I was listening to Solitary Shell...

nikatapi · June 18, 2011, 02:27:38 AM

and i was wondering what the hell happened to JM in the recent years???

His playing, tone, basslines are amazing on the whole Six Degrees album. It has been a while since i listened to it, and after listening to BC&SL, i am really wondering what happened to his creativity.

I know this is a topic discussed a lot here, and it might not be worthy a new thread, but i was honestly surprised with JM's performance on Six Degrees, because i've been listening to BC&SL lately, and the difference is huge imo.

Tomislav95 · June 18, 2011, 02:30:45 AM

Well, Octavarium wasn't so bad but SC and BC&SL miss JM's creativity. I just hope that he made something great on ADToE

Aniland · June 18, 2011, 02:56:15 AM

Thought this would be a Solsbury Hill by Peter Gabriel reference thread.

jsem · June 18, 2011, 03:08:14 AM

Quote from: Aniland on June 18, 2011, 02:56:15 AM
Thought this would be a Solsbury Hill by Peter Gabriel reference thread.

tgstk2 · June 18, 2011, 06:08:38 AM

This would also indicate thst jm wasnt much involved writing riffs?? The last few albums?

WildeSilas · June 18, 2011, 07:09:07 AM

Well, I know it's popular speculation, and I even started a thread about it, but it's yet another reason why I get the idea that JM doesn't seem to like the other guys very much. He's rarely hanging out with them in videos, plus MP's comment about him never being in the same room, then it seems as if he's all but removed himself from the writing process on the last two albums. In the Spirit Carries On documentary he comments that this album reminds him of old times jamming with JP - my question is, "why did it ever stop being like that to begin with?" It is obviously an integral part of what made DT work in the beginning. It just seems to me that JM has either been voluntarily diminishing his role in the band over the year, or unconsciously pushed out of it by the stronger personalities. From what I've seen of him, he seems to be a rather passive personality, so I suspect the latter is the case. If any of this is true, it's no mystery why his input and enthusiasm have been diminished on the last two albums. I've felt like he was phoning it in with his playing, and that's why the bass has been buried in the mix - there's not much to hear. Hopefully that's changed now. Conversely, I'd be willing to bet that he blows the doors off on the new Jelly Jam release, which was recorded during the BCSL time period. It all has to do with the creative environment and how invested the individual is, and I just don't get the sense that JM has been very passionate about some of the newer DT material.

My two cents.

Rich Wilson · June 18, 2011, 07:58:19 AM

Well he's been heavily involved in the writing of the new album on several levels. Should be interesting to hear it.

nikatapi · June 18, 2011, 07:59:38 AM

Quote from: Rich Wilson on June 18, 2011, 07:58:19 AM
Well he's been heavily involved in the writing of the new album on several levels. Should be interesting to hear it.

That is really interesting especially hearing it from you...

VioletS16 · June 18, 2011, 08:01:55 AM

Quote from: Rich Wilson on June 18, 2011, 07:58:19 AM
Well he's been heavily involved in the writing of the new album on several levels. Should be interesting to hear it.

You know, at first when MP left, I thought, "How can DT ever be the same without him??"
But it turns out things are really making a change for the better.

This is great news! When JMX is very involved and JLB has free reign over the vocals, very good things happen!

Bertielee · June 18, 2011, 08:17:42 AM

Quote from: nikatapi on June 18, 2011, 07:59:38 AM
Quote from: Rich Wilson on June 18, 2011, 07:58:19 AM
Well he's been heavily involved in the writing of the new album on several levels. Should be interesting to hear it.

That is really interesting especially hearing it from you...

You said it! Should be very interesting indeed...

B.Lee

LieLowTheWantedMan · June 18, 2011, 08:24:24 AM

Quote from: Rich Wilson on June 18, 2011, 07:58:19 AM
Well he's been heavily involved in the writing of the new album on several levels. Should be interesting to hear it.

I like this.

Here's hoping he's more "in the mix" as well.

jonny108 · June 18, 2011, 08:44:49 AM

Quote from: Rich Wilson on June 18, 2011, 07:58:19 AM
Well he's been heavily involved in the writing of the new album on several levels. Should be interesting to hear it.

Well we know he's wrote lyrics for the album. Plus contributed a lot more to the music...can't wait

Rich Wilson · June 18, 2011, 09:51:03 AM

Just having JM lyrics would be exciting enough, but according to Jordan:

"He has just been more involved in this album than he has been in a while. To the point where he is writing some lyrics and he had a lot of riff ideas and was very excited about going forward with this new situation."

(quote from interview I did for an upcoming Classic Rock Presents Prog DT feature)

nikatapi · June 18, 2011, 10:12:45 AM

That makes me extremely excited about the new album...

Can't wait to read this interview...

jonny108 · June 18, 2011, 10:14:09 AM

Woohoo, looking forward to it Rich! Is this the next issue? I've got the latest one with a bit of info and some words from Petrucci

Rich Wilson · June 18, 2011, 10:18:12 AM

The next issue has my Mangini feature and the issue after that will be the DT feature. Don't know the issue dates off the top of my head though.

ResultsMayVary · June 18, 2011, 10:21:10 AM

Quote from: Rich Wilson on June 18, 2011, 10:18:12 AM
The next issue has my Mangini feature and the issue after that will be the DT feature. Don't know the issue dates off the top of my head though.

Looking forward to all these interviews. Thanks for the heads up, Rich!

jonny108 · June 18, 2011, 10:39:13 AM

Quote from: Rich Wilson on June 18, 2011, 10:18:12 AM
The next issue has my Mangini feature and the issue after that will be the DT feature. Don't know the issue dates off the top of my head though.

Thanks Rich...looking forward to them

Obfuscation · June 18, 2011, 12:27:36 PM

Quote from: Rich Wilson on June 18, 2011, 09:51:03 AM
Just having JM lyrics would be exciting enough, but according to Jordan:

"He has just been more involved in this album than he has been in a while. To the point where he is writing some lyrics and he had a lot of riff ideas and was very excited about going forward with this new situation."

(quote from interview I did for an upcoming Classic Rock Presents Prog DT feature)

Now my patience for hearing this album just about all gone thanks all this info. This album is going to have some the best riffs they ever done so far thanks to JM.

Apricot · June 18, 2011, 07:44:31 PM

The bassline in Octavarium (Medicate) is sick.

Elaitch · June 19, 2011, 06:25:03 AM

Quote from: nikatapi on June 18, 2011, 02:27:38 AM
and i was wondering what the hell happened to JM in the recent years???

His playing, tone, basslines are amazing on the whole Six Degrees album. It has been a while since i listened to it, and after listening to BC&SL, i am really wondering what happened to his creativity.

I know this is a topic discussed a lot here, and it might not be worthy a new thread, but i was honestly surprised with JM's performance on Six Degrees, because i've been listening to BC&SL lately, and the difference is huge imo.

Well err, he sounds very good at Octavarium (title track? Panic Attack? These Walls intro?) and Systematic Chaos as well, even though he started using very much distortion on Systematic Chaos and most recently, Black Clouds. The last two albums also features many bass lines that doubles the guitar, which makes him less prominent. And maybe he just fancies to double the guitar? It sure makes for a greater challenge for him, technically x) The most recent mixing engineers for DT has also had a habit of making everything very loud, which favours more perceptual (for the ear) frequencies (middle, treble) and drowns out bass frequencies quite heavily.

blackngold29 · June 19, 2011, 08:22:43 AM

Petrucci and LaBrie have also had similar comments to JR's that Rich posted. Whatever this issue is, I don't think it'll be a problem on the new album.

News:

I was listening to Solitary Shell...