Author Topic: Favorite JR Part in The Astonishing (Read 1536 times)

wolven74 · « **on:** February 05, 2016, 07:05:34 AM »

Haven't seen a post focused on JR's roll in the new release yet. I love that he's all over this album. Whether it's in his keyboard and piano work or in the creation of melodies, his work is absolutely beautiful. Even his creation of the NOMAC sounds is a great job of programming, though admittedly they're very skippable. He has too many great parts for me to pick a favorite.

Do you have any? Discuss...

BlobVanDam · « **Reply #1 on:** February 05, 2016, 07:38:46 AM »

A few that come to mind-

Three Days - the honky tonk verse & the short instrumental break
A New Beginning - the harpsichord break (with the brass over it)
The Road To Revolution - the mellotrony bit
Act of Faythe - piano. There's a ton of piano on the album, and this isn't anything too different, but I still just love the playing here.

emtee · « **Reply #2 on:** February 05, 2016, 07:45:26 AM »

It's my favorite JR complete album performance by a long ways. So many parts are memorable. Right now the intro to Ravenskill
is tops.

This album would have been so different if he would have continued down the same path. Lots of people say JLB is the star
but my star is JR.

Train of Naught · « **Reply #3 on:** February 05, 2016, 07:51:35 AM »

Mine is the Moment of Betrayal intro, no doubt about it.

CoT67 · « **Reply #4 on:** February 05, 2016, 07:58:26 AM »

Lots of them, but parts like the synth intro in When Your Time Has Come and A Life Left Behind really stand out to me. It's things like that that remind me of the LTE/Six Degrees/SFAM era.

YtseJamittaja · « **Reply #5 on:** February 05, 2016, 08:21:38 AM »

Quote from: CoT67 on February 05, 2016, 07:58:26 AM

Lots of them, but parts like the synth intro in When Your Time Has Come and A Life Left Behind really stand out to me. It's things like that that remind me of the LTE/Six Degrees/SFAM era.

I was just about to write this.

RaasMah · « **Reply #6 on:** February 05, 2016, 08:23:37 AM »

I like his shred solos a lot in A Tempting Offer and A new Beginning.

Hes great all through the album but if I had to chose one part that isnt really a 'solo' but got stuck in my head in a very good way, Idd pick the ending to Heavens Cove... That piano is simply mesmerizing.

Vandalism · « **Reply #7 on:** February 05, 2016, 08:39:11 AM »

The Seaboard intro part in Heaven's Cove followed by A Tempting Offer evil solo and all of Ravenskill.

bosk1 · « **Reply #8 on:** February 05, 2016, 08:47:50 AM »

Quote from: Train of Naught on February 05, 2016, 07:51:35 AM

Mine is the Moment of Betrayal intro, no doubt about it.

I am not sure that is my "favorite" part, but the atmosphere there just gives me chills. SO good.

nicmos · « **Reply #9 on:** February 05, 2016, 09:48:53 AM »

The piano at the end of Heaven's Cove for sure.

pringkaarwanda · « **Reply #10 on:** February 05, 2016, 10:04:09 AM »

Because JR is like beacon that shining in the night in this album

, it is so hard to me to choose one of his part to be my favorite, and it is hard too, to write all part that being my favorite . Almost every JR part in this album is my favorite.
But, Intro A New Beginning and outro moment of betrayal always make me smile

Mebert78 · « **Reply #11 on:** February 05, 2016, 10:14:10 AM »

I gotta say, Jordan did a great job -- particularly on piano. Sometimes in the past I felt like he would overplay certain parts on the piano, but all of his piano intros and such were really tasteful and well-done on TA. He really outdid himself. This is his DT high-point for me.

Mladen · « **Reply #12 on:** February 05, 2016, 10:28:59 AM »

Quote from: nicmos on February 05, 2016, 09:48:53 AM

The keyboard theme in the middle of Heaven's Cove for sure.

Fixed. Also, Act of Faythe theme. There's waaaay to many amazing Jordan bits on the album, I could list them on and on.

pcs90 · « **Reply #13 on:** February 05, 2016, 11:05:56 AM »

The ending of Dystopian Overture with his synth lead and the choir.

DarkLord_Lalinc · « **Reply #14 on:** February 05, 2016, 11:15:48 AM »

Dammit, I don't know. Lots of amazing Rudess stuff in this album.

hefdaddy42 · « **Reply #15 on:** February 05, 2016, 11:17:53 AM »

His piano work is sensational throughout.

There is one song which features an organ lead - I don't remember which one off the top of my head.

But my favorite JR part is the synth lead he plays at the intro of When Your Time Has Come. That just really makes me smile.

DarkLord_Lalinc · « **Reply #16 on:** February 05, 2016, 11:18:49 AM »

For the first time in years, I think Rudess' keyboard solos are incredibly well positioned throughout the album. They feel really climatic, and they kick a lot of ass.

hefdaddy42 · « **Reply #17 on:** February 05, 2016, 11:19:50 AM »

Quote from: DarkLord_Lalinc on February 05, 2016, 11:18:49 AM

For the first time in years, I think Rudess' keyboard solos are incredibly well positioned throughout the album. They feel really climatic, and they kick a lot of ass.

This guy knows what's up.

pcs90 · « **Reply #18 on:** February 05, 2016, 11:29:29 AM »

Quote from: DarkLord_Lalinc on February 05, 2016, 11:18:49 AM

For the first time in years, I think Rudess' keyboard solos are incredibly well positioned throughout the album. They feel really climatic, and they kick a lot of ass.

Yep, they work perfectly. Especially the ones in My Last Farewell and A Tempting Offer, those really set the right mood for what's going on in the story.

wolven74 · « **Reply #19 on:** February 05, 2016, 11:33:04 AM »

I've always felt that Jordan's solos have fit in as though the band were trying a jazz thing and going ok, so... guitar wankery, followed by keyboard wankery, drum wankery, back to song... the keyboard solos have always felt a bit superfluous in some of the albums. Here, everything he does fits into the context of each song and therefore the story. Instead of "here's a bit of wizard wankery..." we get "This is the emotion that Faythe is feeling when she and Gabriel meet for the first time.." It's much more emotional playing rather than just showing off.

CDrice · « **Reply #20 on:** February 05, 2016, 01:02:50 PM »

Not the most crazy thing, but the first 2 minutes or so of Ravenskill are so dreamy. It's probably one of my favorite part of the album.

thosava · « **Reply #21 on:** February 05, 2016, 01:08:15 PM »

I can't think of many specific parts but i really like the kind of simple line in most of Losing Faythe, it fits the song very well. I smile every time i hear the hammond organ as well

Awake77 · « **Reply #22 on:** February 05, 2016, 01:18:07 PM »

I agree that in TA Jordan really did his best work, also taking into account the "creative direction for orchestral and choral arrangements".
His piano work is superb and, for the first time, he really crafted parts that are rich but not overdone, technical but not self-indulgent, really serving the songs extremely well. It's a pleasure to hear him on the piano, wonderful sound and great touch.

It's really hard to pick my favorite part... but after only a couple of spins of the complete work, what impressed me most was Heaven's Cove, both the keyboard part in the intro and the final part. But Jordan shines throughout the whole work!

KevShmev · « **Reply #23 on:** February 05, 2016, 05:57:56 PM »

Quote from: CDrice on February 05, 2016, 01:02:50 PM

Not the most crazy thing, but the first 2 minutes or so of Ravenskill are so dreamy. It's probably one of my favorite part of the album.

This. So, so awesome.

Start to finish, this is easily one of JR's most impressive performances ever, largely because he shows that he can play awesome stuff without having to play fast, which we knew already, but there isn't a single moment on this record where I think, "Eh, I wish he would have calmed down a bit there."

camzmac · « **Reply #24 on:** February 05, 2016, 06:59:19 PM »

Quote from: hefdaddy42 on February 05, 2016, 11:17:53 AM

There is one song which features an organ lead - I don't remember which one off the top of my head.

The X Aspect, starting at 1:25?

erwinrafael · « **Reply #25 on:** February 05, 2016, 07:04:42 PM »

The Walking Shadow. Very underrated. This is one of the best pieces in setting the mood, with a very creepy and menacing vibe.

Nearmyth · « **Reply #26 on:** February 05, 2016, 07:18:28 PM »

Quote from: nicmos on February 05, 2016, 09:48:53 AM

The piano at the end of Heaven's Cove for sure.

Holy shit I forgot about this part, it's amazing. Heaven's Cove is an incredibly written song actually.

The piano 3:34 in A Savior in The Square. Beautiful stuff there.

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Author Topic: Favorite JR Part in The Astonishing (Read 1536 times)