Derek Sherinian Appreciation Thread

[AMindBesideItself]

I searched for one of these and couldn't find one. There was one in General Music Discussion, but it seemed to pertain more to Planet X than Dream Theater. Anyway, I feel like Sherinian doesn't get enough love around here. Discuss your favorite Derek moments, solos, videos, etc.

[nikatapi]

So underrated, i think he deserved at least one album with DT having creative freedom.

Amazing player, unique sound, both hard rocking and atmospheric. Seems a great guy as well. I really like him and his work with DT.

[hefdaddy42]

Yeah, I loved DS's approach to music with DT.  I'm glad that JR is there now, but I would have liked one more album with DS.

[Grinch]

Really would have loved to see another album with him, he really added that fusion element to DT that I love, such a great player.

[MondayMorningLunatic]

I love:

• ACOS ‪The Darkest Of Winter‬
• The keyboard solo in Burning My Soul (possibly the greatest DT keyboard solo ever)
• Lines In The Sand
• The funky organ fills in Just Let Me Breathe

Plus, Derek co-wrote the first half of Metropolis Part II. Interesting how he never gets credit for that.

[Cedar redaC]

A Change of Seasons, what more do I need to say?

[Orbert]

A Change of Seasons was my first Dream Theater album.  I'd heard Images and Words and Awake at a friend's house, but I didn't get them until later, so I didn't realize that they'd switched keyboard players in between.  I thought A Change of Seasons was incredible, and Falling Into Infinity is still one of my favorite DT albums.  They might even be numbers one and two.  Prog Metal was still brand new to me (and most of the world) and most of the time I was just getting blown away by what I was hearing, not yet paying any attention to the arrangements or anything.

Anyway, the point is that I didn't realize that a lot of the leads on FII that I thought were guitar were actually Derek on the keys.  And for some reason it didn't even occur to me that the swapping fours had to be Derek and JP because there's only one guitarist.  It wasn't until I picked up Five Years in a LIVETime and saw the video that I realized how much of what I thought was JP was really Derek.  It was a style of keyboard playing that I really, really liked, especially since I'm a keyboard player always trying to find new and different things to add to my repetoire.

Then I heard they'd dumped him for some wanky Wakeman-clone named Jordan...   

[Sycsa]

Loved his Hammond, but couldn't really cope with his heavy lead sound.

[As I Am]

Most underrated keyboard player there is! Awesome and still to this day, my favorite DT keyboardist!

[Mosh]

Not my favorite DT keyboardist, but one of my favorite things about FII is his playing, he is the album's MVP in my opinion.

[Ruba]

Much appreciated! I wish he wouldn't have leaved after FII. Lines in the Sand intro is freaking badass! Not Kevin Moore, but he can fill his shoes, with exception of the toetips.

[Scorpion]

He plays two of my favourite keyboard solos ever: Trial of Tears and Burning My Soul.

Appreciated.

[Madman Shepherd]

"Hey Derek, what are you doing today?"


"Making history, and you?"

I love the dudes personality and that he came from more of a rock background than someone like Jordan.  I love DT's current lineup but it is great to be able to identify with a member like Derek in their influences whereas Jordan is into bands like Yes and Emerson, Lake, and Palmer.

It is hard to judge FII on its own merits and I feel like Derek gets the blame somewhat.  When i first got into DT during Scenes From a Memory, my friends older brothers were talking about how FII sucked so bad and they had a keyboardist that thought he was hot shit but he fucking blew (seriously, it was THAT big of a deal to them).  Of course, I could never really get into DT more than a few songs, they were just too proggy for me, and then I bought FII.  Songs like Anna Lee, Take Away My Pain, and Burning My Soul stood out as great rock songs.  Eventually I started to appreciate and then love some of the proggier contributions but FII was at Mile Marker 2 of the journey. 

Then I saw 5 Years in a Lifetime and what my friend and his brothers saw as an arrogant bastard, I saw as a hilarious personality. 

I also love that Derek performed with Kiss and Alice Cooper and later with Bill Idol.  It was on a Billy Idol tour that I met him.  He was the only member of the band willing to sign autographs.  Most people just had their ticket or a promo card to get signed.  Nobody said anything to him except thanks as he made his way down the line.  Then he came upon me with my Falling Into Infinity booklet and he said, "Well look at this!"  I mentioned that Anna Lee is one of the most beautiful songs ever written.  I wasn't bullshitting, I freakin' love the song.  He said, "Thanks, man."  He paused, held out his hand, and shared a handshake.  I was the only person in the crowd of 20 or so that got one or probably cared for that matter. 

He seems like a pretty cool guy and I think that even though he ultimately might not have fit in DT, he played an integral role in allowing them to continue moving forward and continuing to write some kickass music. 

[MoraWintersoul]

"Hey Derek, what are you doing today?"


"Making history, and you?"

I love the dudes personality and that he came from more of a rock background than someone like Jordan.  I love DT's current lineup but it is great to be able to identify with a member like Derek in their influences whereas Jordan is into bands like Yes and Emerson, Lake, and Palmer.

It is hard to judge FII on its own merits and I feel like Derek gets the blame somewhat.  When i first got into DT during Scenes From a Memory, my friends older brothers were talking about how FII sucked so bad and they had a keyboardist that thought he was hot shit but he fucking blew (seriously, it was THAT big of a deal to them).  Of course, I could never really get into DT more than a few songs, they were just too proggy for me, and then I bought FII.  Songs like Anna Lee, Take Away My Pain, and Burning My Soul stood out as great rock songs.  Eventually I started to appreciate and then love some of the proggier contributions but FII was at Mile Marker 2 of the journey. 

Then I saw 5 Years in a Lifetime and what my friend and his brothers saw as an arrogant bastard, I saw as a hilarious personality. 

I also love that Derek performed with Kiss and Alice Cooper and later with Bill Idol.  It was on a Billy Idol tour that I met him.  He was the only member of the band willing to sign autographs.  Most people just had their ticket or a promo card to get signed.  Nobody said anything to him except thanks as he made his way down the line.  Then he came upon me with my Falling Into Infinity booklet and he said, "Well look at this!"  I mentioned that Anna Lee is one of the most beautiful songs ever written.  I wasn't bullshitting, I freakin' love the song.  He said, "Thanks, man."  He paused, held out his hand, and shared a handshake.  I was the only person in the crowd of 20 or so that got one or probably cared for that matter. 

He seems like a pretty cool guy and I think that even though he ultimately might not have fit in DT, he played an integral role in allowing them to continue moving forward and continuing to write some kickass music.

That story was so awesome, I awwwww'd at it so much! Derek is so. fucking. cool. Awesome guy, awesome keyboardist. If we didn't get Jordan, I'd be so fuckin' sorry he left. This way, I just appreciate the fact we had him for a while.

[Orbert]

"Hey Derek, what are you doing today?"

"Making history, and you?"

Still one of my favorite parts of that video. 

When i first got into DT during Scenes From a Memory, my friends older brothers were talking about how FII sucked so bad and they had a keyboardist that thought he was hot shit but he fucking blew (seriously, it was THAT big of a deal to them).  Of course, I could never really get into DT more than a few songs, they were just too proggy for me, and then I bought FII.  Songs like Anna Lee, Take Away My Pain, and Burning My Soul stood out as great rock songs.  Eventually I started to appreciate and then love some of the proggier contributions but FII was at Mile Marker 2 of the journey. 

Then I saw 5 Years in a Lifetime and what my friend and his brothers saw as an arrogant bastard, I saw as a hilarious personality. 

While humor and playing style are obviously a matter of personal taste, I think your friend and his brothers simply misunderstood Derek's personality.  He really seems pretty humble and likeable to me, but has this "joke arrogant" persona that he put on just to keep up with the rest of Dream Theater.  He knew was stepping into big shoes when he took the gig, and was probably actually a bit intimidated (having come more from straight rock and roll, as you point out), so he put on this facade.  The "Making history" remark is a perfect example of that.  He's having a good time and knows that what he's doing is actually pretty cool, but he also works hard at what he does and is serious about it, and he's a smartass, so that's the answer he gives.

And if they thought Derek thought he was hot shit, what did they think of Jordan?  You talk about a guy who overplays pretty much everything and thinks he's the dog's bollocks.  Okay, Jordan is a gifted pianist and keyboard player, and perhaps a better fit with DT because they were really getting into their "turn every song into a 10-minute wankfest" stage when he joined, but his ego and arrogance are real, not just persona.  Yes, he's earned them both; he's an amazing player, but really, pretty much everyone in DT could stand to turn it down a notch.  When Jordan joined and the rest of the band raved about how he's such a great fit, my first thought was Yeah, he's a great fit because he loves to wank and overplay everything, just like they do. 

I honestly preferred Derek's style in DT and found him to be the better fit.  I think JP and MP were bummed when Jordan wasn't able to join them the first time, and never forgot that.  Even though Derek was in the band for two albums, they always had it in the back of their minds that he was the consolation prize.  Derek gets included unfairly with all the shit surrounding Falling Into Infinity, and dumping him was part of breaking free from that and doing their own thing.  They were thrilled to have full creative control again, and the keyboard player they'd wanted in the first place became available, so they made the phone call.

[Priest of Syrinx]

My favorite DT keyboardist.  Nuthin' against JR - he's great - but someone must be #1, and DS is it.

[KevShmev]

And if they thought Derek thought he was hot shit, what did they think of Jordan? You talk about a guy who overplays pretty much everything and thinks he's the dog's bollocks.  Okay, Jordan is a gifted pianist and keyboard player, and perhaps a better fit with DT because they were really getting into their "turn every song into a 10-minute wankfest" stage when he joined, but his ego and arrogance are real, not just persona.  Yes, he's earned them both; he's an amazing player, but really, pretty much everyone in DT could stand to turn it down a notch.  When Jordan joined and the rest of the band raved about how he's such a great fit, my first thought was Yeah, he's a great fit because he loves to wank and overplay everything, just like they do. 

Well, there is a big difference between "rock star" arrogance (like David Lee Roth) and "musician" arrogance (like Rick Wakeman)...Derek had the former, while Rudess has the latter.  And I generally agree with what you said there.  I love a lot of the stuff JR has done with the band, and he can definitely play atmospheric stuff very well, but there are always those overplaying moments where I wish it had been toned down a bit (like 75% of his solos, like those messes in Honor Thy Father and The Shattered Fortress).  I think what I loved about the DT sound back in the 90s (during both the Moore and Sherinian years) was you had a fair amount of technical madness going on, and while the keys did take leads, for the most part the keys were like that melodic foundation underneath the madness, which gave us the best of both worlds.  Again, I am not saying Rudess doesn't do a lot of that, too, but he does so many crazy leads that his background stuff tends to get lost or drowned out in the mix, specifically because his leads are much more a part of the madness that KM's or DS's leads ever were.

[Implode]

I absolutely love his solos. Also his lead sound is amazing. Much appreciated.

[Orbert]

And if they thought Derek thought he was hot shit, what did they think of Jordan? You talk about a guy who overplays pretty much everything and thinks he's the dog's bollocks.  Okay, Jordan is a gifted pianist and keyboard player, and perhaps a better fit with DT because they were really getting into their "turn every song into a 10-minute wankfest" stage when he joined, but his ego and arrogance are real, not just persona.  Yes, he's earned them both; he's an amazing player, but really, pretty much everyone in DT could stand to turn it down a notch.  When Jordan joined and the rest of the band raved about how he's such a great fit, my first thought was Yeah, he's a great fit because he loves to wank and overplay everything, just like they do. 

Well, there is a big difference between "rock star" arrogance (like David Lee Roth) and "musician" arrogance (like Rick Wakeman)...Derek had the former, while Rudess has the latter.  And I generally agree with what you said there.  I love a lot of the stuff JR has done with the band, and he can definitely play atmospheric stuff very well, but there are always those overplaying moments where I wish it had been toned down a bit (like 75% of his solos, like those messes in Honor Thy Father and The Shattered Fortress).  I think what I loved about the DT sound back in the 90s (during both the Moore and Sherinian years) was you had a fair amount of technical madness going on, and while the keys did take leads, for the most part the keys were like that melodic foundation underneath the madness, which gave us the best of both worlds.  Again, I am not saying Rudess doesn't do a lot of that, too, but he does so many crazy leads that his background stuff tends to get lost or drowned out in the mix, specifically because his leads are much more a part of the madness that KM's or DS's leads ever were.

Yeah, I guess Derek's "rock star" arrogance is a different flavor from "musician" arrogance; I hadn't really thought of it that way.  I'm still not sure how much of it is just persona, though, and how much of it is really him, but I suppose that doesn't actually matter.  Unless you get to meet a celebrity in person, the public face is all we get to see and form our opinions from.

I listened to Falling Into Infinity today and am listening to Once in a LIVETime right now, and Derek's leads do get pretty psychotic sometimes, so I guess it's not really fair to say that Jordan is that much worse than Derek when it comes to solo wankery.  I guess it's the "in between" stuff -- which is really hard to describe -- where I feel Jordan tends to overplay.  Instead of a simple line, Jordan just has to embellish it sometimes with those little turns and arpeggios that to some people sound really cool, but to others it just sounds like showing off.  Adding extra shit just because you can, not because it actually adds anything melodically.

By the way, it's probably not really clear but I'm agreeing with you, just restating.

IMO, Kevin had the most restraint and was probably the most melodic when it came to lead lines, Jordan is at the other end of the spectrum with the least restraint and most superfluous embellishment, and Derek was the best mix.

[Madman Shepherd]

While humor and playing style are obviously a matter of personal taste, I think your friend and his brothers simply misunderstood Derek's personality.

Oh dude, they totally did.  From what its worth I'm not even friends with the guy anymore because he was always jumping to conclusions.  His brothers stopped listening to Dream Theater around that time because it was "shallow music."  Jazz is where it was at for them and they were the type of d-bags that just HAD TO choose.  They couldn't possible like several genres.

Anyway, I ended up getting the video and laughed my ass off and even my friend admitted it wasn't as bad as he remembered. 

My point in that part of the story was I doubt my friend and his brothers were the only truly arrogant people that got their rocks off accusing other people like Derek of being arrogant.  We as a DT fan base don't need fuckers like them. 

I do think Derek was pretty misunderstood though.

[ytserush]

I appreciate Derek's music a lot more after he left the band. Planet X, the solo material...Great stuff!

[yorost]

I always think of Derek as the base keyboard player for Dream Theater (I know, odd).  My first two albums of theirs were A Change of Seasons and Falling Into infinity, and they were more than enough to make me a fan.

[Sketchy]

I think with a few exceptions, I think Sherinian added some of the best touches to songs.

Hell, that Trial Of Tears solo. EEEEEEEEEK 

[farsight]

I think Derek has the best body of work outside of DT amongst all DT members(does that even make sense? ) That includes MP and his work in Transatlantic. His solo albums and Planet X are amazing stuff.

And I wish DT kept at least one of the lava lamps

[Dublagent66]

Always liked DS and I still do.  His solo work is really cool and you can tell that he really learned a lot from being a member of DT.  Oceana is really good. 

[gabeh1018]

I always liked DS, i love his lead tone and his phrasing and what he contributed to the overall sound when he was in the band.

I love JR, but until more recently I was always confused about what goes through that man's head when he writes a keyboard solo. Always sounded like a bunch of random notes.

[E.S.]

I don't think DS is the guy for DT, but what he has become after he started doing his own thing is simply awesome. One of the most interesting players out there.

[Triton76]

I love Derek too.  I have a couple of his albums that I like. 
Here is a cool vid of his keyboard rig from keyboard magazine
https://www.keyboardmag.com/video.aspx?bctid=1727670047001&section=Artists

[Herrick]

From the few live clips I've seen, Sherinian seemed cool and looked like he fit in well with the band. I never really understood why they got rid of him. Ruddess is awesome though and I'm glad he's there but as others have said, twould've been cool to have another album with Sherinian. I greatly prefer his keyboard sounds over Moore's, which sound dated & lame to me.

[MoraWintersoul]

Yesterday I listened to ACOS and appreciated Derek very much.

[Cedar redaC]

Yesterday I listened to ACOS and appreciated Derek very much.

Exactly this.

[MoraWintersoul]

Yesterday I listened to ACOS and appreciated Derek very much.

Exactly this.

*high five*

[Cable]

I loved his sounds the most of the DT keyboardists. Even on WDADR, I like his sounds better than Jordan. I saw it mentioned elsewhere many years ago, but his sounds when doubling JP add an extra layer of heaviness. This is only really evident on New Millennium. I think he would have added an extra layer of thickness to ToT no doubt.

[Cedar redaC]

Yesterday I listened to ACOS and appreciated Derek very much.

Exactly this.

*high five*

*high five returned*

[WildeSilas]

Everyone really should grab a copy of Oceana. It's absolutely brilliant.

And yeah, the best DT keyboardist. FII, for all it's faults, has some of their more intersting guitar/key interplay.