DT15: A View From The Top Of The World (Timeline for DT15)

[Mladen]

That was fantastic. Kudos, guys. 

[hunnus2000]

So his comment about "tour head" - are we to read anything into that? 

[gzarruk]

So his comment about "tour head" - are we to read anything into that? 

He's doing a small solo tour in the US.

[hunnus2000]

So his comment about "tour head" - are we to read anything into that? 

He's doing a small solo tour in the US.

I didn't expand the comments  on YouTube - I'm an idiot.....

[illusionist]

John Petrucci interview
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_b_ilvXOH84

James LaBrie interview
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuxETd-iFm0

Mike Mangini interview
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_F89vsAztPA

[TM172003]

I think he's got one coming up with Jordan too.

[Lonk]

John Petrucci interview
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_b_ilvXOH84

James LaBrie interview
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuxETd-iFm0

Mike Mangini interview
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_F89vsAztPA

Is it me or do all his interview have a video/audio lag?

[Zydar]

It would be great if he did one with JM too.

[Mladen]

Lets wait for TAC to respond with a hyperlink and "Yep!"

[Dream Team]

Mangini is always a great and insightful interview, but I still wish there wasn't as much pressure on him and he could just enjoy playing the drums.

[evilasiojr]

I feel Mangini is in a place in the band where he isn't a 100% happy. But that's me and of course that's debatable, but since The Astonishing, he has this way of talking about his position in the band that is very defensive. I felt it really strong in this interview. Like "I do this and that for the band, don't treat me like I do nothing more than that". I feel bad for him! He's just a great guy.

[hunnus2000]

I get the feeling that the "me against the world" that MM projects is part of his personality and a big part of what drives him. When he was describing his new drum and high-hat setup, he was almost defiant.

[Enigmachine]

I should probably note that Mike Mangini starts talking about the new album at around 51 and a half minutes. "There are ebbs and flows. There's maybe one song that's a little more straight ahead, laid back kind of a thing... because the rest is frantic" is an interesting quote. He also describes "a section where you start to picture the hills from The Sound of Music, very cinematic as you know Dream Theater music can be."

[IgnotusPerIgnotium]

At one point he mentions that to sum up the entire record that they just went for it and pretended they were 19 years old and played their instruments and have fun..Wasn't that the same thought more or less behind the last one? Why I get the feeling that the playing part of the band is now more important than the whole picture of the record?

[Enigmachine]

I don't see how both can't be in tandem. Dream Theater always came across as a band where their passion for playing was highly correlated with their passion for creating music. I don't know how one can listen to Distance Over Time, with songs like Barstool Warrior, S2N and At Wit's End, coming away thinking that the songwriting is neglected for showboating, especially given that they consciously reined it in on the tech workouts with the album.

[IgnotusPerIgnotium]

Dream Theater always came across as a band where their passion for playing was highly correlated with their passion for creating music.

And I agree but I am referring to the stylistic side of the album. Another collection of energetic and heavy songs with a new sound make up is nice but I'd like for once to see the band try to make something special. Again we'll wait and see!

[Enigmachine]

To be fair, they're kind of held back from revealing anything major about the album at the moment. One thing I'm wondering is if Six Degrees had any pre-conceived notion about what kind of album it was going to be, as I'm pretty sure it being a double album wasn't intentional. If there wasn't, then there's nothing stopping this album from being ambitious in a similar capacity (with admittedly the double album part not being particularly likely).

[devieira73]

I like a lot Mangini's interviews and, what a lot of people perceive as unhappiness of him, I think it's just him always manifesting his desire of constantly improve himself, always wanting to participate and give more than he already gave before for the band.
I found truly funny his comments comparing his upper hi-hats with people filming with cel phones for the entire show. Fair enough!

[MirrorMask]

To be fair, they're kind of held back from revealing anything major about the album at the moment. One thing I'm wondering is if Six Degrees had any pre-conceived notion about what kind of album it was going to be, as I'm pretty sure it being a double album wasn't intentional. If there wasn't, then there's nothing stopping this album from being ambitious in a similar capacity (with admittedly the double album part not being particularly likely).

Indeed the plan for Six Degrees was not that one from the beginning, they even wanted to do a completely different album - a "world" album, drawing inspiration from various cultures and nations and then use instruments of that nation (or something to that effect). Then they went to see Pantera and they changed their minds, getting inspired for The Glass Prison. Also, either Steve Vai or Joe Satriani, can't remember who, used that "world music" idea for their album at the same time, so they definitively scrapped it.

Six Degrees was ment to be a "20 minutes epic", "cross my heart we won't go past 20 minutes, pinky promise", and then of course it became a 40 minutes suite, which kinda "forced" them to make it a double album (and gave Mike a couple of sleepless nights about how to sequence the album if the label forced them to make it a single disc).

[Enigmachine]

Ah yes, Steve Vai came up with that idea. It sounds pretty much like the inspiration for Six Degrees as an album was kind of song-to-song, given how different they all are.

[gzarruk]

Dream Theater always came across as a band where their passion for playing was highly correlated with their passion for creating music.

And I agree but I am referring to the stylistic side of the album. Another collection of energetic and heavy songs with a new sound make up is nice but I'd like for once to see the band try to make something special. Again we'll wait and see!

I don't have the link for that particular interview, but it's definitely somewhere here in this thread, but Jordan said a few months ago that, while DT15 isn't a concept album, they did follow a "topic" o "theme" for it. We obviously don't know what that is yet, but we might know in about a month or a bit more from now 

Indeed the plan for Six Degrees was not that one from the beginning, they even wanted to do a completely different album - a "world" album, drawing inspiration from various cultures and nations and then use instruments of that nation (or something to that effect). Then they went to see Pantera and they changed their minds, getting inspired for The Glass Prison. Also, either Steve Vai or Joe Satriani, can't remember who, used that "world music" idea for their album at the same time, so they definitively scrapped it.

Ah yes, Steve Vai came up with that idea.

Funny enough, that album, Alive in an Ultra World, has Mike Mangini on drums

I feel Mangini is in a place in the band where he isn't a 100% happy. But that's me and of course that's debatable, but since The Astonishing, he has this way of talking about his position in the band that is very defensive. I felt it really strong in this interview. Like "I do this and that for the band, don't treat me like I do nothing more than that". I feel bad for him! He's just a great guy.

I think it's because they didn't only change drummers when MP left, but they also changed the way their live show works. They want a tight presentation with backing tracks, lights and video perfectly in synch with the band. What I got from the interview is that Mike's job for live shows is to be perfectly on time every time and he's making it clear that it isn't because "he's a robot drummer" but because that's the approach the whole band wants to use. He does sound a lot more excited about writing and recording and collaborating in the studio, as he was for D/T and now DT15, he wants to make his contributions heard.

[RoeDent]

At one point he mentions that to sum up the entire record that they just went for it and pretended they were 19 years old and played their instruments and have fun..Wasn't that the same thought more or less behind the last one? Why I get the feeling that the playing part of the band is now more important than the whole picture of the record?

Because this late into their career they don't have to prove anything anymore, they can just have fun and do whatever they want on their albums?

[Ben_Jamin]

I feel Mangini is in a place in the band where he isn't a 100% happy. But that's me and of course that's debatable, but since The Astonishing, he has this way of talking about his position in the band that is very defensive. I felt it really strong in this interview. Like "I do this and that for the band, don't treat me like I do nothing more than that". I feel bad for him! He's just a great guy.

Well he has to deal with the fans that want MP to return and every album he does, these people will judge his Drumming. And these people are not quiet or silent about it.

His defensiveness in interviews, I think, is due to these people constantly bashing.

[Dream Team]

I feel Mangini is in a place in the band where he isn't a 100% happy. But that's me and of course that's debatable, but since The Astonishing, he has this way of talking about his position in the band that is very defensive. I felt it really strong in this interview. Like "I do this and that for the band, don't treat me like I do nothing more than that". I feel bad for him! He's just a great guy.

Well he has to deal with the fans that want MP to return and every album he does, these people will judge his Drumming. And these people are not quiet or silent about it.

His defensiveness in interviews, I think, is due to these people constantly bashing.

Also, his whole career he's been a hired gun (he never formed a band) so it's probably hard to escape that mindset.

[Ben_Jamin]

I feel Mangini is in a place in the band where he isn't a 100% happy. But that's me and of course that's debatable, but since The Astonishing, he has this way of talking about his position in the band that is very defensive. I felt it really strong in this interview. Like "I do this and that for the band, don't treat me like I do nothing more than that". I feel bad for him! He's just a great guy.

Well he has to deal with the fans that want MP to return and every album he does, these people will judge his Drumming. And these people are not quiet or silent about it.

His defensiveness in interviews, I think, is due to these people constantly bashing.

Also, his whole career he's been a hired gun (he never formed a band) so it's probably hard to escape that mindset.

I personally think, he's found his place in the band now, and is even getting more comfortable with his ideas. Room 137 was a great example of that. And his knowledge of Rhythm shows in his vocal melodies and how they're used in the song.

Coming from that Session only mindset into a Band mindset, is one that does take time to get used to, and The Astonishing didn't help him in that aspect, I bet that album felt more like a hired gun type session, than a band session. Could be why the band decided to just jam and write whatever they come up with, and stayed in the barn. That way, they can have more of that band mindset.

Which I feel is what they tried their best to do with the upcoming album. And I really truly feel we are getting something pretty amazing, if D/T is anything to go by with the band mindset.

[MirrorMask]

When in the most possible distant future DT will be done, and assuming this is their final line-up, I would sooo like to ask Mangini if, fans speculations aside, he always felt secure in his position in DT or if at a point he ever feared that they would boot him to make Portnoy come back.

I mean, there's no way he's gonna answer sincerely in an interview now, so that's a question to be saved for the end of their carrer, but it would be a nice curiosity to satisfy....

[illusionist]

When in the most possible distant future DT will be done, and assuming this is their final line-up, I would sooo like to ask Mangini if, fans speculations aside, he always felt secure in his position in DT or if at a point he ever feared that they would boot him to make Portnoy come back.

I mean, there's no way he's gonna answer sincerely in an interview now, so that's a question to be saved for the end of their carrer, but it would be a nice curiosity to satisfy....

That is indeed a great question,and one i am also curious to know the answer.
But,there is a chance that by the time DT are done,in the most possible distant future as you said,MP is back again.
Even though no one of us knows exactly how much possible that is by today's standards,given that we do not know DT members personally,
and they would not let anyone else know their thoughts,even if they do have at the back of their minds to reconnect with MP.

[Enigmachine]

I personally think, he's found his place in the band now, and is even getting more comfortable with his ideas. Room 137 was a great example of that. And his knowledge of Rhythm shows in his vocal melodies and how they're used in the song.

Coming from that Session only mindset into a Band mindset, is one that does take time to get used to, and The Astonishing didn't help him in that aspect, I bet that album felt more like a hired gun type session, than a band session. Could be why the band decided to just jam and write whatever they come up with, and stayed in the barn. That way, they can have more of that band mindset.

Which I feel is what they tried their best to do with the upcoming album. And I really truly feel we are getting something pretty amazing, if D/T is anything to go by with the band mindset.

Yeah, I do get the sense that D/T was an album to really build up that chemistry with all the members, while ADToE and DT12 were kinda soldiering on efforts to prove that they could survive, with MM not quite feeling comfortable enough to offer his full creative input, as much as I like those albums a lot.

That is indeed a great question,and one i am also curious to know the answer.
But,there is a chance that by the time DT are done,in the most possible distant future as you said,MP is back again.
Even though no one of us knows exactly how much possible that is by today's standards,given that we do not know DT members personally,
and they would not let anyone else know their thoughts,even if they do have at the back of their minds to reconnect with MP.

The chance is about as likely as Kevin Moore coming back i.e. pretty much zero. I very much doubt James has a desire to reconnect with MP in the back of his mind, while JP and JR already reconnected with him in LTE.

[IgnotusPerIgnotium]

MM is now definitely fully embraced by all the members, especially JP. And let's be honest here, JP is still the leader. As MM has thoroughly mentioned he wasn't yet in the position to be trusted with his ideas and JP along with JR was the main composers of the band and actually carried the band from ADTOE up until TA. Filling another man's shoes is always an impossible task. But eventually JP did the right thing and integrated MM in the whole process so that they would write again as a band.     

[hefdaddy42]

Well, he was involved in the songwriting and composing for Dream Theater.  He would have been involved on the next album as well, if that album hadn't been The Astonishing.

[IgnotusPerIgnotium]

Well, he was involved in the songwriting and composing for Dream Theater.  He would have been involved on the next album as well, if that album hadn't been The Astonishing.

Indeed he was but only as to add his drumming under the eye of JP of course. Check out in this interview (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jmw9mtSjB0A) at 4.06 his answer about his involvement up at this point in the band and how he mentions he learned that he should earn the right and respect to actually being involved -it's kinda shocking to be honest. On the other hand TA was a personal vision of JP that because of it's nature he had to work with JR being the master composer that he is and to actually present it as he wanted.

[Ben_Jamin]

Well, he was involved in the songwriting and composing for Dream Theater.  He would have been involved on the next album as well, if that album hadn't been The Astonishing.

Indeed he was but only as to add his drumming under the eye of JP of course. Check out in this interview (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jmw9mtSjB0A) at 4.06 his answer about his involvement up at this point in the band and how he mentions he learned that he should earn the right and respect to actually being involved -it's kinda shocking to be honest. On the other hand TA was a personal vision of JP that because of it's nature he had to work with JR being the master composer that he is and to actually present it as he wanted.

That's a part of that Band mindset. And how you have to find your place within the band. Even though you audition, you won't fully know the operations of the band. ADTOE is just Mangini dipping his toes in the water, DT is him getting in knee deep, then he had to step aside as they began doing maintenance and upgrading the pool, and then finally got to immerse himself in the water with D/T. Now, I think he's more than capable of taking the dive in the deep end. I hope to see this in DT15

[hunnus2000]

But isn't the difference between MP and MM is that MP can play multiple instruments (bass, guitar) whereas MM doesn't (correct me if I am wrong). MM has to use  a version of keyboards to to come up with ideas. At least that's the impression I got because I think it was version of a MM riff that eventually became Paralyzed so MM has to come up with different ways to contribute besides the obvious drums and percussion.

[IgnotusPerIgnotium]

That's a part of that Band mindset. And how you have to find your place within the band. Even though you audition, you won't fully know the operations of the band. ADTOE is just Mangini dipping his toes in the water, DT is him getting in knee deep, then he had to step aside as they began doing maintenance and upgrading the pool, and then finally got to immerse himself in the water with D/T. Now, I think he's more than capable of taking the dive in the deep end. I hope to see this in DT15

Exactly that's a good way to put it. But it's a little bit strange a musician with the skills and prestige of MM that he actually had to boot-camp for 3 albums in order to just let him contribute.

[Ben_Jamin]

That's a part of that Band mindset. And how you have to find your place within the band. Even though you audition, you won't fully know the operations of the band. ADTOE is just Mangini dipping his toes in the water, DT is him getting in knee deep, then he had to step aside as they began doing maintenance and upgrading the pool, and then finally got to immerse himself in the water with D/T. Now, I think he's more than capable of taking the dive in the deep end. I hope to see this in DT15

Exactly that's a good way to put it. But it's a little bit strange a musician with the skills and prestige of MM that he actually had to boot-camp for 3 albums in order to just let him contribute.

He has the skills and prestige, but not the experience of being in a band as a full member. This is where he is learning and mentioned In that interview, how he had to earn that respect because he is new to the operations of how the band actually works behind the scenes, and all that is involved. This includes the process that goes with making albums. It's just a simple respect given to an already established band before making demands.