Stop the presses... Steven Wilson + JR?

[blackngold29]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mr-XMC1S6-Y

So pretty good interview there, but the main thing is at 5:50 where JR starts talking about his "buddy Steven Wilson" and things "not really to talk about yet." I know everybody would love the MP, Wilson, Akerfeldt project that has been rumored... could this be the same thing? Or something different?

I mean you don't want too many guys from the same band, which is why Liquid Tension has taken such a long break (although if I recall MP said another one could be possible). You throw JR into the mix though and that's just a lot of awesomeness in one band.

[orcus116]

Maybe just another Blackfield tour.

[ClairvoyantCat]

I don't think it's Blackfield...  I mean... when he says "We got a little stuff we're working on" I am guessing that they're actually doing something TOGETHER, not just together.  See?

[TL]

I will say, a project involving Steven Wilson and JR would be pretty exciting.

[tri.ad]

I will say, a project involving Steven Wilson and JR would be pretty exciting.

At least it would be very promising. JR's contributions on VPLH and Twilight Coda were really good.

[TheOutlawXanadu]

If JR joins the Akerfeldt + Wilson project I will feel like the Cleveland fans after LeBron left:

Betrayed, disappointed, sad and suicidal.

[emindead]

Oh you.

[tri.ad]

If JR joins the Akerfeldt + Wilson project I will feel like the Cleveland fans after LeBron left:

Betrayed, disappointed, sad and suicidal.

Also, we'd know what the next MP lyrics are going to be about.

[robwebster]

I will be really disappointed if Steven Wilson and Mikael Akerfeldt use a really talented and creative keyboardist who they get on well with and with whom they share great musical chemistry. Especially if Steven Wilson has already even collaborated with him many times before including on his solo album in which he delivered a tasteful and esoteric performance that made a really tricky piece of music sound effortless and which seamlessly fitted into the tone of the album.

I can think of no way that'd be a good thing.

[TAC]

Who is Steven Wilson?

[TheOutlawXanadu]

I will be really disappointed if Steven Wilson and Mikael Akerfeldt use a really talented and creative keyboardist who they get on well with and with whom they share great musical chemistry. Especially if Steven Wilson has already even collaborated with him many times before including on his solo album in which he delivered a tasteful and esoteric performance that made a really tricky piece of music sound effortless and which seamlessly fitted into the tone of the album.

I can think of no way that'd be a good thing.

I was mostly joking with my original post.

There is no denying Rudess is more than capable of playing tastefully.

The only problem I would have with his involvement in the project is if he had a lot of creative input. Right now I am so enamored with Akerfeldt and Wilson - they are easily two of my favorite, if not my two favorite songwriters of the past decade or two - that I do not want anyone else giving them creative input. Fanboy to the extreme, I know.

But if Rudess were to play the same role he did on Insurgentes, that would not result in any TOX bitching.

[Perpetual Change]

I will be really disappointed if Steven Wilson and Mikael Akerfeldt use a really talented and creative keyboardist who they get on well with and with whom they share great musical chemistry. Especially if Steven Wilson has already even collaborated with him many times before including on his solo album in which he delivered a tasteful and esoteric performance that made a really tricky piece of music sound effortless and which seamlessly fitted into the tone of the album.

I can think of no way that'd be a good thing.

[AwakeFromOctavarium]

Who is Steven Wilson?

Good one.

[King Postwhore]

Who is Steven Wilson?

Oh you.

[BRGM]

I wondered that too, until someone told me who he was in the muppet thread

[The Letter M]

Who is Steven Wilson?

He's the man responsible by one of his biggest projects, Incredible Expanding Mindfuck, which is, arguably, his greatest and most well known project.

-Marc.

[Plasmastrike]

I couldn't make it through my first I.E.M. album. I'll have to give it another shot.

[The Letter M]

I couldn't make it through my first I.E.M. album. I'll have to give it another shot.

I have to sample them a bit more before I decide buying the boxset soon. I like almost everything SW has done, but I'm not a raving fanatic, however... I would like to get to know his side-projects a bit more (No-Man and Blackfield are definitely good ones to me, but I still need to sample I.E.M. and Bass Communion to how they are).

-Marc.

[ClairvoyantCat]

[skydivingninja]

That would be really really cool if JR was involved.  He could provide backing vocals, and his contributions to Insurgentes and the time he played "Lazarus" with SW makes me excited for the possibilities of this project.

[cthrubuoy]

That would be really really cool if JR was involved.  He could provide backing vocals, and his contributions to Insurgentes and the time he played "Lazarus" with SW makes me excited for the possibilities of this project.

I didn't know JR sung?

[Jamesman42]

JR has a few old solo albums where he sings. He's a decent singer.

[cyberdrummer]

Part two of that interview makes me sad. Jordan says that he had a really cool jam with DT with weird percussion noises etc, but they feel they can't do that kind of thing with DT because the fans 'wouldn't know what to do with it'. I'd love them to do something out of their comfort zone.

[KevShmev]

Part two of that interview makes me sad. Jordan says that he had a really cool jam with DT with weird percussion noises etc, but they feel they can't do that kind of thing with DT because the fans 'wouldn't know what to do with it'. I'd love them to do something out of their comfort zone.

Agreed.  That line of thinking isn't progressive, is it?  Rather disappointing for one of the first prog metal bands to think that way, but oh well, what can you do?

[OperantChamber]

Interesting to see how differently Mike and Jordan feel about downloading. It's also a shame that they restrict themselves to keep from scaring away fans.

[Seventh Son]

I'd be all for doing something out of the ordinary. Black Clouds was alright, but if they release another Systematic Chaos I'm not sure how much patience I'd have with the band.

[blackngold29]

JR has a few old solo albums where he sings. He's a decent singer.

You could have JR, MP, SW, and Akerfeldt all singing on an album together. That would be insane. JR could play guitar too.

[ClairvoyantCat]

JR has a few old solo albums where he sings. He's a decent singer.

You could have JR, MP, SW, and Akerfeldt all singing on an album together. That would be insane. JR could play guitar too.

God no!  I really don't see why... Portnoy makes an ok backing vocalist sometimes I guess,  but really has no voice tone or range or anything, and Jordan has a very flat and dull voice.  I mean, they wouldn't be terrible backing singers, but why in the world would it be THEM to sing?  Really... there are thousands of better singers, that would ruin the project.  Same thing for Jordan playing guitar... just.... why?

[blackngold29]

JR has a few old solo albums where he sings. He's a decent singer.

You could have JR, MP, SW, and Akerfeldt all singing on an album together. That would be insane. JR could play guitar too.

God no!  I really don't see why... Portnoy makes an ok backing vocalist sometimes I guess,  but really has no voice tone or range or anything, and Jordan has a very flat and dull voice.  I mean, they wouldn't be terrible backing singers, but why in the world would it be THEM to sing?  Really... there are thousands of better singers, that would ruin the project.  Same thing for Jordan playing guitar... just.... why?

With those four, you're right that the emphasis should be on the two that actually sing, but a little part in a song or two would be kind of neat.

JR isn't that bad at guitar is he?

[ClairvoyantCat]

JR has a few old solo albums where he sings. He's a decent singer.

You could have JR, MP, SW, and Akerfeldt all singing on an album together. That would be insane. JR could play guitar too.

God no!  I really don't see why... Portnoy makes an ok backing vocalist sometimes I guess,  but really has no voice tone or range or anything, and Jordan has a very flat and dull voice.  I mean, they wouldn't be terrible backing singers, but why in the world would it be THEM to sing?  Really... there are thousands of better singers, that would ruin the project.  Same thing for Jordan playing guitar... just.... why?

With those four, you're right that the emphasis should be on the two that actually sing, but a little part in a song or two would be kind of neat.

JR isn't that bad at guitar is he?

No, but I really don't get why you wouldn't you just leaving the singing to the singers, and the guitar to the guitarists? 

[j]

Part two of that interview makes me sad. Jordan says that he had a really cool jam with DT with weird percussion noises etc, but they feel they can't do that kind of thing with DT because the fans 'wouldn't know what to do with it'. I'd love them to do something out of their comfort zone.

Agreed.  That line of thinking isn't progressive, is it?  Rather disappointing for one of the first prog metal bands to think that way, but oh well, what can you do?

-J

[Plasmastrike]

Part two of that interview makes me sad. Jordan says that he had a really cool jam with DT with weird percussion noises etc, but they feel they can't do that kind of thing with DT because the fans 'wouldn't know what to do with it'. I'd love them to do something out of their comfort zone.

Fans of Dream Theater "wouldn't know what to do with it?"

Good Lord!!

[ClairvoyantCat]

That's actually kind of true.  I think their way too afraid of leaving behind their recent following of modern metal fans, something like that is never good for a band.  I didn't realize that it was this bad.... that they would leave out something they liked because they didn't think all the fans would agree.  I think most of their fans are often only in it for the odd times, long songs, heavy riffs, and solos, and for some reason that's the fan base they're most interested in pleasing right now...

[KevShmev]

I think that is underestimating the band's fan base.  Overall, the majority of their work over the last decade has gotten pretty mixed opinions from the online fan base (which, to be fair, does not always account for the entire fan base), yet many would say they are as popular now as they have ever been (except for probably '93), so I don't think tons of fans are suddenly gonna jump ship because a song or two is not inside the box they usually keeps themselves in. 

And it is not like those of us wanting to hear what they could do with something like Rudess described, want them to change their entire sound.  But a song or two on the next album that is a departure from their usual sound would be more than welcomed.  I'd be interested to hear what they could do if they challenged themselves to think outside the box a bit.  But like was just said, I think they are afraid of going backwards as far as fan support goes, as getting to where they are now has been a long and difficult journey, but again, I think they are underestimating their fan base.

[OperantChamber]

That's actually kind of true.  I think their way too afraid of leaving behind their recent following of modern metal fans, something like that is never good for a band.  I didn't realize that it was this bad.... that they would leave out something they liked because they didn't think all the fans would agree.  I think most of their fans are often only in it for the odd times, long songs, heavy riffs, and solos, and for some reason that's the fan base they're most interested in pleasing right now...

Is it the modern metal fans though? Didn't they decide against the growls in Nightmare to Remember for the same reason Jordan said they left out the jam?