Jordan Rudess Interview by Rock Your Life 22 August 2011

[bosk1]

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.

I totally get where Mike is coming from on that, actually, even though I disagree and think it is a great album.  Well, actually, I don't know if "disagree" is the right word, because I think you are overstating Mike's opinion on the album as well.  I know he likes a lot of the songs.  It's just that he feels that an outsider violated the band's artistic integrity by pushing them to do things that he didn't feel they should do, and he also felt a bit betrayed that a member of the band didn't back him and backed the label.  That colors his opinion of the album, and I get that.  But I don't think that should stop ANY fan's enjoyment of the album, and I don't think Mike expects that either.  Him viewing the album as a whole and some of its parts as a violation of his artistic integrity certainly doesn't seem to stop him from recognizing a lot of what is good about the album, since it has been pretty well represented in every set that HE put together since the time FII came out, so take that for what it's worth.

[Millais]

hate this interviewer. could have a rant about it but it's probably best if i don't - why does he keep pressing JR about MP? those questions have been asked too many times already, i don't want to hear about the past anymore, i just wanna hear about the future of DT! grr

EDIT: DT seriously has not gone down since SFAM?! bloody interviewer. they've just progressed and released many more excellent albums, in a different style i suppose. how can the interviewer be so ignorant to ask JR about that?!

[ReaPsTA]

I totally get where Mike is coming from on that, actually, even though I disagree and think it is a great album.  Well, actually, I don't know if "disagree" is the right word, because I think you are overstating Mike's opinion on the album as well.

I don't think that's unfair to say.

I know he likes a lot of the songs.  It's just that he feels that an outsider violated the band's artistic integrity by pushing them to do things that he didn't feel they should do, and he also felt a bit betrayed that a member of the band didn't back him and backed the label.  That colors his opinion of the album, and I get that.  But I don't think that should stop ANY fan's enjoyment of the album, and I don't think Mike expects that either.  Him viewing the album as a whole and some of its parts as a violation of his artistic integrity certainly doesn't seem to stop him from recognizing a lot of what is good about the album, since it has been pretty well represented in every set that HE put together since the time FII came out, so take that for what it's worth.

I agree with all of this.

What I was getting at though is that a lot of unkind energy has been put out there about BCSL by JLB/MP/JR/JP, and I can understand people who like the album finding that unfair.  I don't know if this is how you feel specifically, but it's a thought I had.

[Samsara]

I totally get where Mike is coming from on that, actually, even though I disagree and think it is a great album.  Well, actually, I don't know if "disagree" is the right word, because I think you are overstating Mike's opinion on the album as well.  I know he likes a lot of the songs.  It's just that he feels that an outsider violated the band's artistic integrity by pushing them to do things that he didn't feel they should do, and he also felt a bit betrayed that a member of the band didn't back him and backed the label.  That colors his opinion of the album, and I get that.  But I don't think that should stop ANY fan's enjoyment of the album, and I don't think Mike expects that either.  Him viewing the album as a whole and some of its parts as a violation of his artistic integrity certainly doesn't seem to stop him from recognizing a lot of what is good about the album, since it has been pretty well represented in every set that HE put together since the time FII came out, so take that for what it's worth.

I agree with you bosk1, that MP feels the way he does about FII because of the work with an outsider and the fact that he received no backing from any of the rest of the guys in the band in regard to supporting him.

But if no one in the band agreed with Portnoy, perhaps it was Portnoy who should have re-evaluated his stance. Instead, MP threatened to leave the band, and agreed to stay only if things were done his way. Fast forward 13 years for Act 2 of that show, and how it played out.  

MP has indeed spoken highly of the elements he likes most in FII, but in all fairness, his constant complaint about aspects of it has hurt Falling Into Infinity's respect and acceptance among fans. I despise outside writers as well, but one listen to the demos and one listen to the final product, and some of those decisions in this fan's opinions, were the right ones. Not all, but some.

But again, MP's constant knock of the record has colored fan opinion. I said that once before, and got completely slammed for it on here (probably a few years ago now). A lot of pissing and moaning how I ASSume people can't think for themselves...but I'm not saying that at all.

What I am saying is that if a band member a majority of the fan base respects says something with authority about something, most people tend to gravitate toward that. That doesn't always mean its entirely true and music is art, so even with an artist's opinion of his/her own work, that's still subjective.

But we're all human (except you, bosk1 ), and at times, all of us are guilty of taking something as Gospel, or allowing an authority figure's opinion to color our views. It's only human, and in the case of FII, in my opinion, MP's yappin' about the record has somewhat maligned it somewhat for the last 14 years.

[m0hawk]

Not entirely sure why you guys would consider JR's words too harsh. He seems to respect MP enough to not insult him, highlighting in a polite way what he could and couldn't do. Calling him the "Dream Theater Police" would only be considered an insult to those who are unaware of how DT was run under MP's leadership. It's quite a fair assessment of his style, and is certainly not as insulting as fans calling Portnoy a "cancer" to the band.

[Jamesman42]

Though the translation is probably flawed from what nika said, I think MP would love being called the DT policeman.

[ReaPsTA]

But if no one in the band agreed with Portnoy, perhaps it was Portnoy who should have re-evaluated his stance. Instead, MP threatened to leave the band, and agreed to stay only if things were done his way. Fast forward 13 years for Act 2 of that show, and how it played out.  

In fairness to MP, he was absolutely unequivocably 100% right about DT needing to regain full creative control.  Even before he maligned it on the internet, based on everything I've heard from people who were DT fans at the time the album DID NOT go over well.  If they had kept going in that direction they would have withered into obscurity.

[j]

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.

Lol?

While keeping in mind that this is a re-re-translation, the quote from Rudess is not a surprise, nor does it sound particularly "dickish" as some have said.  I thought it was common knowledge by now that Portnoy was basically in complete control while he was in the band.

-J

[nikatapi]

Οk so here it is, my attemt to an as accurate as possible translation for this interesting interview (sorry for any mistakes that inevitably exist):


Welcome to Greece Jordan. How are you?
Very good, thank you. I went for a walk in Plaka this morning and I bought one of your traditional musical instruments, called Baglama.

Really? What did you think of it?
I loved it. Very unique and powerfull sound. I was impressed.

The truth is I was impressed too, with your new album. I listened to it last week.
Really? You are one of the first lucky ones as our record company sent it to a few chosen people to get a first taste.

Yeah, I heard. I think this is a very pleasant surprise. I found "A Dramatic Turn Of Events" much more creative than your last albums.
So the reaction is positive, I would like to believe.

Definitely. I think this might be your best work since "Scenes From A Memory".
Nice, and did any of the tracks stand out for you?

"Breaking All Illusions". It is amazing. It has all the elements Dream Theater fans love.
I'm very glad to hear that.

Let's move on to the difficult stuff now. Now that Mike Portnoy is not a member of the band anymore, do you feel like you have more creative freedom?
Mike was a very good friend of mine. We have shared a lot all these years and I consider him a very open minded person. Dream Theater own a lot to Mike regarding the sound we have today. But what really opened the exit gate to Mike was our new approach to our music. What we wanted to do – and it was the opinion of John Petrucci who did the production-  is to take more things from ourselves as musicians. For example, keyboards could have more space in Dream Theater music.
Actually, we wanted to make our roles more vital. Especially for me this approach was very important, as I believe that in many of the previous Dream Theater albums, keyboards could have a more significant role. For example, in the past when we had a good and heavy riff we would double it on the keyboards. Now, we feel more creative and we left behind those "phobias", if I can call them like that, giving more emphasis to the harmonies. I'm a composer and I want to use this quality more, and now I have the chance to do so. Our whole experience from both the composition and from the production and mixing of "A Dramatic Turn Of Events", vindicates our belief.   

As I already told you my favorite track from the album is "Breaking All Illusions". "Outcry" and "Lost Not Forgotten" also stood out to me. I think those three tracks have the best elements from both Dream Theater and Liquid Tension Experiment. Do you agree with this observation, or do you think this opens a new era for the band?
For "A Dramatic Turn Of Events" we indeed "went back" and kept several of the Dream Theater elements we and our fans like so much. But we had a goal as we knew where we wanted to go, what we wanted to do and how to achive it. So I don't think we moved blindly as our new songs have a clear direction.
Moreover, as you may have found out, we left out some other Dream Theater elements that existed in the recent past of the band. Some modern and extreme metal elements like the brutal vocals and Mike's grunts are missing from the new album. Especially now that Mike Portnoy isn't a member of the group those elements do not represent any of us in the band.

In the recent years, every album has a more commercial track, which also is released as a single, sometimes with a video clip as well. Something like that has happened with "Wither", "These Walls" and "Forsaken", and you did something similar in "A Dramatic Turn Of Events" with "Build Me Up, Break Me Down". Is this planned every time you enter the studio?
We know that the record companies like more radio friendly songs so in the back of our minds there is always the thought to compose such songs. However, we like those melodies so it is something we would do anyway. Many times we come to the studio with many easy-listening melodies.

Let's talk about the production of the new album. In the past it was handled in common by Mike Portnoy and John Petrucci. Now that Mike is not in the band –and despite the fact that you had the opportunity to hire an outside producer- you didn't. Please comment on this choice.
When we finished recording John came in and told us that he wanted to handle the production as he thought that he would do a good job. Everyone in the band agreed and we said that since it is a new era for the band, lets let him do it. As you saw he has done an amazing job.
John has a very strong personality, he knows exactly what he wants to do and at the same time he is a very capable person. His musical abilities and knowledge were what brought the best out of everyone. He also collaborated really well with Mike Mangini as well with John Myung who has been more open since the departure of Mike Portnoy, who despite his talent –being a drummer- had some particular capabilities in the way he handled guitars and keyboards. With John handling the production we felt that we don't need someone to tell us what is good and what is not since we had the most appropriate person to do this.
I think we all enjoyed this challenge and we sat all together, wrote the music and decided mutually what we should keep and what not, without Mike Portnoy deciding by himself about what we should do and what we shouldn't do, acting many times as the "Dream Theater Police officer".

Do you think that Mike Mangini's approach to playing will add value to the new Dream Theater songs?
The truth is that when we wrote "A Dramatic Turn Of Events", Mike Mangini was not in the band. He came a little after that when we had already decided that we didn't want at that point something new in our way of composing. However, I have to say that from the first moments Mike won us with his personality and also with his playing. I would dare to say that the way he approaches his instrument and music reminds me a lot of John Petrucci and John Myung. He constantly tries new things which is inspiring for all of us. He is a real professional and professor.

You know Jordan, many fans claim that after this album Mike Portnoy will return to the band...
Yes I have heard this but I don't agree with it and it is not a nice thing to be circulating. Everyone in the band is perfectly happy with our current lineup.

So is this the best lineup of Dream Theater ever?
Like I said... We are all very pleased with the current lineup. I think that many things are better in the band now.

So how difficult it was to keep all this drummer search procedure secret?
I dare to say this was the toughest period for Dream Theater. When Mike Portnoy finally announced to us that he would leave the band we were all shocked. It took us a lot of time until we recovered from this, however we sat down and decided to continue making music.
Our next step was to find the man who would replace Mike and this was even harder to keep secret because we wanted to share this experience with the release of the documentary with the whole drummer audition procedure.

Which documentary by the way is great...
There was the real difficulty for us as we were always under pressure to reveal the name of our new drummer. We however believe that our fans understood our denial to reveal from the beginning the name of Mike Mangini.

Many of your fans believe that Marco Minneman was the best suited to be the drummer of the band, mainly because of his progressive rock/metal background. He was also from the beginning one of the undeniable runner-ups along with Mike Mangini. What was the thing that made you make your choice?
First of all I have to say that I admire Marco as a musician. What also has to be made clear is that It wasn't  a contest for the best drummer.
The drummer position in Dream Theater was a big professional opportunity and we had to take many things into consideration. Age, if you are married or not, personality, these are all very important factors to consider if someone is suited or not for this position.
Mike Mangini came early in the morning, he played all the songs perfectly without missing even a little and mostly without being annoyed with our managers and technicians who reasonably had a critical look. But there is also something else. Mike showed to us that he really wanted the job and that he is the perfect guy for the position. He is a man who has achieved a lot regarding his career and he showed us that he really wanted to be the next drummer of Dream Theater, make albums and tour with us. The truth is that his energy really won us all.
On the other hand, Marco Minneman was musically mindblowing but he had a more "light" approach comparing to what we were looking for. I believe that from the seven people who we initially chose for the auditions, many of them had the talent to replace Portnoy but as I said earlier we had to take other factors into consideration as well.

You know, I think that Rod Morgenstein would also be a good choice although he wasn't even one of the seven you invited to audition.   
Again it was a matter of choices and if the candidate could devote his career in Dream Theater.

You told me before that now that Mike Portnoy left the band many things are better. Do you think that Dream Theater lost something more than a good friend and an excellent musician?
Mike had taken most of the responsibilities in the band, to a point where the rest of us felt a bit uncomfortable. He would talk with the technicians, with the managers, he would arrange everything in the merchandise section of the band and in general he had the complete control.
After his departure all these responsibilities were divided to all the rest of us. Someone took over the commercial part, another one had to take over our show production and someone else had to talk with the producers and managers. Mike Portnoy's departure marked a significant shift in the organizational chart of Dream Theater and we all took some time so we would make an appropriate division of responsibilities and duties.

Do you think you lost something more in relation to the music?
As I already said before Mike has left his mark in the band. He was there from the beginning and he essentially shaped the group's personality. But I think the rest of us can do some great things with Dream Theater.

In the recent years many of your fans believe that the band is in a downfall, especially after "Scenes From A Memory". How do you explain that?
When "Scenes From A Memory " was out it marked a new beginning for the band. Something similar happened with "Images And Words" but "Scenes From A Memory" literally transformed Dream Theater's career. I would like to believe that "A Dramatic Turn Of Events" will be another remarkable point in our career.

Did you ever believe after Mike's departure that the end of Dream Theater was near?
(I couldn't understand the first sentence, interviewer sucks a bit lol)We never even considered this was the end for Dream Theater. The only person in the group that seemed unhappy was Mike. I remember that when he came and asked for a five year hiatus we all looked at him wondering "What? What are you saying?" When he told us that he didn't have a good time with us anymore we understood he needed a change.  But this never had anything to do with the future of Dream Theater and we never considered that the end of us as a band was approaching.

In your last albums there were some influences from bands like Metallica and Muse. How beneficial do you think this obsession of Mike's was for the band, considering he was the one who brought all these influences into the band?
The truth is that Mike was thinking a lot like this. Me and the rest of the guys in the band  had a different point of view. The easy thing is to try to copy Metallica. This is the reason I consider our new album something special since we used all our creative freedom in the creation of the album.

Have you recently talked with Mike?
The truth is I haven't. I tried to keep in touch with him but unfortunately it wasn't possible. I sent him a card for his birthday and sent his some emails but he never responded.
I think he just needs some time and space after all those things that happened. After all he is very busy with his new project with which he is planning to release an album and he is also preparing a tour. Something which is also happening with us.
It's a shame though after so many years of friendship and collaboration in Dream Theater and Liquid Tension Experiment to have a relationship broken like that.

I think the whole situation eventually returned like a boomerang to Mike.
It was a strange situation. Think that after a little while he asked to return to the group. I never understood this...
What I felt is that Mike that different thing he wanted with Avenged Sevenfold and it ended up that it wasn't for him. So he returned and asked to rejoin the band. For us this was impossible. We had taken our way and we already had a new drummer. This whole thing was in fact therapeutic for what had happened to us.

We reached the end. Thank you so much for the interview and the interesting things you told us tonight.
Thank you. Be well.

[ReaperKK]

Interesting interview, I think there was too much attention on the MP tho, I'd like to hear more about the new album.

[Adami]

Interesting interview, I think there was too much attention on the MP tho, I'd like to hear more about the new album.

I agree they need to stop bringing up MP, but what are they supposed to ask about the new album?

"So how's the new album?"
"It's really good"

They won't go into a whole lot of detail. They have already stated multiple times how it was written, that it was written very freely and yaddah yaddah yaddah. Not sure what else they can really say about it without going into details that they clearly don't want to until it's released.

[ReaperKK]

Interesting interview, I think there was too much attention on the MP tho, I'd like to hear more about the new album.

I agree they need to stop bringing up MP, but what are they supposed to ask about the new album?

"So how's the new album?"
"It's really good"

They won't go into a whole lot of detail. They have already stated multiple times how it was written, that it was written very freely and yaddah yaddah yaddah. Not sure what else they can really say about it without going into details that they clearly don't want to until it's released.

Yea I thought the same thing after making that post.

Hrmmm, maybe he should talk about gear although I've heard more about samplewiz than I ever care to hear again.

[fibreoptix]

Interesting interview, thanks very much for the translation.

Funny thing, though. This is the first mention I've personally seen of the band possibly being uncomfortable with Mike's level of dominance over the proceedings. Anything said prior suggested that they were happy for Mike to stay in control.

[ytserush]

I agree with you bosk1, that MP feels the way he does about FII because of the work with an outsider and the fact that he received no backing from any of the rest of the guys in the band in regard to supporting him.

But if no one in the band agreed with Portnoy, perhaps it was Portnoy who should have re-evaluated his stance. Instead, MP threatened to leave the band, and agreed to stay only if things were done his way. Fast forward 13 years for Act 2 of that show, and how it played out.  

MP has indeed spoken highly of the elements he likes most in FII, but in all fairness, his constant complaint about aspects of it has hurt Falling Into Infinity's respect and acceptance among fans. I despise outside writers as well, but one listen to the demos and one listen to the final product, and some of those decisions in this fan's opinions, were the right ones. Not all, but some.

But again, MP's constant knock of the record has colored fan opinion. I said that once before, and got completely slammed for it on here (probably a few years ago now). A lot of pissing and moaning how I ASSume people can't think for themselves...but I'm not saying that at all.

What I am saying is that if a band member a majority of the fan base respects says something with authority about something, most people tend to gravitate toward that. That doesn't always mean its entirely true and music is art, so even with an artist's opinion of his/her own work, that's still subjective.

But we're all human (except you, bosk1 ), and at times, all of us are guilty of taking something as Gospel, or allowing an authority figure's opinion to color our views. It's only human, and in the case of FII, in my opinion, MP's yappin' about the record has somewhat maligned it somewhat for the last 14 years.

A few things:

I don't think you can compare Mike almost leaving the band 14 years to last year when he actually did it.

The band was still learning their way back then and had a lot of pressure put on by the label (back when labels had that kind of power to apply pressure to a band like Dream Theater). Today, the band is much more mature and experienced (as a band and as individuals) and able to survive that kind of hit.

Also, 14 years ago Portnoy was an admitted raging alcoholic, but even then refused to give up the dream (pun not intended). I think the cirucmstances in each case are different.

I didn't really like Falling Into Infinity much when it came out. I remember the band (even Portnoy) on the defensive about it and not really understanding why fans were being critical of it.  It wasn't until Derek left (YES!) that I really began to appreciate it  (Except for Anna Lee, I mostly enjoy everything else). I think Kevin Shirley did a nice job with it too.




Oh...Back on topic.

It's Blabbermouth. I never even know what goes on there there unless someone mentions them here or on a few other sites I frequent.

[Kotowboy]

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? 

He'll *LOVE* them

[OsMosis2259]

Interesting interview, I think there was too much attention on the MP tho, I'd like to hear more about the new album.

[j]

Thanks for the translation. That was an interesting read.

-J

[SystematicThought]

What's kind of odd is how MP has been saying none of the guys will respond to him when he calls or anything like that. He gets their lawyers. In this interview though, JR basically says that he's reached out to Mike, but MP never responds.

[Evo]

Thanks so much nikatapi!

[FracturedMirror]

As I already told you my favorite track from the album is "Breaking All Illusions". "Outcry" and "Lost Not Forgotten" also stood out to me. I think those three tracks have the best elements from both Dream Theater and Liquid Tension Experiment. Do you agree with this observation, or do you think this opens a new era for the band?
For "A Dramatic Turn Of Events" we indeed "went back" and kept several of the Dream Theater elements we and our fans like so much. But we had a goal as we knew where we wanted to go, what we wanted to do and how to achive it. So I don't think we moved blindly as our new songs have a clear direction.
Moreover, as you may have found out, we left out some other Dream Theater elements that existed in the recent past of the band. Some modern and extreme metal elements like the brutal vocals and Mike's grunts are missing from the new album. Especially now that Mike Portnoy isn't a member of the group those elements do not represent any of us in the band.

Kind of an odd statement, in my opinion.  LaBrie's last solo project had brutal deathcore vocals all over it, so that style must represent him.

Nothing against Rudess, he's a great keyboardist and all, but something about his comments rubs me the wrong way.  It's kind of like if Tommy Thayer was complaining about Simmons and Stanley controlling how Kiss works, you know?  Most of the time replacement band members don't have as much say-so and control as the originals.  Or at least it's always seemed that way to me.

[ReaPsTA]

Kind of an odd statement, in my opinion.  LaBrie's last solo project had brutal deathcore vocals all over it, so that style must represent him.

This is fair to say.  Maybe in the context of DT though LaBrie isn't interested in having those kinds of things.  As a person, LaBrie seems more concerned about how much he's artistically contributing to a record more than any specific thing.  On this album, even though only only wrote lyrics to one song (the shortest one at that), he seems very pleased with what he was able to do on the record because he recorded by himself in Canada and had significant input into the melodies.  On Static Impulse, he's still writing over half the lyrics, the vocal melodies, and a lot of the songs, so another vocalist making cameos here and there probably doesn't bother him.  But when he's in a band with four other guys making a splash, not doing all the vocals might feel like a loss of territory.

Nothing against Rudess, he's a great keyboardist and all, but something about his comments rubs me the wrong way.  It's kind of like if Tommy Thayer was complaining about Simmons and Stanley controlling how Kiss works, you know?  Most of the time replacement band members don't have as much say-so and control as the originals.  Or at least it's always seemed that way to me.

Rudess wasn't a replacement band member.  He was a crucial part of saving Dream Theater and became its third most important member pretty much immediately.  Even though Rudess uses stylistic elements contributed by KM and DS, he's the "definitive" DT keyboardist.  He's not just the third in a succession of guys.

[Scooterfruit]

@ FracturedMirror

First off, Jordan has been in DT longer than any other keyboard player, so he's not a "replacement member." He is the keyboard player and 1 of 2 main composers for the band.

Secondly, while James' album does have some screams and stuff on them, they're not done by him and he's never done that in DT. Also, I believe that with Static Impulse, they were sort of pushed to call it a "James LaBrie" album because that name carries more weight. But James said all along that it was very much a collaborative effort between him and Marco. Plus the music is much different than what is done in DT. So no, I wouldn't say it represents him at all.

[ReaPsTA]

On the other hand, Marco Minneman was musically mindblowing but he had a more "light" approach comparing to what we were looking for.

Interesting, because I felt pretty much the same way.

[tofee35]

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.

As a drummer who was very involved in songwiting, it's probably the only way he could help write the music beyond his drum tracks. It makes sense that he would have that role. Usually somebody will take on making the big decisions in band. Since he was that guy, it makes sense that the dynamic will be totally different. It will be interesting to see how this album is different from BC&SL (an album I really like).

[ReaPsTA]

This is the second Greek interviewer who asked really probing questions.  Is this a cultural thing?  I don't mind it, I think it makes the interviewer more interesting, just curious as to why.

[darkshade]

It will be interesting to see how this album is different from BC&SL (an album I really like).

Agreed

[Jamesman42]

Wow, I like how JR isn't afraid to say things about MP, even if they sound a bit rough. Nice!

[The Dark Master]

MP has indeed spoken highly of the elements he likes most in FII, but in all fairness, his constant complaint about aspects of it has hurt Falling Into Infinity's respect and acceptance among fans. I despise outside writers as well, but one listen to the demos and one listen to the final product, and some of those decisions in this fan's opinions, were the right ones. Not all, but some.

Totally agreed on this.  When the album came out, I recall most of the Dream Theater fans were eccstatic about it.  Was it I&W or Awake?   No, but still a damn good album, and the simple fact that Portnoy would include many songs from it in their setlists on a regular basis proves that he recognizes much of the record as truly classic DT material.   Years after the album came out, though, Mike started badmouthing it and complaining about how it was supposed to be so much more and it was a violation of the band's integrity, etc, etc.  All of a sudden, amongst the fans, it became uncool to speak highly of FII, and it was in vouge to hate on it at every given opportunity, even at concerts (some fans actually booed when the album cover was shown in the opening film on the Train of Thought tour.)  I find it more then a little hypocritical that Mike complains a bit on the commentary on the 5 Years in a LIVEtime DVD about the fans not giving the album a fair chance when he himself trashes it at every turn, even in the same commentary!

As for the quality of the record itself, yes, many of the tracks should have stayed in their original form, but honestly, up until I had heard the demos, the only songs I actually took issue with were You Not Me and Take Away My Pain.  Granted, I wish they had not edited Lines in the Sand, but they did make some pretty cool changes in the final version that I prefer to the original, not to mention re-arranging and splitting up Burning My Soul/Hell's Kitchen was a VAST improvement over the demo, which sounded like 2 songs mashed together anyways.  Frankly, I don't have a problem with anything on the album aside from YNM and TAMP, and as a whole, I still consider it to be a great record.

And yea, Jordan may have been a bit too blunt by calling MP the "Dream Theater Police" but I don't really take any issue with it because 1) it's something we already knew anyways, and 2) MP has made comments about other DT members, both past and present, that makes anything Jordan says about him in that interview look like polite conversation by comparison.

[ReaPsTA]

BTW, Thank you nikatapi for the translation!

[FallTempest]

MP has indeed spoken highly of the elements he likes most in FII, but in all fairness, his constant complaint about aspects of it has hurt Falling Into Infinity's respect and acceptance among fans. I despise outside writers as well, but one listen to the demos and one listen to the final product, and some of those decisions in this fan's opinions, were the right ones. Not all, but some.

And yea, Jordan may have been a bit too blunt by calling MP the "Dream Theater Police" but I don't really take any issue with it because 1) it's something we already knew anyways, and 2) MP has made comments about other DT members, both past and present, that makes anything Jordan says about him in that interview look like polite conversation by comparison.

MP called them his wives..  JR calling him a police officer hardly seems like a stab to me personally!

[snapple]

Good read. Jordan really is a cool guy.

[wammabe]

Am I the only one here that feels like we've seen these interview over and over again with different band members? -.-

[Perpetual Change]

Looks like Mike leaving worked out for the best, then. JR and the band are doing better than ever, having shook off a lot of Mike's influences (which were the most unpopular with the fans anyway), and Mike's doing his Adrenaline Mob thing.

[hefdaddy42]

Great read.  Great interview.  It really confirms some things that I've suspected for some time.

I can't wait for this album to drop.

[Dream Team]

This discussion has been had SO many times, but anyway I'll chime in again and say that I never needed MP to tell me that YNM, HY, BMS, JLMB, and AL were far below the standards set on DT's first 3 albums. It's an obvious large drop in quality to my ears.