If DT Members Wrote Autobiographies

[Cavalry of Despair]

Was going to post this as a response in the Mangini thread but figured it would be too much of a derailment. Some people on that discussion got talking semi-jokingly about a hypothetical John Myung autobiography, and it got me thinking: if each living DT member were to write an autobiography, what would each one be like, and whose would I be most eager to read?

Petrucci - He would have the most comprehensive word on all things Dream Theater as both an artistic unit and an organization, being one of only two consistent members, the longest-standing leader/co-leader, as well as the primary composer and lyricist in the band. Given his approach to publicity, I would guess he would try to not give much attention to interpersonal drama, nor any criticism in terms of the band's output, performance, or morale. Generally, a very neutral tone.

Myung - John has obviously taken more of a backseat role in all aspects of the band, especially since the 90s and even more so since the pre-Images era. So, I imagine the content of his autobiography to be more personal, with a large focus on discipline, mainly regarding the bass, but extended to other fields such as the period in the 80s-early 90s when he practiced martial arts. He could also expand upon the spiritual/emotional content that informs much of his rare lyrical contributions. Considering his comments in the WDADU 15th DVD commentary, I bet he could actually provide a lot of insight into the Majesty era of the band.

Portnoy - By far the most likely candidate to ever actually write an autobiography. In contrast to Petrucci, Mike would likewise be able to elaborate heavily on all things Dream Theater, but his perspective would be much more biting and juicy, with a level of personal conviction that would be at times much more honest than any other member's retellings, but at the same time more prone to distorted perspectives. For those reasons, Portnoy's book would be one that I'd be very interested in reading.

Moore - Given Kevin's tendency to avoid the spotlight, I imagine he'd never market this sort of thing as a "Kevin Moore autobiography", but rather a different sort of memoir that would still cover a lot of his personal experiences. I wouldn't be surprised if he'd completely omit his DT years, though I'd be dying to hear about how he viewed his experience and role in the band, and actually get a clearer picture of how the success of Images and Words affected him and his decision to leave the band. I'd also love to hear him delve deeper into his literary influences, as his lyrical contributions are my favorite. What we'd be much more likely to get is perspective on his travels, lifestyle, and relationships while living in Costa Rica, Turkey, and wherever in the US he ended up settling (I forget). Still would be a very interesting read. Though, like Myung, I think it's extremely unlikely we'd ever get anything out of Kevin.

LaBrie - I'd be very curious to hear how he's viewed his role in the band since '91, given the length of his tenure, but being an outsider to the instrumentally-driven focus of DT's music. Also curious to hear how he'd handle discussing his "fluctuating" performances over the years.

Sherinian - Not sure how popular an opinion this will be, but I'd love to read a Derek autobiography. Working as a sideman to so many huge rock acts, he'd definitely have the juiciest set of stories. Plus, I'd like to hear his perspective on approaching jazz-fusion gigs such as Planet X, and his time as Berklee in contrast to the big rock gigs. He also certainly would pull zero punches. Derek would be a very unreliable narrator but those are often the most entertaining perspectives to hear from (anyone read the Peter Criss autobio?)

Rudess - To be honest, I would probably not have much interest in reading a Jordan autobiography, though I'm sure there would be some compositional insight that I'd appreciate. I imagine a lot of the focus would be on musical discipline, given his years at Juliard, but additionally a lot of material on the various pieces of tech he's used.

Mangini - MM's book would probably be a good read. I imagine we'd get a thorough insight into his approach to drumming, as well as some good insight into his work backing up Extreme and Vai. By far, the focal point of his book would the unique perspective on being the "new guy" in the then-25-year-old Dream Theater. I imagine that now that he's out of the band, he would be a lot more honest about his role in the group, as well as the inner machinations of the band over those years.

Overall, my ranking of interest level: Portnoy>Petrucci>Moore>Myung>Mangini>Sherinian>LaBrie>Rudess

[WilliamMunny]

I literally can't follow a word Mangini says...dude speaks in a way that just flies over my head (probably a 'me' thing).

The rest are pretty well represented in interviews and I doubt we would receive something that differs all that wildly from established canon.

That all said, if I could get a 'between you and I' account of things, I'd want to hear JLB's take on everything. He is the closest thing you're going to get to a fly on the wall, especially when it comes to how everything goes down in the studio.

[Adami]

I think Mangini wrote a book, but you could only read it two pages at the same time. At different speeds.

[durga2112]

Kevin's book could be called "Life Is So Much Cleaner On the Page". I'd love to read what he has to say. I'd also be most interested in what any of the founding members (plus James) have to say, and less so anyone that came after them.

[Zydar]

JM would be writing the same as JP would write, just an octave lower 

[CraftyCaleb2483]

JM would be writing the same as JP would write, just an octave lower 

[TAC]

Honestly, I'm not sure I'd be interested in any of their autobiographies.


If MP wrote a book about all of the collaborations he's done, that might be interesting.


But all I'd really be interested is behind the scenes stuff about DT. Decisions/discussions on writing, recording, touring, etc..