Along for the Ride Discussion Thread

[PixelDream]

I kind of agree with you. So far the 'new' DT hasn't quite convinced me yet.

[aprilethereal]

What the hell happened to my favourite band? Really didnt like this new one. I liked the enemy inside a lot apart from some sounds Jordan used - I got totally flamed for that haha but again this JR solo stinks for me.  My wife walked in during the solo and to quote her "whats this? It sounds like a shitty 80s computer game"
I didnt like any of the last album - i just wish DT had taken the extended break that Portnoy suggested (and not left) They just seem so uninspiring these days.

There i said it. Flame on!

GET BACK TEH PORNTY!!!

[RodrigoAltaf]

What the hell happened to my favourite band? Really didnt like this new one. I liked the enemy inside a lot apart from some sounds Jordan used - I got totally flamed for that haha but again this JR solo stinks for me.  My wife walked in during the solo and to quote her "whats this? It sounds like a shitty 80s computer game"
I didnt like any of the last album - i just wish DT had taken the extended break that Portnoy suggested (and not left) They just seem so uninspiring these days.

There i said it. Flame on!

I didn´t like most of ADTOE for a long time, until some of the songs in it clicked for me. But I like the two new tracks. Hopefully the rest of the album changes your mind. But hey, regardless of that, the new tour should be awesome. Even if I hated their new algum I´d go see them - I hated SysChaos when it came out byt went to see them anyway, and quite liked the show. It was only years later that I came to appreciate SysChaos.

[Ben_Jamin]

JP from the interview with Grammy:

Some fans expressed concern when my recent report on the new album mentioned how the new songs were more catchy. Do you think they worry that the new music won't be the same thing that they originally fell in love with?
"I think it's really hard to describe music without alienating somebody. You can say that this album sounds a lot heavier, and people would say that sucks. Some people might be really happy about that. Or you could say it's a lot more melodic, and people could get mad like you said. To me, that mentality where it's one or the other drives me nuts. To give you an example as a guitar player, there has always been this argument, like these two sides where guitar players can only be technical or play with feeling, it's one or the other. But to me that makes no sense whatsoever. My favorite guitar players have both. Just because you have developed the craft on your instrument doesn't mean that you don't have the ability to be expressive emotionally on that instrument, or vice versa. Just because something is melodic or catchy doesn't mean that it doesn't have depth and substance and progressive sensibilities. Just because something is very technical or heavy doesn't mean that it's not melodic. You know what I mean? To me, it's not one or the other. That's part of the progressive spirit, that's part of the spirit of Dream Theater — we try to keep all of those elements in mind when we write."

I totally agree with this. This is why I really like Dream Theater. You get the whole emotional spectre in their catalogue.

That's why I never ever expect anything from a band. Plus, if you enjoy music than genres mean nothing. I'm still waiting for some country dance rap metal jazz core.

[Bill Carson]

I have no problem with what genre they are playing but my issue (with what i've heard so far) is that it is so uninspiring !
Every solo, sound, melody, progression...just general idea sounds regurgitated and tired.
Even before MP left I felt they needed a shot of something. But you know i've been a fan since Images & Words, maybe they've excited and moved me all they are gonna....now that is a depressing thought.

[Super Dude]

What the hell happened to my favourite band? Really didnt like this new one. I liked the enemy inside a lot apart from some sounds Jordan used - I got totally flamed for that haha but again this JR solo stinks for me.  My wife walked in during the solo and to quote her "whats this? It sounds like a shitty 80s computer game"
I didnt like any of the last album - i just wish DT had taken the extended break that Portnoy suggested (and not left) They just seem so uninspiring these days.

There i said it. Flame on!

As opposed to before he left? Not saying post-Portnoy is much better, but...

[Bill Carson]

And one other thing......"That" solo tone from JR is truly awful !!! How the other guys cannot see that and have allowed him...for the 2nd time....to ruin a song is beyond me.

[Shadow2222]

And one other thing......"That" solo tone from JR is truly awful !!! How the other guys cannot see that and have allowed him...for the 2nd time....to ruin a song is beyond me.

I'm not listening to AFTR before the album releases, but I know its the same one from BtS, and I love that solo and the patch used. 

[RodrigoAltaf]

And one other thing......"That" solo tone from JR is truly awful !!! How the other guys cannot see that and have allowed him...for the 2nd time....to ruin a song is beyond me.

Here´s what comes to mind when I hear this tone: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtysNJc5gjw

[aprilethereal]

And one other thing......"That" solo tone from JR is truly awful !!! How the other guys cannot see that and have allowed him...for the 2nd time....to ruin a song is beyond me.

This is a bit harsh, don't you think?

[Chino]

I've now listened to this song at least 15 times... I'm hooked. I love it. I don't care that's it's not heavy or overly complex. I think JLB sounds fantastic on it, and despite many peoples' opinions, I think JR is great on this track. JP's flow is spot on and I think MM's playing is as complex as he could could make it before it became overkill. JM is grooving pretty well given it's a ballad.

8/10

[docsp76]

I've now listened to this song at least 15 times... I'm hooked. I love it. I don't care that's it's not heavy or overly complex. I think JLB sounds fantastic on it, and despite many peoples' opinions, I think JR is great on this track. JP's flow is spot on and I think MM's playing is as complex as he could could make it before it became overkill. JM is grooving pretty well given it's a ballad.

8/10

Agreed! And I love your avatar!

[emtee]

Well if you like ELP you will love JR's solo. And if you don't (or have not heard ELP) you probably wont like JR's solo. Personally I
like it.

[MarkFitDT]

And one other thing......"That" solo tone from JR is truly awful !!! How the other guys cannot see that and have allowed him...for the 2nd time....to ruin a song is beyond me.

in your opinion only. don't speak for everyone please when you say its ruined.
I  love "that" tone and I love both songs. roll on the 23rd!

[OsMosis2259]

yep I like the tone as well both in this track and Beneath the Surface.
Better than the patch he used in the 2 min keyboard solo for The Shattered Fortress.

[mikeyd23]

Just listened to it again after taking a break from the song since it released yesterday.  I find it absolutely gorgeous!  Count me in the group that loves this song.

I totally agree that this style of song could have been much better if improvements were made sonically, but the song itself is great.  JLB sounds lush and full, JP's acoustic work at the beginning is beautiful, and his work in the second verse is really cool, JMX sounds super groovy and I love his tone, JR lays down some nice piano layers, adds some texture and atmosphere with pad sounds and I love the solo, and MM plays the perfect amount of notes for me.

That all being said, I will agree that MM's performance was a lot harder for me to enjoy than it should have been because of the drum sound.  Not feeling the snare sound on this song (it was okay on TEI) and why the heck would you trigger the drums (or at least make it sound like they are triggered) with a drummer as dynamic and talented as MM?

Still a good song though, and the sonic problems don't make it un-listenable to me at all, certainly detracts a little from my overall impression of the song, but thats all.  I just love this melodic side of DT and this track seems to be really well composed and thought out.  Really wanted a JP solo after the last chorus as the outro of this song too, haha!

[rumborak]

Well if you like ELP you will love JR's solo. And if you don't (or have not heard ELP) you probably wont like JR's solo. Personally I
like it.

It's definitely very ELP, for better or worse. I just wish he played a more inspiring solo.

[Whatsername]

Well if you like ELP you will love JR's solo. And if you don't (or have not heard ELP) you probably wont like JR's solo. Personally I
like it.

I really like JR's solo and I haven't heard ELP.

[nikatapi]

Well if you like ELP you will love JR's solo. And if you don't (or have not heard ELP) you probably wont like JR's solo. Personally I
like it.

It's definitely very ELP, for better or worse. I just wish he played a more inspiring solo.

Trust JP for the solos, JR's solos always sound uninspired to me.

[Kotowboy]

Only thing that bothers me about it is the running water sample in the beginning.  You can clearly hear it looping

I noticed that too.

[lyfeternl]

I really like JR's solo and I haven't heard ELP.

Agreed.

To me, the nitpicking is getting a little ridiculous... I find absolutely nothing wrong with the sound, the mix, the arrangement, etc. Though I am a musician, I, however am not at the hard-to-please level of an audiophile or sound engineer. My ear "ignorance" is bliss.

All-in-all, I'm just psyched to be getting even more new material before the release! Call me an optimist...   

[Kotowboy]

https://www.planetrock.com/news/rock-news/listen-dream-theater-along-for-the-ride/

Cymbals are more prominent here ? Or is it just me ?

I like it more after hearing this stream - dunno why. I'm sure it's the same one !

[Obfuscation]

I like the song and only complain is the drum sound sometimes but put some of the blame on the stream quality and it will probably grow on my anyway the more I listen to it. Regarding people complaining JR's sound during the solo,  hating it just for using a same sound patch he used before is just ridiculous. Guess he should never use the same sound more than once ever again with the way some people feel towards it but I hope JR keeps on doing and using whatever he wants. Like I said before, good song especially before IT to prepare ourselves.

[metropofreak]

Just wanted to voice some of my thoughts:

Currently, I actually really like this song. Admittedly I'm not as blown away as I was hoping, but I find the track very uplifting and tastefully crafted, especially the song structure.

The highlights for me are the full band intro, the really lovely guitar run at 2.09 (and how MM perfectly compliments the changes in subdivision with kick and toms), and that keyboard solo! It adds a slightly different vibe to the song, and the bass underneath is gorgeous.

In terms of the mix, I think it sounds particularly good with my in-ear monitors as these don't overly boost the bass range, which makes the kick drums slightly less intrusive. I know that MM will have added in a lot of dynamics in the kick to highlight certain phrases, but I think too much compression on the kick has lost this, which is a great shame.

As a drummer, I would just like to defend MM a little bit, as I feel he is getting some unnecessary flak. First off, the drums in this song (or any MM song, for that matter) do not sound anything like MP, and for that reason alone add something new and different to DT. He sounds like he is laying back into the groove when he should be. The fill at 2.19 up the toms finishing on the Octobans is brilliant and works wonders with the guitar on top. He does a similar thing following the bass in the keys solo at 3.29, which is absolutely great. The kick and JM's bass are so strongly linked together throughout the song it makes me smile; MM must take so much time in listening to the other guys and learning their parts as well as his. The bridge with the staccato guitar and kick part has this wonderful single handed hi-hat stuff going on over the top. I haven't quite worked it out yet, but he may be doing doubles (or fours) between two/four hi-hats (and a triple to accommodate his snare hit ), so that again is a very different dynamic in terms of drums in DT. I wish the hi-hat was a little clearer; maybe the CD or 5.1 mix will do just that.

To everyone saying "Why did MM de-tune/trigger his snare" or "Why does MM use such rubbish equipment?". Well, I'm  sure we all know that its not triggered. I'm pretty sure that it was Rich Chyki that convinced MM to lower the snare tuning for a more fat and aggressive tone (he wrote this on fb, although I can't find it anymore). But I have to say I like the snare; I don't think it sounds like snare from I&W and it helps add a distinct toooone to the album.

And I think it would be nice to post a bit from a new MM interview (https://www.lithiummagazine.com/interview-mike-mangini-dream-theater-august-28th-2013):

Yeah, check us out with headphones. I don't even know if you even like it or not, but at least check the album out with headphones. You are going to FEEL a bunch of guys in a room having a good time. And what you'll HEAR?? You'll hear how every little drum hit has a place, like it matches something in the music. I'm very proud of that. I would love for you to enjoy that.

Maybe the few being a bit negative could cut him some slack.

Ok, now lets bring on DT12! 

[cosmicwxdude]

What the hell happened to my favourite band? Really didnt like this new one. I liked the enemy inside a lot apart from some sounds Jordan used - I got totally flamed for that haha but again this JR solo stinks for me.  My wife walked in during the solo and to quote her "whats this? It sounds like a shitty 80s computer game"
I didnt like any of the last album - i just wish DT had taken the extended break that Portnoy suggested (and not left) They just seem so uninspiring these days.

There i said it. Flame on!

GET BACK TEH PORNTY!!!

Huh, your thoughts are exact opposite of mine.  Oh well....

[cosmicwxdude]

And one other thing......"That" solo tone from JR is truly awful !!! How the other guys cannot see that and have allowed him...for the 2nd time....to ruin a song is beyond me.

Huh, I find it quite nice.  Funny that....

[Moor]

And one other thing......"That" solo tone from JR is truly awful !!! How the other guys cannot see that and have allowed him...for the 2nd time....to ruin a song is beyond me.

Writing music is not about allowing this and authorizing that, it is about feelings and about pouring hearts and souls... It is in this context that the "other guys", myself and large portion of DT fans connected to that Moog solo. I feel sorry for you that you could not connect to it and I cannot understand you describing it as "ruining, awful and not to be allowed" 

[Whatsername]

Just wanted to voice some of my thoughts:
*long post that I don't want to clog the thread with*

I'm glad to hear your take on this! It's nice to hear a drummer's perspective on Mangini's playing.

[aprilethereal]

What the hell happened to my favourite band? Really didnt like this new one. I liked the enemy inside a lot apart from some sounds Jordan used - I got totally flamed for that haha but again this JR solo stinks for me.  My wife walked in during the solo and to quote her "whats this? It sounds like a shitty 80s computer game"
I didnt like any of the last album - i just wish DT had taken the extended break that Portnoy suggested (and not left) They just seem so uninspiring these days.

There i said it. Flame on!

GET BACK TEH PORNTY!!!

Huh, your thoughts are exact opposite of mine.  Oh well....

Sarcasm, my friend

[Kotowboy]

Jordan's solo would have been ok - if he didn't use the exact same patch and pretty much the same arpeggios as the BTS solo...

[theseoafs]

I've listened to the song about 4 or 5 times now, and although I was kind of underwhelmed at first, I like it a lot more now.  I didn't really get what the guys were going for when I first heard the song, but now I understand.  It's really catchy and tasteful without sacrificing complexity.  The guys really hit it out of the park on this one, though it took me a few listens to understand that they did.

I'm also warming up more to MM's drums, though they're still a little offputting to me.  That'll probably change once I sit down with the physical CD and a good pair of headphones.

[Fiery Winds]

Each listen grows more with me, similar to TEI.  Can't wait to hear the rest of the album! 

Btw, why do we not have sticky'd links to the stream anywhere on the forum? 

[Grizz]

GET BACK TEH PORNTOY!!!

FTFY

[krieger]

GET BACK TEH PORNTY!!!

Porn Toy? 

[RodrigoAltaf]

 All jokes aside, bringing back Portnoy is not going to change the fact that Dream Theater has reached a signature sound which is not likely to change with every new album like it used to. Like it or not, it´s hard to say that what they´re doing now is innovative. I do like both songs released so far though, and I´m very much looking forward to the new album and tour. I´ll catch them AT LEAST 4 times on this tour.