MP Interview on Backstage Axxess makes me nervous!

[InTheNameOfGod]

  I see no reason why they can't take more time with the lyrics, as they'd be an almost different band entirely.

The thing is, I don't think they realize that their lyrics have, overall, taken a massive nosedive.  Remember Portnoy saying to Petrucci on the SC making of video, "Man, these lyrics are metal," in reference to ITPOE.  Yeah, they were metal alright.  And 90% of metal lyrics are cheesy and/or terrible. 

Like I have said before, the combination of Myung not doing lyrics anymore and the relative sharp decline in Petrucci's is the biggest reason for the lyrical decline.  Neither La Brie nor Portnoy have ever been particular good at writing lyrics, but with none of the others standing out anymore (like Petrucci, Myung and Moore all used to way back when), when looking at them all as a whole, it is rather easy to see how much the overall quality has dropped.

You do make a very good point. It could just be the simple fact that they don't realise their lyrics have hit a brick wall.

If that is the case, then I wouldn't expect to see any improvements with their next album.

Think what you want of this - but I would genuinely take another JP solo album over DT's next album. That's not because I don't love the band as much as I used to, it's simply because there's no need for lyrics. And JP is a master guitar player who's last solo album was incredible.

[LKap13]

Yea I've noticed that Portnoy is very emphatic when he says that nothing is written until they enter the studio. On one hand, I don't fully believe this. I think musicians (especially of utmost talent like those of dT) are constantly interested in composing something new. But if the process is actually as artificial and scripted as Portnoy wants to claim, then perhaps the fuel of the band truly has run out.
One possibility is that he doesn't want to be hounded with questions about the direction of the next album, so he uses this default answer? This answer also give the band more freedom in terms of a time frame to write the next album.
Still, if this is the true dT formula, they have been able to produce some amazing stuff nevertheless: Octavarium, Repentance, ITPOE pt1, Never Enough, Shattered Fortress, ANTR, TBOT.

[TL]

If they truly don't start writing anything until they enter the studio like they claim, I must say, I don't understand how adamant they seem to be about not writing anything before hand. A lot of their best songs were written over time, and are better for it.

Musically, I'm actually not concerned. BC&SL is probably the most musically interesting overall album they've released since SDOIT. If they continue in the direction they seem to be going, musically, I look forward to what they come up with. Especially with all of them having solo or side projects between DT albums this time around, and especially with MP having worked with Transatlantic recently.

Lyrically, yes, there's room for improvement.

[KISS 76]

All these side projects from Mike are starting to bug me... While I respect that he enjoys playing all the different stuff I feel that it's blurring his focus on DT. Fair enough help out A7X for a couple of months until they find a replacement drummer but committing himself for the rest of the year at least seems to me that he could be burnt out by the time the band get back together to plan their next album? The interview showed Mike as being pretty indifferent to DT's future IMO & that is not a good thing...

[Birch Boy]

You are forgetting who we're talking about here.

The Mike Portnoy.

[Cool Chris]

@ KISS 76: if those side projects were in any way hampering DT's musical career, I would be the first one to agree with you, but I honestly don't think they are. I can't remember hearing any instance where any part of DT's schedule was altered due to any side project. I believe they had already planned on not getting together to work on their next album for a while anyway. Now... if their side projects alter the musical output of DT, that's a different debate, and a harder one for us fans to quantify.

[Birch Boy]

Yeah, Avenged Sevenfold and Transatlantic commitments haven't interfered with Dream Theater's schedule, as the summer, fall, and winter were off-time for them, but since the Iron Maiden tour happened, they now only have fall and winter, which is now being occupied by AS commitments.

[hefdaddy42]

All these side projects from Mike are starting to bug me... While I respect that he enjoys playing all the different stuff I feel that it's blurring his focus on DT. Fair enough help out A7X for a couple of months until they find a replacement drummer but committing himself for the rest of the year at least seems to me that he could be burnt out by the time the band get back together to plan their next album? The interview showed Mike as being pretty indifferent to DT's future IMO & that is not a good thing...

He won't be any more burned out than he would have anyway.  DT was already taking the rest of 2010 off.  MP bumped some other stuff he was going to be doing in order to tour with A7X.  So if he hadn't toured with them, he still would have been doing something else.

[Birch Boy]

All these side projects from Mike are starting to bug me... While I respect that he enjoys playing all the different stuff I feel that it's blurring his focus on DT. Fair enough help out A7X for a couple of months until they find a replacement drummer but committing himself for the rest of the year at least seems to me that he could be burnt out by the time the band get back together to plan their next album? The interview showed Mike as being pretty indifferent to DT's future IMO & that is not a good thing...

He won't be any more burned out than he would have anyway.  DT was already taking the rest of 2010 off.  MP bumped some other stuff he was going to be doing in order to tour with A7X.  So if he hadn't toured with them, he still would have been doing something else.

What was the "other stuff"?

[hefdaddy42]

All these side projects from Mike are starting to bug me... While I respect that he enjoys playing all the different stuff I feel that it's blurring his focus on DT. Fair enough help out A7X for a couple of months until they find a replacement drummer but committing himself for the rest of the year at least seems to me that he could be burnt out by the time the band get back together to plan their next album? The interview showed Mike as being pretty indifferent to DT's future IMO & that is not a good thing...

He won't be any more burned out than he would have anyway.  DT was already taking the rest of 2010 off.  MP bumped some other stuff he was going to be doing in order to tour with A7X.  So if he hadn't toured with them, he still would have been doing something else.

What was the "other stuff"?

I don't know.  He never announced any details, and now it's been put off indefinitely, whatever it was.

[KISS 76]

Thanks for the reply's guys. I am just concerned with maybe Mike getting so distracted from the main picture when he could be chilling out with the family, planning the next Ytesjam releases & focusing on some ideas for the next album... I guess i'm a selfish fan sometimes who fears the day when this band finally calls it a day  

[hefdaddy42]

I agree that it's strange that he doesn't spend very much time with his family.  But that's his and his family's business, I guess.

[ariich]

I agree that it's strange that he doesn't spend very much time with his family.  But that's his and his family's business, I guess.

Indeed, and he's always been like that. If he isn't busy with his music, he gets bored. That's pretty much exactly what the lyrics to Constant Motion are about.

[KISS 76]

I agree that it's strange that he doesn't spend very much time with his family.  But that's his and his family's business, I guess.

I'm sure he spends a lot of time with his family with the way DT tours are planned these days & he does bring out his family on tour anyway. His is extremely close to his family & wouldn't change a thing I'm sure. But to me this A7X tour sounds like it may go on for a while & it may impact his other commitments unless he jumps ship somewhere?

[hefdaddy42]

He doesn't have any other commitments this year.  The tour is planned through the end of the year.  That's it.

[Perpetual Change]

Don't the families tour with them most of the year?

Anyway, I'm not nervous, but to be completely honest, Dream Theater have had such a great run and have already done so much in their careers that I wouldn't blame them for taking a long break. That, and Mike's such an undeniably good fit for A7X. I'd kinda like to hear him continue to work with them.

[The Letter M]

I agree that it's strange that he doesn't spend very much time with his family.  But that's his and his family's business, I guess.

Indeed, and he's always been like that. If he isn't busy with his music, he gets bored. That's pretty much exactly what the lyrics to Constant Motion are about.

Exactly, which is why he put together his four tribute bands and do shows with them. He's always keeping himself busy somehow, and I for one am thankful he does because he's put out some great music in the last decade between Dream Theater, Transatlantic (albums and tours), LTE (10th anniversary tour), Tribute bands (to The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Rush, and The Who), Neal Morse (recording 5 studio albums and touring for Testimony), and dozens of more studio and live commitments and even one-off shows. The man rarely takes a moment to himself unless it's a dedicated vacation to be wit his family.

However I am sure after the A7X tour, his next music-related business will definitely be Dream Theater, and writing in the studio for their 11th album. After that? Who knows... he may pop up to record with Neal Morse or someone else between DT's studio sessions and the eventual tour for the album.

-Marc.

[KevShmev]

Yea I've noticed that Portnoy is very emphatic when he says that nothing is written until they enter the studio. On one hand, I don't fully believe this. I think musicians (especially of utmost talent like those of dT) are constantly interested in composing something new. But if the process is actually as artificial and scripted as Portnoy wants to claim, then perhaps the fuel of the band truly has run out.
One possibility is that he doesn't want to be hounded with questions about the direction of the next album, so he uses this default answer? 

That is very possible.  I never believe it when he says they go into the studio with nothing written and no idea what they are going to do.  I would bet everything I own that Petrucci and/or Rudess show up with some ideas already written down or in their heads, and I am sure Portnoy usually has a general idea of what kind of album he wants to do (like wanting to do a less metal album like OV following the mostly metal ToT).

[FabiotheIguana]

The 3rd time someone has asked:

In reference to the OP, what were these comments by JLB?

[ariich]

The 3rd time someone has asked:

In reference to the OP, what were these comments by JLB?

I'm pretty sure he was referring to MP's comments about JLB in a recent interview. It was practically nothing, MP just explained that he isn't as into big waily vocals as he used to be, but that JLB was absolutely the right voice for DT. But you know what this forum is like, people somehow took that to mean that MP doesn't like JLB's vocals and would replace him if he could.

[tri.ad]

You're starting to sound like BlobVanDam. And that worries me.

[ehra]

Ariich didn't mention Jordan even once in his post.

[Perpetual Change]

Guys, I miss Blob.

[ehra]

It seemed like he was a little too eager to jump to DT's defense the moment anything negative was said, but I would love to see him come back regardless.

[Zook]

I hope he's been working on DT ACTION FIGURRRRRS this whole time.

[antigoon]

Who needs Blob when you have Darkes?

[Birch Boy]

Wait, Darkes listens to other music besides Katatonia and Porcupine Tree?

[tri.ad]

Ariich didn't mention Jordan even once in his post.

Taking stabs at the whole forum with a generalised assumption was one of his specialties.

But what have I done...

[ariich]

Ariich didn't mention Jordan even once in his post.

Taking stabs at the whole forum with a generalised assumption was one of his specialties.

But what have I done...

You don't agree that people overreact to things all the time here? Obviously I'm generalising, but that doesn't make me wrong.

[AcidLameLTE]

No but the fact that you posted it makes it wrong

[tri.ad]

Certainly not all the time.

Of course, there will be people who tend to overreact about stuff like that, but the way you said it implied that the whole forum bar five or six people questions, overanalyses and goes apeshit about everything someone from the band is saying or doing.

[ariich]

Well, I just said "people", which is pretty general and makes no indication of numbers, which I did deliberately, because on this occasion I couldn't remember whether it had been lots of people or just a vocal minority. I apologise for generalising and exaggerating, although a lot of people do it (and that isn't an exaggeration) so I'm not sure why I was singled out.

[hefdaddy42]

Well, I just said "people", which is pretty general and makes no indication of numbers, which I did deliberately, because on this occasion I couldn't remember whether it had been lots of people or just a vocal minority. I apologise for generalising and exaggerating, although a lot of people do it (and that isn't an exaggeration) so I'm not sure why I was singled out.

BECAUSE YOU'RE A LIMEY GIT BASTARD.

lol 

[ariich]

I can't help it, I was born that way.

[robwebster]

If it helps take the heat off ariich a bit...

It was practically nothing, you know what this forum's like: people take things way too seriously. But then again, that's not just Dream Theater fans, that's fans of basically everything.

I've said it before, but a quote that I really like is, "Fandom is like a dirty magnifying glass. Some bits get exaggerated while others are obscured entirely." I have no idea where it originates, saw it on a Doctor Who message board once and it immediately lodged itself in my head. But it works.