DT celebrates Images And Words Live

[IdoSC]

Am I hearing a different recording? James sounds pretty off on any of the high notes.


Also shocking, Mangini blew off all of the hi hat stuff.

I don't know about the other guys here, but when I say it was a good performance I take other performances from 2000, 2004 or 2007 as a reference for comparison. Not the early performances or the studio version.

Compared to many of these performances, it's either much better than or on par with them.

[NickySpanjaards]

I think it's one of his best performances since his vocal rupture. The only thing I don't like is that he is trying to experiment too much with his voice on the very high notes, such as the 2 times DAAAYY, to see if he could nail it or not or that sort of thing.

[Implode]

I listened to all the live recordings of Another Day I had today, and I realized that James sang it a few days ago better than he did in some performances back in 1993. Awesome job, JLB.

[FallTempest]

I'd say he did a slightly better job a few days ago than he did 13 years ago.. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BzBdALjpS8c

[Jamariquay]

Just watched the video. The whole time I was thinking, "John Petrucci wrote this song for the purpose of killing James LaBrie."

[TheGreatPretender]

The funny thing is, in that video, LaBrie's voice is all out of whack, and he's having such a hard time with it that you can see by his expression that he's struggling, and it's actually making his performance seem more genuine and emotional.

[Madman Shepherd]

I'm perfectly content with him not hitting all of the notes or performing it 100% the way it was on I&W as long as they dont start pulling some shit like tuning the songs down 3 steps to accommodate him like Ozzy has to do.  Performance was pretty badass.

Yeah, it was one of the sadder parts of watching Ronnie James Dio performing Holy Diver or Heaven and Hell in his later years.

Dio only tuned down one step though...that didn't bother me that much.  Of course, he was 67 and had stomach cancer which further limited him but even then the dude still sounded damn good!

[TheGreatPretender]

Dio only tuned down one step though...that didn't bother me that much.  Of course, he was 67 and had stomach cancer which further limited him but even then the dude still sounded damn good!

Huh... Weird. I don't know why I thought it sounded so significantly lower.

[FallTempest]

The funny thing is, in that video, LaBrie's voice is all out of whack, and he's having such a hard time with it that you can see by his expression that he's struggling, and it's actually making his performance seem more genuine and emotional.

I agree! And he finally decides he'll end the madness with a mindblowing high note.

[MoraWintersoul]

About the performance itself, I didn't like it all too much, but it was okay.

[1neeto]

He hit SOME notes on the bridge which are the highest, but the rest of the song was typical JLB mediocre flat singing. And I'm seriously disgusted at how MM just completely blew off the cool MP hihat work, which IMO really adds to the song. I'll take the benefit of the doubt and maybe they had an overnight rehearsal of the song and MM just winged it.

And jeezuz, JP looks like the incredible hulk wielding a guitar!!

[DebraKadabra]

About the performance itself, I didn't like it all too much, but it was okay.

You had to be there, apparently.

[MoraWintersoul]

You had to be there, apparently.

Probably; I wish I were there, definitely.

[Tomislav95]

I like JLB's performance very very much.

[jonny108]

I'd say he did a slightly better job a few days ago than he did 13 years ago.. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BzBdALjpS8c

Slightly? I'd say it was a major improvement.  Crikey!

[ResultsMayVary]

He hit SOME notes on the bridge which are the highest, but the rest of the song was typical JLB mediocre flat singing. And I'm seriously disgusted at how MM just completely blew off the cool MP hihat work, which IMO really adds to the song. I'll take the benefit of the doubt and maybe they had an overnight rehearsal of the song and MM just winged it.

And jeezuz, JP looks like the incredible hulk wielding a guitar!!

Seriously disgusted? Come on, man. Its just one part of a song. Don't get so worked up over it. He is a member of the band and is allowed to change up the songs to his liking. The band seemed to like it that way since they performed the song live. Take a chill pill. 

[bosk1]

He hit SOME notes on the bridge which are the highest, but the rest of the song was typical JLB mediocre flat singing. And I'm seriously disgusted at how MM just completely blew off the cool MP hihat work, which IMO really adds to the song. I'll take the benefit of the doubt and maybe they had an overnight rehearsal of the song and MM just winged it.

And jeezuz, JP looks like the incredible hulk wielding a guitar!!

Seriously disgusted? Come on, man. Its just one part of a song. Don't get so worked up over it. He is a member of the band and is allowed to change up the songs to his liking. The band seemed to like it that way since they performed the song live. Take a chill pill. 

Exactly.  And, seriously, if you are "disgusted" by a Dream Theater performance, this forum is probably not the right place for you.  Not every post needs to be unicorns and rainbows, but this is primarily a Dream Theater appreciation forum, and while you are allowed to dislike things and to voice constructive criticism, there is nothing constructive in your post.

[OsMosis2259]

He hit SOME notes on the bridge which are the highest, but the rest of the song was typical JLB mediocre flat singing. And I'm seriously disgusted at how MM just completely blew off the cool MP hihat work, which IMO really adds to the song. I'll take the benefit of the doubt and maybe they had an overnight rehearsal of the song and MM just winged it.

And jeezuz, JP looks like the incredible hulk wielding a guitar!!

u mad bro?

[SeRoX]

It's completely pointless to compare James performance back in the days and between now when Another Day matters. It's fucking hard to sing and even back in the days James was never shining while performing it. Not that he couldn't. It is just not easy to arrange it live setting.

And, he did a great job considering the above reasons and his age.

[ronrule]

And I'm seriously disgusted at how MM just completely blew off the cool MP hihat work, which IMO really adds to the song. I'll take the benefit of the doubt and maybe they had an overnight rehearsal of the song and MM just winged it.

Maybe disgusted is too strong, but I'm disappointed too. I was disappointed in high hat and cymbal work on ADTOE and I was disappointed when I saw a youtube of 6:00 and Mangini didn't really have the high hat work quite right (to my ears). Mangini seems to have such a love of "support"-style drumming and complicated, though "linear" parts (I think this is the style I'm wanting to identify), that I think we're losing the potential for some great prog drumming. We all know Another Day like the back of our hands; if anything it would be a great opportunity for *extra* jazzy proggy flourishes that only MM (or a couple other greats) could add to the already great MP parts.

[Adami]

I'll take the benefit of the doubt and maybe they had an overnight rehearsal of the song and MM just winged it.

Doubtful since he skips the same styles and techniques in every other song MP did them in as well.

[ronrule]

I'll take the benefit of the doubt and maybe they had an overnight rehearsal of the song and MM just winged it.

Doubtful since he skips the same styles and techniques in every other song MP did them in as well.

Maybe this needs its own thread, but one can assume he thinks it's more musical and/or supportive this way? I don't get it.

[NickySpanjaards]

I'd say he did a slightly better job a few days ago than he did 13 years ago.. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BzBdALjpS8c

Slightly? I'd say it was a major improvement.  Crikey!

Absolutely, and in that performance of 13 years ago his voice is all over the place and cracking a lot as he seems tired. And he is almost 50, so it's amazing that he can even still hit 90% of the song.

[DebraKadabra]

You had to be there, apparently.

Probably; I wish I were there, definitely.

No probably about it - to behold that in person?  Indescribable.

[DebraKadabra]

And just a quick note about MM "skipping hi-hats" etc.

MP did the same thing during the Octavarium tour - he miraculously turned the triplets in These Walls to single beats.  I'm sure there's more examples, but this is the most blatant one I could think of.

It doesn't make me think ANY less of MP or MM though, just that they're human/fallible.

[TheGreatPretender]

I, personally, couldn't give less crap about hi-hats and cymbals. I think an overuse of them can make a song sound too noisy and drown out other drum parts. So frankly, I prefer when they're used more sparingly anyway.

[DebraKadabra]

I couldn't care less either, as I'm a psuedo-singer and not a drummer.

[TheGreatPretender]

I couldn't care less either, as I'm a psuedo-singer and not a drummer.

Ditto.

[Adami]

Well as a drummer, it annoys me. And changing it once in a great while isn't the same as completely removing it from every song.


And yes, he does.

[MoraWintersoul]

No probably about it - to behold that in person?  Indescribable.

The "probably" was about the part where I had to be there to fully appreciate it, I'd definitely kill to be there no matter what they play

inb4 someone posting this setlist:
1. Raw Dog x 10000
2. You Not Me x 1000
and saying "o rly"

[DebraKadabra]

Well as a drummer, it annoys me. And changing it once in a great while isn't the same as completely removing it from every song.


And yes, he does.

But... it's not like Portnoy never did it either, which was the point I was trying to make.

[Adami]

Well as a drummer, it annoys me. And changing it once in a great while isn't the same as completely removing it from every song.


And yes, he does.

But... it's not like Portnoy never did it either, which was the point I was trying to make.

And some times JLB skips a few high notes. Now imagine a singer singing DT that skips every single high note.

Doing something once in a great while and always doing it are VERY different things. And there's no need to defend Mangini over Portnoy, I am not a huge fan of Portnoy and think Mangini is much better. But I calls them as I sees them.

[DebraKadabra]

I'm not a huge fan either, wasn't really defending him - I was comparing the two situations with MM and MP.  And, if I remember correctly, MP sluffed on the triplets in These Walls for the whole Octavarium tour.

[Adami]

I'm not a huge fan either, wasn't really defending him - I was comparing the two situations with MM and MP.  And, if I remember correctly, MP sluffed on the triplets in These Walls for the whole Octavarium tour.

He probably did. All musicians do stuff like that from time to time. But the hi-hat work was a signature sound of MP and thus a signature sound of many drum parts in DT. And I am a little put off that they have been completely removed, especially when Mangini can obviously play those parts without even thinking about them.

It's also because I really liked those parts. If Mangini were to change a part I didn't like, I wouldn't have had a problem.

[nikatapi]

He probably did. All musicians do stuff like that from time to time. But the hi-hat work was a signature sound of MP and thus a signature sound of many drum parts in DT. And I am a little put off that they have been completely removed, especially when Mangini can obviously play those parts without even thinking about them.

It's also because I really liked those parts. If Mangini were to change a part I didn't like, I wouldn't have had a problem.

Agreed. I really like MM's playing and feel, but i don't understand why he chooses to simply remove those interesting hihat patterns MP did, when he is certainly able to play them. Generally i feel that MM's hihat work is lacking both in terms of playing but also in terms of tightness of the sound, his hihat never sounds closed, and when i saw them live i noticed it in many songs.