A minor appreciation thread for ANTR's outtake

[IdoSC]

Regarding this little gem:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTn4U-0kT4I


First, I have to say that I really like it and I wanted to see if anyone else does too.
But also, can anyone figure out what are the lyrics for James' section, before he sings "Day after day..."?

[Scorpion]

Well, I don't really like it that much. I prefer the real version, even though that has only growling, which I dislike pretty much. But this doesn't fit together at all.

[BlobVanDam]

Here's a version I made a little while back with just JLB's vocals. Should be easier to distinguish his vocals.

http://www.blobvandam.com/ANTR_JLB.mp3

[IdoSC]

Here's a version I made a little while back with just JLB's vocals. Should be easier to distinguish his vocals.

http://www.blobvandam.com/ANTR-JLB.mp3

Can you verify if it's still online please? It doesn't work for me and I'd love to hear that

[BlobVanDam]

Here's a version I made a little while back with just JLB's vocals. Should be easier to distinguish his vocals.

http://www.blobvandam.com/ANTR-JLB.mp3

Can you verify if it's still online please? It doesn't work for me and I'd love to hear that

Sorry about that, I got the link wrong. It should work now.

[Scorpion]

Is that Portnoy growling underneath, Blob?

[theseoafs]

Yeah, I've heard this before. Thank God Portnoy didn't actually do full-on growling, man.

[Pinga]

MP's vocals should never have gone beyond stuff like what he did on The Glass Prison. Those vocals are actually not bad and add to the song in a meaningful way.

[Lowdz]

Well, I don't really like it that much. I prefer the real version, even though that has only growling, which I dislike pretty much. But this doesn't fit together at all.

This. The whole section was a mistake and they should have written something else, a section for the singer they have. It's not like they had to write a part that was Death Metal inspired as the lyric doesn't really call for that. it certainly ruins a very good DT song.
No appreciation here, sorry.

[FlyingBIZKIT]

That is awful 

[Zook]

If that made the album I probably would have rage quit.

Hell, I wanted to rage quit when I heard the album version too.

All I could do was laugh though.

[DarkLord_Lalinc]

That is the most beautiful melody I've ever heard.

[olliemedsy]

I don't know if anyone else has read this, but here is MP's story about the whole shenanigans.

http://www.mikeportnoy.com/forum/m2352022.aspx

[MetropolisWatches]

I don't know if anyone else has read this, but here is MP's story about the whole shenanigans.

http://www.mikeportnoy.com/forum/m2352022.aspx

I've read this before, but still disagree with the approach. They should have gotten MA for the section and sampled it while playing live.

[wolfking]

I just wish they got Arkefelt to do that section, it would have made it perfect.

[Fuzzboy]

I don't know if anyone else has read this, but here is MP's story about the whole shenanigans.

http://www.mikeportnoy.com/forum/m2352022.aspx

I've read this before, but still disagree with the approach. They should have gotten MA for the section and sampled it while playing live.

sampling it live could have gotten a bit messy since I don't think they were using a click track that tour.

[wolfking]

Portnoy would have been fine to do it live his way, but for the cd, they should have just gotten MA.  Hell, even Peter Wildoer would have done it justice too.

[Slain]

Here's a version I made a little while back with just JLB's vocals. Should be easier to distinguish his vocals.

http://www.blobvandam.com/ANTR_JLB.mp3

I really like this version, I wish it was this way in the actual song.

[Cool Chris]

I just wish they got Arkefelt to do that section, it would have made it perfect.

Or they could have just not used that ridiculous vocal section at all. If they would have been better served using another vocalist for that section, that is a pretty clear signal it doesn't belong in their music. Doesn't a band normally write to their strenghs and talents and not to those of others? They wouldn't say "you know... this sounds like David Gilmour solo. John, can you play it like he would? Or maybe we should just get him to do it?"

[Adami]

I just wish they got Arkefelt to do that section, it would have made it perfect.

Or they could have just not used that ridiculous vocal section at all. If they would have been better served using another vocalist for that section, that is a pretty clear signal it doesn't belong in their music. Doesn't a band normally write to their strenghs and talents and not to those of others? They wouldn't say "you know... this sounds like David Gilmour solo. John, can you play it like he would? Or maybe we should just get him to do it?"

Tons of metal bands have guest singers. Devin Townsend usually has several per CD, Kamelot use Simone Simmons often etc. It's fine to write a specific part that sounds better with someone elses voice, assuming you get that someone else.

[Deve]

sampling it live could have gotten a bit messy since I don't think they were using a click track that tour.

Have they been using clicks as of late? I always just assumed that Jordan triggered the backup vocals with his keys.

And I really, really don't like the clean with the growling. As other people have said, it seems so...out of place. I don't like the growling as it is to begin with haha. I was wondering if that, instead of vocals, they had put a solo there instead. I think that would make the song a whole lot better.

[Adami]

sampling it live could have gotten a bit messy since I don't think they were using a click track that tour.

Have they been using clicks as of late? I always just assumed that Jordan triggered the backup vocals with his keys.

While it's certainly a possibility that JR just triggers them, it's extremely unlikely. As Mangini would have to play PERFECTLY in time with no source of reference, and when you can use a click track, there's really no sense in risking a disaster like that. Also, one of the things they have been building up recently is the constant tempos of their songs from night to night and also compared to the CD versions. All of this STRONGLY suggests a click track, but I haven't heard confirmation either way. Maybe the next guy to interview one of them could ask that as opposed to asking what their favorite show has been thus far.

[TheGreatPretender]

Mike Mangini IS a click track! 

[BanksD]

I actually think MP's vocals on this sound way better on this version than the final album version.

[TheGreatPretender]

I actually think MP's vocals on this sound way better on this version than the final album version.

I think "better" is a subjective term. It's a matter of personal taste. But as far as whether full on death metal growls like that are right for Dream Theater? I'd say no way.

[Pinga]

Neither of them are any good, and his insistence on shoving it one way or another into the song highlight his weaknesses as a producer.

[nikatapi]

I think given the lyrical content of this part of the song, any aggressive singing seems out of place. I would be okay with death metal vocals if they were done correctly. MP's vocals in the demo weren't. Too bad the final version is not good either.

[MoraWintersoul]

I appreciate this section, because I like the combination of growls and cleans. It could have been better, but it is definitely better than the one on the CD.

[Onno]

I really like this version, it's better than the original IMO. But Akerfeldt should've done it, that would've been even better

[bosk1]

Other than the "RAAAAAAWWWWWWWWRRRRRRRRRRR" at the end, I REALLY love the album version.  But anyway...

Thanks again for the reminder of Mike's post on the subject.  I think that really needs to be quited for the forum archive.

[Implode]

Other than the "RAAAAAAWWWWWWWWRRRRRRRRRRR" at the end, I REALLY love the album version.

I pretty much agree with this.

[a51502112]

It would have been much better with Stewie Griffin's voice.

[MetropolisWatches]

The Portnoy-core section on A Nightmare to Remember is quite possibly the worst recorded moment in DT history.

[TheGreatPretender]

The Portnoy-core section on A Nightmare to Remember is quite possibly the worst recorded moment in DT history.

At least it's just Portnoy doing the Portnoy thing.

I think his little screams pretty much ruined A Rite Of Passage. It was so unnecessary to have him going, "Brothahood!" on top of JLB's singing.

[MetropolisWatches]

Agreed. Almost all of his backing vocals SC and BC&SL were pretty terrible and helped diminish the material.