain what a producer can do for a band...originally, the song was the
same chord structure, melody and lyrics and everything like that, but the
style was a lot different. It was kinda more like an acoustic ballad...and
it got really big on the chorus and it sounded very circa-198...uh...4 or
something like that which wasn't cool. So the producer came in and he said
"I really like that song, but I don't know about that style of it." So we
tried all these different ways of arranging it and eventually he had the
idea, and so did we, of kinda making it more rhythmical, more...almost like
African sort of rhythms...like a world beat going on there. So what
happened is...Mike layed down this drum loop that he played through the
whole thing like you heard the song start off with...and then I layed down a
guitar loop that's like this (plays example - 00:08 on CD)...and that's
going on throughout the whole song as well...and we just kinda layered it
from there....and actually, a lot of the guitar parts were improvised during
that song, so when you hear the CD, you'll hear some weird stuff happening
that was improvised. On the solo, I plugged into our keyboard player's
rig...into Derek's Leslie...so it's kinda funky sounding...and that's the
story behind that song.
Q: Were you concious of playing more minimalist or bluesy on your solos?
JP: I think that it's just what the songs call for. That's how I develop
the solos. If something freaky is going on, then I'll play freaky. If
something is going on a vibe that's real, like...you know, like that last
song, then I'll go with it. I'm not going to do anything to pull away from
it. So, I think that it all has to do with where the song's going, and then
I'll play accordingly.
[End...Part 1...to be continued Sunday]
Tom (Hand Cramp) Baddley
Living comes much easier once we admit we're dying. -JP
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End of YTSEJAM Digest 3033
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This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Thu Apr 01 2004 - 17:59:55 EST