Jordan Rudess Interview by Rock Your Life 22 August 2011

[ReaPsTA]

https://www.rockyourlife.gr/index.asp?action=cmsshow&cid=9&id=622&mid=1,9

Original foreign Language Interview

https://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/Blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=162384

Blabbermouth English Excerpts

The money quote:

The biggest difference in writing music to this album was that we decided to write this music choosing what is best for us without Mike Portnoy being the DREAM THEATER police telling us "yes" or "no." I think that it took us a little more time to craft our music before putting our stamp of approval on it.

Brutal, IMO.

[emtee]

Time to leave the drama behind. In the rear view mirror.

It's all about the music now. For DT and Mike.

[Phoenix87x]

 

[Zukuduku]

You have to be careful about making conclusions based on the Blabbermouth's translation, as we do not know what is the quality of it. But JR brings up quite a remarkable point: MP was pushing the band towards simpler expression. If that is true, then MP deserves a bigger chunk of blame about the predictability of SC and BC&SL. If possible, this makes me even more excited of the new album as we know that JP and JR were not held back in the songwriting.

[emtee]

Then logic would dictate he should also get a bigger chunk of the credit for BC&SL charting so high. Right?

[blackngold29]

The biggest difference in writing music to this album was that we decided to write this music choosing what is best for us without Mike Portnoy being the DREAM THEATER police telling us "yes" or "no." I think that it took us a little more time to craft our music before putting our stamp of approval on it.

I'll have a full rant on it later, but here's my issue: The Google translate version says:

"I think we all enjoyed this challenge and now without Mike Portnoy, decide for themselves what to do what is not acting several times as "policeman Dream Theater» sat together, we wrote the music and decided jointly what to keep and what not."


It's choppy, but that 'Yes or no' part is just not there. To me, it's inclusion makes both of them look like jerks.

[FallTempest]

Then logic would dictate he should also get a bigger chunk of the credit for BC&SL charting so high. Right?

I think WE get the credit for it charting so high   But It certainly was not only MP's ideas that made it to production, he just had a distinct vision of HIS DT. He didnt seem to really put much thought into what everyone else wanted.. JMO

[nikatapi]

Well the translation is accurate to a degree, but mostly to the general meaning, not word by word accurate.
Rudess indeed said that they collectively decided about what they should keep and what not, and that it was different from the past, where Mike would act like the DT-police, deciding which parts they were going to keep and which parts would be discarded.

Blabbermouth as always try to take things out of context in order to create drama and speculation, and to a degree they translated this part in a way that JR seems rude and bitter against MP, but as i read it in the original interview, JR states the obvious.
Which is that MP used to call all the shots and have the final word on most of the musical decisions.

[ReaPsTA]

A full translation of this interview that doesn't come from Blabbermouth would be appreciated.

[nikatapi]

A full translation of this interview that doesn't come from Blabbermouth would be appreciated.

I'll try to do it when i have some free time. It takes a lot of work to translate properly, but i hope i can be helpful and do it asap.

[ReaperKK]

A full translation of this interview that doesn't come from Blabbermouth would be appreciated.

I'll try to do it when i have some free time. It takes a lot of work to translate properly, but i hope i can be helpful and do it asap.

No rush, much appreciated for whatever you can translate.

[tgstk2]

he also sayd..mike portnoy WAS a good friend of mine...ouch...

i dont like these interviews AT ALL!

[gm5k]

Enjoyed the interview, but I don't think they gave the Portnoy topic enough time  

[OsMosis2259]

Damn that is real harsh. I didn't expect this especially from from JR

[bss4life15]

If this is the correct statement and is really what he was trying to say, that still is a pretty rude and disrespectful thing to say.  He didn't have to say it like he is the "Dream Theater police" and kept them from doing what they really wanted to do.  He could have just said that the difference was it was more of a collective effort this time from everyone, instead of making it sound like a stab at MP.

[ReaPsTA]

Damn that is real harsh. I didn't expect this especially from from JR

I find responses like this interesting.  Saying JR's comments are harsh implies that they're uncalled for in some way, which I don't believe is true.  Maybe they're not a good thing from a PR standpoint, but I'm not really taken aback by them.

[gm5k]

Is it any worse than the things Mike has said about KM in the past?   Not saying that justifies it...

This makes me wonder if MP will retaliate.  It's all so strange 

[tri.ad]

I'll wait until I can read an accurate translation of this interview before I judge what JR has said. Blabbermouth's intention really seems to be adding fuel to the fire, so I take those excerpts with a giant heap of salt.

[bosk1]

Well the translation is accurate to a degree

Perhaps, but the real problem is that Jordan said whatever he said in English, and we do not have the transcript of that.  So Jordan's English statement was translated, and then translated from that back into English.  So, honestly, we don't really know what was said or what was meant by it.

If that is true, then MP deserves a bigger chunk of blame about the predictability of SC and BC&SL.

There is nothing blameworthy about either album.  Period.

[ReaPsTA]

If that is true, then MP deserves a bigger chunk of blame about the predictability of SC and BC&SL.

There is nothing blameworthy about either album.  Period.

Isn't this highly subjective?  Rudess was obviously voicing dissatisfaction with the compositional process in this interview, no matter how the translations are done.  I'm not saying Rudess hates the album (they used ANTR to audition drummers and are playing Tuscany again on this tour), but at the very least Rudess isn't 100% satisfied with it.  MP essentially said the same thing on his forum too.  (When that guy said DT had gotten a bit stale and MP replied saying it was an accurate assessment of his feelings).

[John94]

I really really dislike Blabbermouth.

[tgstk2]

well the tendency of the transcript is probably correct.
maybe he didn't say yes/no or mike portnoy police.
The bottom line is that they now felt free somehow to do what they want and that JR really liked this approach.
Also he felt like he could spread his engery and his opion.

well than to me that sounds like JR is a pussy if he didn't had the balls to stand up for his opinion or asking for another approach to write music.
It's not like MP is a great dicatator.....if he really was they wouldn't be able to write a single note together.
that's a real dick move right there JR!

fuck!

[ReaPsTA]

"Dream Theater police" is an exact phrase Rudess used in his vokle chat.  It's not a mistranslation.

well than to me that sounds like JR is a pussy if he didn't had the balls to stand up for his opinion or asking for another approach to write music.

I'm assuming you've never been involved in any form of group decision making before.

[nikatapi]

Well the translation is accurate to a degree

Perhaps, but the real problem is that Jordan said whatever he said in English, and we do not have the transcript of that.  So Jordan's English statement was translated, and then translated from that back into English.  So, honestly, we don't really know what was said or what was meant by it.

If that is true, then MP deserves a bigger chunk of blame about the predictability of SC and BC&SL.

There is nothing blameworthy about either album.  Period.

You are absolutely right, and this was the first thing i thought when reading the interview. I will contact the site just in case they would provide us with the english transcript, if such thing exists.
In the meanwhile, i will post a translation trying to make it as accurate as possible.

[Scooterfruit]

How is any of this surprising or even remotely controversial?

This quote is straight from MP

"Hi Josh,
Actually within DT, MP does get his way everytime!
(really!)

The only time I ever felt that *I* was forced into compromising, was during that period in '96/'97"

From here: https://www.mikeportnoy.com/forum/m56.aspx

So...Jordan is merely confirming something we've known ALL ALONG. How is this even the slightest bit surprising?!?!!

[ReaPsTA]

I think it's interesting that JP's English > Greek > English interview didn't create the same degree of doubt over what he said.

[Aniland]

I applaud Rudess for his words.

[KevShmev]

well than to me that sounds like JR is a pussy if he didn't had the balls to stand up for his opinion or asking for another approach to write music.
It's not like MP is a great dicatator.....if he really was they wouldn't be able to write a single note together.
that's a real dick move right there JR!

fuck!

Get real.  Portnoy said on numerous occasions that he always got his way, usually because he would fight and argue until the others simply gave in, and when that happens enough, you simply stop fighting for your cause if you know you are always gonna lose since the guy calling the shots will not give in and will argue until he gets his way.  

And like others have said, Rudess is simply saying what everyone knows already.

[bosk1]

If that is true, then MP deserves a bigger chunk of blame about the predictability of SC and BC&SL.

There is nothing blameworthy about either album.  Period.

Isn't this highly subjective?  

No.

"Dream Theater police" is an exact phrase Rudess used in his vokle chat.  It's not a mistranslation.

well than to me that sounds like JR is a pussy if he didn't had the balls to stand up for his opinion or asking for another approach to write music.

I'm assuming you've never been involved in any form of group decision making before.

I'm just assuming, given his repeated inflammatory posting that he just doesn't understand interpersonal communications.  So I will make it clear:  TigSteak, I'm tired of your act and tired of warning you:  one more trollish or inflammatory post from you and you are gone for good.  Got it?

[ResultsMayVary]

well than to me that sounds like JR is a pussy if he didn't had the balls to stand up for his opinion or asking for another approach to write music.
It's not like MP is a great dicatator.....if he really was they wouldn't be able to write a single note together.
that's a real dick move right there JR!

fuck!

Get real.  Portnoy said on numerous occasions that he always got his way, usually because he would fight and argue until the others simply gave in, and when that happens enough, you simply stop fighting for your cause if you know you are always gonna lose since the guy calling the shots will not give in and will argue until he gets his way.  

And like others have said, Rudess is simply saying what everyone knows already.

This.

/thread

[tgstk2]

ok bad choise of words....
but why would you ever want to write music with someone who will pinch down all your idears? i dont get it.
sure there's screaming back /forth within bands opions idears a leader (ive been in bands for 20 years..so spare me your words of "wisdom").
it's always give and take within a band. but you cant be in a band for so long and being directed in everything you do....not for so many years. that will take away the total fun in making music. and JR is such a quality musicion he could find 10 different bands within 1 minute.

[ReaPsTA]

One thing about Rudess's comments that I can understand being miffed about:

Whenever Portnoy would say FII was a bad album and treat it like the red-headed step-child of the DT catalog, it was always a bit of a bummer.  While LiTS, ToT, NM, HY, and PS would be played often, the album as a whole was quasi-officially the "bad" DT album.  I never thought this was fair.  I think 8/11 of the songs are good to great in quality, so how is this not a good album?  Why am I in the wrong for liking it?  Could it have been better?  Oh yeah, no question.  The lack of Raise the Knife is borderline inexcusable, and I didn't like a couple of the edits in LiTS, but it's still a good album.  So it feels weird to have a member of the band that created it say that it's an artistic failure.

[tgstk2]

state of mind at that time maybe?
when you make music it doesn't matter what a fan thinks about it the end of the day..it's what you thikn about it.
if you have have written music, while writing you think it's the best piece/sound you have ever had.
hearing it again after 10 years you might go...wow...is that us? why did we do that..... that riff is horrible, those vocals dont fit etc etc...
and playing them live...well it's sometimes a must? if fans like it you have to play it. doesnt mean while you playing you dont think..yak not this section agin...

[Madman Shepherd]

So who is going to take bets on whether there will be a bunch of posts slagging JR on MP's facebook...and if so, will MP "like" them? 

[ReaPsTA]

state of mind at that time maybe?
when you make music it doesn't matter what a fan thinks about it the end of the day..it's what you thikn about it.
if you have have written music, while writing you think it's the best piece/sound you have ever had.
hearing it again after 10 years you might go...wow...is that us? why did we do that..... that riff is horrible, those vocals dont fit etc etc...
and playing them live...well it's sometimes a must? if fans like it you have to play it. doesnt mean while you playing you dont think..yak not this section agin...

None of what you said is necessarily wrong or untrue.  But I think it's about a broader sense of creative satisfaction.  Whatever their thoughts on the individual musical moments, I'd bet that every member of DT and MP look at SFaM very positively because it's when they rediscovered their sound and got back on their feet as a band.  On the other hand, JP, MP, JLB, and JR have all said or implied negative things about the music and/or the creative process behind BCSL.  So even when they musically like a moment about the song, how positively do they feel about it personally?  I don't actually know, but it's those kinds of things that I was talking about.  Not just whether they think the music itself was good or bad, but the context it was created in.