Who's the best musician?

[rumborak]

You're preaching to the choir, Blob

JP knows when to step back, have the song take over and just rock it out.  Vai can't do that.

rumborak

[antigoon]

One could say he "lets the story guide him."

[ariich]

The thing that might be skewing this poll is the fact that the rock keyboardist is a borderline 'niche' role.  If you asked the average rock music fan to list his favorite guitarists, he'd rattle off 10-20 names no problem.   Once you ask that same average fan to list his top 10 keyboard players... he'd be hard-pressed to get past 5. 

It's not just rock keyboardists, it's keyboardists full stop (which can include jazz, fusion, etc).

Guitar is simply seen as a cooler instrument than keyboard by the masses, which is why there are more well-known guitarists.

[Progmetty]

In Rudess I Trust.

[Pirate]

What does it mean to be thes best musician?  Does that refer to purely technical skill?  Does it refer to the tones and sounds the musician chooses to use in songs?  Does it refer to songwriting ability?  Does it refer to knowing when to go over-the-top and when to realize that less is moore?  Is it everything combined?

wat

[DarkLord_Lalinc]

What does it mean to be thes best musician?  Does that refer to purely technical skill?  Does it refer to the tones and sounds the musician chooses to use in songs?  Does it refer to songwriting ability?  Does it refer to knowing when to go over-the-top and when to realize that less is moore?  Is it everything combined?

wat

Faith no Moore.

[Zeltar]

I think you speled mucian right lol

It was spelled musian. You failed a fail. Nice job, James.

[ReaperKK]

JR, just amazing.

[MetalManiac666]

JR may be one of the best musicians alive today.

This.

[rumborak]

JR may be one of the best musicians alive today.

This.

No. Seriously. There's a difference between liking a certain band, and completely losing perspective about the rest of the musical world.
I went to Boston Symphony a few weeks ago, and what I saw there in terms of the main violinist, was simple and plain a different league of musicianship.
JR is a very, very good musician. He is not even close to being the best musician alive.

rumborak

[ReaPsTA]

Two things:

- The argument that people keep coming back to with JP is that other guitar players are technically better, but when they start trying to play with certain kinds of feel they aren't good. I know this is a question of musicianship, but isn't part of that being able to play a variety of feels? This is why, even though he's probably not the best, you can't act like JP isn't a contender. It would seem there are very few guitar styles he can't play at least competently. From a musicianship standpoint, that does matter.

- No, I don't think Jordan's the best musician alive right now. But frankly, I think it can be legitimately argued. Jordan Rudess is the only person in the world doing what he does. And he's arguably the only person in the world that can. I like certain things about other keyboardists from a stylistic standpoint, but frankly it is hard to listen to them because I'm always so conscious about their lack of sonic diversity relative to Jordan. I'm not saying he doesn't have flaws, but he brings a skill set to the table that most musicians simply can't.

[ariich]

Two things:

- The argument that people keep coming back to with JP is that other guitar players are technically better, but when they start trying to play with certain kinds of feel they aren't good. I know this is a question of musicianship, but isn't part of that being able to play a variety of feels? This is why, even though he's probably not the best, you can't act like JP isn't a contender. It would seem there are very few guitar styles he can't play at least competently. From a musicianship standpoint, that does matter.

- No, I don't think Jordan's the best musician alive right now. But frankly, I think it can be legitimately argued. Jordan Rudess is the only person in the world doing what he does. And he's arguably the only person in the world that can. I like certain things about other keyboardists from a stylistic standpoint, but frankly it is hard to listen to them because I'm always so conscious about their lack of sonic diversity relative to Jordan. I'm not saying he doesn't have flaws, but he brings a skill set to the table that most musicians simply can't.

Very well said on both counts, I agree with all of that.

[cookienut]

Very well said on both counts, I agree with all of that.

Tuscan Counts?

[bodiesinflight]

I think Petrucci but as a guitarist myself I know more about his competition than I do Jordan's.

[BlobVanDam]

Two things:

- The argument that people keep coming back to with JP is that other guitar players are technically better, but when they start trying to play with certain kinds of feel they aren't good. I know this is a question of musicianship, but isn't part of that being able to play a variety of feels? This is why, even though he's probably not the best, you can't act like JP isn't a contender. It would seem there are very few guitar styles he can't play at least competently. From a musicianship standpoint, that does matter.

- No, I don't think Jordan's the best musician alive right now. But frankly, I think it can be legitimately argued. Jordan Rudess is the only person in the world doing what he does. And he's arguably the only person in the world that can. I like certain things about other keyboardists from a stylistic standpoint, but frankly it is hard to listen to them because I'm always so conscious about their lack of sonic diversity relative to Jordan. I'm not saying he doesn't have flaws, but he brings a skill set to the table that most musicians simply can't.

Agreed on this (and what a surprise, ariich agrees too )
As I was saying before, many of the faster guitar players can't play with feel like JP can. Even though technically these players could play something like the Voices solo, or the BTL wah solo, they're all about feel rather than mechanical precision. As an extreme example, it's like how most bedroom shredders on Youtube can shred out a fast solo, but can't bend a note to save their life.

And as for JR, he really is an incredible musician. There's a quote somewhere (I can't remember what it's from) where someone says that JR throws away more musical ideas in a day than most people could ever hope to write. The guy has a passion and knack for music that is on a level above most musicians. Like him or not, he has a quirky style that is unlike any other musician.

[ZKX-2099]

I do love how Jordan is open to new musical technologies like his use of the Continuum and the iPhone applications.

But on a personal level I find Petrucci is able to compose better material than anything I have heard before.

[OperantChamber]

All 5 are among the elite at their craft. The idea that anyone is significantly better than any of them on a technical level is just foolish. Anything else boils down to personal tastes.

I agree with this.
Put JP, Vai, Batio, Malmsteen, Satriani, and any other brilliant guitarist in a line and it gets extremely difficult to pick by ability.
Same goes for JMX and other bassists, Portnoy and other drummers, and Rudess and other keyboardists.

Rudess vs. Wakeman would be mind blowing.

[Pirate]

Two things:

- The argument that people keep coming back to with JP is that other guitar players are technically better, but when they start trying to play with certain kinds of feel they aren't good. I know this is a question of musicianship, but isn't part of that being able to play a variety of feels? This is why, even though he's probably not the best, you can't act like JP isn't a contender. It would seem there are very few guitar styles he can't play at least competently. From a musicianship standpoint, that does matter.

- No, I don't think Jordan's the best musician alive right now. But frankly, I think it can be legitimately argued. Jordan Rudess is the only person in the world doing what he does. And he's arguably the only person in the world that can. I like certain things about other keyboardists from a stylistic standpoint,
but frankly it is hard to listen to them because I'm always so conscious about their lack of sonic diversity relative to Jordan. I'm not saying he doesn't have flaws, but he brings a skill set to the table that most musicians simply can't.

On your point about JP, I like to think he has the shredding ability while still having merits similar to David Gilmour (I.e emotionally driven solos/ bending, songwriting in general) which a few of the better shredders do not possess.

[Architeuthis]

It think they are all in the same league on their respective instruments (Labrie's instrument being his voice), that's why they are such a powerhouse!

[rumborak]

I do love how Jordan is open to new musical technologies like his use of the Continuum and the iPhone applications.

That's always a double-edged sword for me. It's cool he's trying to explore this stuff, but it often ends up being unmusical.

rumborak

[ariich]

Yeah, I loved his original use of the continuum, and I'd say half of the current things he still uses it for are great, but he goes a bit overboard sometimes, especially live.

[BlobVanDam]

I do love how Jordan is open to new musical technologies like his use of the Continuum and the iPhone applications.

That's always a double-edged sword for me. It's cool he's trying to explore this stuff, but it often ends up being unmusical.

rumborak

The only one that comes to mind as unmusical (that he's used on record, that is) is Bebot, which is unfortunate, because if you hear him play it live on Solitary Shell, it sounds amazing. It just isn't suited to heavy playing at all. I actually hope he uses it on the next album, but over a soft section with some slow melodies.

[setrataeso]

Jordan

[LTE]

They are all incredible, talented and musical, but JR is classically trained, and you could drop him into any genre, any band and he will just sightread everything. haha

Also I'm pretty sure he has the most musical knowledge of all the members.

[rumborak]

I do love how Jordan is open to new musical technologies like his use of the Continuum and the iPhone applications.

That's always a double-edged sword for me. It's cool he's trying to explore this stuff, but it often ends up being unmusical.

rumborak

The only one that comes to mind as unmusical (that he's used on record, that is) is Bebot, which is unfortunate, because if you hear him play it live on Solitary Shell, it sounds amazing. It just isn't suited to heavy playing at all. I actually hope he uses it on the next album, but over a soft section with some slow melodies.

As ariich said, the Continuum was cool for Octavarium and fit the song very well, but lately he's been just using it to create a wall of sound. I was listening to ANTR and AROP today, and the solos were simply indiscernible in melody.

rumborak

[BlobVanDam]

I do love how Jordan is open to new musical technologies like his use of the Continuum and the iPhone applications.

That's always a double-edged sword for me. It's cool he's trying to explore this stuff, but it often ends up being unmusical.

rumborak

The only one that comes to mind as unmusical (that he's used on record, that is) is Bebot, which is unfortunate, because if you hear him play it live on Solitary Shell, it sounds amazing. It just isn't suited to heavy playing at all. I actually hope he uses it on the next album, but over a soft section with some slow melodies.

As ariich said, the Continuum was cool for Octavarium and fit the song very well, but lately he's been just using it to create a wall of sound. I was listening to ANTR and AROP today, and the solos were simply indiscernible in melody.

rumborak

He didn't use the continuum in AROP, that was Bebot (which I agree doesn't sound great there). The continuum on ANTR sounds great for all of the fills, and although I don't mind the solo, I can agree on that too. As I've said before, JR doesn't work as well over heavy stuff. His best solos have been the ones with cleaner riffs. But I don't mind some of his "noise" stuff either. I love the continuum on the outro of TDEN, and I love his keyboard solo on HTF. I like that he's taking the chances, but it is more hit and miss.

[ariich]

Yeah he doesn't only use it for crazy sounds, but he does a bit, which isn't that great. Even that stuff was pretty funky when he first used it, but now the Continuum is best used for things like the dark melody in ANTR.

[BRGM]

JP, He's the bes tguitaris I've heard
JM, he's the best bassist I've heard
MP, don't really know much about good drummer, but he seams to be verry great
JLB, he's special, I guess...as Mike says "The Voice of Dream Theater"
JR, The Best keyboardist ever lived!

Allthough I play guitar myself and really love how JP plays, I think JR is the best, he's lika a daddy to all of'em

[ScioPath]

Rudess vs. Wakeman would be mind blowing.

lets see wakeman play the iphone

[Silver Tears]

I went with Rudess. I've heard guitarists/ drummers etc that match up to the DT guys, but I've never heard anyone play better than Rudess.

[Tuneman]

JP: Plenty of guitarists better than him, even if he is one of the best.

makes no sense

[perfey]

James Labrie, he can express a lot of emotion into his singing and in addition to having a great range.

[YtseBitsySpider]

I tell you what I've seen in this thread is some extreme wordsmith wankery of the highest order....you can certainly tell we're all DreamTheater fans by the way we contruct our posts. The "sonic diversity" of our answers displays the dynamic range of our dizzzying intelects.

[Dark Master Of Sin]

JP - I think he is THE BEST combination of skill, melody, and emotion. Period, end of story. But, there are a few guitarists who I put close to him.
MP - My personal favorite drummer, I love his beats, and how he plays well for everyone. But again, there are other drummers up there.
JM - I would put him in my top ten for bassists, but not number one.
JLB - Seeing as it took time to get used to him, and even now I'm not exactly fond of him, no.
JR - My favorite keyboardist, and he is absolutely great. His work is beyond belief, but, Derek is really close IMO.

Because, only one keyboardist is close to JR, I'll give him the vote.

[FlashCE]

It really depends on what being a good musician means. JR is technically skilled but he has no taste and feel in his playing. He seems to be doing what most 8 year old child prodigies do on piano except on thr keyboards with wacky sounds. JP has a lot of creativity and skill but there are plenty of guitarists that are better than him when it comes to creativity and emotion. Not many come close when we talk about technical skill though.

The other three members are no way near the top at what they do. I mean JLB can't even enunciate words properly and sing in tune live so what the heck?

I guess my choice is JP.