THEY FRIGGING LOST

[Mladen]

MP stated that the success of Pull me under was just a fluke. They weren't nowhere as lucky with their following albums. So this probably was their biggest mainstream exposure since Pull me under.

[Orion1967]

I kind of wish sometimes that the guys would write some music a little more mainstream.  Not sellout rock mind you, but some songs that are a little more radio friendly and maybe, dare I say, dumbed down to a more normal level of wankery just so they can get more mainstream recognition.  Don't misunderstand, I live ofr the Epics but maybe 3 or 4 songs that are in the 3:45 - 4:30 range v/s the albums full of 10:00+ (exaggeration for clarity's sake) songs are just not condusive to new fans/listeners and Grammy Awards.   I just hate to see bands/musicians with 1/16th the talent of the guys wind grammys year after year.

[KevShmev]

MP stated that the success of Pull me under was just a fluke. They weren't nowhere as lucky with their following albums. So this probably was their biggest mainstream exposure since Pull me under.

Fluke or not, it was still THE most mainstream exposure they have ever had.  Regular airplay on MTV at a time when videos were still king was about as good as it got back then.

[iamtheeviltwin]

I kind of wish sometimes that the guys would write some music a little more mainstream.  Not sellout rock mind you, but some songs that are a little more radio friendly and maybe, dare I say, dumbed down to a more normal level of wankery just so they can get more mainstream recognition.  Don't misunderstand, I live ofr the Epics but maybe 3 or 4 songs that are in the 3:45 - 4:30 range v/s the albums full of 10:00+ (exaggeration for clarity's sake) songs are just not condusive to new fans/listeners and Grammy Awards.   I just hate to see bands/musicians with 1/16th the talent of the guys wind grammys year after year.

There is usually at least 1 or 2 "radio friendly" or "mainstream" songs per album.  One of the things DT does pretty well, but seems to be under-appreciated by some of the fanbase, is write simpler catchy tunes.  If songs like IWBY, Forsaken, or Wither couldn't hit mainstream it has more to do with the lack of promotion and greasing the wheels of the large radio stations.  Each of those songs could easily have been a hit if released by a band with more name recognition. 

Name recognition and major studio support is far more important to radio play and mainstream exposure than any sort of quality or lack thereof  in individual tracks.  This has only gotten worse as the radio industry has contracted into a handful of major players who own most stations in a market. 

For example, in a smaller market like Wichita, KS (used to live there) there are about a half dozen country stations, another half dozen classic rock stations, a handful of "Top 40", rap, and adult contemporary (which is sounding more like classic rock by the year)...the only "hard rock" station has become a haven for 80s glam rock, 90s grunge, and the occasional nu-metal tune.  Where is a band like DT supposed to break in when the market is like that?

[BlobVanDam]

MP stated that the success of Pull me under was just a fluke. They weren't nowhere as lucky with their following albums. So this probably was their biggest mainstream exposure since Pull me under.

Fluke or not, it was still THE most mainstream exposure they have ever had.  Regular airplay on MTV at a time when videos were still king was about as good as it got back then.

True, but it doesn't negate any of MP's points about doing things on their own terms and working for acknowledgement and acceptance. IaW/Awake/FII were while they were still under influence from the record companies and producers, so obviously that's not what he was talking about.

[SnakeEyes]

Kev, unless I misunderstood you, "Another Day" was never played on MTV.  Remember on the Live in Tokyo video..... Portnoy was talking about how they expected it to be a huge hit, but MTV never picked it up, which led into his, "balls and chunk" comment. 

[KevShmev]

Kev, unless I misunderstood you, "Another Day" was never played on MTV.  Remember on the Live in Tokyo video..... Portnoy was talking about how they expected it to be a huge hit, but MTV never picked it up, which led into his, "balls and chunk" comment.

It was played on MTV.  I saw it played with own two eyes several times.  I remember seeing that part of the Live in Tokyo video back in '93 and thinking, "What is he talking about?  MTV played it."  Not as much as Pull Me Under or even Take the Time, but it was played.

[SnakeEyes]

Really?  I never saw it on MTV.... I was just going by what he said.

[King Postwhore]

Kev, unless I misunderstood you, "Another Day" was never played on MTV.  Remember on the Live in Tokyo video..... Portnoy was talking about how they expected it to be a huge hit, but MTV never picked it up, which led into his, "balls and chunk" comment.

It was played on MTV.  I saw it played with own two eyes several times.  I remember seeing that part of the Live in Tokyo video back in '93 and thinking, "What is he talking about?  MTV played it."  Not as much as Pull Me Under or even Take the Time, but it was played.

Yeah they played the crap out of PMU.  Take the time got some airplay and I saw Another Day a few times.

[KevShmev]

The full interview:

https://legacy.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=170773

As usual, Portnoy comes off well in 90% of the interview, but as always has to get in a comment or two that makes you .

[OsMosis2259]

The full interview:

https://legacy.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=170773

As usual, Portnoy comes off well in 90% of the interview, but as always has to get in a comment or two that makes you .

[KevShmev]

Problem?

[Pinga]

Am I the only one who feels extremely uncomfortable by what Mike says there? He is, basically, refusing to acknowledge any kind of merit to DT's achievement if the Grammy nod is exclusively about the song and not about their career. It is also rather curious that he says how, in the old days, band break-ups occurred behind the scenes, but now, with all the social networking, they do not. He blames all of that for the bad rep he has received...yet, the DT guys came out of the whole ordeal looking very classy and tactful, and with their good reputations pretty much intact. Does he not realize he brought all that negativity into himself. Is he really that blissfully unaware?

[bosk1]

Yeah they played the crap out of PMU.  Take the time got some airplay and I saw Another Day a few times.

They didn't "play the crap" out of anything from I&W.  Considering where metal was going in '92 and considering it was a long song, it definitely got decent play.  But it's not like it was considered a major hit and played all the time.  Far from it.  And, yeah, Portnoy is correct about Another Day as well.  It's not that they didn't play it at all.  They did.  But it got very little play, which was very different from what the band were expecting.  I think Portnoy was actually pretty dead on with his comments.

Does he not realize he brought all that negativity into himself. Is he really that blissfully unaware?

  Of course he is.  This is new to you?

[Pinga]

Heh, not at all. But, I guess my post was just me faintly hoping that he would stop being that way.

[King Postwhore]

Yeah they played the crap out of PMU.  Take the time got some airplay and I saw Another Day a few times.

They didn't "play the crap" out of anything from I&W.  Considering where metal was going in '92 and considering it was a long song, it definitely got decent play.  But it's not like it was considered a major hit and played all the time.  Far from it.  And, yeah, Portnoy is correct about Another Day as well.  It's not that they didn't play it at all.  They did.  But it got very little play, which was very different from what the band were expecting.  I think Portnoy was actually pretty dead on with his comments.

Does he not realize he brought all that negativity into himself. Is he really that blissfully unaware?

  Of course he is.  This is new to you?

Au contraire bosk1!!  It was in a very good rotation in the day time too. It wasn't played just on the Headbangers Ball.

[bosk1]

Au contraire bosk1!!  It was in a very good rotation in the day time too. It wasn't played just on the Headbangers Ball.

  I never said it didn't get rotation in the day time too.  I'm confused. 

[BlobVanDam]

Seemed like a pretty good interview to me overall.

[Jamariquay]

Yes, Mike Portnoy. On The Backs Of Angels from A Dramatic Turn Of Events being nominated for a Grammy had nothing whatsoever to do with On The Backs Of Angels, or A Dramatic Turn Of Events.

Excuse me, "that particular song," and "the new album."

[King Postwhore]

Au contraire bosk1!!  It was in a very good rotation in the day time too. It wasn't played just on the Headbangers Ball.

  I never said it didn't get rotation in the day time too.  I'm confused.

Me too!

I get you.  we're not talking Madonna/Prince amount of plays but I did see it a few times a day for a while so it got decent airplay for a metal song.

[DarkLord_Lalinc]

Why are people impressed of MP being not 100% positive about Dream Theater?

[SystematicThought]

The full interview:

https://legacy.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=170773

As usual, Portnoy comes off well in 90% of the interview, but as always has to get in a comment or two that makes you .

He cannot use Rush as an example of a band that took a break. The break wasn't planned, it was due to a very heartbreaking situation. I don't think it's a good example to use in terms of what MP was trying to convey

[KevShmev]

The full interview:

https://legacy.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=170773

As usual, Portnoy comes off well in 90% of the interview, but as always has to get in a comment or two that makes you .

He cannot use Rush as an example of a band that took a break. The break wasn't planned, it was due to a very heartbreaking situation. I don't think it's a good example to use in terms of what MP was trying to convey

Agreed.  Rush had done 22 years of recording, touring, taking a few months off, rinse, lather, repeat, and their hiatus only happened because of the deaths of Neil Peart's daughter and wife.  In short, they did not take a break; they were a non-self-imposed hiatus.  Very bad example. 

[BlobVanDam]

Lucky he mentioned other examples then. He mentioned long running bands that had had down time, he didn't say they had all chosen to take time off for the exact reason he wanted to take time off with DT.

[Ben_Jamin]

Why are people impressed of MP being not 100% positive about Dream Theater?

I feel the same way. So what if he wants to speak his mind, that's good, even if he says things that are taken the wrong way. personally I feel it wasn't Ax7 that did him in but all the projects he was doing, DT got stale for him and he found a new energy with his projects, hell even with him being out of DT he still is churning out project after project which all show how diverse he is musically.

Also, the drama is one reason, if I am in a big-ish band, would have fun with fans meaning doing things just to mess with them, like releasing an album that's prog Then release something completely opposite since music is music and musicians shouldn't be bounded to a single genre or style

[KevShmev]

All of the projects he plays in fall under the category of rock or metal, so it's not like he is going from rock to electronica to jazz.  Now, THAT would be diverse.

And while he did mention other bands, too, Blob, the Rush example is still a very poor one.  That is all we were saying.

[BlobVanDam]

And while he did mention other bands, too, Blob, the Rush example is still a very poor one.  That is all we were saying.

Oh I entirely agree it wasn't a good example.
I think he was just giving a bunch of older bands off the top of his head who had had breaks and come back just as strong, just to support that it may not have hurt DT to do the same. As an example of bands choosing to take time off though, yeah, terrible.

[Ben_Jamin]

I read the full interview and see nothing bad with what he said. Of course people will analyze every word he says like its poetry, but the man isn't afraid to say what he thinks and thats good and bad. What that interview said to me is He got tired of doing everything within DT land, yet at the same time was losing connection with the other guys. What he needed to do was take a break from himself, and let the others do some of that work or sacrifice those duties like Dvd production/fan clubs. Now since he doesn't have all that to worry about anymore, which is what the legalities were about at least to me, he has free reign to do whatever and that benefits himself. In the end it was a good thing, not to sound negative, that MP left DT.

[Ħ]

MP said nothing unreasonable. He said that a Grammy nomination is a career accomplishment and implied it wasn't a musical one, and that he tips his hat to DT for it. I don't disagree with him at all.

[Dublagent66]

Ok people. I think the is dead.

[Gorille85]

I kind of wish sometimes that the guys would write some music a little more mainstream.  Not sellout rock mind you, but some songs that are a little more radio friendly and maybe, dare I say, dumbed down to a more normal level of wankery just so they can get more mainstream recognition.  Don't misunderstand, I live ofr the Epics but maybe 3 or 4 songs that are in the 3:45 - 4:30 range v/s the albums full of 10:00+ (exaggeration for clarity's sake) songs are just not condusive to new fans/listeners and Grammy Awards.   I just hate to see bands/musicians with 1/16th the talent of the guys wind grammys year after year.

LOL

[Ravenheart]

This is still going on?

[King Postwhore]

When I think of this title all I can think of is this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGZ1nK4mOuw

[Sigz]

This is still going on?

[Zydar]

This is still going on?