James LaBrie Interview (Oct. 15th)

[Fiery Winds]

Some folks may be familiar with Elizabeth Zharoff's reaction channel "The Charismatic Voice", however, she also does artist  "Tea Time Interviews", and looks like tomorrow morning there will be a new conversation/interview with James (there's a short preview now).

https://youtu.be/pItFsa8gRQo

[Lonk]

Cool! Looking forward to it

[Madman Shepherd]

I am so over "reaction" videos.

That said, this sounds like an excellent interview.

[Architeuthis]

Cool! 

[Ben_Jamin]

Interested in learning more about the DocVox....

[TheBarstoolWarrior]

Cool - will check it out. I tend to just ignore anything that comes up in my feed as a reaction video. I think they are asinine and annoying in my feed because they have a still of the poster making some dumb face to get you to click-- so I probably would have missed this.

[jayvee3]

Appreciate the link - that looks like it will be a terrific interview

[TAC]

She's even more breathy than he is.

[hefdaddy42]

She's even more breathy than he is.

Have you ever heard her sing full voice?  She is an opera-trained singer.

No amplification necessary.

[the_silent_man]

Is there any new music in this?
Don't want to hear anything until release...

[Pettor]

Best interview with James I've seen! Both are incredibly cool people to listen to. It's fun that Elizabeth deep dives into the vocals instead of asking about recording process etc. Also haven't heard James detail so much about the vocal injury before. Actually quite emotional in a way.

[TAC]

She's even more breathy than he is.

Have you ever heard her sing full voice?  She is an opera-trained singer.

No amplification necessary.

I have not. I've watched a couple of her reaction videos and I feel like I'm going to hyperventilate just listening to her talk.

[Lonk]

Is there any new music in this?
Don't want to hear anything until release...

I saw most of it and there was not music. Just fun conversation between 2 vocalist.

Best interview with James I've seen! Both are incredibly cool people to listen to. It's fun that Elizabeth deep dives into the vocals instead of asking about recording process etc. Also haven't heard James detail so much about the vocal injury before. Actually quite emotional in a way.

This. I knew about the injury, but hearing him talk about what he went through here was interesting.

[SeRoX]

Wow.

The last song he recorded in the studio for I&W session is Learning To Live and that day he learned that Freddie Mercury passed away. He was so devastated and emotional this day he recorded LTL with this feeling in honour of Freddie Mercury. "I sing this song for you Freddie..."

[SeRoX]

He covered Led Zeppelin song Ramble On for his upcoming solo album.

[TAC]

"Most of my band members were behind me 100%" 

[gzarruk]

"Most of my band members were behind me 100%" 

I wonder who might not have been

[TAC]

This was a great interview, even at 2 hours long. We've often heard the other DT guys talk about their equipment, but this is an interesting deep dive in vocal anatomy and technique. I found James really engaging and he had a great rapport with Elizabeth.

Here's the reaction to Metropolis that she mentioned..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFiEtcuKiPA

What makes some of these reaction videos great is that, while you can never replicate YOUR first time hearing it, it's fun to experience someone else being blown away.


She also mentioned that she did a reaction earlier in the day that she interviewed James. Apparently that was Under A Glass Moon.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1TYn6riJX4

[MoraWintersoul]

Wow.

The last song he recorded in the studio for I&W session is Learning To Live and that day he learned that Freddie Mercury passed away. He was so devastated and emotional this day he recorded LTL with this feeling in honour of Freddie Mercury. "I sing this song for you Freddie..."

This has validated all my internal feelings about this song, and he only says it now??? Stealing ten+ years of perfect happiness from me!

[Wim Kruithof]

This was a great interview, even at 2 hours long. We've often heard the other DT guys talk about their equipment, but this is an interesting deep dive in vocal anatomy and technique. I found James really engaging and he had a great rapport with Elizabeth.

Thanks for the links, I agree with you. One of the very few tops from being isolated due to Covid-19 at the moment, I've been able to digest the whole two hours of this interview. And like you said, very interesting to dive in the vocals.

[Dream Team]

This was a great interview, even at 2 hours long. We've often heard the other DT guys talk about their equipment, but this is an interesting deep dive in vocal anatomy and technique. I found James really engaging and he had a great rapport with Elizabeth.

Here's the reaction to Metropolis that she mentioned..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFiEtcuKiPA

What makes some of these reaction videos great is that, while you can never replicate YOUR first time hearing it, it's fun to experience someone else being blown away.


She also mentioned that she did a reaction earlier in the day that she interviewed James. Apparently that was Under A Glass Moon.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1TYn6riJX4

I'll never understand why they keep using inferior live versions for these videos. At least that Daily Doug guy doesn't do that.

[LKap13]

This was a great interview, even at 2 hours long. We've often heard the other DT guys talk about their equipment, but this is an interesting deep dive in vocal anatomy and technique. I found James really engaging and he had a great rapport with Elizabeth.

Here's the reaction to Metropolis that she mentioned..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFiEtcuKiPA

What makes some of these reaction videos great is that, while you can never replicate YOUR first time hearing it, it's fun to experience someone else being blown away.


She also mentioned that she did a reaction earlier in the day that she interviewed James. Apparently that was Under A Glass Moon.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1TYn6riJX4

I'll never understand why they keep using inferior live versions for these videos. At least that Daily Doug guy doesn't do that.

Agree. He did it for illumination theory and maybe DOE but studio seems the better option

[Lonk]

I could be wrong, but when you come from a classical background, more often than not you care more about what the musician can do live rather than in studio, given how technology could exaggerate an artist abilities.

At least that's the impression i get and comments I heard while in undergrad.

[geeeemo]

I prefer the live versions over studio myself.

[Ben_Jamin]

I prefer live because it's live. They're performing the song in front of you and showing how human they are when things sometimes go wrong.

I enjoy live over studio because of the fact they're performing the song, and you can sense a vibe from them, making that song unique in being played in that moment. Sometimes the moment is great and sometimes it could've been better. Even the bands know this and try their very best to give it their all each night. I do not expect them to give it their all every night because their humans and don't need that overwhelming stress. I do understand there are flaws that happen live especially with vocalists. Every vocalist I have heard has some sort of flaw live.

It's not easy being a vocalist who has to learn how to sing again by altering their style because of an incident involving the vocals. It's quite sad when you are not able to do what you were regarded as the best at, or why people appreciated your vocals.

For me, I prefer JLBs softer more somber tone. He uses this in Ayreon and in The Source. But being in Dream Theater, people want to hear those highs and he tries. It's why I was happy with his vocals on both Invisible Monster and The Alien.

[Kram]

Great interview!  James comes across very personable and likable here - and they definitely had a great rapport with each other.  I'm wondering about that straw gizmo thing James is using?  They were both talking about it like it's the greatest thing ever.  If that's true, I'm wondering if this will really help him up his game for this tour?

[evilasiojr]

I'm only 45 minutes through the interview, but there's something interesting part of his story of the injury I'd never heard before.

He mentions that after the puking and bleeding he couldn't even speak for like 3 hours, his voice was just like a whisper...

I remembered how I related James' story to Gabriel's story on The Astonishing the first time I listened to the album. And I kinda related their stories again cause of his use of the word whisper and the song Whispers on the Wind on TA. Makes me wonder if JP and James thought or talked about it, if the similarities were in purpose or not. Anyways, crazy story and James really seems like a nice guy, really unfortunate to hear that story every time, but kudos to the man to keep rocking as much as he can.

[gmillerdrake]

This was an awesome interview. I know nothing about being a vocalist but listening to these two speak about their instruments was amazing. I've watched several of her reaction video's and she's pretty good.

Outside of that this was just a fun and informative interview. I challenge anyone who's dogged and been down in Laurie and his 'sound' the last 5-10 years to listen/Watch this and tell me your mind hasn't changed.

[TheBarstoolWarrior]

This was an awesome interview. I know nothing about being a vocalist but listening to these two speak about their instruments was amazing. I've watched several of her reaction video's and she's pretty good.

Outside of that this was just a fun and informative interview. I challenge anyone who's dogged and been down in Laurie and his 'sound' the last 5-10 years to listen/Watch this and tell me your mind hasn't changed.

Who is Laurie?

[gmillerdrake]

This was an awesome interview. I know nothing about being a vocalist but listening to these two speak about their instruments was amazing. I've watched several of her reaction video's and she's pretty good.

Outside of that this was just a fun and informative interview. I challenge anyone who's dogged and been down in Laurie and his 'sound' the last 5-10 years to listen/Watch this and tell me your mind hasn't changed.

Who is Laurie?

I guess autocorrect didn't like LaBrie

[Glasser]

Listening to Elizabeth break down Metropolis pt.1 instrumental and solo section was cool but seeing someone react to it hearing it as new was fun and interesting being we all know it note for note for so many years. Bottom line she was completely blown away (as she should be) with an older DT tune and seemed giddy over it. I love it! She's very impressive. 

[bl5150]

It's  not normally my thing (reaction videos) but there's something about watching people from outside of rock/metal getting such a kick out of "our" music. And aside from the analysis she has this child like enthusiasm about everything and just seems like a genuinely lovely person.  She's sorta cute too which doesn't hurt either.

[Trav]

Great interview. This reminds of James's recent interview with Peter Orullian. Another long-form interview with another singer.  I prefer listening to James (and really any artist I admire) in these types of conversations. You get so much more than the short "here's a few questions and then we'll leave time for a plug" traditional type of interview.

[Peter Mc]

Just saw this on YouTube and am watching now.  About 40 min in and it's a really great interview/conversation.  The most relaxed and engaging I've even seen JLB be.  It's cool hearing him talking about his singing and experiences.

[Peter Mc]

Without doing a Blabbermouth here, did anyone notice how he answered the question about how people should support someone who goes through a vocal injury like he had.  How he said that you have to be sensitive, supporting and if you're not, you need to look at yourself as a human being.  Then in the next breath he said "most" of my band mates were really understanding and supportive.  Interesting.

As for why reaction channels use live videos, I've heard from some that they're less likely to be blocked by the record labels.  I don't know why that would be the case but some have definitely said that metal record labels are very hot on blocking videos of their artists but the live ones tend to slip through the net.