JP new interview

[MinistroRaven]

https://www.musicradar.com/news/john-petrucci-g3-made-me-rise-to-the-occasion-and-gain-more-confidence-as-a-soloist

[TAC]

"Mike gave me the record. I haven't listened to it yet."

[gzarruk]

Great interview with JP! I hope he doesn't listen to that album, though

[Ben_Jamin]

He's got a couple more of his cds he needs to listen to.

I did laugh when he said, the one thing he would change of The Astonishing is exactly what we've been discussing...Releasing the novel first, then hand out cds at shows.

[bosk1]

Where do you think I got the thread idea?

[TAC]

Where do you think I got the thread idea?

I thought that, obviously.

I hope he's not regretting how things unfolded. I would've hated having to sit through the concert without hearing the album first.

[Ben_Jamin]

Where do you think I got the thread idea?

Oh...nice. I actually wouldn't have minded that. Or release the album along with book. That would've been a nice box set.

[Anxiety35]

"If I had the chance to do it over, I would do it differently, though. We have the novel coming out now, but in a perfect world, I think I would have had the novel done [first]; release the novel so people could read the story; and then do the tour and have the album available at the show when you leave. I think that would have given the whole experience a lot more meaning to fans."

Hindsight is always 20/20. That sounds like a better plan but I think the fans would have reacted the same to TA.  I agree with what was said in an earlier post. I would have wanted to hear the cd before going to the show. But, it is what it is and they're moving forward.

"After The Astonishing...we definitely want to return to doing something that's more definitive and classic, but hopefully also staying current and using the things that we've learned as writers and as a producer to take it to the next level so we're not ever repeating ourselves."

I thought ADTOE hearkened back to I&W. I get what he's saying. The material has inspired them but they want to do something new and exciting at the same time.

[Madman Shepherd]

"I heard the first song that came out. It sounds great. Those guys are all amazing, and Ron is an incredible guitar player."

John is a class act all the way. Even if he didn't actually dig the song I'm sure he would still say something along these lines. It's much more important than wearing your heart on your sleeve or whatever.

[Anxiety35]

"I heard the first song that came out. It sounds great. Those guys are all amazing, and Ron is an incredible guitar player."

John is a class act all the way. Even if he didn't actually dig the song I'm sure he would still say something along these lines. It's much more important than wearing your heart on your sleeve or whatever.

I guess the first song that came out is referring to Signs of the Time?

But yes, JP is a class act all the way. Great response but he genuinely means it too.

[utopiarun]

"I heard the first song that came out. It sounds great. Those guys are all amazing, and Ron is an incredible guitar player."

John is a class act all the way. Even if he didn't actually dig the song I'm sure he would still say something along these lines. It's much more important than wearing your heart on your sleeve or whatever.

1000% this. I wouldn't expect JP to be anything but classy, that's just who he is. But sometimes I wonder what he says in private.

[Adami]

"I heard the first song that came out. It sounds great. Those guys are all amazing, and Ron is an incredible guitar player."

John is a class act all the way. Even if he didn't actually dig the song I'm sure he would still say something along these lines. It's much more important than wearing your heart on your sleeve or whatever.

1000% this. I wouldn't expect JP to be anything but classy, that's just who he is. But sometimes I wonder what he says in private.

“Psychotic symphony? They should have just called the album raw salmon, cause I eat stuff like this for breakfast”.

[Architeuthis]

I think it would be important that he listens to the music MP has been involved with, I mean just to see what his long time friend has been up to. SOA and Similitude are definitely more than worthy endeavors.

[gzarruk]

I think it would be important that he listens to the music MP has been involved with, I mean just to see what his long time friend has been up to. SOA and Similitude are definitely more than worthy endeavors.

Similitude? Definitely
SOA? Not really

[Lax]

"Mike gave me the record. I haven't listened to it yet."

Those parts of the interview were funny as hell

[Evai]

"Mike gave me the record. I haven't listened to it yet."

"I heard Mike did some stuff after Dream Theater; I'm not even gonna waste my time"

"Mike gave me 20 CD's with a pleading look in his eye. I threw 20 copies of The Astonishing at him"

[MirrorMask]

"Mike gave me the record. I haven't listened to it yet."

"I heard Mike did some stuff after Dream Theater; I'm not even gonna waste my time"

"Mike gave me 20 CD's with a pleading look in his eye. I threw 20 copies of The Astonishing at him"

 

[DarkLord_Lalinc]

"Mike gave me 20 CD's with a pleading look in his eye. I threw 20 copies of The Astonishing at him"

Wonderful

[lucasembarbosa]

Savage 

[pg1067]

While I understand JP and MP are friends, their friendship arose out of being bandmates (i.e., working together).  Obviously, there was talk about what MP is doing musically, so it's hard to believe they didn't spend some time discussing what DT has been up to.  "What did you think of The Astonishing?"  "You won't believe what John Myung did backstage before our show in Louisvilee."  That sort of thing.  It would be fun to be a fly on the wall at one of their get-togethers.

[mikeyd23]

Good interview.

Couple thoughts - (1) I'm really glad they didn't release TA that way, going to a show like that without knowing the music would have been...weird. It was just a lot more enjoyable already knowing the tunes. (2) Classy JP as always with how he addressed Mike and SOA, good stuff. (3) Just freaking record some more solo material and release it!

[gzarruk]

Good interview.

Couple thoughts - (1) I'm really glad they didn't release TA that way, going to a show like that without knowing the music would have been...weird. It was just a lot more enjoyable already knowing the tunes. (2) Classy JP as always with how he addressed Mike and SOA, good stuff. (3) Just freaking record some more solo material and release it!

He plans to release it right after Tool releases theirs...

[Nick]

Not releasing the album prior to those shows would have been awful, and further highlighted all the worst points of the tour. You'd get confused because it's one guy singing all the parts, and if you don't know those parts you'll have a hard time following. Not to mention that one guy has always had issues with live enunciation, making trying to follow the music you're hearing for the first time harder. Add then that they spent a great deal on production but none of it really assisted in telling the story as it should have and you'd have a very tough experience. And yes, you'd have the book and know the story, but actually trying to follow it within the show, if you're hearing the music for the first time, would be extremely difficult.

[cramx3]

Not releasing the album prior to those shows would have been awful, and further highlighted all the worst points of the tour. You'd get confused because it's one guy singing all the parts, and if you don't know those parts you'll have a hard time following. Not to mention that one guy has always had issues with live enunciation, making trying to follow the music you're hearing for the first time harder. Add then that they spent a great deal on production but none of it really assisted in telling the story as it should have and you'd have a very tough experience. And yes, you'd have the book and know the story, but actually trying to follow it within the show, if you're hearing the music for the first time, would be extremely difficult.

Agreed.  The live show was hard enough to follow just by watching the screens with already knowing the story and music.  Take out knowing the music and a lot of people would leave scratching their heads, assuming they even showed up.  Going to a concert of all music you've never heard before isn't going to get a lot people to come besides the die hards and curious ones.

[MirrorMask]

Indeed, it was already risky enough to announce the shows before the album was out. I did buy the ticket before hearing the album, but I knew I would have heard the album. I would have had trust in them and would have took a leap of faith, but my least enjoyed listening of The Astonishing was the first one, and not hearing the album until the show would have not helped.

[cramx3]

my least enjoyed listening of The Astonishing was the first one

Same with me.  Sitting in my basement listening with my friend for the first time and both of us were kind of left confused.  The album really didn't catch on with me until my 3rd listen.  It's a lot to take in at once. 

[Orbert]

They could publish a libretto and give one to each person who purchases a ticket.  For those not familiar, the libretto is usually in the program for an opera.  It has all the lyrics but also who's "saying" (singing) each part, and often other notes as well, so you can follow the story.

Except that that's stupid because you don't pass out librettos at rock concerts.   

[cramx3]

There was something similar wasn't there?  I can't recall, but I thought there was a program that stated at least the characters although I don't think the lyrics were in it.

When I was in 8th grade and Cats was still on broadway, everyone had to take a music class and part of the class was Cats and eventually a field trip to see it.  But one thing that I still remember from that experience, was the music teacher said it's always best to go into a musical already knowing the music.  So we listened and learned the songs in class before seeing the show.  Definitely helped with following along live. 

I'd really hate to have to reference a program at a rock concert, although it's easy to say having experienced the TA show, that it was a cross between a broadway show and rock concert in execution.

[pg1067]

Not releasing the album prior to those shows would have been awful, and further highlighted all the worst points of the tour. You'd get confused because it's one guy singing all the parts, and if you don't know those parts you'll have a hard time following. Not to mention that one guy has always had issues with live enunciation, making trying to follow the music you're hearing for the first time harder. Add then that they spent a great deal on production but none of it really assisted in telling the story as it should have and you'd have a very tough experience. And yes, you'd have the book and know the story, but actually trying to follow it within the show, if you're hearing the music for the first time, would be extremely difficult.

The bolded language assumes that everyone who attends the show has bought and read the book, which isn't a good assumption.  I haven't read a book in years.  I do a lot of reading at work and simply have other priorities for my free time.  In this "alternate universe" scenario, while I might have bought the book, there's an awfully good chance I wouldn't have gotten around to reading it, so I'd have been even more confused.

The "book first" scenario is common with Broadway plays (e.g., Les Miserables).  The difference, of course, is that you have multiple actors playing the different parts and there is a visual aspect to the performance.  With The Astonishing, you had one person voicing several roles (including female roles) and no visual performance or sets to help convey the story.

All in all, I agree that the "book first" scenario would have been a terrible idea.

[Dreammajesty]

This album grabbed me immediately, i realy liked the style of music on it .Ofcourse took a few spins to learn to know it.
Most of the times the albums which do so i tend to forget after a while,but not this baby.


They should've released the novel and album together for the people who've had a hard time with it..

[cramx3]

No one is going to read the novel if they are struggling with the album though.  For example, I think the website with the storyline of each song was more than enough to follow the story on first listen.   If that wasn't enough to follow, then there's no way someone is going to invest many hours into reading a book which will undoubtedly be more detailed and possibly harder to follow than the basic song synopsis the band gave us.

[Another_Won]

Where do you think I got the thread idea?

When I saw your thread, I though you got the idea from me  . . . . not really, but I kinda had a similar idea, right? Pardon my delusions of grandeur.

https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=48955.msg2364029#msg2364029

When did you first hear about it from JP?

[bosk1]

Where do you think I got the thread idea?

When I saw your thread, I though you got the idea from me  . . . . not really, but I kinda had a similar idea, right? Pardon my delusions of grandeur.

https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=48955.msg2364029#msg2364029

When did you first hear about it from JP?

  Nice.  I hadn't seen your post (or if I did, I had long since forgotten about it).  JP mentioned it when we were chatting after the G3 show in Reno last month.  I can't remember exactly how it came up, but we were somehow talking about how huge that production was, and I asked whether I was correct in assuming they were just leasing all that equipment and didn't buy it.  At some point, he made the comment that he kind of wished they had done the release differently and that it might have been cool if they released the book first, and then gave the album away at the shows, and then released it for purchase after the tour so those who didn't attend could buy it.

I didn't know he was going to publicly mention the same thing, which is why I worded my thread purely in terms of a "hypothetical."  But, you know, for those paying close attention, if I happen to mention that I'm seeing a DT or JP show, and then I start dropping threads about "hypothetical" situations afterward, it's probably because the band said something to me that got me thinking along those lines. 

[MirrorMask]

*bosk goes to a DT show*
*bosk posts a thread How long do you think DT have left?*
*people panic*

 

[AngelBack]

*bosk goes to a DT show*
*bosk posts a thread How long do you think DT have left?*
*people panic*

 

Calling it now.  On April 1 Bosk throws out "hypothetical" MP returns thread.  DTF explodes....