Does anybody else...

[Ytsejammin]

...miss MP at all? Even just a little? I've been reviewing my collection lately (in preparation for the up-coming new album/tour cycle) and I sometimes get a hint of this sentiment. I'll be watching or listening to a boot from a previous tour and I sometimes find myself thinking: "That's so weird he's not there anymore." No disrespect to MM who came in and has filled some very big shoes wondrously. Maybe I just need Luna Park to come out and these feelings will dissipate.

Predictions on reactions (for funnies):

"No! I don't miss him! I don't even want him to come back!" - 16 year old  Mormon girl. 

"Anybody who says they miss MP is just plain handing out false information."- Optimus Prime

"Goodbye cruel world." - Crying Girl from Luna Park trailer

"Who's MP?" - Fan who got a free promo copy of ADTOE

"

[BlackInk]

I certainly miss his style of playing, sure. But I don't miss his personality, and by that I don't mean that he was a douche, just his musical personality was headed in a direction that was in my opinion not what the band needed.

But Portnoy is still my favorite drummer, mostly because of a dynamic side to his playing I just haven't yet gotten the feeling that Mangini has.

[Progmetty]

Not even just a little, with all due respect to the writing and drumming he did with DT and LTE.
I think mainly I don't miss him in DT cause Mangini is so damn good and I like him better even though I didn't even know of him before he joined DT.

[TheSilentHam]

I miss his playing, because he did bring a sound to the band that drew me in the first time I heard DT (a.k.a. nostalgia).  I also miss his attention to the fans.  That being said, I wouldn't want to trade Mangini for anyone at this point - he's a phenomenal musician and I can't wait to see what they do next.

[cyberdrummer]

I certainly miss his style of playing, sure. But I don't miss his personality, and by that I don't mean that he was a douche, just his musical personality was headed in a direction that was in my opinion not what the band needed.

Pretty much this. He created so many memorable drum parts and so much of my favourite ever music that it's hard not to feel nostalgic sometimes. I'm hoping that Mangini's drumming will be a bit more 'individual' now he has been let loose in the writing process.

[Ytsejammin]

I certainly miss his style of playing, sure. But I don't miss his personality, and by that I don't mean that he was a douche, just his musical personality was headed in a direction that was in my opinion not what the band needed.

I think mainly I don't miss him in DT cause Mangini is so damn good and I like him better even though I didn't even know of him before he joined DT.

Well said guys! Cool responses!

[Naikon]

I really miss Portnoy, and I think that Portnoy will always be the drummer of Dream Theater. Though I makes me uncomfortable knowing that some bandmembers had personal problems with him.
I really appreciate Mangini, and I think that he was the best replacement. Though I have some weird dream that some day Portnoy will reunite and everyone will be friends.

[TheSilentHam]

I would like to see a handful of 12-Step Suite + ACOS reunion shows, but nothing that would permanently displace MM.

[Ytsejammin]

I agree. I'd also give my right arm for those 12 step shows.

[TheGreatPretender]

I definitely don't want him to be back in the band. I mean, the kinds of vocals he contributed, and how much he did it, like it or not, and quite a few of them weren't that bad, but they really undermined JLB's role in the band. And even if MP always did what he felt was in the best interests of the band, his influence wasn't always a good thing. And yes, of course, that's not to undermine how much he did for the band, but with MM, I feel like the band is in a very right place right now.
Having said that, musically, yes, I do miss him. There were several reasons why the drums were somewhat underwhelming on ADTOE, though, including the mix and not using MM's technical skills to their full potential. However, if this new album, he IS used to his full potential, and the drums are mixed a little stronger, then I might just as easily say, "No, DT hasn't lost anything important with MP." We'll see.

[Sycsa]

I'm incredibly excited for the new DVD and the new album, like never before, mostly because of Mangini. If MP were still in the band, 80% of that excitement would just vanish. I'm also very happy that MP is in midlife crisis-workaholic mode. I think everyone came out a winner in the end.

[Progmetty]

I just need to know why the words "It's a blessing no one died, by the the grace of God above, everyone survived" would need to be followed by a screaming "ROAR" or sung in harsh vocals at all.

[SystematicThought]

I still like the original take of ANTR where JLB sings under MP

[Madman Shepherd]

Here are the two things I miss:

1. The volume level of the drums on the studio recordings was a notch higher.  That, oddly, I have found is one of the hardest things to wrap my head around on ADTOE

2. The official bootlegs.  I freakin' loved those things and even though James has said he is going to put some together, I don't think it will ever get back to where it was at with MP.

With that said, I can think of dozens of things I do not miss and far outweigh what I do miss. 

[MoraWintersoul]

With that said, I can think of dozens of things I do not miss and far outweigh what I do miss.

Yup.

[FlyingBIZKIT]

I'll miss the way MP was involved, however that wasn't always a good thing. As of late, he became TOO involved I think. With Mangini, though, I expect him to be more comfortable now and he's doing a great job. He's not a replacement, he's a new family member

[Ħ]

Yeah, I thought the band was better with MP. That said, I only have ADTOE to go off of, which I didn't like that much.

[emtee]

As a drummer I was floored when I heard PMU the first time. And even more floored when I rushed out the next day and bought
I&W. I was in a hair metal band and I thought I was pretty good. I&W and specifically MP opened my mind to a whole new approach
to playing. Awake was soon to follow. Some parts on that album took me many months to unravel. And the amazing playing kept
going, album after album. I anticipated each new release like no other band just to hear what the dude would come up with next.
And live...man...the dude was mind blowing to watch at a DT show. Probably to a fault I keyed in on him during the whole show
and I was always astonished at how good a showman he was. I will always miss him as a part of DT. Always.

But...things change. Life changes. Mike wasn't happy. JLB wasn't happy. JM wasn't happy. It was time for a change. They all seem
happier now. That's a good thing because life is short. I just hope the next DT album allows me to hear the drums on an even
level with the other instruments and I really hope for an overall sonic improvement. I was supremely let down by the sonic quality
of ADTOE.

[Chino]

I do not miss him. The new found attention for the fans by JR and JP easily cover anything MP used to do. I felt the band was getting way too heavy for my taste, and I think it's clear that MP was behind the majority of that.

[Cable]

I agree with too many bits and pieces to quote them all on a mobile device.

I miss his backing vocals, especially live. I don't miss his lead or co-lead vocals sections (ANTR,TGP, CM etc).

I miss his work ethic; rotating set-lists, Ytsejam, and more updates and stuff.

I miss his stage presence to a degree.

I don't miss everything else, and as others stated, I did not like his current tastes steering the band where they did. This basically trumps the things I miss, so all in all, I'm content with what happened. If not for anything else, I like JMs apparent step back up to an active role.

[ResultsMayVary]

Not even just a little, with all due respect to the writing and drumming he did with DT and LTE.
I think mainly I don't miss him in DT cause Mangini is so damn good and I like him better even though I didn't even know of him before he joined DT.

This.

[jonnybaxy]

YES! MP opened up my eyes to the world of prog and DT, i miss his drum patterns, but people who say they didn't like his vocals, I see where you're coming from in terms of ANTR but the rest are fine, I just see it as some variation, it's something different that DT don't have now.

I know i sound like a crazed MP fan boy, but he's an inspiration, but I have nothing wrong with the current line up, in my ideal world, MP would still be there, but it can't happen and i'm fine with Mangini

[adastra]

I miss him 

I still got the feeling that Mangini is just a "Drummer-For-Hire".
But most of all, I miss Derek 

[KevShmev]

No.  If this had happened 11 years ago, when the band was still at their peak (albeit nearing the end of it), I'd probably say yes, but considering the direction the band went in (certain types of metal that encouraged him to sing more and made JLB sing in ways that didn't make him sound his best) combined with the crazy control he had over the band, it made being a fan of the band a lot less fun.  In every interview or documentary, you could count on him hogging the time to talk.  In every live DVD or video, you could count on him getting more shots than anyone else.  It got to be too much.  Factor in the fact that the band's music in his later years in the band, while still mostly very good, wasn't as awesome as it was before, it was obvious the band needed a shake-up, and him leaving was the shake-up that best benefited the band.  I doubt the band will ever reach the musically awesome heights of 1992-2002 (from a consistency standpoint; they will still write plenty of great individual songs, as shown on ADTOE), but for here and now, the band is better off with Mike Mangini than with Mike Portnoy, IMO.  Basically, Dream Theater looks and feels like a real cohesive band again.

YES! MP opened up my eyes to the world of prog and DT, i miss his drum patterns, but people who say they didn't like his vocals, I see where you're coming from in terms of ANTR but the rest are fine, I just see it as some variation, it's something different that DT don't have now.

Okay, but different is not always good. 

[Dreamer81]

No.  If this had happened 11 years ago, when the band was still at their peak (albeit nearing the end of it), I'd probably say yes, but considering the direction the band went in (certain types of metal that encouraged him to sing more and made JLB sing in ways that didn't make him sound his best) combined with the crazy control he had over the band, it made being a fan of the band a lot less fun.  In every interview or documentary, you could count on him hogging the time to talk.  In every live DVD or video, you could count on him getting more shots than anyone else.  It got to be too much.  Factor in the fact that the band's music in his later years in the band, while still mostly very good, wasn't as awesome as it was before, it was obvious the band needed a shake-up, and him leaving was the shake-up that best benefited the band.  I doubt the band will ever reach the musically awesome heights of 1992-2002 (from a consistency standpoint; they will still write plenty of great individual songs, as shown on ADTOE), but for here and now, the band is better off with Mike Mangini than with Mike Portnoy, IMO.  Basically, Dream Theater looks and feels like a real cohesive band again.

This!

[?]

I can't say I miss MP, because on ADTOE DT became MUCH stronger than on the previous 3 albums musically. He was getting too much vocal presence and he added elements that I don't like into DT's sound. MP was also too passive-aggressive at times and had the tendency to say "we" instead of "I" even when others didn't agree with him.

That said, I don't want to focus on the negativity and undermine his role in the band, because his drumming was great and he did a lot of cool things for the band, like the rotating setlists and official bootlegs. However, DT are doing perfectly fine with Mangini and MP is doing his own things now, so the split was for the best.

[BlobVanDam]

Based on ADTOE alone and until hearing DT12, I definitely still miss a lot of MP's contributions to the band, even though I'm thrilled they've got MM.

I miss the 3 part harmonies, with MP's voice along with JP's voice contrasting with JLB's vocal lines. ADTOE was very lacking in good harmonies compared to previous albums, and that was a huge step backwards to me. There's no reason they can't do this without him. I don't know if it was due to the difference process of recording JLB's vocals this time, but hopefully the next album remedies that.
I miss MP's energy in the music. From seeing live clips, there's no doubt at all MM matches that, or even exceeds it, but ADTOE doesn't highlight that, which isn't MM's fault. I'm excited to hear MM as part of the writing process and adding his style to the next album, with a nice punchy mix where I can hear him.
I miss MP's desire to push the boundaries and do something different. Was it always successful? Heck no, but I like a DT that dares to be bold, and hits on something amazing, even if it results in a few misses that aren't so well received, rather than a band who takes few chances and writes something too safe. ADTOE was undoubtedly more consistent for it, but at the expense of any real highs (or lows) that compel me to listen to it over previous albums that did it better.

Don't get me wrong, I'm no MP fanboy, and after this time with MM I don't even want them to get back together with MP. MM is DT's drummer, and I embrace that. MM is a better drummer than MP, and he's full of energy and enthusiasm, and it's impossible to dislike him. And comparing ADTOE to previous albums isn't a fair comparison, because MM hasn't had a chance to let loose yet in a studio setting.

I just don't make it out to be as black and white as others do. I can miss MP, while still being excited they've got MM now.

[robwebster]

No more than I miss David Tennant in Doctor Who.

He had his time, he was brilliant - one of my favourite things about one of my favourite things - but we've moved on. The new guy's bringing variety, and his own take on the role, and the entire shebang's been mixed up. Cool man, but the new guy's doing great things, the old guy's doing new things, and I've got however many hours of the old setup still kicking about on umpteen discs I can play whenever I want. The past was great, the present's the best of both worlds as we can pick and choose, and the future's exciting.

[Kotowboy]

MP used to be my favourite up until he left the band and kept taking jabs at the band on social media.

My opinion of him dropped rapidly due to that.

Mangini seems like he actually is grateful for what he got and is a far superior musician and person.

Plus the musical style on SC and BC&SL was getting really stale. ADTOE was a step in the right direction.

[ariich]

No more than I miss David Tennant in Doctor Who.

He had his time, he was brilliant - one of my favourite things about one of my favourite things - but we've moved on. The new guy's bringing variety, and his own take on the role, and the entire shebang's been mixed up. Cool man, but the new guy's doing great things, the old guy's doing new things, and I've got however many hours of the old setup still kicking about on umpteen discs I can play whenever I want. The past was great, the present's the best of both worlds as we can pick and choose, and the future's exciting.

As usual I can just wait for you to post everything I'm thinking and then agree. It saves me a lot of time, so thank you.

[Podaar]

I actually think it is too early to tell. I have so much media with MP on it that I literally hear and see him weekly (if not daily).

I can tell you this; if it turns out that the improvisations, cool medleys and extended jams leave DT shows on a permanent basis and it turns out that MP was the driving force behind those. Ya, I'll be missing him big time! Think of Budokan, what would that show be with out the keyboard/drum duel and Instrumedley?

So, like I said, it's too early to tell...at least for me.

[Kotowboy]

The jams / improvs were left out on the last tour primarily due to MM not being familiar with DT's back catalogue.

He had to learn a lot of material in a short amount of time.

This would explain the lack of rotating setlists too.



+ Plus I like how MM doesn't try to take the spotlight away from everyone else in the band.

[nobloodyname]

This would explain the lack of rotating setlists too.

Not wholly, according various posts by different band members. It might have been an additional reason but it wasn't the reason.

Me, I miss MP. But my love for Dream Theater was starting to dwindle anyway. Mind you, I still cared enough to get my arse over to Rome for Mangini's debut so that must mean something.

[nikatapi]

Well i miss some things from MP of course, especially some of his signature playing which i think MM doesn't do justice live from what i've heard (mostly some hihat stuff which are a vital component of MP's drumming).

As far as his attitude during the last years, i can't say i miss him that much. The last period it felt completely DT and not "MP and the others" was during Octavarium i think. I liked his nuggets in the albums, all the extra work with setlists, bootlegs and stuff, but after Octavarium i think his excitement began to fade, and it showed.

MM is an outstanding drummer, and seems like a genuine, good guy, so i'm glad they chose him. ADTOE felt a little safe, had bad drum production and it only allowed moments of drumming brilliance to come to the surface. I believe the new album will justify his position in the band.

So after all, it's good that DT have found a great member, and i like some of MP's projects, like Flying Colors and The Winery Dogs, so it's a win-win for me.

[reneranucci]

I don't miss him a lot because I don't care about DT that much anymore. I cherish the music they've created but I'm not looking forward to any more material, if they stopped making music right now I wouldn't mind. They took separate ways in a moment when I didn't really pay attention to what they were doing anymore (I got the news of MP departing around a month after the fact and just because a friend of mine told me directly).

However, I felt that MP was the band member I could really connect to. When I remember my days as a big DT fan, I remember them in connection to MP: his presence in the videos and commentaries, his incredible love and passion for the band, the official bootlegs, the studio updates, the way he tried to excite and include the fans in all their projects, his gratitude to the fanbase, and even his occasional controversies and arguments. He was so much in the business of reaching out to the fans and making them feel part of the DT family that I couldn't help feel intimately linked to the band, as if I knew them and if they represented something I stood for. Way before the days of facebook and twitter he created a social network for DT fans. MP made the band better because it made them different from any other band I was a fan of.

That connection is gone, I feel the rest of the band is a little bit distant and mind their own business without being so proactive in reaching out the fans (this is just an impression, it could be wrong). And I think DT has created all the good music they were meant to create, everything we're getting is some sort of bonus.