The Astonishing release cycle in an alternate reality

[Lethean]

My biggest peeve with the release cycle as it happened was not necessarily how they released things, but what. The clips and songs released before the album gave a wrong impression of what the album was. I remember even having arguments here where I had to press that the album was MUCH softer than the metal edge the trailer gave away. It was kinda like giving a trailer that gave the impression of an action movie, but going to see it it was just a drama movie with a few minutes of action sequences.

I think that's probably a good point.  It didn't bother me at all, but I can see how that might be different for someone else.  And I don't think of the Gift of Music as being so much heavier than everything else - I guess it's heavier than most of the album, but I don't know. I don't think of it as heavy or light. Everything seems to fit so well together.

[gzarruk]

The only thing I would have changed about the release would have been the vocals. I wish guests were brought in for a few of the characters and toured with the band. I too have no interest in the book.

I personally like having JLB in all the vocals.  I have thoroughly enjoyed listening to the different nuances in his singing, bringing the characters to life. It is a wonderful showcase. I can't imagine someone else being Nafaryus, or any of the others. When I go to see DT in concert, I want to see JLB, not a host of others.

+1 Absolutely.

James for the male characters, Anneke for the female characters, and on every show, this:

[Lethean]

The only thing I would have changed about the release would have been the vocals. I wish guests were brought in for a few of the characters and toured with the band. I too have no interest in the book.

I personally like having JLB in all the vocals.  I have thoroughly enjoyed listening to the different nuances in his singing, bringing the characters to life. It is a wonderful showcase. I can't imagine someone else being Nafaryus, or any of the others. When I go to see DT in concert, I want to see JLB, not a host of others.

+1 Absolutely.

James for the male characters, Anneke for the female characters, and on every show, this:

No thanks. . I appreciate Anneke and she's a good live performer, but her voice has never been my favorite.  I'd much rather have James doing it all on The Astonishing than to have her involved. It's not that I think she'd do a bad job - not at all - I just love the album as it is.

But I wouldn't mind seeing them working together on something else - a different Arjen project, guesting on each other's solo albums, etc.  Maybe they'll sing together at ProgPower.

[JediKnight1969]

In think in  that alternate reality, The Astonishing would be a Disney movie and DT would be a hugely successful Grammy loaded pitiful band.

[bosk1]

No thanks. . I appreciate Anneke and she's a good live performer, but her voice has never been my favorite.  I'd much rather have James doing it all on The Astonishing than to have her involved.

I could not agree more.

[ytserush]

I'd fully support an alternate reality where I'd like the lyrics more. My reality is they are mostly  too tough to get past.

[Pragmaticcircus]

Put Dev in, squealing as Gabriel or something and you got a deal   

[Architeuthis]

Floor Jansen could easily pull off the female parts in TA. She can sing many different styles and quite well. Even though it will never happen, it would be cool..

[MinistroRaven]

In an alternate reality TA was never written and DT made a different and killer album lol

J/K

If I were JP (John Petrucci, as I am JP but Jorge Pozo) I would have worked the idea of the album, the novel and everything else to be released the same day as the Extreme Deluxe Version of the album with a dedicated DVD/BR documenting the whole process incliuding audio or video commentary of the book etc. And two versions of the album one with guests vocals for all the characters and one with JLB doing it all, only in my dreams that could have be done.

[Ben_Jamin]

In an alternate reality TA was never written and DT made a different and killer album lol

J/K

If I were JP (John Petrucci, as I am JP but Jorge Pozo) I would have worked the idea of the album, the novel and everything else to be released the same day as the Extreme Deluxe Version of the album with a dedicated DVD/BR documenting the whole process incliuding audio or video commentary of the book etc. And two versions of the album one with guests vocals for all the characters and one with JLB doing it all, only in my dreams that could have be done.

Which we'd barely be hearing the album now.

[MinistroRaven]

In an alternate reality TA was never written and DT made a different and killer album lol

J/K

If I were JP (John Petrucci, as I am JP but Jorge Pozo) I would have worked the idea of the album, the novel and everything else to be released the same day as the Extreme Deluxe Version of the album with a dedicated DVD/BR documenting the whole process incliuding audio or video commentary of the book etc. And two versions of the album one with guests vocals for all the characters and one with JLB doing it all, only in my dreams that could have be done.

Which we'd barely be hearing the album now.

Yes, you are correct, but what I had in mind when writing my post was that maybe they could have worked the idea of TA with the book, and all of the extras I mentioned before, and also working on a new album to be released by the time TA was released, of course working on 2 albums might be pretentious and possibly hard to do but they could have developed the TA idea a bit more to include the album and the rest. I hope I am explaining myself clear

[ErHaO]

I agree with people saying the album would've been better with more vocalists. Or at the very least a female one. JLB is great on the album, but one voice can only do so much for a concept double that strives to be something like, say, Jesus Christ Superstar.

And in regards to the tour, if bands like Kamelot can do a full tour with multiple guest musicians, so can Dream Theater.

That said, I do really like The Astonishing but think there is a lot of untapped potential.